USS Phoenix (CL-46)

USS ''Phoenix'' (CL-46), was a light cruiser of the family. She was the third ''Phoenix'' of the United States Navy. After World War II the ship was transferred to Argentina in 1951 and was ultimately renamed in 1956. ''General Belgrano'' was sunk during the Falklands War in 1982 by the British nuclear-powered submarine , the only ship to have been sunk in combat by a nuclear-powered submarine during wartime.

She was laid down on 15 April 1935 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey; launched on 13 March 1938; sponsored by Mrs. Dorothea Kays Moonan; and commissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard on 3 October 1938. Her name was in honor of the capital city of the state of Arizona.

Service history

The ''Phoenix's'' initial shakedown cruise for purposes of performance testing took her to Port of Spain, Trinidad. She continued to Santos, Brazil, then to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Montevideo, Uruguay, and finally to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The new cruiser returned to Philadelphia in January 1939. In March 1939 she transited the Panama Canal for a new home port of San Pedro, California. From June 1939 until April 1940, she toured the west coast with ports of call in Santa Cruz, San Francisco, California, Portland, Oregon, and points in between. During March 1940 she was en route to Lahaina Roads, Maui and then on to a new home port of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

World War II

Pearl Harbor and convoy operations

The ''Phoenix'' then operated off the West Coast and was later based at Pearl Harbor. On 7 December 1941 during the attack on Pearl Harbor she was anchored north east of Ford Island near . Observers on board the ''Phoenix'' sighted the rising sun of Japan on planes coming in low over Ford Island and a few seconds later the ship's guns took them under fire. The ''Phoenix'' escaped the disaster unharmed and shortly after noon was underway to join the cruisers and and several destroyers in an impromptu task force searching, unsuccessfully, for the enemy aircraft carriers.

The ''Phoenix'' next escorted the first convoy to the United States from Pearl Harbor after the attack and returned at once with another convoy.

On 12 January 1942 the ''Phoenix'', along with two destroyers, departed San Francisco escorting the "Australian — Suva" convoy composed of the troopships , for Melbourne and (destined for Suva) in the first large convoy to Australia after Pearl Harbor. Of particular significance, this convoy carried troops, fifty crated P-40 fighter aircraft intended for the Philippines and Java, munitions, supplies, and officers selected by the War Department to form the core of what was to become MacArthur's headquarters in the Southwest Pacific Area Command. The Command was formed in Australia as United States Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA) and known as the "Remember Pearl Harbor" Group. For some time the cruiser operated in Australian waters escorting troop ships, and once steamed as far north as Java.

The ''Phoenix'' escorted the United States Army Transport and the Australian transports and , which had been substituted for the withdrawn ''Mariposa'', as convoy MS.5 leaving Melbourne 12 February for Fremantle and ultimately bound for Colombo, Ceylon with troops and supplies destined for India. At Fremantle the aircraft carrier and merchant vessel joined the convoy with a 22 February departure for Colombo. Of particular note in the cargo of the convoy and specifically that of ''Langley'' and ''Sea Witch'' were P-40 aircraft, originally intended for the Philippines, that had been delivered to Australia earlier by ''Mariposa'' and ''President Coolidge'' in the convoy escorted by ''Phoenix'' from San Francisco. The plan had been that on relief of ''Phoenix'' by a British cruiser in the vicinity of Cocos Island she would escort ''Langley'' and ''Sea Witch'' to Java. Instead ''Langley'' and ''Sea Witch'' were destined to break with the convoy for Tjilatjap, Java under orders from Admiral Helfrich received the day after departure from Fremantle and proceed independently to deliver their aircraft. ''Langley'' was attacked and sunk on 27 February. ''Sea Witch'' successfully made delivery on 28 February just as the results of the Battle of the Java Sea had sealed the fate of the islands. The crated planes delivered were destroyed before assembly to deny them to the enemy. ''Phoenix'' turned over escort of the Colombo bound ships about 300 miles west of Cocos Island to on 28 February and returned to Fremantle on 5 March 1942.

During the following months, the ''Phoenix'' patrolled in the Indian Ocean, escorted a convoy to Bombay, and was present at the evacuation of Java.

Under the command of Captain Joseph R. Redman, the ''Phoenix'' was a part of Task Force 44 in late 1942. With her accompanying destroyers , and , she participated in Operation Lilliput, alternating with the Australian light cruiser and her accompanying destroyers to cover the convoys south of New Guinea.

The ''Phoenix'' departed Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, for overhaul in the Philadelphia Navy Yard in July 1943 before carrying Secretary of State Cordell Hull to Casablanca. She was then assigned to the 7th Fleet and sailed for the South Pacific.

South Pacific operations

On 26 December, in company with the cruiser , she bombarded the Cape Gloucester area of New Britain, smashing shore installations in a four-hour shelling. ''Phoenix'' covered landing forces as they went ashore and furnished support fire against enemy strong points which had not been demolished. On the night of 25–26 January 1944, the ship took part in a night raid on Madang and Alexishafen, New Guinea, shelling shore installations.

''Phoenix'' then moved to the Admiralty Islands to support the 1st Cavalry Division in a reconnaissance-in-force on Los Negros Island on 29 February. When the troops went ashore after the prelanding bombardment, enemy resistance was so weak that a withdrawal was not necessary and the island was occupied. General Douglas MacArthur was on board during the course of the operations.Benge, Janet and Benge, Geoff (2005). ''Douglas MacArthur: what greater honor''. YWAM Publishing, p. 134.

On 4 and 7 March, ''Phoenix'', ''Nashville'', and bombarded Hauwei Island (just west of Los Negros Island) of the Admiralty Group. Enemy guns on this island had threatened Allied positions in the Admiralties, particularly on Manus Island; and, although return fire from the beach was heavy, enemy batteries ceased firing when shells from the cruisers burst in their vicinity.

In the Battle of Hollandia, the start of the Western New Guinea campaign, Hollandia was next to fall to the mounting amphibious offensive. This largest assault till then undertaken by American forces, was launched by 200 ships. ''Phoenix'' shelled the shore in the Humboldt Bay-Hollandia area as the troops went ashore on 22 April, and supported them as they consolidated their gains and prepared for further attacks along the northwest coast of the big island. ''Phoenix'' shelled the Wakde and Sawar Airfields on the night of 29–30 April to neutralize the danger of air attack on newly won Allied positions on New Guinea.

General Douglas MacArthur's troops next landed at Arare on 17 May to secure airfields to support further operations in the Netherlands New Guinea area. This beachhead was later extended to include Wakde Island by a shore to shore movement of troops. ''Phoenix'' bombarded the Toem area and escorted the troops to the landing beach.

The amphibious Battle of Biak followed. There, MacArthur planned to establish a forward base for heavy bombers. With ''Nashville'' and , ''Phoenix'' sortied from Humboldt Bay on 25 May and two days later supported the landing. While the task force fired on shore installations, two of the escorting destroyers were hit by shells from shore batteries. ''Phoenix'' wiped out the gun emplacement with two salvos from her /25 cal batteries.

On 4 June, off the northwest coast of New Guinea, eight Japanese fighter bombers attacked ''Phoenixs task force. Two confined their attention to ''Phoenix''. Although the ship's gunfire did not hit the planes, it diverted their bomb runs. Both planes dropped bombs, one of which burst in the water close to ''Phoenix'', killing one man and wounding four others with fragments. The ship also suffered some underwater leakage and damage to her propellers. The following night, aircraft again attacked ''Phoenix''. This time, low-flying torpedo bombers struck as she proceeded through Yapen Strait, between Biak and Yapen islands, but her gunfire and evasive tactics prevented damage.

''Phoenix'' and her task force frustrated an enemy attempt to reinforce their garrisons on the night of 8–9 June. When they contacted the American ships, the Japanese destroyers turned and fled at such high speed that only one US destroyer division was able to get within firing range. After a running fight of three hours at long range, ''Phoenix'' and her sisters broke off action.

With ''Boise'' and ten destroyers, ''Phoenix'' sortied from Seeadler Harbor in the Admiralties and bombarded shore defenses before American forces landed on Noemfoor Island on 2 July. After the battle, many dead Japanese and wrecked planes were found in the target area assigned to ''Phoenix''.

''Boise'', ''Nashville'', ''Shropshire'', ''Phoenix'' and joined for the occupation of Morotai in the Molucca Islands on 15 September. The cruisers shelled nearby Halmahera Island to cover the landing and protect the assault forces as they went ashore against continuing light opposition.

Philippines campaign

The long-awaited re-conquest of the Philippines began with the landing on Leyte. ''Phoenix'', attached to the Close Covering Group, heavily bombarded the beaches before the highly successful landing on 20 October. Her batteries silenced an enemy strong point holding up the advance of a battalion of the 19th Infantry Regiment and continued to furnish effective callfire.

In the Battle of Leyte Gulf, ''Phoenix'' was a unit of Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf's group which annihilated the Japanese Southern Force in the battle of Surigao Strait. ''Phoenix'' fired four spotting salvoes, and when the fourth hit, opened up with all of her 6-inch (152 mm) batteries. The target later proved to be , which sank after 27 minutes of concentrated fire from the American fleet. The Japanese also lost and three destroyers in the battle, and American planes sank the next day.

''Phoenix'' then patrolled the mouth of Leyte Gulf to protect Allied positions on shore. On the morning of 1 November 1944, ten enemy torpedo-bombers attacked her and accompanying ships. At 0945, ''Phoenix'' opened fire and five minutes later, was hit by a ''kamikaze''. Almost at the same instant, hits from ''Phoenix''s guns set another plane afire but could not prevent it from diving into the starboard bow of . At 0957, a plane making a torpedo run on ''Phoenix'' was shot down by the ship's machine-gun fire, but in a few minutes a bomber hit .

After a lull of two and a half hours, more ''kamikazes'' arrived and, at 1340, scored a hit on the destroyer . Japanese aircraft attacked the other destroyers as they stood by the sinking ship, but ''Phoenix'' shot down one of the raiders.

''Phoenix'' was attacked again by enemy planes on 5 December and was credited with assisting in the destruction of two attackers. Five days later, a ''kamikaze'' attempted to crash into the ship but was brought down by 40 mm fire when only away. It was at this time ''Phoenix'' suffered her only wartime fatality.

While proceeding to the assault area off Mindoro on 13 December, the ship was constantly under air attack by single ''kamikazes''. That day, a lone ''kamikaze'' hit ''Nashville''. On 15 December, a 5-inch (127 mm) shell from ''Phoenix'' brought down a circling plane at . The ship then furnished her usual fire support and covered the landing forces. This gave the Allies a base from which to strike at Japan's shipping lanes through the South China Sea and to soften up Luzon for forthcoming landings.

En route to Lingayen Gulf for the invasion of Luzon, lookouts on board ''Phoenix'' sighted the conning tower of a diving submarine in the Mindanao Sea off Siquijor. The submarine submerged and fired two torpedoes which ''Phoenix'' dodged. blew the midget sub to the surface and rammed her.

End of the war

''Phoenix'' covered minesweeping operations at Balikpapan, Borneo, from 29 June to 7 July. Resistance from coastal guns was unusually heavy. Mines and shellfire sank or damaged 11 minesweepers. ''Phoenix'' furnished supporting fire and the assault waves landed. Next came Bataan and Corregidor, taken from 13 to 28 February 1945.

''Phoenix'' was en route to Pearl Harbor for overhaul when Japan capitulated. She headed home and, upon reaching the Panama Canal on 6 September, joined the Atlantic Fleet. Her status was reduced to in commission, in reserve, at Philadelphia on 28 February 1946.

Argentine service

She was decommissioned on 3 July 1946, and remained at Philadelphia until sold to Argentina on 9 April 1951. She was commissioned in the Argentine Navy as ''Diecisiete de Octubre'' (C-4) on 17 October 1951, renamed in 1956, and upgraded in 1967–68 with new Dutch radars and British Sea Cat anti-aircraft missiles. ''Belgrano'' was sunk during the Falklands War on 2 May 1982 by the British attack submarine , with the loss of 323 lives.

Awards

* American Defense Service Medal with "FLEET" clasp
* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with eleven battle stars
* World War II Victory Medal
* Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
* Philippine Liberation Medal with two stars

References

Bibliography

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External links

Navy photographs of ''Phoenix''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Phoenix (Cl-46)
Brooklyn-class cruisers
Ships built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation
1938 ships
World War II cruisers of the United States
Ships present during the attack on Pearl Harbor