USS Montpelier (CL-57)

USS Montpelier 1942
Overview
Type	Light cruiser
Shipyard	New York Shipbuilding
Order	1938
Keel laying	2nd December 1940
Launch	February 12, 1942
1. Period of service
Commissioning	September 9, 1942
Decommissioning	January 24, 1947
Removed from ship register	March 1, 1959
Whereabouts	scrapped
Technical specifications
displacement	11,744  ts
length	186.0 m
width	20.2 m
height	23.5 m chimney 34.5 m mast
Draft	7.5 m
crew	1384
drive	4 boilers, 4 steam turbines , 4 shafts , 100,000 hp
speed	32.5  kn
Range	11,000  nautical miles at 15 kn
Armament	1943 12 × 6 "(152 mm) L / 47 in 4 triplet towers 12 × 5 "(127 mm) L / 38 in 6 twin towers 24 × 40 mm L / 56 flak 21 × 20 mm Fla-MK
Aircraft	4 Vought OS2U

The USS Montpelier (CL-57) was a light cruiser of the United States Navy of the Cleveland class . She was in the service of the US Navy from 1942 to 1947 and was used in the Pacific .

history

Combat missions in 1944 and 1945

On January 29 and 30, 1944, the USS Montpellier took part in the Battle of Rennell Island . The ship covered the landings of US forces on Rennell on February 21, 1944. In the night of March 5th to 6th, they shelled the airfield Vila-Stanmore on the island of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands and helped sink an enemy destroyer . For the next 4 months she operated in the Solomon Islands to prevent the withdrawal of Japanese troops and to bombard enemy positions.

In Task Force 39 , she was used as the flagship for the invasion of the Treasury Islands and Bougainville . On November 1, the Montpelier shelled the Buka Bonis airfields on the northern tip of Bougainville and the Japanese defensive positions on the islands of Poporang and Ballalae in the Solomon Islands. During the sea ​​battle at the Kaiserin Augusta Bay on the night of November 1st to 2nd, the ship's crew helped destroy an enemy ship and the Montpellier gunners shot down five enemy aircraft.

From February 15 to 19, 1944, the Montpelier protected the amphibious landing on the Green Islands . In March she chased Japanese ships south of Truk and took part in the Emirau invasion . As part of Task Force 58 , she took part in the decisive battle in the Philippine Sea from June 19-21 , in which three Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk. The Montpellier went to the Mariana Islands and took part in the Battle of the Mariana Islands . The ship carried out the shelling of enemy positions during the Battle of Saipan , the Battle of Tinian and the Battle of Guam . She left the Mariana Islands on August 2nd for overhaul in the United States.

She returned on November 25 and reinforced the US fleet in the Leyte Gulf . While on defensive patrol in the Gulf, she fought kamikaze attacks and shot down four planes. From December 12th, the Montpelier provided a beach cover for the invasion of Mindoro Island . She fought against enemy kamikaze planes and protected troops when they landed on the Gulf of Lingayen in January 1945. From February to May, they supported operations around the Philippines . In early to mid-July, the ship supported minesweepers and amphibious forces around Balikpapan . It fired at enemy positions. In the second half of July and early August, Montpelier made three anti-ship search missions against Japanese shipping in the East China Sea .

End of war and decommissioning

After the end of the war, she anchored off Wakayama in Japan and helped with the evacuation of Allied prisoners of war . After inspecting Japanese ships, part of their crew went ashore to view the ruins of Hiroshima . On October 18, she supported the occupation forces landing in Matsuyama . On November 15, the USS Montpelier left Japan for the US east coast. She reported for service with the Atlantic Fleet on December 11, 1945. On July 1, 1946, the ship began its service with the 16th Fleet. The ship was decommissioned on January 24, 1947 in Philadelphia and it was placed in the reserve fleet . It was deleted from the naval register on March 1, 1959. It was sold as scrap to Bethlehem Steel on January 22nd, 1960 and subsequently demolished.

The USS Montpelier received a total of thirteen Battle Stars for its service during World War II.

Web links

Commons : USS Montpelier (CL-57)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Naval History and Heritage Command : Montpelier II (CL-57)