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Photo # 19-N-44025:  USS Savannah off New York City, 1 May 1943

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

USS Savannah (CL-42), 1938-1960

USS Savannah, a 9475-ton Brooklyn class light cruiser, was built at Camden, New Jersey. Commissioned in March 1938, in September and October of that year she went to Europe to protect American interests during a time when war seemed possible. Following normal peacetime exercises over the next several months, in May 1939 Savannah steamed through the Panama Canal to join the U.S. Fleet in the Pacific. She operated along the west coast and in Hawaiian waters until May 1941, when she returned to the Atlantic to participate in Neutrality Patrols and "short of war" operations that lasted until the United States entered World War II in December 1941.

Savannah's entire wartime career was spent in the Atlantic theatre. She operated off the U.S. east coast and in the Caribbean during most of 1942 and took part in the invasion of French Morocco in November. Early in 1943 she went to the south Atlantic, where she assisted in capturing the crew of the German blockade runner Kota Tjandi after that ship was scuttled to avoid capture. In July and August 1943, Savannah provided gunfire and other support for the the Sicily invasion and in September undertook similar tasks during the landings at Salerno. While off Salerno on 11 September, she was hit by a German radio-controlled bomb that killed nearly 200 of her crew and left her badly damaged forward. She was able to leave the area under her own power and in December 1943 returned to the United States for permanent repairs.

This work, which included widening Savannah's hull and the complete replacement of her five-inch secondary battery, was completed in September 1944. Following operational training, in January and February 1945 she escorted President Franklin D. Roosevelt during much of his trip to and from the Yalta Conference. Training duty occupied most of of the rest of Savannah's active service, but late 1945 she made two trans-Atlantic voyages to bring home service personnel from Europe. Inactive for all of 1946, she was formally decommissioned in February 1947. Savannah was part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until March 1959, when she was stricken from the Navy list. She was sold for scrapping in January 1960.

This page features selected views of USS Savannah (CL-42), and provides links to others.

For other images related to this ship, see:

  • USS Savannah (CL-42) -- Damaged by German Bomb, 11 September 1943.


    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 82110

    USS Savannah (CL-42)


    Making a full power run during trials off Rockland, Maine, in February 1938.

    Courtesy of Captain Church Chappell, USN (Retired), 1975.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 69KB; 740 x 490 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 85625

    USS Savannah (CL-42)


    Entering Havana Harbor, Cuba, during her shakedown cruise, 20 May 1938.
    Note her signal flags, displaying the call letters "NAQL".

    Courtesy of Louis A. Davidson, 1977.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 71KB; 740 x 340 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 97958

    USS Savannah (CL-42)


    Steaming at sea, circa early 1943.
    This photograph has been retouched by the wartime censor to remove radar antennas atop her masts and main battery gun directors. However, the radar antennas mounted on her secondary battery gun directors remain visible.

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

    Online Image: 81KB; 740 x 600 pixels

     
    Photo #: 19-N-44025

    USS Savannah (CL-42)


    Off New York City, with a barge and tug alongside, 1 May 1943.

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

    Online Image: 120KB; 740 x 620 pixels

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

     
    Photo #: NH 97955

    USS Savannah (CL-42)


    Off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, 5 September 1944, following battle damage repairs and modernization.

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

    Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 97956

    USS Savannah (CL-42)


    Photographed from a blimp of squadron ZP-11, while underway off the New England coast (position 42-30N, 68-36W) on 30 October 1944.

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

    Online Image: 96KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 85631

    USS Savannah (CL-42)


    Kelly operates the controls of the ship's aircraft crane, circa 1938.

    Courtesy of Louis A. Davidson, 1977.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 71KB; 505 x 765 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 85627

    USS Savannah (CL-42)


    Ship's basketball team, circa 1938.

    Courtesy of Louis A. Davidson, 1977.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 123KB; 740 x 600 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 85630

    Curtiss SOC-3 scout-observation floatplane


    Stripped for maintenance in the hangar of USS Savannah (CL-42), circa 1938.
    The plane's engine is a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 nine-cylinder radial.

    Courtesy of Louis A. Davison, 1977.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 73KB; 570 x 675 pixels

     
    Photo #: 80-G-K-3965 (Color)

    Algiers, Algeria

    Two "Liberty" ships afire in Algiers harbor, following a German air attack, 16 July 1943.
    USS Savannah (CL-42) is in the foreground.

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

    Online Image: 70KB; 740 x 605 pixels

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

     
    Photo #: NH 97957

    USS Savannah (CL-42)


    Crewmen pose beside one of the cruiser's 6"/47 gun turrets, during the World War II.
    The Sailor kneeling third from right in the front row is Edward R. Kozak, who served in the Navy between September 1942 and December 1945.
    Note the "E" award, with two hash-marks, painted on the turret's side;

    U.S. Naval Historical Center photograph.

    Online Image: 121KB; 740 x 600 pixels

    Note:
    This photograph is damaged by cracks in its emulsion.

     

    For other images related to this ship, see:

  • USS Savannah (CL-42) -- Damaged by German Bomb, 11 September 1943.


    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 7 May 2002