Chapter 6 USS Cleveland 1942-1944

USS Cleveland April 1942 to November 1944

On 1 November 1941, Hull No. 423 was launched and christened USS Cleveland (CL-55). Built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey, and sponsored by Mrs. H. Burton, Cleveland was commissioned on 15 June 1942 with Captain E. W. Burrough in command.

Shipmate November 2004

By 1942 I had worked up to main battery assistant and was involved assigning officers to gunnery billets.  At this time BuPers was stripping the fleet of officers for new construction.  I went to Washington to find out what BuPers had in mind for Nashville.  A review of our roster disclosed that they had their eyes on our director, turret and plotting room officers.  As each name was mentioned for possible detachment I objected that by taking our director and turret officers and replacing them with our junior officer’s readiness would suffer.   During this discussion my name was not mentioned.  I left concerned but with little specific information.   Arriving aboard about 10:00 PM I was greeted by those in the wardroom with a chorus of, “Welcome home Jim Farley” (FDR’s Postmaster General).  I asked why this epithet.  They replied that I had orders which erroneously they thought I had arranged.  

My dispatch orders were secret.  They were brought from the safe for a quick view and returned.  I was detached with sanitized unclassified orders.  When reporting to the commissioning detail at New York in Camden the gunnery officer informed me that I would be the F Division officer.  I told him that I had spent four years in turrets and never been in a plotting room.  He ignored my logic and said, “You are the F Division officer.  He did take the precaution of sending me to the four week Fire Control School in the Navy Yard Washington and two weeks at the Ford Instrument Company in Long Island.

Shipmate April 2004

In February 1942 I was transferred to Cleveland CL 55.  The gunnery officer, Russell Smith 25, appointed me fire control officer.  He ignored the fact that I was an experienced turret officer and brusquely repeated that I was the fire control officer.  During my Cleveland years, 1942 to 1944 the class moved up two grades to Commander.

Shipmate April 2002

In February 1942 I joined the commissioning detail of Cleveland CL-55 at New York Ship Building Corp., Camden, NJ, as prospective F Division officer. Because of the submarine threat off the US coast, Cleveland had to shake down in the Chesapeake Bay. One of the gunnery department’s top priorities during the shakedown was to align batteries of guns, directors, and fire control radar. As you gunners know a steady and sharp horizon is essential while aligning gun batteries. It was a thrill in the Bay with only a bit of horizons north and south flashing by while the ship maneuvered recovering aircraft.

Cleveland conducted shore bombardment training off Bloodsworth Island in the bay. One day a barge loaded with 5-inch, 38 projectiles came along side. I had the duty. While inspecting the cargo I discovered that the projectiles were marked with large letters A, B, C, etc., the significance of which escaped me. I called the ammunition depot and was told curtly the matter was top secret and could not be discussed over the phone. I answered, “Okay, they will be stowed as they come aboard.” The answer came back, “Oh, no! Store them in alphabetical order.” (The projectiles were experimental radio fused VT projectiles. The letters indicated different frequencies.)  The next day Cleveland rendezvoused with a tow plane. On the first run the AA director tracked the sleeve, trained out a 5-inch mount and fired one projectile. The single round destroyed the sleeve. A second run produced the same results. There was much excitement over this strange new weapon. This was the first at sea test. Later in the South Pacific, Cleveland conducted practice AA firing at a target towed parallel to the firing course. The bursts were ragged. The Captain asked if the stable element was cut in – it was. On changing the fuse lot the next run was okay. The fuse batteries on the first run were defective. (“Smart weapons” cannot be taken for granted.) The VT fuse AA common projectile hardly can be compared with the “smart weapons” of today. But compared with timed fuses, this high tech weapon of World War II was better by a factor of three.

Much later in the 1970s while lecturing in the elderhostle program on the naval battles that doomed Japan, the VT fuse was discussed. One of the students had worked on the development of the fuse. He knew about the first sea test so we had a lively discussion.

THE USS CLEVELAND, 10,000-ton light cruiser and name-ship of her class first displayed her commission pennant and the National Ensign at Philadelphia 15 June 1942. Since that date her performance through more than three years of war was a credit to these symbols of her nation.