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USS Portsmouth (CL 102)

- decommissioned -

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USS PORTSMOUTH was one of the CLEVELAND - class light cruisers and the third ship in the Navy named after the city in New Hampshire. USS PORTSMOUTH was decommissioned in mid-June 1949 and remained in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until stricken from the Navy list in December 1970. She was sold for scrapping in March 1974.

General Characteristics:Awarded: 1941
Keel laid: June 28, 1943
Launched: September 20, 1944
Commissioned: June 25, 1945
Decommissioned: June 15, 1949
Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Va.
Propulsion system: geared turbines, 100,000 shp
Propellers: four
Length: 610.2 feet (186 meters)
Beam: 66.3 feet (20.2 meters)
Draft: 24.6 feet (7.5 meters)
Displacement: approx. 14,130 tons fully loaded
Speed: 32.5 knots
Aircraft: four
Armament: twelve 15.2cm 6-inch/47 caliber guns in four triple mounts, twelve 12.7cm 5-inch/38 caliber guns in six twin mounts, 28 40mm guns, 10 20mm guns
Crew: 70 officers and 1285 enlisted


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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS PORTSMOUTH. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.


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USS PORTSMOUTH Cruise Books:


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USS PORTSMOUTH History:

USS PORTSMOUTH was laid down by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va., 28 June 1943; launched 20 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Marian M. Dale and Mrs. Sarah B. Leigh, and commissioned 25 June 1945, Capt. Heber B. Brumbaugh in command.

Following shakedown off Cuba, PORTSMOUTH, based at Norfolk, was employed with the Operational Development Force until the spring of 1946. In May she departed on a goodwill cruise to Africa and after visiting Capetown, Lagos, Freetown, Monrovia, Dakar, and Casablanca, steamed into the Mediterranean for calls at Naples, and Palermo before heading home.

On 25 November PORTSMOUTH got underway to return to the Mediterranean again. Arriving at Naples 7 December, she shifted around the peninsula to Trieste at the end of the month and until February 1947 cruised in the politically turbulent Adriatic. The following month she returned for another two weeks at Trieste and in April she sailed for the United States.

The following November she again steamed east to the Mediterranean, returning to the east coast for overhaul at Boston 11 March 1948. On completion of overhaul she resumed type exercises off the eastern seaboard and conducted Naval Reserve training cruises to the Caribbean. On 9 March 1949 she entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for inactivation overhaul. Decommissioning 15 June 1949, she joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in December 1970. She was sold for scrapping in March 1974.


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