Return to Naval Historical Center home page. Return to Online Library listing

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

Photo # NH 98280:  USS Boston underway at sea, March 1956

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

USS Boston (CAG-1, previously and later CA-69), 1943-1975

In early January 1952 the heavy cruiser USS Boston, a 13,600 ton Baltimore class heavy cruiser completed in June 1943, was redesignated CAG-1. Towed from the Pacific Coast to Camden, New Jersey, during the next few months, she began a lengthy conversion that made her into the Navy's first guided missile cruiser. Her modernization had involved removing her after triple eight-inch gun turret and its supporting structure, extensive modifications to her superstructure, and installation of two twin launchers for "Terrier" anti-aircraft guided missiles and their associated radars and other electronics.

Recommissioned at the beginning of November 1955, during the rest of that year and most of 1956 Boston operated in the Western Atlantic and the Caribbean, testing her new weapons and training for their use. She deployed for Sixth Fleet service in the Mediterranean Sea in November 1956, returning home in March 1957. After making a Midshipmen's cruise to South America, taking part in NATO exercises in the North Atlantic, and receiving an overhaul, Boston made her second Sixth Fleet tour during June-September 1958. This cruise included participation in the Lebanon crisis. During the next eight years she frequently operated in the Mediterranean, often in the role of flagship, as well as taking part in exercises off Northern Europe, in the Caribbean and off the U.S. East Coast.

In April 1967 Boston returned to the Pacific for the first time in fifteen years, transiting the Panama Canal to begin a tour of combat service with the Seventh Fleet. Primarily stationed off Vietnam during this time, she fired thousands of rounds of eight and five-inch shells against enemy targets in North and South Vietnam. Though continuing to be based on the East Coast, the cruiser made two more Vietnam War deployments to the Western Pacific, one in April-October 1968 and the last in May-November 1969.

In May 1968, soon after beginning the second of these bombardment support cruises, Boston was reclassified from guided-missile heavy cruiser to heavy cruiser, reverting to her original hull number of CA-69. Though she retained her "Terrier" missiles, the swift advance of technology had made these pioneering weapons obsolete after little more than a dozen years' service, and her main battery was once again her eight-inch rifles, of which six remained in her forward turrets. USS Boston began the inactivation process soon finishing her final Vietnam cruise. Decommissioned at Boston, Massachusetts, in May 1970, she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in January 1975 and sold for scrapping in late March 1975.

This page features, and provides links to, selected views concerning USS Boston (CAG-1, later CA-69) after her 1952-1955 conversion to a guided-missile cruiser.

For other post-conversion pictures related to USS Boston, see:

  • USS Boston (CAG-1) -- Activities and Views On Board, 1955-1966; and
  • USS Boston (CAG-1, later CA-69) -- Activities and Views On Board, 1967-1970

    For images related to this ship before she became a guided missile cruiser, see:

  • USS Boston (CA-69, later CAG-1), 1943-1975.


    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 98280

    USS Boston (CAG-1)


    Underway at sea, March 1956.

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

    Online Image: 101KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 98282

    USS Boston (CAG-1)


    Steaming off Beirut, Lebanon, while serving with the Sixth Fleet, 18 July 1958.

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

    Online Image: 103KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 98283

    USS Boston (CAG-1)


    Underway off the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts, after overhaul, 26 July 1960.
    Note the new electronics antennas received during this overhaul, among them a Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) "pot" atop the mainmast, antenna for SPS-29 air search radar (replacing a SPS-12) atop the pedestal aft of the mainmast, and two SPQ-5 guided-missile guidance radars (replacing the ship's original pair of Mark 25 Mod 7 types) just forward of the "Terrier" missile launchers.

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

    Online Image: 99KB; 740 x 600 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 98284

    USS Boston (CAG-1)


    Moored at Genoa, Italy, 27 January 1962.
    Note the large antenna for a SPS-37A air search radar (replacing the SPS-29 first fitted in 1960), located atop the pedestal just aft of her mainmast. This antenna was later moved to a new location, atop Boston's mainmast.

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

    Online Image: 126KB; 740 x 605 pixels

     
    Photo #: KN-5765 (Color)

    USS Boston (CAG-1)

    At anchor in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 10 September 1963.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph.

    Online Image: 78KB; 740 x 615 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-KN-5765

     
    Photo #: NH 98285

    USS Boston (CAG-1)


    Underway, circa 1965.
    This photograph was received from Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet, in June 1965. Note that the large antenna for a SPS-37A (or SPS-43A) air search radar is now located atop Boston's mainmast, replaced on the pedestal aft of that mast by a SPS-30 height finding radar. Her TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation) "pot" has been moved from the mainmast to the foremast.

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

    Online Image: 114KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: KN-14224 (Color)

    USS Boston (CAG-1)

    Underway in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 10 January 1967.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph.

    Online Image: 82KB; 740 x 605 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-KN-14224

     
    Photo #: KN-14225 (Color)

    USS Boston (CAG-1)

    Underway in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 10 January 1967.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph.

    Online Image: 82KB; 740 x 610 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-KN-14225

     
    Photo #: NH 98286

    USS Boston (CA-69)


    "The heavy cruiser Boston steaming home after spending six months deployed to Southeast Asia", 1969.
    (Quoted information is from the original caption, received with this photograph on 12 November 1969.)

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

    Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 98287

    USS Boston (CAG-1)


    Underway, circa 1969.
    This photograph was received with a Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet, press release dated 23 October 1969, concerning the impending completion of the cruiser's final Vietnam War deployment.

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

    Online Image: 128KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 56683-A-KN (color)

    USS Boston (CAG-1)

    Painting by Rod Claudius, Rome, Italy, 1962.
    This painting was one of a series of depictions of U.S. Navy ships named Boston that Claudius made for display on board USS Boston (CAG-1).

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 64KB; 740 x 550 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 69596-KN (Color)

    USS Boston (CAG-1)

    Jacket patch of an insignia used in 1958.

    Courtesy of Captain G.F. Swainson, USN, 1970.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 127KB; 650 x 675 pixels

     

    For other post-conversion pictures related to USS Boston, see:

  • USS Boston (CAG-1) -- Activities and Views On Board, 1955-1966; and
  • USS Boston (CAG-1, later CA-69) -- Activities and Views On Board, 1967-1970

    For images related to this ship before she became a guided missile cruiser, see:

  • USS Boston (CA-69, later CAG-1), 1943-1975.

    Additional views relevant to this ship: In 1962 the Italian artist Rod Claudius painted several portraits of U.S. Navy ships named Boston. These were made for USS Boston (CAG-1) and were exhibited on board her during the rest of her active career. The Claudius painting of Boston (CAG-1) is presented above. Others featured in the "Online Library" include:

  • Photo # KN-4784: Painting of the Continental Gondola Boston (1776).
  • Photo # KN-4786: Painting of the Continental Gondola Boston (1776).
  • Photo # KN-4781: Painting of the Continental Frigate Boston (1777-1780).
  • Photo # KN-4783: Painting of the Continental Frigate Boston (1777-1780).
  • Photo # NH 86690-KN: Painting of the U.S. sloop of war Boston (1826-1846).
  • Photo # KN-4782: Painting of the protected cruiser Boston (1887-1946).


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


    Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

    Page made 25 January 2003
    Links added 18 February 2003