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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # 19-N-80853:  USS Nashville underway in Puget Sound, 25 March 1945

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

USS Nashville (CL-43), 1938-1951

USS Nashville, a 9475-ton Brooklyn class light cruiser built at Camden, New Jersey, was commissioned in June 1938. During mid-1938 she cruised to the Caribbean and to Europe, completing the voyage by transporting a shipment of gold from Great Britain to the United States. The next year, Nashville carried diplomatic representatives to Brazil and, in July 1939, steamed through the Panama Canal to take up duties in the Pacific. She returned to the Atlantic in June 1940 to serve on the Neutrality Patrol and in "short of war" operations and remained in the north Atlantic area through the first months of World War II.

In March 1942, Nashville escorted the new aircraft carrier Hornet to the Pacific and in April accompanied her on the Doolittle Raid on Japan, during which she first fired her guns "in anger" when the task force encountered Japanese picket boats. From May until November 1942, the cruiser served in the north Pacific. In August she took part in a bombardment of enemy-held Kiska Island, in the Aleutians. Late in the year, Nashville shifted her operations to the south Pacific, where she took part in raids against Japanese bases in the central Solomons. While shelling New Georgia and Kolombangara on the night of 12-13 May 1943, an explosion in one of her gun turrets killed eighteen of her crewmen.

After shipyard repairs, Nashville took part in raids on Marcus and Wake Islands before returning to the south Pacific in October 1943. During the next year, she participated in amphibious landings at Bougainville, New Britain, northern New Guinea, Morotai and Leyte, providing gunfire support and frequently serving as General Douglas MacArthur's combat flagship. While en route to the invasion of Mindoro on 13 December 1944 Nashville was hit by a suicide plane, losing more than 130 of her crew and suffering serious fire damage amidships. Repairs at the Puget Sound Navy Yard were made during January-March 1945.

Nashville returned to the war zone in May 1945 and took part in operations in the East Indies and South China Sea during the remaining months of World War II. In mid-September, soon after the surrender of Japan, she arrived at Shanghai to support the removal of Japanese forces from China. After leaving the Far East in November 1945, the cruiser made two voyages to the U.S. west coast as part of Operation "Magic Carpet", helping to bring home service personnel from the Pacific. Nashville went to the Atlantic in January 1946 and was inactivated at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where she decommissioned in June. Sold to Chile in January 1951 and renamed Capitan Prat, she was an active unit of the Chilean Navy until 1982. The ship was again renamed in 1983, becoming Chacabuco, but was sold for scrapping shortly afterwards.

This page features selected views of USS Nashville (CL-43).


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 68318

USS Nashville (CL-43)


In the Hudson River, off New York City, in 1939.
The Palisade Amusement Park is in the right distance.

Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1969.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 78KB; 740 x 560 pixels

 
Photo #: 19-N-28993

USS Nashville (CL-43)


Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, on 1 April 1942.
She is wearing Measure 12 (Modified) camouflage.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 71KB; 740 x 615 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 19-N-49135

USS Nashville (CL-43)


Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, on 4 August 1943.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 535 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 19-N-80853

USS Nashville (CL-43)


Underway in Puget Sound, Washington, on 25 March 1945.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 120KB; 740 x 605 pixels

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

 
Photo #: NH 97500

Doolittle Raid on Japan, April 1942


USS Nashville (CL-43) firing her 6"/47 main battery guns at a Japanese picket boat encountered by the raid task force, 18 April 1942.
Photographed from USS Salt Lake City (CA-25).

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

Online Image: 43KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 50768

USS Nashville (CL-43)


Bombarding Kiska Island, Aleutians, on 8 August 1942.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 98KB; 740 x 615 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97963

USS Nashville (CL-43)


View on board the ship, looking aft from amidships on the starboard side. Taken on 11-13 May 1943, before or just after Task Force 18's 13 May bombardment of Japanese positions on Kolombangara and New Georgia islands.
The ship immediately astern is USS St. Louis (CL-49).
Note details of Nashville's after superstructure, main battery gun director, and the 1.1-inch quad anti-aircraft machine gun mount at left. An enlarged view of this mount is seen in Photo # NH 97963 (cropped).

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

Online Image: 99KB; 525 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: 19-N-49139

USS Nashville (CL-43)


Plan view amidships, looking aft along the starboard side, with the ship's forward superstructure emphasized. Taken at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, on 30 July 1943.
Note the Mark 33 (lower, with rear toward the camera) and Mark 34 gun directors, with the antenna of a Mark 8 fire control radar atop the Mk. 34; antenna for a SK-1 search radar atop the foremast; lightly armored conning tower at the front of the bridge; floater nets atop the number three 6"/47 triple gun turret; and shipyard railway crane on the pier.
Circled areas have recently received modifications.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 122KB; 610 x 765 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 80-G-374940

Leyte Invasion, October 1944


General Douglas MacArthur's flagship, USS Nashville (CL-43), anchored off Leyte during the landings, circa 21 October 1944.
Nashville wears camouflage Measure 33, Design 21d.

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

Online Image: 69KB; 740 x 615 pixels

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

 
Photo #: USA C-259 (Color)

Leyte Invasion, October 1944

General Douglas MacArthur (right, seen in profile) on the bridge of USS Nashville (CL-43), off Leyte during the landings there in late October 1944. Standing in the center (also seen in profile) is Lieutenant General George C. Kenney.

Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 70KB; 740 x 585 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 80-G-K-6886 (Color)

USS Nashville (CL-43)

Crewmen cleaning up the port side 5"/25 gun battery, after the ship was hit in that area by a Kamikaze on 13 December 1944, while en route to the Mindoro invasion.
Note fire damage to the guns and nearby structure.

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

Online Image: 127KB; 740 x 605 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 80-G-K-6774 (Color)

USS Nashville (CL-43)

Inspection of mess personnel, while the ship was moored off Shanghai, China, in September-November 1945.
Photographed by PhoM2c Frank E. Parsons.
The original transparency was received by the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory on 13 December 1945.

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

Online Image: 88KB; 740 x 625 pixels

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

 


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


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Page made 14 May 2002