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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
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WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 98331:  USS Vicksburg off the U.S. East Coast, 17 October 1944

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Vicksburg (CL-86), 1944-1964

USS Vicksburg, a 10,000-ton Cleveland class light cruiser built at Newport News, Virginia, was commissioned in June 1944. In October-December of that year, following shakedown in Chesapeake Bay and the West Indies, she served as a training ship in the Long Island Sound area. The cruiser went to the Pacific early in 1945. In February and March she provided naval gunfire support for the U.S. Marines as they landed on Iwo Jima and fought a hard and bloody campaign against the island's defenders. She escorted the fast carriers carriers during their mid-March raids against Kyushu, taking part in several actions against Japanese aircraft. Vicksburg resumed her bombardment role during the Okinawa operation that began in late March and spent more than two months in the "Kamikaze" infested waters around the Ryukyus. Late in June, after completing her work at Okinawa, the cruiser supported minesweeping operations in the China Sea. When Japan capitulated in mid-August 1945, she was sent from the Philippines to the former enemy's home waters to provide offshore cover for the surrender ceremonies that took place on 2 September.

Staying briefly in Japanese waters as the occupation effort expanded, Vicksburg next went to Okinawa, where she took aboard a large number of servicemen for transportation back to the United States. She arrived at San Francisco, California, in October and served along the West Coast for the rest of 1945, all of 1946 and part of 1947. Decommissioned at the end of June 1947, USS Vicksburg was assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet until October 1962, when she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. She was sold for scrapping in August 1964.

This page features all the views we have concerning USS Vicksburg (CL-86).


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 98331

USS Vicksburg (CL-86)


Off the U.S. East Coast, 17 October 1944.
Photographed by from a blimp of squadron ZP-12, based at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey.
The ship is painted in Camouflage Measure 33, Design 6d.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 595 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 66437

USS Vicksburg (CL-86)


Arrives off San Francisco, California, soon after the end of World War II, probably in October 1945.
She is flying a long "homeward bound" pennant from her mainmast.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-490019

Japanese "Kamikaze" aircraft


Burning after it was hit by gunfire while attempting to crash into USS Vicksburg (CL-86) off Okinawa, 14 May 1945.
Photographed from Vicksburg's forward superstructure, with the ship's foremast yardarm in the foreground. Note weather reporting instrument on the yardarm, and the antenna for an SK-1 air search radar partially visible at right.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 88KB; 590 x 765 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 80-G-490021-A

Japanese "Kamikaze" aircraft


Crashing near USS Vicksburg (CL-86) after it was shot down attempting to hit the ship off Okinawa, 14 May 1945.
Several aircraft carriers are in the background.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 94KB; 740 x 610 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 


In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Vicksburg (CL-86). The following list features some of these images:

The images listed below are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".


  • Photo #: 80-G-235797
    USS Vicksburg (CL-86) underway at low speed in Hampton Roads, Virginia, 20 July 1944. Photographed from a Naval Air Station Hampton Roads aircraft.
    Aerial view, taken from almost directly off the ship's stern. A small craft is underway on a parallel course off Vicksburg's starboard side, producing a white wake on the right side of the photo.

  • Photo #: 80-G-235799
    As above, but starboard broadside aerial view, without the small craft alongside.
    Vicksburg is painted in Measure 33, Design 6d pattern camouflage.

  • Photo #: 80-G-419647
    USS Vicksburg (CL-86) underway off the U.S. East Coast, 17 October 1944.
    Port quarter aerial view (more port than quarter), taken from a blimp based at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey.
    Vicksburg is painted in Measure 33, Design 6d pattern camouflage.


    Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center.

    The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".


  • If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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    Page made 9 February 2003
    Link added 31 December 2006