_at_Astoria%2c_14_October_1945.jpg) USSAmsterdam,Astoria, Oregon, October 1945 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Amsterdam |
| Namesake | City ofAmsterdam, New York |
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company,Newport News, Virginia |
| Laid down | 3 March 1943 |
| Launched | 25 April 1944 |
| Commissioned | 8 January 1945 |
| Decommissioned | 30 June 1947 |
| Stricken | 2 January 1971 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap 11 February 1972 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Cleveland-classlight cruiser |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 610 ft 1 in (185.95 m) |
| Beam | 66 ft 4 in (20.22 m) |
| Draft | 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 32.5knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph) |
| Range | 11,000 nmi (20,000 km; 13,000 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 1,285 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
|
| Armor |
|
| Aircraft carried | 4 ×floatplanes |
| Aviation facilities | 2 ×sterncatapults |
USSAmsterdam was aCleveland-classlight cruiser of theUnited States Navy, which were built duringWorld War II. Theclass was designed as a development of the earlierBrooklyn-class cruisers, the size of which had been limited by theFirst 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 theClevelands used the samehull as their predecessors, but were significantly heavier. TheClevelands carried amain battery of twelve6-inch (152 mm) guns in four three-gunturrets, along with asecondary armament of twelve5 in (127 mm)dual-purpose guns. They had a top speed of 32.5knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph).
The ship was laid down on 3 March 1943 atNewport News, Virginia, by theNewport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, launched on 25 April 1944, sponsored by Mrs. William E. Hasenfuss (the first "Gold Star Mother" ofAmsterdam, New York, who had lost her son William E. Hasenfuss, Jr. in theJapaneseattack on Pearl Harbor), and commissioned at theNorfolk Navy YardPortsmouth, Virginia, on 8 January 1945,Captain Andrew P. Lawton in command.
TheCleveland-classlight cruisers traced their origin to design work done in the late 1930s; at the time, light cruiserdisplacement was limited to 8,000long tons (8,100 t) by theSecond London Naval Treaty. Following the start ofWorld War II in September 1939, Britain announced it would suspend the treaty for the duration of the conflict, a decision theUS Navy quickly followed. Though still neutral, the United States recognized that war was likely and the urgent need for additional ships ruled out an entirely new design, so theClevelands were a close development of the earlierBrooklyn-class cruisers, the chief difference being the substitution of a two-gun 5 in (127 mm)dual-purpose gun mount for one of themain battery 6 in (152 mm)gun turrets.[1]
Amsterdam was 610 feet 1 inch (186 m)long overall and had abeam of 66 ft 4 in (20.22 m) and adraft of 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m). Herstandard displacement amounted to 11,744 long tons (11,932 t) and increased to 14,131 long tons (14,358 t) atfull load. The ship was powered by four General Electricsteam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four oil-firedBabcock & Wilcox boilers. Rated at 100,000shaft horsepower (75,000 kW), the turbines were intended to give a top speed of 32.5knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph). Her crew numbered 1285 officers and enlisted men.[2]
The ship was armed with a main battery of twelve6 in /47-caliber Mark 16 guns[a] in four 3-gun turrets on the centerline. Two were placed forward in asuperfiring pair; the other two turrets were placed aft of thesuperstructure in another superfiring pair. The secondary battery consisted of twelve5 in (127 mm) /38-caliber dual-purpose guns mounted in twin turrets. Two of these were placed on the centerline, one directly behind the forward main turrets and the other just forward of the aft turrets. Two more were placed abreast of theconning tower and the other pair on either side of the aft superstructure. Anti-aircraft defense consisted of twenty-eightBofors 40 mm (1.6 in) guns in four quadruple and six double mounts and tenOerlikon 20 mm (0.79 in) guns in single mounts.[2]
The ship'sbelt armor ranged in thickness from 3.5 to 5 in (89 to 127 mm), with the thicker sectionamidships where it protected the ammunition magazines and propulsion machinery spaces. Her deck armor was 2 in (51 mm) thick. The main battery turrets were protected with 6.5 in (170 mm) faces and 3 in (76 mm) sides and tops, and they were supported bybarbettes 6 inches thick.Amsterdam's conning tower had 5-inch sides.[2]
_off_Norfolk%2c_Virginia_(USA)%2c_on_29_January_1945_(19-LCM-CL101-1).jpg)
Amsterdam was built at theNewport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company inNewport News, Virginia. She waslaid down on 3 March 1943 and waslaunched on 25 March 1944. After completingfitting-out work, the ship wascommissioned on 8 January 1945 with thehull number CL-101.[3] The ship began hershakedown cruise inChesapeake Bay on 5 February. Twelve days later, she departedHampton Roads, Virginia, bound forTrinidad in theBritish West Indies. There, she conducted further training that lasted until 13 March, when she sailed back north to the US. While en route, she conducted shore bombardment practice off the island ofCulebra. The ship arrived inNorfolk, Virginia on 20 March, steamed briefly toCape May, New Jersey, for additional shooting practice, and then entered thedry dock at theNorfolk Navy Yard for maintenance. After completing that work on 20 April, the ship embarked on another round of training, initially in the Chesapeake and then in theCaribbean Sea off Culebra andGuantánamo Bay, Cuba. From there, she got underway to join the US fleet in the Pacific, passing through thePanama Canal on 5 May and arriving inPearl Harbor on the 18th. She participated in further combat training there.[4]
The ship left Pearl Harbor on 9 June to join the fleet atLeyte in thePhilippine Islands. She reachedSan Pedro Bay on 21 June and joined3rd Fleet.[4] Rather than join the main elements ofTask Force 38 for a major attack on Japan,Amsterdam was assigned to a detachment centered on theaircraft carrierWasp. She formed part of the escort for the carrier, along with the cruisersOklahoma City,Tucson, andFlint, and sevendestroyers. The unit was sent to carry out a raid on Japanese positions onWake Island on 18 July.[5] By early August,Amsterdam andOklahoma City had been transferred to Task Group 38.1. Over the next week, she covered the carriers of Task Force 38 during a series of raids on the Japanese home islands. On 15 August, the fleet received word of Japan's decision to surrender.[4][6] By late August,Amsterdam had been transferred to TG 38.2. The ship enteredSagami Bay on 27 August with the rest of TF 38 to begin preparations for the formal surrender of Japan, which took place aboard the battleshipMissouri on 2 September.[7] The ship earned onebattle star during her short wartime career.[4]
On 5 September,Amsterdam moved toTokyo Bay during the initial occupation of Japan; she remained there until 20 September, when she departed to return home. She stopped atBuckner Bay,Okinawa, to take on American personnel who were being sent back to the United States. After passing through Pearl Harbor, she arrived inPortland, Oregon, on 15 October, where she took part in the celebration ofNavy Day two weeks later. She left Portland on 29 October forSan Pedro, California, arriving on 1 November. While there, the ship underwent maintenance and the crew was givenshore leave.Amsterdam got underway again on 19 November to return to Pearl Harbor six days later. She embarked another contingent of men and equipment to transport back to California, departing on 12 December and arriving in San Pedro on the 18th. She remained there into 1946 before departing on 21 January to move toSan Francisco, where her crew prepared her to be relegated to thereserve fleet. After this work was completed, the ship was decommissioned on 30 June 1947. She remained in the Navy's inventory until 2 January 1971, when she was stricken from thenaval register. She was ultimately sold to theship breaking firmNational Metal and Steel Corporation,Terminal Island, California, on 11 February 1972 and dismantled.[4]
