Roanoke (CL 145) - Naval Cruise Book

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..- , H-vs, s..,, 9 ..f.Ma......,,N.N ,,,,, , V , 4-may ' Ul'7 S-...W The ROANOKE, the last Word in her class, goes to join the greatest fleet We have ever maintained in a With these words, Secretary of Defense Louis A. johnson, in his first public speech after joining Presi' dent Truman's cabinet, opened the ofhcial commis' sioning ceremony of the USS. Roanoke CXCL'l45D, on Monday afternoon, 4 April 1949, at the Phila' delphia Naval Shipyard. With his personal flag broken out above for the First time over a US. military installation, Secretary johnson dedicated 7 791 time of supposed peace. this new vessel, one of the most powerful cruisers in the world, to carry our flag on friendly visits to all quarters of the world. The ship was then turned over oihcially to its hrst skipper, Captain D. Kelsey, USN, after which the Executive Qfiicer, in time honored manner, inaugurated the ceremony of setting the watch' '-a ceremony in which the crew of 922 men was run aboard while the ship's 51

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Va 'fi Equipped for bi11etinv ov er 1400 othcers and men Us 9 o o is in itse1f 1 com e e se suthcient unit contiininv 111 the services ot1ered by Cobb1er Shop Ti11or Shop 1'1ospiti1 Post Qihce Liundry Print Shop Birber Shop Co1d btorave P11nt Photo Lib -Xrsen 11 1ce House Ridio Center VX iter xy orlss C1ener11 Store Six 0111eys Sodi Fountiin Vw dl i- . . . . 7 - N Q 551 cv Q ' ' Q' the ., .,. R .Iii hi' . S , 1 ' p1 t lff .ff - - - - . A . any modern community, 1nc1uc11ngi .4 . y 1, . i 5 1 ' v 7 . 1 L 1 i 1 - 'T . - 1. LO l 1 ' L Q . H ' . T L k i T 'Qi 1 YL T Y P: L 'Q' TTT!! . . r x V .. K Y 1 A. Oc I b A L L Carfiaixj. D. Kiisi-.Y, USN Tirst Cforvirvitimiirxg Offitcr officers stood at attention The Roanoke was now an integra1 fighting unit of the US, F1eet, a ship to maintain peace through strength. This commissioning ceremony cu1minated hfiteen years of p1anning and building an automatic sixfinch 1ight cruiser. Qrigina11y authorized by Congress in 1934, the actua1 construction of tae Roanolct did not begin unti1 eleven years 1ater in May, 1945, at the New York Shipbui1ding Corporation in Cam' den, New jersey. lr was another two years after the kee1 was 1aid before the ship was launched in june, 1947, by Miss 1u1ia Ann Henebry, daughter of the erstwhile mayor of Roanoke, Va. Two more years of construction were necessary before the Navy ac' cepted this 680 foot cruiser, which by this time was equiva1ent in va1ue to one'ha1f the assessed eva1uation of all rea1 estate in the city for which she is named. After one mi11ion manfdays of 1abor, the Roanolcg c1eared the Camden ways of wartime construction, as this was the 1ast ship ordered by the Navy during Wor1d War 11. 9? Movies are shown night1y in one of the three mess ha11s, weather permitting, topside on the main deck aft. The ship carries two trucks, nine sma11 boats, and one he1icopter. A11 this, of course, in addition to her defensive and aggressive potentiahtiesfher many guns. The main battery consists of six dua1'purpose, 6 47 ca1iber turrets. The two guns per turret can hre every few seconds, emitting a barrage of pro' jecti1es against either air or surface targets. These six turrets are semifautomatic and can be oper' ated with great 11exibi1ity. The secondary bat' tery is composed of ten twin 3 50 caliber mounts, each of which can be automatically contro11ed by radar. Supp1ementing these impressive batteries are six 20 mi11imeter antifaircraft mounts, manned by the Marine detachment on board. It is genera11y be1ieved that the USS. Roanoke is unsin14ab1e, for her hu11 is divided into hundreds of comp1ete1y iso1ated, watertight units. This 1atest type of hu11 construction is a1so incorporated in the Roaiiolctfs sister ship, the USS. Worcester, CL'144, commissioned severa1 months ear1ier. If all the e1ectrica1 wiring on board the Roanoke were 1aid end to end, it wou1d reach from Chicago to St. Louis. And if Annapo1is, Md., were sudden1y without e1ectricity, the Roanoke cou1d furnish the city amp1e e1ectrica1 power. And if Mr. Rockefe11er had S100,000,000 to invest in a sea'going yacht, he cou1d put in his bid for this vesse1. This ship is the third to bear the name Roano1ce, which, incidenta11y, is an o1d Indian word meaning she11 money. The hrst was a steam frigate, pres' ent during the historic engagement of the Monitor and Merrimac at Hampton Roads. Later she brought the hrst japanese mission to the United States fo1' 1owing the opening of Japan by Commodore Perry. The second Roanolcc was a minep1anter which he1ped