Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945

CL-62 USS Birmingham

Birmingham may have been the unluckiest of the Cleveland class cruisers: torpedoed and bombed at Empress Augusta Bay (Bougainville), 8-9 Nov 43; severely damaged by an explosion on Princeton at Leyte Gulf, 24 Oct 44 (see photos below) -- 237 killed and 426 injured; and struck by a kamikaze at Okinawa on 4 May 45 -- 51 killed and 81 wounded.

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Alongside burning Princeton
Damaged by Princeton explosion
Close-up of damage

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Last updated: May 23, 2000

Compiled and formatted by Patrick Clancey
(see the Main Page for sources and methodology)