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USS Juneau (CL-119)
Encyclopedia
The second USS Juneau (CL-119) was the lead ship of the United States Navy
Juneau-class
light cruiser
laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
in Kearny, New Jersey
on 15 September 1944; launched on 15 July 1945; sponsored by Mrs. B. L. Bartlett; and commissioned 15 February 1946, Captain
Rufus E. Rose in command.
. Prior to the Korean War
, she deployed three times in the Mediterranean. The ship cleared New York
on 16 April 1947, and joined the 6th Fleet at Trieste
on 2 May where she aided in stabilizing the unresolved question of territorial ownership between Italy
and Yugoslavia
. During an extended tour of Greece
, she provided ample warning to the communists
that aggression would not go unchallenged. The ship returned to Norfolk on 15 November for training, and was back on duty with the 6th Fleet from 14 June-3 October 1948 and again from 3 May-26 September 1949. Having been reclassified CLAA-119 on 18 March 1949, Juneau departed Norfolk on 29 November for the Pacific.
on 15 January 1950 and took part in operations along the Pacific coast. On 22 April, she became flagship
for Rear Admiral
J. M. Higgins, Commander Cruiser Division 5 (CruDiv 5), and reported for duty in Yokosuka, Japan
on 1 June, where she began surveillance patrols in the Tsushima Straits. When the Korean War
broke out on 25 June, Juneau was one of the few ships immediately available to Vice Admiral
C. Turner Joy
, Commander of Naval Forces, Far East. She patrolled south of the 38th parallel
to prevent enemy landings, conducted the first shore bombardments
on 29 June at Bokuko Ko, destroyed enemy shore installations, engaged in the first naval action
on 2 July when she sank three enemy torpedo boat
s near Chumonchin Chan, and supported raiding parties along the coast. On 18 July, Juneaus force, which included British units such as the Royal Navy
light cruiser HMS Belfast
, laid down a deadly barrage on enemy troop concentrations near Yongdok which slowed down the North Korean advance southward.
The ship departed Sasebo Harbor on 28 July and made a sweep through the Formosa Straits before reporting for duty with the 7th Fleet
at Buckner Bay, Okinawa on 2 August. She became flagship of the Formosa Patrol Force on 4 August, remaining until 29 October when she joined the Fast Carrier Task Force
operating off the east coast of Korea
. The ship conducted daily plane guard for the attack carriers, and returned to Long Beach, California
on 1 May 1951 for overhaul and a period of operations off the Pacific coast and in Hawaii
. She returned to Yokosuka on 19 April 1952 and conducted strikes along the Korean coast in coordination with carrier planes until returning to Long Beach on 5 November.
. Juneau was sold for scrapping to the Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation
, New York in 1962.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Juneau-class
Juneau class cruiser
The Juneau-class cruisers were United States Navy light cruisers which were modified version of the design. The ships had the same main armament as with a much heavier antiaircraft battery, while the anti-submarine depth charge tracks and torpedo tubes were removed along with a redesigned...
light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
The Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company was a United States shipyard, active from 1917 to 1949. During World War II, it built ships as part of the U.S. Government's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Operated by a subsidiary of the United States Steel Corporation, the shipyard was located at...
in Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
on 15 September 1944; launched on 15 July 1945; sponsored by Mrs. B. L. Bartlett; and commissioned 15 February 1946, Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Rufus E. Rose in command.
Mediterranean, 1946-1949
Juneau spent her first year of commissioned service in operations along the Atlantic seaboard and CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. Prior to the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, she deployed three times in the Mediterranean. The ship cleared New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 16 April 1947, and joined the 6th Fleet at Trieste
Free Territory of Trieste
The Free Territory of Trieste was to be a city-state situated in Central Europe between northern Italy and Yugoslavia, created by the United Nations Security Council in the aftermath of World War II and provisionally administered by an appointed military governor commanding the peacekeeping United...
on 2 May where she aided in stabilizing the unresolved question of territorial ownership between Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
. During an extended tour of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, she provided ample warning to the communists
Communist Party of Greece
Founded in 1918, the Communist Party of Greece , better known by its acronym, ΚΚΕ , is the oldest party on the Greek political scene.- Foundation :...
that aggression would not go unchallenged. The ship returned to Norfolk on 15 November for training, and was back on duty with the 6th Fleet from 14 June-3 October 1948 and again from 3 May-26 September 1949. Having been reclassified CLAA-119 on 18 March 1949, Juneau departed Norfolk on 29 November for the Pacific.
Korean War, 1950-1952
She arrived at Bremerton, WashingtonBremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
on 15 January 1950 and took part in operations along the Pacific coast. On 22 April, she became flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
for Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
J. M. Higgins, Commander Cruiser Division 5 (CruDiv 5), and reported for duty in Yokosuka, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on 1 June, where she began surveillance patrols in the Tsushima Straits. When the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
broke out on 25 June, Juneau was one of the few ships immediately available to Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
C. Turner Joy
C. Turner Joy
Vice Admiral Charles Turner Joy was an admiral of the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War. During the last years of his career, he served as Superintendent of the Naval Academy. The destroyer USS Turner Joy was named for him.-Early life and career, through World War I:C....
, Commander of Naval Forces, Far East. She patrolled south of the 38th parallel
38th parallel north
The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean...
to prevent enemy landings, conducted the first shore bombardments
Naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the term Naval Fires...
on 29 June at Bokuko Ko, destroyed enemy shore installations, engaged in the first naval action
Action of 2 July 1950
The Battle of Chumonchin Chan or the Action of 2 July 1950 was the only major battle fought between surface combatants during the main phase of the Korean War...
on 2 July when she sank three enemy torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s near Chumonchin Chan, and supported raiding parties along the coast. On 18 July, Juneaus force, which included British units such as the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
light cruiser HMS Belfast
HMS Belfast (C35)
HMS Belfast is a museum ship, originally a Royal Navy light cruiser, permanently moored in London on the River Thames and operated by the Imperial War Museum....
, laid down a deadly barrage on enemy troop concentrations near Yongdok which slowed down the North Korean advance southward.
The ship departed Sasebo Harbor on 28 July and made a sweep through the Formosa Straits before reporting for duty with the 7th Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
at Buckner Bay, Okinawa on 2 August. She became flagship of the Formosa Patrol Force on 4 August, remaining until 29 October when she joined the Fast Carrier Task Force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
operating off the east coast of Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. The ship conducted daily plane guard for the attack carriers, and returned to Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
on 1 May 1951 for overhaul and a period of operations off the Pacific coast and in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. She returned to Yokosuka on 19 April 1952 and conducted strikes along the Korean coast in coordination with carrier planes until returning to Long Beach on 5 November.
Atlantic, 1953-1955
Juneau engaged in training maneuvers and operations until 7 April 1953 when she arrived Norfolk to rejoin the Atlantic Fleet. On 13 May the cruiser departed for duty with the 6th Fleet once again, and returned home on 23 October. She operated in the Atlantic and Caribbean until 18 November 1954, then returned to the Mediterranean for her last tour of duty.Decommissioning and sale
After her return to the East Coast on 23 February 1955, she was placed in reserve at Philadelphia on 23 March 1955, and remained inactive until decommissioned on 23 July 1955. The ship was then attached to the Philadelphia Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until 1 November 1959, when she was struck from the Naval Vessel RegisterNaval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
. Juneau was sold for scrapping to the Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation
Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation
Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation is a US corporation that ran a shipbreaking operation. In the 1960s and 1970s it purchased from the United States Maritime Administration many surplus U.S. Navy and U.S...
, New York in 1962.
External links
- Naval Historical Center Online Library of Selected Images: USS Juneau, 1945-1951
- Naval Historical Center Online Library of Selected Images: USS Juneau, 1951-1952
- Korean War Project
- Crew Members' Page
- Commander T. A. Curtin, “49, CDR USN (Ret.) Diary
- U.S. Military Historical Collection, Veteran's Stories, PO2 Lavern Meemken - US Navy - Gunner's Mate, USS Juneau -CLAA-119- "Galloping Ghost of the Korean Coast"