USS Minneapolis (CA-36)
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The second USS Minneapolis (ID: CA-36) was a heavy cruiser of the United States Navy . The ship belonged to the New Orleans class and was laid down on June 27, 1931 by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard . The launch was on September 6, 1933, the ship was put into service on May 19, 1934.
history
After the test drives in European waters from July to September 1934 and conversions in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, the new heavy cruiser drove on April 4, 1935 through the Panama Canal to San Diego , where it arrived on April 18 and joined the 7th Cruiser Division. He operated on the west coast, apart from a voyage to the Caribbean in early 1939, and drove to Pearl Harbor in 1940 .
When the Japanese attacked the base on December 7, 1941, Minneapolis was at sea about 20 miles from Pearl Harbor for target practice. She was immediately used for patrols until in late January she was assigned to an aircraft carrier group that attacked the Gilbert Islands and the Marshall Islands . It covered the porters during the successful attacks on February 20 and March 10, when these attacked Japanese ships at Lae and Salamaua, disrupting Japanese supply lines.
The Minneapolis also participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea from May 4 to 8 in part to the USS Lexington to protect, where they could shoot down three Japanese bombers. She rescued Lexington survivors when it was lost. This battle was important in order not to tear the supply lines to Australia and New Zealand and to hold back the Japanese expansion towards the south.
The cruiser was then involved in the Battle of Midway from June 3 to 6, where it was also supposed to protect the porters. This battle was one of the turning points in the Pacific War , as the Japanese lost four aircraft carriers and 250 aircraft with skilled pilots. It was the end of Japanese superiority in the carrier-based air force, which was crucial in modern warfare.
From August 1942 to April 1943, Charles E. Rosendahl commanded the ship.
After repairs and additions in Pearl Harbor, she protected the porters during the landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi from August 7th to 9th . Remaining with the carriers, she was sailing to rescue the USS Saratoga on August 30th when that carrier received a torpedo hit and pulled it out of harm's way. From September to October she supported the landings on Lunga Point and Funafuti .
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As the flagship of Task Force 67, she ran out on November 29th to intercept a Japanese force that was supposed to bring supplies to Guadalcanal. They discovered six Japanese ships, and fire from their main artillery opened the battle of Tassafaronga . She scored many hits on the Japanese destroyer Takanami , which sank afterwards. When a second group of Japanese warships, which was supposed to protect the transport group, appeared, the Minneapolis received two torpedo hits, one on the bow and a second in a boiler room, which caused her severe damage. Her bow was dented and her side was so badly damaged that two of her boiler rooms were open. Excellent damage control prevented her from sinking and allowed her to reach Tulagi . There she was camouflaged with palm leaves to protect her from air strikes. It was repaired by its own crew and by Seabees stationed there so that it could go to Mare Island to carry out extensive repairs.
In August 1943, Minneapolis was back in the Pacific and participated in every major operation as far as Iwo Jima . Their first mission was the bombing of Wake on October 5th. From November 20th to December 4th, she participated in the attack and capture of Makin in the Gilbert Islands.
In December she protected a carrier group in the fighting from the invasion of Kwajalein and Majuro and then took part in the capture of the Marshall Islands in February 1944. With the porters that attacked the Mariana Islands and Caroline Islands , she continued until April to protect them in the attacks on Palau , Truk , Satawan , Ponape and other Japanese bases. Then she was involved in the landings at Hollandia in New Guinea .
In May, Minneapolis was prepared for the battles with the Mariana Islands and took part in the preparatory bombing of Saipan on June 14th for the invasion. As the reports of large Japanese forces came who wanted to launch a counterattack that was Minneapolis of Task Force 58 assigned to the carrier in the Battle of the Philippine protect. In this battle, she supported the porters with her anti-aircraft fire. After a bomb exploded near her, the crew was able to seal the leak.
From July 8 to August 9, they supported the US Marines with their artillery fire in the retaking of Guam . Then, from September 6th to October 14th, she supported the conquest of Palau. During the preparatory bombardment, she drove into the Gulf of Leyte on October 17 , where she shot down five Japanese planes.
In the Battle of Leyte Gulf was Minneapolis on October 14, Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf assigned group consisting of other cruisers and older battleships was. They positioned themselves in the Strait of Surigao and could be alerted at any time by advanced speedboats and destroyers . When the Japanese arrived in line, they ignored the attacks of the smaller ships and headed straight for Oldendorf's line. They opened fire and immediately sank the foremost Japanese battleship. In addition, three destroyers were sunk and one cruiser was so badly damaged that it was sunk by aircraft the next day. Oldendorf performed the classic maneuver Crossing the T , which gave him the opportunity to answer the opponent's isolated fire with his own massive one.
In addition, the Minneapolis was used for the protection of carrier groups and for shelling in the Philippines , where it was used in the landings in the Gulf of Lingayen from January 4 to 18, 1945 and in the landings on Bataan and Corregidor from February 13 to 19 has been. In March, she prepared for the attack on Okinawa , where she arrived on the 25th to take part in the preliminary shelling. When the main invasion began, it bombarded the Naha airfield, rendering it unusable. Then they assisted the infantry in shooting at targets whose coordinates they had radioed.
After months of use, Minneapolis' cannons had worn out and had to be replaced, and she was preparing to leave on April 12th. Their departure was delayed by the largest air raid during the Battle of Okinawa . When night fell she drove to Bremerton , where she was repaired and her cannon barrels exchanged. It was in Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines when the war ended.
The Minneapolis was under the command of Admiral Thomas Kinkaid when he accepted the Japanese surrender of Korea on September 9, 1945. She then patrolled the Yellow Sea and assisted the US Marines with landings at Taku and Chinwangtao in the Republic of China .
After bringing soldiers home in Operation Magic Carpet , the Minneapolis sailed through the Panama Canal to Philadelphia on January 14, 1946 . Here she was assigned to the reserve on May 21, 1946 and decommissioned on February 10, 1947. It was sold for scrapping on August 14, 1959.
The Minneapolis received for their service in World War II 16 battle stars .
Web links
- History of Minneapolis II (CA-36) in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (English)
- USS Minneapolis at navsource.org (Eng.)