![]() USS Fargo (CL-106), underway at sea, 8 May 1946. | |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name | Fargo |
Namesake | City of Fargo, North Dakota |
Builder | New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey |
Laid down | 23 August 1943 |
Launched | 25 February 1945 |
Sponsored by | Mrs. F. O. Olsen |
Commissioned | 9 December 1945 |
Decommissioned | 14 February 1950 |
Stricken | 1 March 1970 |
Identification |
|
Fate | Sold for scrap, 18 August 1971 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Fargo-class light cruiser |
Displacement |
|
Length | |
Beam | 66 ft 4 in (20.22 m) |
Draft |
|
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 32.5 kn (37.4 mph; 60.2 km/h) |
Range | 11,000 nmi (20,000 km) at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h) |
Complement | 1,255 officers and enlisted |
Armament |
|
Armor |
|
Aircraft carried | 4 × floatplanes |
Aviation facilities | 2 × stern catapults |
USS Fargo (CL-106), named after the city of Fargo, North Dakota, was the lead ship of her class of light cruisers of the United States Navy, most of which were canceled due to the end of World War II.
The Fargo-class cruisers were a modified version of the previous Cleveland-class cruiser design; the main difference was a more compact pyramidal superstructure with a single trunked funnel, intended to improve AA gun arcs of fire.
The cruiser was launched 25 February 1945 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, sponsored by Mrs. F. O. Olsen, and commissioned 9 December 1945. [1]
Fargo sailed from Philadelphia on 15 April 1946, with Vice Admiral Bernard H. Bieri embarked for a goodwill cruise to Bermuda, Trinidad, Recife, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo, from which she took departure on 31 May for the Mediterranean. During this tour of duty, she visited a variety of ports in Turkey, Lebanon, Greece, Italy, and France, as well as North Africa and served as American representative at Trieste, then troubled by dissension between Italy and Yugoslavia over the city's status. [1]
Returning to New York City on 2 March 1947, Fargo sailed once more for the Mediterranean on 20 May, and during this tour of duty, served for one month as flagship for Commander, Naval Forces Mediterranean. Returning to Newport on 13 September, she prepared for extensive Atlantic Fleet exercises in October and November in the waters from Bermuda to Newfoundland, during which she carried Vice Admiral Arthur W. Radford, Commander 2nd Task Fleet. [1]
Through her remaining two years of service, Fargo completed two more tours of duty in the Mediterranean, and twice joined in large scale exercises in the Caribbean. She was decommissioned and placed in reserve, berthed at Bayonne, New Jersey, 14 February 1950, [1] stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 March 1970, and sold on 18 August 1971 to Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation, Kearney, New Jersey.
A large model of the USS Fargo was on display at the main branch of the Fargo Public Library for many years. The model was moved to the Cass County Historical Society at Bonanzaville before being moved to the Fargo air and space museum.[ citation needed ]
Hull CL-85 was to be named Fargo, but was converted to Langley (CVL-27), an Independence-class light aircraft carrier, during construction.
USS Brooklyn (CL-40) was a light cruiser, the lead ship of her class of nine, and the third United States Navy ship to bear its name. Commissioned in 1937, she served in the Atlantic during World War II, as a convoy escort and as fire support for amphibious landings.
USS Ault (DD-698) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named for Commander William B. Ault, air group commander aboard Lexington. Commander Ault was declared missing in action on 8 May 1942 after leading an air attack in the Battle of the Coral Sea and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his action in the battle.
USS Furse (DD-882/DDR-882) was a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy.
USS Bremerton (CA-130), was a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser, named for the city of Bremerton in Washington state.
USS Forrest Royal (DD-872) was a United States Navy Gearing-class destroyer constructed following the end of World War II. The ship saw service in the Korean War and the Vietnam War before being sold to Turkey in 1971. The ship was renamed TCG Adatepe and remained in service until being scrapped in 1993.
USS Cone (DD-866) was a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral Hutch Ingham Cone USN (1871–1941). She was laid down by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation at Staten Island, New York, on 30 November 1944, launched on 10 May 1945 by Mrs. H. I. Cone, and commissioned on 18 August 1945.
USS Huntington (CL-107), a Fargo-class light cruiser, was the second ship of the United States Navy named after the city of Huntington, West Virginia. She was built during World War II but not completed until after the end of the war and in use for only a few years.
HMS Morecambe Bay was a Bay-class anti-aircraft frigate of the British Royal Navy, named after Morecambe Bay on the north western coast of England. In commission from 1949 until 1956, she saw active service in the Korean War, and was sold to Portugal in 1961 to serve as NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida until 1970.
USS Fall River (CA-131) was a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy. Launched on 13 August 1944 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey, sponsored by Mrs. Alexander C. Murray, wife of Fall River mayor Alexander C. Murray; and commissioned on 1 July 1945, Captain David Stolz Crawford in command.
USS Helena (CA-75), a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Helena, Montana. Originally laid down as the USS Des Moines, she was renamed Helena while under construction after the 5 October 1944 cancellation of the Fargo-class light cruiser USS Helena (CL-113).
The second USS Juneau (CL-119/CLAA-119) was the lead ship of the United States Navy Juneau-class cruisers.
USS Little Rock (CL-92/CLG-4/CG-4) is a Cleveland-class light cruiser and one of 27 completed for the United States Navy during or shortly after World War II. She is one of six to be converted to guided missile cruisers and the first US Navy ship to be named for Little Rock, Arkansas. Commissioned in mid-1945, she was completed too late to see combat duty during World War II and was retired post-war, becoming part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in 1949.
USS Nashville (CL-43) was a Brooklyn-class cruiser. She was laid down on 24 January 1935 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey. She was launched on 2 October 1937, sponsored by Misses Ann and Mildred Stahlman and commissioned on 6 June 1938.
USS Pittsburgh (CA-72), originally named USS Albany (CA-72), was a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser of the US Navy and the third ship to bear the name. She was laid down on the 3 February 1943 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Fore River Shipyard at Quincy, Massachusetts, launched on 22 February 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Cornelius D. Scully, wife of the Mayor of Pittsburgh and commissioned in Boston, Massachusetts on 10 October 1944, with Capt. John Edward Gingrich in command.
The third USS Rochester (CA-124), an Oregon City-class heavy cruiser, was laid down 29 May 1944 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Massachusetts; launched 28 August 1945; sponsored by Mrs. M. Herbert Eisenhart, wife of the president of Bausch & Lomb Optical Co., Rochester, New York; and commissioned 20 December 1946 at the Boston Navy Yard.
USS Salem (CA-139) is a Des Moines-class heavy cruiser completed for the United States Navy shortly after World War II and commissioned in 1949. The second ship of her class, she was the world's last heavy cruiser to enter service and the last remaining. She was decommissioned in 1959 after serving in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. She is open to the public as a museum ship in Quincy, Massachusetts.
USS Spokane (CL-120/CLAA-120/AG-191) was the second ship of the Juneau-class light cruiser of the United States Navy.
USS Springfield was a Cleveland-class light cruiser of the United States Navy, which were built during World War II. The class was designed as a development of the earlier Brooklyn-class cruisers, the size of which had been limited by the First London Naval Treaty. The start of the war led to the dissolution of the treaty system, but the dramatic need for new vessels precluded a new design, so the Clevelands used the same hull as their predecessors, but were significantly heavier. The Clevelands carried a main battery of twelve 6-inch (152 mm) guns in four three-gun turrets, along with a secondary armament of twelve 5 in (127 mm) dual-purpose guns. They had a top speed of 32.5 knots.
USS English (DD-696) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer. She was named for Rear Admiral Robert Henry English, a submariner who commanded the light cruiser Helena and had been awarded the Navy Cross and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. English died in the crash of Pan Am Flight 1104 on 21 January 1943.
USS Hyman (DD-732), was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer of the United States Navy.