USS Omaha (CL-4)

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The USS Omaha in 1943 in front of the New York Navy Yard
The USS Omaha in 1943 in front of the New York Navy Yard
Overview
Shipyard

Todd Shipbuilding & Drydocking Co., Tacoma , Washington

Keel laying December 6, 1918
Launch December 14, 1920
1. Period of service flag
Commissioning February 24, 1923
Decommissioning November 1, 1945
Removed from ship register November 28, 1945
Whereabouts Wrecked
Technical specifications
displacement

approx. 7050  ts (standard)
approx. 9150 ts (maximum)

length

473 ft 4 in (155.28 meters)

width

55 ft 4 in (18.14 meters)

Draft

20 ft (6.56 meters)

crew

approx. 458

drive

4 steam boilers
2 steam turbines
90,000  PSw

speed

34 knots

Armament

Originally:

  • 12 × 6 in / 53 (152 mm L / 53)
    in 2 twin towers and 8 casemates
  • 8 × 3 in / 50 (7.6 cm L / 50)
  • 2 × three pounders
  • 8 ×  machine guns 0.50 cal.
  • 10 × torpedo tubes 18 in

The USS Omaha (ID CL-4) was a light cruiser of the US Navy and the type of ship consisting of ten units Omaha class . It was the second ship of that name and named after the city of Omaha , Nebraska .

The ship was christened by Louise Bushnell White. The first in command was Captain David C. Hanrahan.

According to the experiences made with the German and British destroyers in the First World War , it should be superior in terms of armament and equivalent in speed. The main task was the heavy component of the reconnaissance group and fighting down enemy destroyers.

The USS Omaha was awarded a Battle Star for service during World War II .

Building history

The USS Omaha was originally supposed to be equipped with only eight side casemate guns of 6 inches (152 mm). However, this concept was rejected and a 6-inch twin tower was also installed at the bow and stern. This already led to considerable stability problems. The two aircraft catapults also contributed to the ship's top-heaviness. During its entire service life, the ship did not undergo any major modifications, only the fire control systems were modernized and the anti-aircraft artillery was extensively reinforced.

Modifications in 1943

  • In February, for reasons of mass, the two lower casemate guns aft and the torpedo tubes were removed in the New York Navy Yard, the two three-pounders were replaced by 12 × 28 mm machine guns (sets of four) and the cal. 0.50 machine guns were replaced by 8 × 20 mm machine guns . The fire control system Mk 16 RF installed in 1940 was exchanged for 2 × Mk 3, as well as several Mk 50, Mk 10 and Mk 44. The ship also received the location radar systems SC-2 and SG. The paintwork was changed to camouflage according to scheme 22.

Renovations in 1945

  • The 28 mm automatic cannons were replaced by 6 × 40 mm automatic cannons, and the number of 20 mm automatic cannons was increased to 14.

Additional technical data

  • Armor
Horizontal = 76 mm
Vertical = 38 mm
Guns = 51 mm
Navigating bridge = 51 mm
  • Heights above the waterline
Bow = 10.10 m
Chimney = 20.70 m
Stern = 4.0 m
Mast = 33.50 m
  • Fuel supply = approx. 2068 long tons

Mission history

After the commissioning took place on February 24, 1923 the assignment to the Atlantic fleet . Until the beginning of the Second World War , the ship undertook routine tasks and training trips as well as numerous port visits, including in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean . In the years 1939/1940 he took part in the neutrality patrol in the Mediterranean and then from December 7, 1941 to February 1944, surveillance trips in the South Atlantic and the hunt for German blockade breakers.

The ship did not take part in any spectacular measures during its service life and carried out mostly routine operations. The only thing worth mentioning is the capture of the German blockade breaker Odenwald , who was disguised as the American merchant ship Willmoto . The USS Omaha and the destroyer USS Somers (DD-381) brought up the Odenwald in the South Atlantic on November 6, 1941 before the USA entered the war . At the beginning of January 1944, the blockade breakers Rio Grande and Burgenland sank themselves when they were caught by the Omaha .

In preparation for the landing in southern France , the relocation to Naples took place in March 1944 . From August 19-25, 1944, the Omaha shelled the port of Toulon as part of Task Force 86 .

Between August 26, 1944 and August 15, 1945, the ship resumed its patrol service in the South Atlantic.

On September 1, 1945, the Omaha returned to Philadelphia . As of February 1946, it was canceled at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

The USS Omaha (right) during the raising of the Odenwald (left)

Fleet affiliation

  • 1925–1928: FDB (Flagship - Destroyers Battle Force, US Fleet)
  • 1929: FDFL / Pac (Flagship - DESFLOT Pacific Fleet)
  • June 30, 1939 - February 1, 1940: CRUDIV 3 Battle Force US Fleet
  • October 15, 1940: FDESPATFOR (Flagship - Destroyer Patrol Force)
  • December 26, 19140: FDESPATFOR + FDFL 9 / PATFOR
  • February 1, 1941: FD / LANT (Flagship - Destroyer Force Atlantic) + FDFL 8/9 LANT (Flagship - DESFLOT 8/9)
  • April 1, 1941: FD / LANT + FDFL 9 LANT
  • July 1, 1941 - November 16, 1942: 2 LANT (CRUDIV 2 Atlantic Fleet)
  • March 15, 1943 - March 5, 1945: F2 LANT (Flagship - CRUDIV 2 Atlantic Fleet)

More ships of this name

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ It was not a case of casemate guns in the classic sense, as the guns were housed in side-mounted half-towers with a limited range of rotation.
  2. ↑ For this reason, the catapults were later removed from some ships of the class.
  3. ↑ "Graded System" - All vertical surfaces from the water line to a parallel line at the level of the lowest point of the main deck in navy blue, everything else in ocean gray