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Photo # NH 80837:  USS Salt Lake City at Brisbane, Australia, in mid-1941

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

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25, originally CL-25), 1929-1948

USS Salt Lake City, a 9100-ton Pensacola class heavy cruiser built at Camden, New Jersey, was commissioned in December 1929. Her original hull number, CL-25, was changed to CA-25 in July 1931. The ship's first two years of active service were spent in the Atlantic area. She shifted her base to the U.S. west coast in early 1932 and was thereafter generally in the Pacific, with occasional trips through the Panama Canal for brief operations in the Caribbean and Atlantic. In mid-1941, Salt Lake City crossed the Pacific to visit Australia.

On 7 December 1941, when the United States was brought into World War II by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Salt Lake City was operating with the USS Enterprise task group. She remained in the Hawaiian area for the next two months, then participated in her task force's central Pacific raids during February and March 1942. In April, she was part of the force that executed the Doolittle raid on Japan. During August-October 1942, Salt Lake City was in the south Pacific to support the campaign to seize and hold Guadalcanal. She escorted USS Wasp during the landings of 7-8 August and subsequent operations, and was present when Wasp was sunk by a Japanese submarine on 15 September. On 11-12 October, Salt Lake City helped fight the Battle of Cape Esperance, receiving damage from enemy gunfire.

Following repairs, Salt Lake City was sent to the north Pacific. There, on 26 March 1943 she was the largest U.S. ship present during the Battle of the Komandorski Islands, and was again damaged by Japanese shells. She continued her support of the Aleutian Campaign until September, when she returned to Hawaii to prepare for central Pacific operations. These included the seizure of the Gilbert Islands in November 1943, the invasion of the Marshalls in January and February 1944, and raids on Japanese bases in February-April. The cruiser had a brief north Pacific tour in mid-1944, followed by further central Pacific operations. She took part in carrier operations prior to and during the October 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf.

In 1945, Salt Lake City participated in the Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns. After the fighting ended in August, she supported the Occupation of Japan and "Magic Carpet" operations to transport American servicemen back to the U.S. The now-elderly cruiser was then placed in relatively inactive status until sent to serve as a target during the July 1946 atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. Left severely damaged by this experience, USS Salt Lake City was decommissioned a month later. She was sunk as a target for conventional weapons in May 1948.

This page features selected views concerning USS Salt Lake City (CA-25).


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 2206

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)


Underway during the early 1930s. She is flying the flag of the President of the United States at her mainmast peak.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 125KB; 740 x 595 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 85083

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)


Photographed during the early 1930s.

Donation of Captain Alan Brown, USN(Retired), 1976.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 68KB; 740 x 445 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 80837

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)


At Brisbane, Australia, in mid-1941, while wearing "false-bow-wave" camouflage.

Donation of Captain Church Chappell, USN(Retired), 1974.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 60KB; 740 x 525 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-299022

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)


At Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on 29 March 1943, three days after she participated in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands.
Note staining on her hull side, possibly from ice.

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

Online Image: 44KB; 740 x 620 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 19-N-47574

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)


Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 10 May 1943.
Note the barrage balloons in the distance.

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

Online Image: 66KB; 740 x 590 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 80-G-264236

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)
,
USS Pensacola (CA-24) and
USS New Orleans (CA-32) (listed from left to right)

Nested together at Pearl Harbor, 31 October 1943.
Ford Island is at the left, with USS Oklahoma (BB-37) under salvage at the extreme left, just beyond Salt Lake City's forward superstructure.
Note the radar antennas, gun directors and eight-inch guns on these three heavy cruisers.

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

Online Image: 114KB; 740 x 610 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 19-N-67713

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)


Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 21 June 1944.

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

Online Image: 69KB; 740 x 600 pixels

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

 
Photo #: NH 50009

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)


View of the ship's bow wave, looking forward along her port side as she was heading west across the Pacific during the 1930s.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 99KB; 580 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 50946

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)


Fires her after 8"/55 guns while bombarding a Japanese-held island in February 1942.
This view has long been identified has a scene from the 24 February bombardment of Wake. However, it may have been taken on 1 February, during the bombardment of Wotje, in the Marshall Islands.
Note Curtiss SOC "Seagull" floatplane in the foreground, with the cruiser's after stack and aircraft crane immediately to the right.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 91KB; 740 x 595 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-73827

Battle of the Komandorski Islands
, 26 March 1943

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) in action during the battle, with an enemy salvo landing astern.

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

Online Image: 66KB; 740 x 610 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 80-G-299020

Battle of the Komandorski Islands
, 26 March 1943

Officers plotting a track chart of the action, following the battle. Photographed in the wardroom of USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) on 29 March 1943, after she had arrived at Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

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

Online Image: 108KB; 740 x 620 pixels

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

 
Photo #: NH 50339

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)


Firing her forward 8"/55 guns while bombarding Iwo Jima, 23 January 1945.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 100KB; 740 x 625 pixels

 


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


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Page made 11 December 2001
Link added 31 December 2006