World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseLouisville was originally classified as a light cruiser, but in accordance to the London Naval Treaty of 1930 she was reclassified as a heavy cruiser during her shakedown cruise, which took her from the Pacific to New York City through the Panama Canal. Before WW2, she operated in a variety of missions, including participation in fleet problems, training in anti-aircraft gunnery, and visiting foreign ports in Latin America, South Pacific, and Australia. When the European War began in Sep 1939, she was on a cruise in South America. While in Brazil, she was diverted to South Africa to pick up British gold worth US$148 million for transportation to New York City, United States; she was given this duty because a British ship traveling across the Atlantic Ocean would risk attacks from German submarines and put the valuable cargo at risk. An American ship, however, would be protected by her mother country's neutrality.

ww2dbaseWhen the United States officially entered the war in Dec 1941, Louisville was on an escorting mission from the Caribbean Sea to Hawaii. In Feb and Mar 1942, she escorted carriers when they raided Japanese bases in Gilbert, Marshall, and Solomon Islands areas. She spent some time in the Aleutian Islands area before being sent back to South Pacific for the closing stages of the Guadalcanal Campaign. On 29 Jan 1943, she participated in the Battle of Rennell Island, where she was hit by a dud torpedo and after the battle towed cruiser Chicago until tug Navajo took over the job. In Apr 1943, she returned to the Aleutian Islands as a part of Task Force 16. In the North Pacific, she covered the assault and occupation of Attu Island from 11 to 30 May and then the pre-invasion bombardment of Kiska in Aug 1943.

ww2dbaseAfter the overhaul, Louisville was tasked with providing pre-landing naval gunfire support at Wotje, Kwajalein and Eniwetok atolls in the Marshall Islands between Jan and Feb 1944, while flying the flag of Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf. She escorted carriers during Central Pacific raids in Mar 1944 and bombarded Japanese positions Truk and Sawatan in Apr 1944. In Jun and Jul, she bombarded Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. After the Mariana Islands action, she retired to the rear area until mid-Sep. In Sep and Oct, she bombarded Peleliu and Leyte, respectively. In the night of 24 to 25 Oct, she participated in the Battle of the Surigao Strait where the large surface action resulted in heavy losses for the Japanese Navy. After the Leyte actions, she rejoined the fast carriers as a part of Task Force 38, and attacked Japanese positions on the shores of Luzon. On 5 and 6 Jan 1945, Louisville was struck by two Kamikaze special attack aircraft while supporting American operations in the Philippine Islands. She remained in the area briefly to complete her shore bombardment mission, and then was withdrawn to Mare Island Navy Yard in the United States for permanent repairs. She returned to the war in May 1945 with Task Force 54 to provide naval gunfire support during the Okinawa Campaign, where she was once again hit by a suicide aircraft on 5 Jun; after temporary repairs, she was back on the firing line by 9 Jun, but departed for Pearl Harbor for permanent repairs a week later. She was at Pearl Harbor when the war ended.

ww2dbaseLouisville left Pearl Harbor on 15 Aug 1945 and headed back for post-war operations. She supervised the rescue of Allied POWs in Manchuria and then witnessed the surrender of Japanese vessels by Vice Admiral Kaneko in Tsingtao. She remained off the Chinese coast until Oct 1945. Louisville was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in the United States in Jun 1946. She was sold to the Marlene Blouse Corporation of New York for scrap on 14 Sep 1959.

Heavy Cruiser Louisville Interactive Map

Photographs

Louisville Operational Timeline

Visitor Submitted Comments

Show older comments

71.  David Stubblebine says:
18 Jun 2019 10:14:35 PM

Karen Burton (above):
According to the Louisville Muster Rolls, Seaman Rex Junior Burton, service number 612 22 26, was received aboard 30 Oct 1942 in San Francisco. On 1 May 1943 he was advanced in rating to Radioman 3rd-class, so it appears he was a radioman. The best source of information on your father’s service is his service record, which is probably still available. See https://ww2db.com/faq/#3 for how to order a copy.

73.  David Stubblebine says:
15 Oct 2019 06:03:11 PM

Anonymous (above):
The Louisville Muster Rolls are very complete. James Dee Register, Jr., service number 624 40 07, enlisted 20 Feb 1942 in Houston, Texas. He reported aboard Louisville 22 May 1942 from the Receiving Station, San Francisco. He was elevated to Hospital Apprentice 1 Nov 1944 and left Louisville 10 Nov 1944 for shore duty in a Naval Hospital (it doesn’t say which one). The next day he was received aboard the cargo ship USS Cheleb at Ulithi for transportation to the United States and his trail in the Muster Rolls runs cold at that point. The only other interesting item from the Muster Rolls was that he was transferred from Louisville to the base hospital at Mare Island, California for 11 days “for treatment” in Dec 1943 (it doesn’t say why).

There was a fire in 1973 that destroyed many World War II service records and they are lost forever. The National Archives still recommends that interested parties submit a request for service records since their “staff often is able to locate basic information relevant to a person’s service from other records in their custody.” See https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records.