Long Beach (CGN 9) - Naval Cruise Book

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Several battle cruisers were scheduled for con- struction following World War I, but the Treaty arising from the Limitation of Armament Con- ference in 1922 resulted in some being converted into early aircraft carriers, and others being can- celled. By the late 1920's and early 1930's, however, the CL,s themselves had grown upg be- sides having catapults with which to launch their own aircraft, they were armed with torpedoes, displaced over 9,000 tons and had reached 600 feet in length. About this time all cruisers, hold- ing whatever designation, were redesignated CA's, although with the commissioning of Brookbin as CL-40, this designation was return- ed to in 1937. She and others launched in the mid-1930's were designed for over 32 knots. During this period armored cruisers Qdesig- nated ACR,s Q, the forerunners of our battleships, and scout cruisers QCSQ, the earliest light cruisers, also made their appearance and the overall class of vessel known as the cruiser ex- panded and diversified. A great many CL's and a number of CA,s were turned out during the Second World War, of course, and several under construction were cancelled just as the war came to an end. Among those authorized during the war and completed shortly thereafter were the 10,000 ton Huntington QCL-107D and the 17,000 ton Des Moines QCA-1341. Two CB's, Alaska and Guam, were also commissioned during the warg each displaced 27,000 tons, was over 808 feet long, and carried 73 officers and 1,444 enlisted men. In an article entitled 4'The Carrier, which ap- peared in Fbiing magazine's special issue of anuary 1943 on U S NavalAvzatzon at War Rear Admiral Frederick C Sherman wrote with the advent of air warfare the uses of the battleship began to be increasingly limited and with dive bombers and torpedo planes be coming more numerous and accurate the battle ship requires an air umbrella wherever it is with in range of any enemy a1rcraft His comments of course were equally appli cable to our cruisers operating at that time al though the author admitted the subject was controversial in most of the navies ofthe world Cruisers hacl grown in tonnage and armament by the earbz anal micl-193019, with heavy cruisers like Indianapolis top o 9800 tons boasting eight 5 guns and nine 8-inehers carrying four o her own aircra tana' a catapult and capable of 33-knot speeds Many light cruisers CL s like Cleveland above were turned out during the war while Alaska one o two battle cruisers KCB sj was also completed be ore hos- tilities enclecl T his 27 000 ton warship was over 808 eet long ana' carried a complement ofover I 500. J . . 3 9 7 ' ' 7 , 5, . . . , f , , 66 . . J . . . , 7 . - K 1 , - 2 a 7 ' J - - as - 3 . I J 9 9 ' J f a ' J 66 . . , ,, ' 2 -W'-f'--A-ew-4--L 1- ------

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In 1943 such concepts as guided missile cruisers which would provide their own air umbrella were not even in the dream stages of most naval officers and naval architects The advent of guided missiles into the naval arsenal brought conversions and new designa tions, a pair of Baltzmore class heavy cruisers had their after turrets and mounts removed to be replaced with Terrier missile systems in 1956, becoming CAG's. And then, in 1961, USS Long Beach was launched as the first Nuclear Power- ed Guided Missile Cruiser - CGJVZ9. CCN-9, the third ship of the fleet to be named for the city of Long Beach, California, is only the second to have been so planned, designed, and built for military purposes from its inception. A German Steamer, Hohenklde, constructed in 1892, was acquired by the U. S. Navy and com- missioned for wartime service in Charleston, South Carolina on 20 December, 1917 as a cargo ship- USS Long Beach KAK-9j. She had a speed of 8.5 knots, displaced 5,800 tons and was 330 feet in length. Armed with a single 3,' 50 caliber antiaircraft gun and two machine guns, her assigned mission was transporting coal and lumber between eastern United States cities and ports in England, Ireland, and France in 1918 and 1919. The next Long Beach was a frigate, QPE3-ifj 12 The heel of USS Long Beach was laza' on December 2 1957 m the Fore Rzver Shzpyard ofthe Bethlehem Steel Com pany Qumcy Massachusetts She was launched on june 14 1959 Thecruzser got underway on nuclearpower uh: 5 1961 and was commzsszoned September 9 the same year built by the Consolidated Steel Corporation in Wilmington California she was commissioned on September 8 1943 at Terminal Island Cali fornia She drsplaced 1 430 tons was 304 feet in length and could attain a speed of over 20 knots Departing the United States for Australia in early 1944, she embarked on a busy career in the Far East, she served as a screening escort for troop transports, merchant tankers, and am- phibious vessels between Cape Sudest, New Guin- ea, Humboldt Bay, Wake Island, Maffin Bay and several other Pacific ports. During her Far Eastern tour of 1944, the frigate earned battle stars for her participation in the Bismarck Archipelago Operation, Admiral- ty Islands Landingsg Hollandia Operationg West- ern New Guinea Operationsg and the Leyte Land- ings. She also received the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Badge. Following her wartime service, Long Beach was placed out of commission in July, 1945, and was transferred to the Russian Navy under terms of the Lend-Lease Act. The U. S. Navy re- gained custody of the ship in late 1949, and in November 1953, she was loaned to the Govern- ment of japan under the Mutual Defense Assist- ance Program. She now bears the name Shit in the japanese Maritime Defense Forces. . . - V .wfwfe ia.---w ' at --v-vw - - --- ------- --4---A.. -. - ---.. .t .... .. .. . uh.'!.1,,,, .:,..,..f ,f...Vg1'Lgm,,.,,,mm4,,,