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USS Miami (CL-89)
Encyclopedia
was one of 26 United States Navy
light cruiser
s completed during or shortly after World War II
. The ship, the second US Navy ship to bear the name, was named for the city of Miami, Florida. Miami was commissioned in December 1943, and saw service in several campaigns in the Pacific. Like almost all her sister ships, she was decommissioned shortly after the end of the war, and never saw active service again. Miami was scrapped in the early 1960's.
, Philadelphia, Pa., and launched 8 December 1942, sponsored by Mrs. C. H. Reeder, wife of the mayor of Miami, Fla. She was commissioned 28 December 1943, Captain
John G. Crawford in command.
on 16 April 1944 for the Pacific, via the Panama Canal
and San Diego, reaching Pearl Harbor
on 6 May. Miami joined the Fast Carrier Task Force for air strikes in June against Saipan
, Tinian
, Rota
, Guam
, Pagan
, and the Bonin Islands in support of the Marianas campaign
.
During July, Miami operated west of the Marianas with the carriers as they gave close air support to ground forces struggling to take the islands. Early in August she supported raids on Iwo Jima
and Haha Jima in the Bonins before steaming to Eniwetok for upkeep. Her carriers hit Peleliu
and Angaur
in the Palaus, 7 September, and bombed targets in the Philippines
from the 12th through the 15th. During these strikes her scout planes on four occasions rescued American pilots who had been shot down in enemy waters. The cruiser continued to support strikes against the Palaus and the Philippines until returning to Saipan on the 29th for replenishment.
Miami departed Ulithi for strikes on Okinawa on 10–14 October. While her task group was under air attack on the night of 12/13 October, Miamis guns brought down their first enemy plane and assisted in splashing another. Planes from her carriers hit targets on Luzon on 18 October.
mustered all her force for a major counter-offensive to turn back the invasion. Her still formidable navy converged on Leyte Gulf
from three directions: a northern force steamed above Luzon to lure the 3rd Fleet north and out of the action, a center force debouched through San Bernardino Strait
and followed the coast of Samar toward Leyte, and a southern force emerged through Surigao Strait
to trap and destroy the amphibious ships in the gulf.
The American Navy parried these thrusts in four historic actions collectively known as the Battle for Leyte Gulf. Operating with Rear Admiral Gerald F. Bogan
's Carrier task group, Miami protected , , , , and during the titanic struggle. Planes from the flattops located and heavily attacked the Japanese center force in the Sibuyan Sea
on 24 October, sinking and so badly damaging that she was forced to retire from action. The whole Japanese center force turned back to regroup, leading Admiral Halsey to conclude that they were retiring for good.
When word of the northern force off Luzon
arrived that afternoon, Halsey ordered the carriers to speed north to attack. Miami accompanied them at flank speed as the flattops sank four Japanese carriers and several supporting ships. When Halsey learned that the center force had again reversed course and had steamed through San Bernardino Strait to threaten the American amphibious ships off the beachhead at Leyte, he ordered Bogan's group south to the rescue. However, the Japanese Goliaths of the center force were stopped and turned back by a handful of American Davids: three destroyers, four destroyer escorts, and six escort carriers. Nevertheless, Miami and her consorts managed to catch the Japanese destroyer Nowaki
off the entrance to San Bernardino Strait. With the guns of the other cruisers and destroyers, Miamis six-inch guns sank her.
On January 1945, the ship operated in air strikes on Formosa
, Luzon, French Indochina
, South China Coast, Hainan
, and Hong Kong
. She transited Balintang Channel
, Luzon Straits, on 20 January 1945, and the next day, while engaged in an air strike against Formosa, Miami sighted a Mitsubishi A6M Zero type enemy plane above the formation and shot it down. On 1 February the ship steamed close to Japan for air strikes against targets in the Tokyo
area. In mid-March, Miami began operating east of Okinawa, and continued in that area, encountering frequent enemy air opposition, until late in April.
Leaving Ulithi
on 10 May 1945, touching Pearl Harbor on the 17th, Miami proceeded to the United States for overhaul, arriving San Francisco on 24 May, where she remained until after the cessation of hostilities, returning to Pearl Harbor on 25 August. In September and October Miami operated in the Ryūkyūs
accepting the surrender of the small islands north of Okinawa. After a brief visit to Yokosuka, Japan, she steamed to the Carolines and arrived at Truk
on 11 November to conduct a survey of bombing damage to the famous naval base there.
.
Miamis name was struck from the Navy list on 1 September 1961 and her hulk was sold for scrapping to Nicholai Joffe Corp., Beverly Hills, Calif., on 26 July 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...
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...
s completed during or shortly after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The ship, the second US Navy ship to bear the name, was named for the city of Miami, Florida. Miami was commissioned in December 1943, and saw service in several campaigns in the Pacific. Like almost all her sister ships, she was decommissioned shortly after the end of the war, and never saw active service again. Miami was scrapped in the early 1960's.
Construction
Miami was laid down 2 August 1941 by Cramp Shipbuilding Co.William Cramp and Sons
thumb | upright | 1899 advertisement for William Cramp & Sons William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia was founded in 1825 by William Cramp, and was the preeminent U.S. iron shipbuilder in the 19th century. The American Ship & Commerce Corporation bought the yard in 1919 but closed...
, Philadelphia, Pa., and launched 8 December 1942, sponsored by Mrs. C. H. Reeder, wife of the mayor of Miami, Fla. She was commissioned 28 December 1943, 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....
John G. Crawford in command.
Marianas campaign, June–October 1944
After shakedown in the Caribbean and training along the Atlantic coast, the new light cruiser, accompanied by her sister-ships and , departed BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
on 16 April 1944 for the Pacific, via the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and San Diego, reaching Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 6 May. Miami joined the Fast Carrier Task Force for air strikes in June against Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, Rota
Rota (island)
Rota also known as the "peaceful island", is the southernmost island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the second southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago. It lies approximately 40 miles north-northeast of the United States territory of Guam...
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Pagan
Pagan Island
Pagan is an island of the Northern Mariana Islands chain,located at , approximately 320 kilometers northof Saipan.Pagan has an area of 47.23 km² , making it the fourth largest island of the Northern Marianas, and consists of two stratovolcanoes joined by a narrow strip of land.The...
, and the Bonin Islands in support of the Marianas campaign
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign
The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was an offensive launched by United States forces against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November, 1944 during the Pacific War...
.
During July, Miami operated west of the Marianas with the carriers as they gave close air support to ground forces struggling to take the islands. Early in August she supported raids on Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
and Haha Jima in the Bonins before steaming to Eniwetok for upkeep. Her carriers hit Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
and Angaur
Angaur
Angaur or Ngeaur is an island in the island nation of Palau. The island, which forms its own state, has an area of 8 km² . Its population is 188 . State capital is the village of Ngeremasch on the western side...
in the Palaus, 7 September, and bombed targets in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
from the 12th through the 15th. During these strikes her scout planes on four occasions rescued American pilots who had been shot down in enemy waters. The cruiser continued to support strikes against the Palaus and the Philippines until returning to Saipan on the 29th for replenishment.
Miami departed Ulithi for strikes on Okinawa on 10–14 October. While her task group was under air attack on the night of 12/13 October, Miamis guns brought down their first enemy plane and assisted in splashing another. Planes from her carriers hit targets on Luzon on 18 October.
Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944
The tempo of the Pacific war was now rising rapidly. On 20 October the 7th Fleet landed General MacArthur on the shores of Leyte, fulfilling his pledge to the Philippines: "I shall return." Realizing the decisive strategic importance of the Philippines Archipelago, JapanJapan
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...
mustered all her force for a major counter-offensive to turn back the invasion. Her still formidable navy converged on Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
from three directions: a northern force steamed above Luzon to lure the 3rd Fleet north and out of the action, a center force debouched through San Bernardino Strait
San Bernardino Strait
The San Bernardino Strait is a strait in the Philippines. It separates the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon island from the island of Samar in the south.-Filipinos and San Bernardino Strait:...
and followed the coast of Samar toward Leyte, and a southern force emerged through Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait is a body of water in the Philippines located between the islands of Mindanao and Leyte. This strait connects the Bohol Sea with Leyte Gulf and is regularly crossed by ferries that transport goods and people between Visayas and Mindanao...
to trap and destroy the amphibious ships in the gulf.
The American Navy parried these thrusts in four historic actions collectively known as the Battle for Leyte Gulf. Operating with Rear Admiral Gerald F. Bogan
Gerald F. Bogan
Gerald Francis Bogan was a United States Navy Admiral.Bogan authored a confidential memorandum that was leaked by Captain John G. Crommelin during the Revolt of the Admirals in September 1949. His memo described the situation in the Navy as follows, "The morale of the Navy is lower today than at...
's Carrier task group, Miami protected , , , , and during the titanic struggle. Planes from the flattops located and heavily attacked the Japanese center force in the Sibuyan Sea
Sibuyan Sea
The Sibuyan Sea is a small sea in the Philippines that separates the Visayas from the northern Philippine island of Luzon.-Description:It is bounded by the island of Panay to the south, Mindoro to the west, Masbate to the east, and to the north Marinduque and the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon Island.The...
on 24 October, sinking and so badly damaging that she was forced to retire from action. The whole Japanese center force turned back to regroup, leading Admiral Halsey to conclude that they were retiring for good.
When word of the northern force off Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
arrived that afternoon, Halsey ordered the carriers to speed north to attack. Miami accompanied them at flank speed as the flattops sank four Japanese carriers and several supporting ships. When Halsey learned that the center force had again reversed course and had steamed through San Bernardino Strait to threaten the American amphibious ships off the beachhead at Leyte, he ordered Bogan's group south to the rescue. However, the Japanese Goliaths of the center force were stopped and turned back by a handful of American Davids: three destroyers, four destroyer escorts, and six escort carriers. Nevertheless, Miami and her consorts managed to catch the Japanese destroyer Nowaki
Japanese destroyer Nowaki
was a Kagero-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy.On 3 March 1942 the Nowaki help sink the gunboat . In the Battle off Samar on 25 October 1944, Nowaki took part in the torpedo attack on the U.S. escort carriers and assisted in sinking of...
off the entrance to San Bernardino Strait. With the guns of the other cruisers and destroyers, Miamis six-inch guns sank her.
Operations, 1944–45
After participating in carrier strikes on the Philippines during November, Miami encountered a typhoon while operating east of Luzon on 18 December. During the morning one of the ship's aircraft was carried away, and in the afternoon her hull was damaged by buckling. As the storm abated the next day, she searched for survivors of damaged and lost ships.On January 1945, the ship operated in air strikes on Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Luzon, French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
, South China Coast, Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
, and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. She transited Balintang Channel
Balintang Channel
The Balintang Channel is the small waterway that separates the Batanes and Babuyan Islands, both of which belong to the Philippines, in the Luzon Strait....
, Luzon Straits, on 20 January 1945, and the next day, while engaged in an air strike against Formosa, Miami sighted a Mitsubishi A6M Zero type enemy plane above the formation and shot it down. On 1 February the ship steamed close to Japan for air strikes against targets in the Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
area. In mid-March, Miami began operating east of Okinawa, and continued in that area, encountering frequent enemy air opposition, until late in April.
Leaving Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
on 10 May 1945, touching Pearl Harbor on the 17th, Miami proceeded to the United States for overhaul, arriving San Francisco on 24 May, where she remained until after the cessation of hostilities, returning to Pearl Harbor on 25 August. In September and October Miami operated in the Ryūkyūs
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
accepting the surrender of the small islands north of Okinawa. After a brief visit to Yokosuka, Japan, she steamed to the Carolines and arrived at Truk
Chuuk
Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's...
on 11 November to conduct a survey of bombing damage to the famous naval base there.
Post-war operations, 1945–47
Ordered home on 25 November, Miami arrived at Long Beach on 10 December. She operated on the California coast training naval reservists until decommissioning on 30 June 1947 and entering the Pacific Reserve FleetUnited States Navy reserve fleets
The United States Navy maintains a number of its ships as part of a reserve fleet, often called the "Mothball Fleet". While the details of the activity have changed several times, the basics are constant: keep the ships afloat and sufficiently working as to be reactivated quickly in an...
.
Miamis name was struck from the Navy list on 1 September 1961 and her hulk was sold for scrapping to Nicholai Joffe Corp., Beverly Hills, Calif., on 26 July 1962.