USS Miami (CL-89)

USS ''Miami'' was a light cruiser of the United States Navy, which were built during World War II. The class was designed as a development of the earlier s, the size of which had been limited by the First London Naval Treaty. The start of the war led to the dissolution of the treaty system, but the dramatic need for new vessels precluded a new design, so the ''Cleveland''s used the same hull as their predecessors, but were significantly heavier. The ''Cleveland''s carried a main battery of twelve guns in four three-gun turrets, along with a secondary armament of twelve dual-purpose guns. They had a top speed of .

''Miami'' was commissioned in December 1943, and saw service in several campaigns in the Pacific. Like almost all her sister ships, she was decommissioned shortly after the end of the war, and never saw active service again. ''Miami'' was scrapped in the early 1960s.

Design

The ''Cleveland''-class light cruisers traced their origin to design work done in the late 1930s; at the time, light cruiser displacement was limited to by the Second London Naval Treaty. Following the start of World War II in September 1939, Britain announced it would suspend the treaty for the duration of the conflict, a decision the US Navy quickly followed. Though still neutral, the United States recognized that war was likely and the urgent need for additional ships ruled out an entirely new design, so the ''Cleveland''s were a close development of the earlier s, the chief difference being the substitution of a two-gun dual-purpose gun mount for one of the main battery gun turrets.

''Miami'' was long overall and had a beam of and a draft of . Her standard displacement amounted to and increased to at full load. The ship was powered by four General Electric steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four oil-fired Babcock & Wilcox boilers. Rated at , the turbines were intended to give a top speed of . Her crew numbered 1285 officers and enlisted men.

The ship was armed with a main battery of twelve 6 in /47 caliber Mark 16 guns in four 3-gun turrets on the centerline. Two were placed forward in a superfiring pair; the other two turrets were placed aft of the superstructure in another superfiring pair. The secondary battery consisted of twelve /38 caliber dual-purpose guns mounted in twin turrets. Two of these were placed on the centerline, one directly behind the forward main turrets and the other just forward of the aft turrets. Two more were placed abreast of the conning tower and the other pair on either side of the aft superstructure. Anti-aircraft defense consisted of twenty-eight Bofors guns in four quadruple and six double mounts and ten Oerlikon guns in single mounts.

The ship's belt armor ranged in thickness from , with the thicker section amidships where it protected the ammunition magazines and propulsion machinery spaces. Her deck armor was thick. The main battery turrets were protected with faces and sides and tops, and they were supported by barbettes 6 inches thick. ''Miami''s conning tower had 5-inch sides.

Service history

Construction and initial training

The keel for ''Miami'' was laid down at William Cramp & Sons in Philadelphia on 2 August 1941. She was launched on 8 December 1942, and after completing fitting-out work, was commissioned into the fleet on 28 December 1943, with the hull number CL-89. The ship began sea trials on the Delaware River on 1 January 1944, and from 21 January to 3 February, she remained at Philadelphia for modifications and to take on a load of ammunition. She got underway on 4 February to resume training operations in Delaware Bay that lasted until 7 February, when she joined the destroyer to sail for Chesapeake Bay for further training. On 12 February, ''Miami'' moved to the Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Virginia, before departing two days later in company with the heavy cruiser and the destroyers and . The four ships steamed south to Trinidad in the British West Indies for a shakedown cruise. While en route, one of ''Miami''s crew fell overboard and couldn't be found.

Over the next two weeks, ''Miami'' took part in drills with the other ships in the Gulf of Paria until 3 March, when she and ''Quincy'' left to return to Norfolk, this time escorted by the destroyers and . They arrived four days later, where ''Miami'' was inspected by Rear Admiral Donald B. Beary. On 11 March, the ship sailed for the Naval Research Laboratory Annex in Chesapeake Bay for tests the following day. She then returned to Delaware Bay on the 13th, and then to Philadelphia on 14 March for repairs that lasted through the end of the month. On 2 April, the ship was moved to Boston, Massachusetts, departing there on 7 April for Casco Bay, Maine, where she conducted shooting practice with her sister ship , the destroyer , and the destroyer escort . After a week of practice, ''Miami'' and ''Edwards'' then sailed back to Boston on 14 April.

The Navy thereafter ordered ''Miami'' to sail for the Pacific, and she departed on 16 April. For the voyage south, she was assigned to Task Group (TG) 27.7, which also included her sisters ''Houston'' and and the destroyers ''Edwards'', , , and . They passed through the Panama Canal on 22 April, and the next day, the unit was re-designated TG 12.3 and ''Broome'' and ''Simpson'' were detached. The rest of the ships proceeded on to San Diego, California, arriving there on 30 April. From there, the task group sailed for Pearl Harbor the next day, arriving there on 6 May. While there, ''Miami'' joined the heavy cruiser for training exercises on 8 May. She thereafter underwent maintenance from 13 to 24 May.

Operations in the Pacific Theater

Mariana and Palau Islands campaign

''Miami'' was next transferred to TG 12.1, which also included the fast battleships and , the cruisers ''Vincennes'' and ''Houston'', the minelayer , and the destroyers , , , , and . The unit departed on 24 May, bound for Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands, and arrived there six days later. They then joined the Fast Carrier Task Force, then under the command of 5th Fleet and designated Task Force (TF) 58. ''Miami'' was assigned to the subordinate unit TG 58.4, which also included the aircraft carriers , , and . The American fleet embarked on the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, beginning with air strikes against Japanese positions on Saipan on 11 June and continuing over the following week. ''Miami'' contributed to the fleet's anti-aircraft defenses when the Japanese launched an aerial counterattack on 19 June, though she was not heavily engaged. Later that day, the ship's secondary guns opened fire on what was believed to be a Japanese submarine but was in fact merely an abandoned sampan.

''Miami'' continued to escort the carriers as they launched air strikes in support of the invasion of Saipan until 27 June, when she was detached as part of Task Unit 58.4.5 and sent bombard Guam before American forces landed on that island as well. The unit included ''Houston'' and five destroyers. In addition to Japanese positions on the island, ''Miami'' shelled a cargo ship that was moored in Apra Harbor. A Japanese coastal artillery battery on the Orote Peninsula engaged ''Miami'' during the bombardment, and the latter eventually silenced the Japanese guns. ''Miami'' and the other vessels thereafter returned to their positions screening the carriers. On 6 July, ''Miami'' was sent to Eniwetok to replenish stores and ammunition before returning to the fleet on 14 June. By that time, she had been transferred to TG 58.3, which was centered on the carriers , , and . The ships anchored at Saipan on 31 July, by which time had been secured by American forces. The next morning, the ships sortied to carry out a raid on Japanese installations on Iwo Jima. ''Miami'' was again detached for replenishment and maintenance at Eniwetok on 11 August. She joined TU 58.2.1 on 25 August, along with her sister and four destroyers.

On 26 August, ''Miami'' left the fleet to pick up the crew from a OS2U Kingfisher from the battleship , but she was recalled before she arrived. By this time, the Fast Carrier Task Force had passed to the command of the Third Fleet, and all of the units were renumbered. ''Miami'' was transferred to TG 38.2, which included the carriers ''Bunker Hill'', , and , the light carriers and , and the fast battleships and . She escorted the carriers that struck Japanese positions on Peleliu and Anguar in the Palau Islands on 7 September to prepare for the invasion of Peleliu. The fleet thereafter shifted its attention to Japanese airfields in the Philippines from 12 to 15 September; during this period, on the 14th, ''Miami'' picked up the pilot of an F6F Hellcat that had been shot down. The ship steamed to Saipan on 28 September to replenish ammunition and stores.

Philippines campaign

As the fleet began preparations for the next major campaign, ''Miami'' joined TF 34, along with the battleships ''Washington'', ''New Jersey'', ''Iowa'', and and the carrier for training exercises that ended the next day. Later on the 30th, ''Miami'' sailed to the fleet's advance base at Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands, where she joined TG 38.2. On 6 October, ''Miami'' and the rest of the Fast Carrier Task Force sortied to conduct air strikes against Japanese installations on Okinawa and Formosa, which began on 10 October. Two days later, during strikes on Formosa, Japanese aircraft attacked the fleet, and late that day, ''Miami''s anti-aircraft gunners shot down one aircraft and assisted in the destruction of another. In the early hours of 13 October, she shot down another Japanese aircraft. With the invasion of Leyte approaching, the fleet turned its attention to Japanese forces in the Philippines on 18 October, striking targets in Aparri and Laoag. Two days later, American forces went ashore on Leyte, leading to heavy Japanese counterattacks.

Japanese efforts to disrupt the landing culminated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, an effort by three squadrons to attack the invasion fleet. After the American carrier task force was drawn north by a feint from the Northern Force, the main Japanese unit, the Center Force, attempted to penetrate the San Bernardino Strait. ''Miami'' remained with the carriers until the Center Force encountered a group of American escort carriers, destroyers, and destroyer escorts on the morning of 25 October. Frantic calls for support from the Fast Carrier Task Force led its commander, Admiral William Halsey Jr. to detach a group of ships, including ''Miami'', south to stop the Center Force. By the time they arrived, the Japanese had broken off their attack, convinced they had stumbled into TF 38 itself. ''Miami'' and several cruisers and destroyers nevertheless caught and sank the destroyer on 26 October.

The following day, ''Miami'' and the rest of TG 38.2 briefly withdrew eastward before resuming operations against Japanese forces in the Philippines. These consisted of a series of strikes on airfields on Luzon from 5 to 6 November, after which ''Miami'' was detached to return to Ulithi, where she remained from 9 to 13 November. She sortied the next day to rejoin her unit, which carried out further attacks on Luzon from 18 to 25 November. Through this period, Japanese aircraft repeatedly attacked the fleet, and during one attack on the 25th, ''Miami'' shot down a dive bomber. Another brief return to Ulithi to replenish fuel and ammunition followed the next day, and she thereafter took part in training exercises there for a week. The ship next joined TG 30.4, which sortied on 9 December to wage additional attacks on Luzon from 14 to 16 December. She was present when the fleet was struck by Typhoon Cobra on 18 December, which sank three destroyers and inflicted serious damage to several ships, including ''Miami''. The ship had serious hull damage between frames 21 and 33. One of her Kingfishers was thrown overboard and the other was so badly damaged that the crew discarded it. She remained in the area to assist in the search for survivors before returning to Ulithi on 24 December.

After repairs were completed, ''Miami'' joined TG 38.3, which sortied on 1 January 1945 to carry out the South China Sea raid. The raid was an effort to isolate Japanese forces in the Philippines by neutralizing airfields in occupied China, Formosa, and Southeast Asia. The fleet's carriers initially struck targets on and around Formosa, turned to attack Luzon once more from 6 to 8 January, before entering the South China Sea in the early hours of 10 January. The carriers then launched strikes on Japanese-occupied French Indochina before turning back north to attack Formosa again on 15 and 16 January. On the latter day, ''Miami'' shot down an A6M5 Zero fighter. The fleet thereafter passed through the Balintang Channel and then the Luzon Strait, continuing north to launch an attack on Okinawa on 20 and 21 January. The fleet thereafter returned to Ulithi to make preparations for the next major offensive, arriving there on 27 January.

Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign

On 10 February, ''Miami'' and the rest of the fleet sortied to begin its next major operation, beginning with supporting attacks for the invasion of Iwo Jima. By this time, the fleet had passed back to 5th Fleet command, and ''Miami'' had been transferred to TG 58.1. The fleet began air strikes on Tokyo on the night of 15 February, which continued over the following two days. On 18 February, the fleet sailed south to attack Japanese positions on Chichijima, followed by strikes on Okinawa from 20 to 22 February, by which time American forces had begun the invasion of Iwo Jima. Later that month, ''Miami'' was detached to form Task Unit 58.1.22 along with her sister ships and , the cruiser , and fifteen destroyers. The unit carried out a raid on the island of Okidaitōjima on 2 March. Three days later, she returned to Ulithi to replenish fuel and munitions. She got underway again on 14 March and rejoined the Fast Carrier Task Force, which raided Japanese installations on Okinawa and the main island of Kyushu between 18 and 31 March. During this period, ''Miami'' helped to defend the fleet against heavy Japanese air attacks. Still part of TG 58.1, she escorted the carriers , , and as they directly supported American forces during the battle of Okinawa beginning on 1 April. These operations continued through 11 April.

The next day, ''Miami'' took part in searches for American pilots who had been shot down during the fighting around Okinawa; that afternoon, Kingfishers from ''Miami'' recovered one man from the water and a further two from Amami Ōshima. On 14 April, ''Miami''s anti-aircraft gunners claimed several Japanese planes shot down during a particularly heavy attack. TF 58 began attacks on Amami Ōshima, Tokuno Shima, and Kikaijima from 20 to 30 April. ''Miami'' returned to Ulithi later that day, remaining there for repairs and replenishment for more than a week. On 10 May, ''Miami'' departed for Pearl Harbor, sailing independently and arriving seven days later. There, she embarked passengers bound for the West Coast of the United States, and carried them to San Pedro, California. She reached the port on 24 May, unloaded ammunition, and then entered the dry dock the following day for an overhaul. The work lasted more than a month, and the ship re-entered the water on 7 July. She conducted limited trials on 14 July and was thoroughly inspected between 1 and 11 August. She departed for Pearl Harbor on 20 August, arriving four days later; by that time, Japan had announced it would surrender, ending the war. ''Miami'' left for Guam on 30 August, and while en route on 2 September, the formal surrender took place aboard the battleship . For her service during the conflict, ''Miami'' was awarded six battle stars.

Post-war operations

''Miami'' departed for Okinawa on 9 September, accompanied by the destroyer escort . After arriving there on 12 September, she was used to accept the surrender of Japanese garrisons in the Ryukyu islands. Four days later, she went to sea along with TF 55 to avoid a major typhoon; she returned to Buckner Bay in Okinawa on 17 September. On 22 September, she covered the arrival of Tenth Army to begin occupation duties in the Ryukus. Another typhoon forced ''Miami'' back to sea on 3 October. Four days later, she dropped anchor in Naze, Kagoshima on the island of Amami Ōshima. After patrolling the area for several days, she returned to Buckner Bay on 15 October. She remained there until 29 October, when she got underway to visit Yokosuka, Japan, though she remained there for only a short time before sailing south to the Caroline Islands, ultimately arriving in Truk on 11 November. Her crew conducted a survey of the damage inflicted during Operation Hailstone, a major carrier raid on the atoll during the war. ''Miami'' was ordered home on 25 November, and she arrived in Long Beach, California, on 10 December.

For the next year and a half, ''Miami'' operated off the coast of California, conducting training cruises for naval reservists. She was decommissioned on 30 June 1947 and thereafter assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She remained in the Navy's inventory until 1 September 1961, when she was stricken from the naval register. The ship was then sold for scrap to the shipbreaking firm Nicholai Joffe Corp. on 26 July 1962.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Miami (CL-89)
Cleveland-class cruisers
World War II cruisers of the United States
Ships built by William Cramp & Sons
1942 ships