USS Quincy (CA-71)
USS Quincy underway, 1952–1954
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | Quincy |
Namesake | City of Quincy, Massachusetts |
Ordered | 17 June 1940 |
Builder | Fore River Shipyard |
Laid down | 9 October 1941 |
Launched | 23 June 1943 |
Sponsored by | Mrs. Henry S. Morgan |
Commissioned | 15 December 1943 |
Decommissioned | 2 July 1954 |
Stricken | 1 October 1973 |
Identification |
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Honors and awards | See Awards |
Fate | Scrapped, 1974 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Baltimore-class heavy cruiser |
Displacement | 13,600 long tons (13,818 t) |
Length | 673 ft 5 in (205.26 m) |
Beam | 70 ft 10 in (21.59 m) |
Draft | 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m) |
Speed | 33 kn (61 km/h; 38 mph) |
Complement | 1,142 officers and enlisted |
Armament |
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Aircraft carried | 4 × OS2U Kingfisher |
Aviation facilities |
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USS Quincy (CA-71) was a
Construction
The third Quincy was authorized on 17 June 1940, and laid down at the
Service history
World War II
After a shakedown cruise in the Gulf of Paria, between Trinidad and Venezuela, the new heavy cruiser was assigned, 27 March 1944, to Task Force 22 and trained in Casco Bay, Maine, until she steamed to Belfast, Northern Ireland, with TG 27.10, arriving 14 May and reporting to Commander, 12th Fleet for duty. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force, accompanied by Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk, inspected the ship's company in Belfast Lough 15 May 1944.
USS Quincy sailed out of Belfast Lough, 20 May, for the Clyde and anchored off Greenock, Scotland, to begin special training in shore bombardment. She then returned to Belfast Lough, and began final preparations for the invasion of Europe. Her float plane
During the period 6 through 17 June, in conjunction with shore fire control parties and aircraft spotters, Quincy conducted highly accurate pinpoint firing against enemy mobile batteries and concentrations of tanks, trucks, and troops. She also neutralized and destroyed heavy, long range enemy batteries, supported minesweepers operating under enemy fire, engaged enemy batteries that were firing on the crews of the ships USS Corry (DD-463) and Glennon (DD-620) during their efforts to abandon their ships after they had struck mines and participated in the reduction of the town of Quinéville on 12 June.[1]
Quincy steamed to Portland, England, 21 June, and joined TF 129. She departed Portland, 24 June, for Cherbourg, France. The bombardment of the batteries surrounding the city commenced in conjunction with the Army's assault at 1207. Nineteen of the twenty-one primary targets assigned the task force were successfully neutralized or destroyed thus enabling Army troops to occupy the city on 26 June.
The heavy cruiser sailed for Mers-el Kebir, North Africa, on 4 July, arriving there 10 July. She proceeded to Palermo, Sicily, 16 July, arriving two days later. Quincy, based at Palermo through 26 July, conducted shore bombardment practice at Camarota in the Gulf of Policastro. She then steamed to Malta via the Straits of Messina. Between 27 July and 13 August, the cruiser participated in training exercises at Malta and Camarota, Italy.
On the afternoon of 13 August, in company with four British cruisers, one French cruiser, and four American destroyers, Quincy departed Malta for the landings on the southern coast of France, arriving Baie de Cavalaire 15 August. For three days the group provided fire support on the left flank of the U.S. 7th Army. Quincy transferred 19 August to TG 86.4, and until the 24th, engaged the heavy batteries at Toulon, St. Mandrier, and Cape Sicie. She steamed westward the afternoon of 24 August to support minesweepers clearing the channel to Port de Bouc in the Marseilles area.
USS Quincy was detached from European duty on 1 September, and steamed for Boston, arriving one week later. She remained at Boston for the installation of new equipment through 31 October, when she got underway for training in Casco Bay. After fitting out at Boston for a Presidential cruise, Quincy steamed for
President
The Quincy Agreement
USS Quincy departed Malta 6 February 1945, and arrived at the
From 14 February, President Roosevelt and King
After a call at Alexandria, and a final meeting between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill, Quincy steamed for Algiers, arriving on 18 February. The President's senior aide, Maj. Gen. Edwin "Pa" Watson, who had been ailing, died aboard ship on 20 February.[8] Following a presidential conference with the American ambassadors to Great Britain, France and Italy, the cruiser steamed for the United States, arriving at Newport News on 27 February.
Remainder of wartime career
USS Quincy sailed out of Hampton Roads 5 March 1945, arriving
In company with units of TF 58, Quincy departed Ulithi 9 May, for the area east of Kyushu, Japan, arriving 12 May for carrier strikes against Amami Gunto and Kyushu. Before dawn on 14 May, the cruiser splashed a Japanese plane. Her own aircraft strafed targets in Omonawa on Tokune Shima 19 May. Quincy continued to support carrier aircraft strikes against Okinawa, Tokuno Shima, Kikai Jima, Amami Gunto, and Asumi Gunto until the force returned to base 13 June. En route, Quincy safely rode out the severe typhoon of 5 June.
During the period of replenishment and upkeep at
.Quincy joined the Support Force, 23 August, and four days later, helped occupy Sagami Wan, Japan, and entered Tokyo Bay 1 September.
Rear Admiral Wiltse transferred his flag 17 September to Vicksburg (CL-86), and 20 September, Quincy joined the 5th Fleet as a unit of the Eastern Japan Force, TF 53, basing in Tokyo Bay.
Korean War
Quincy was decommissioned on 19 October 1946, in the
Fate
Quincy sat in the reserve fleet at the
Awards
- battle stars
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medalwith two battle stars
- World War II Victory Medal
- Navy Occupation Medalwith "ASIA" clasp
- National Defense Service Medal
- Korean Service Medal with one battle star
- Korean Presidential Unit Citation
- United Nations Korea Medal
- Korean War Service Medal (South Korea)
Legacy
In honor of the meeting between Saudi's
Quincy's ship bell has been preserved, and is on display at Constitution Common in Quincy, Massachusetts.
References
This article includes information collected from the public domain sources Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships and Naval Vessel Register.
- ^ Mersky, Peter (1986). "Naval Aviators in Spitfires". Proceedings. 112 (12). United States Naval Institute: 105&106.
- OCLC 1353290533.
- ^ Letter From President Roosevelt to King Ibn Saud, April 5, 1945, Crethi Plethi.
- ^ "Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The Near East and Africa, Volume VIII - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020.
- ^ Taylor, Adam (27 January 2015). "The first time a U.S. president met a Saudi king". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 30 December 2019.
- ^ "FDR meets with Saudi king, Feb. 14, 1945". Politico. 14 February 2019. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019.
- ^ "'The Last 100 Days': Book examines President Roosevelt's big moves amid decline".
- ^ "Interview with Ambassador Bob Jordan, 2002". Archived from the original on 10 March 2005. Retrieved 10 May 2007.
External links
- Photo gallery of USS Quincy at NavSource Naval History
- Video of 1945 meeting on Quincy between Roosevelt and heads of state
- Ibn Saud greets President Franklin D. Roosevelt on USS Quincy in the Suez Canal