USS Boston (CA-69)
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USS ''Boston'' (CA-69/CAG-1), a heavy cruiser and later a guided missile cruiser, was the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts. ''Boston'' was launched 26 August 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Company's Fore River Shipyard in
Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...
, sponsored by Mrs Helen Noonan Tobin, wife of the Mayor of Boston,
Maurice J. Tobin Maurice Joseph Tobin (May 22, 1901July 19, 1953) was an American politician serving as Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, the Governor of Massachusetts, and United States Secretary of Labor. He was a member of the Democratic Party and a liberal that ...
, and commissioned 30 June 1943.


Service history


World War II

''Boston'' reported to the Pacific Fleet, arriving at Pearl Harbor 6 December 1943. She joined Task Force 58 (TF 58) in January and took part in the raids on the Marshall Islands in support of the invasions of Kwajalein, Majuro, and of Eniwetok (31 January – 28 February 1944). ''Boston'' also supported the assaults on the Palaus and Western Carolines between 30 March and 1 April, and operations at Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura) and Western New Guinea on 21 – 24 April. The ship participated in the attack on Truk, including bombardment of
Satawan Satawan Atoll is an atoll located about southeast of Chuuk Lagoon proper. Geographically it is part of the Nomoi or Mortlock Islands in the Carolines and administratively it is part of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. About ...
Atoll between 29 April – 1 May. ''Boston'' supported the invasion of Saipan between 11 and 24 June. She also took part in several raids on the Bonin Islands in June and July and supported the carrier task forces during the Battle of the Philippine Sea on 19 June. ''Boston'' towed the Cleveland-class light cruiser USS ''Houston'' after she was torpedoed by a Japanese air attack. ''Boston'' returned to the Marianas, to support the
invasion of Guam The Battle of Guam (21 July–10 August 1944) was the American recapture of the Japanese-held island of Guam, a U.S. territory in the Mariana Islands captured by the Japanese from the United States in the First Battle of Guam in 1941 during t ...
on 12 July, until the completion of the campaign on 15 August. She also took part in the raids on Palau- Yap- Ulithi between 25 and 27 July, as well as the landings on
Morotai Morotai Island ( id, Pulau Morotai) is an island in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is one of Indonesia's northernmost islands. Morotai is a rugged, forested island lying to the north of Halmahera. It ha ...
on 15 September, and the seizure of the southern Palaus between 6 September – 14 October. She also supported the raids on the Philippine Islands, starting on 9 September until 24 September. She served with TF 38 during the Okinawa raid on 10 October, and the northern Luzon and
Formosa Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territorie ...
raid on 11–14 October, as well as the Luzon raids on 15 October and 24–26 October, 13–14 November and 19–20 November, and 14–16 December. ''Boston'' also participated in the
Battle of Leyte Gulf The Battle of Leyte Gulf ( fil, Labanan sa golpo ng Leyte, lit=Battle of Leyte gulf; ) was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. It was fou ...
on 24 October, as well as the Formosa raids in January, on 3–4, 9, 15, and 21 January 1945. Further raids on Luzon took place on 6–7 January, with raids on the Chinese mainland on 12 and 16 January. The carrier task force launched a raid on
Nansei Shoto The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...
on 22 January, and
Honshū , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separa ...
and Nansei Shoto raids on 15–16 February and 1 March, in which she bombarded Japan. ''Boston'' returned to the United States for overhaul, arriving at Long Beach, California, 25 March 1945. Returning to the Western Pacific, via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, she joined TF 38 for further raids on the Japanese home islands (20 July – 15 August), including the bombardment of Kamaishi, Honshū (9 August). Following the
surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...
, ''Boston'' remained in the Far East on occupation duty until 28 February 1946. She then returned to the United States and was placed out of commission in reserve at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 29 October 1946.


Recommissioned as guided missile cruiser

''Boston'' (along with ''Canberra'' and ''Chicago'') was not recommissioned for service during the Korean War as were 10 others of her class, but was earmarked for conversion to carry guided missiles and reclassified CAG-1 on 4 January 1952. In February 1952 she was towed from Bremerton, Washington, to Philadelphia for conversion to a guided missile heavy cruiser by New York Shipbuilding Corporation,
Camden, New Jersey Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 2020 ...
. During conversion her aft 8-inch turret was replaced with Terrier
Surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...
launchers and she was modernized. Boston was recommissioned 1 November 1955 as the lead ship of her class and operated along the east coast and in the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
conducting missile evaluations and participating in fleet exercises until departing for the Mediterranean 23 November 1956. She returned in May 1957. After making a
Midshipmen A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
's cruise to South America, taking part in NATO exercises in the North Atlantic, and receiving an overhaul, ''Boston'' made her second Sixth Fleet tour during June–September 1958. This cruise included participation in the
Lebanon crisis The 1958 Lebanon crisis (also known as the Lebanese Civil War of 1958) was a political crisis in Lebanon caused by political and religious tensions in the country that included a United States military intervention. The intervention lasted for aro ...
. During the next eight years, she frequently operated in the Mediterranean, often in the role of
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
, taking part in exercises off Northern Europe, the Caribbean and off the US East Coast. ''Boston'' served as flagship for the recovery effort of the
Palomares Incident The 1966 Palomares B-52 crash, also called the Palomares incident, occurred on 17 January 1966, when a B-52G bomber of the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command collided with a KC-135 tanker during mid-air refueling at over the Med ...
from February through April 1966.


Vietnam War

In April 1967, ''Boston'' returned to the Pacific for the first time in fifteen years, transiting the Panama Canal to begin a tour of combat service with the 7th Fleet. Part of Naval Gunfire Support Task Unit 77.8.9 and
Sea Dragon Sea Dragon or seadragon may refer to: Fish * Leafy seadragon (''Phycodurus eques'') * '' Phyllopteryx'' genus ** Common seadragon or weedy seadragon (''Phyllopteryx taeniolatus'') ** Ruby seadragon (''Phyllopteryx dewysea'') Military * Operat ...
operations off North Vietnam, she fired thousands of rounds of eight- and five-inch shells against targets in North and South Vietnam. Though continuing to be based on the East Coast, the cruiser made two more deployments to the Western Pacific, in April–October 1968 and May–November 1969, the only 6th Fleet cruiser to make 3 tours to the combat zone. In May 1968, ''Boston'' was reclassified from "Guided-Missile Heavy Cruiser" to "Heavy Cruiser, Attack", reverting to her original hull number, CA-69. Though she retained her Terrier missiles, the swift advance of technology had made these weapons obsolete after little more than a dozen years' service, and her main battery was once again her six, eight-inch guns, of her forward turrets. ;Friendly fire incident On 16–17 June 1968, ''Boston'' was conducting naval gunfire support against North Vietnamese targets, in company with the destroyers , and the Australian guided missile destroyer , when the group was attacked by USAF aircraft from the
366th Tactical Fighter Wing ("Fortune Favors the Bold") , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot= , battles= World War IIVietnam WarDesert StormOperation Enduring FreedomOperation Iraqi Freedom , anniversaries= , decorations= DUC PUC AFOUA w/ V Device RVGC w/ ...
. The jets fired two missiles at ''Boston''. One exploded off the port beam and the other close aboard to port, showering the ship with fragments. No sailors were injured and the missiles caused only minor structural damage.Frame, ''Pacific Partners'', p. 122 ''Hobart'' was later hit by three missiles, killing two sailors and wounding eight more. The US aircraft came around for a third attack but were scared off when ''Hobart'' fired at the aircraft.Frame, ''Pacific Partners'', p. 123Grey, ''Up Top'', p. 179 Analysis determined that the missiles were
AIM-7 Sparrow The AIM-7 Sparrow (Air Intercept Missile) is an American, medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy, and United States Marine Corps, as well as other various air forces ...
, designed to be used in an air-to-air role, and not in the inventory of Vietnamese People’s Air Force. Missile fragments found on ''Boston'' deck indicated they were manufactured in Waltham, Massachusetts, 11 miles west of Boston.Images of USS ''Boston'' & further details at navsource.org
/ref> The ships were in the vicinity of
Swift Boats Patrol Craft Fast (PCF), also known as Swift Boats, were all-aluminum, long, shallow-draft vessels operated by the United States Navy, initially to patrol the coastal areas and later for work in the interior waterways as part of the brown-wate ...
PCF-12 & 19, which had come under attack by North Vietnamese helicopters with PCF-19 sunk and 5 killed. The US Navy officially records the incident as friendly fire.


Decommissioning

While on her last Vietnam cruise thought and funding was given to overhauling ''Boston'' (and sister ship ). Her Terrier missile system would have been upgraded to Standard Missile-ER with new radars and equipment for the modern missiles. Her gunnery systems, hull and electronics would have also been overhauled. With the reduction in defense spending, funds were reallocated to more modern ships and ''Boston'' sailed for a last visit and family day at her namesake city in late 1969 before decommissioning. Senator Edward Kennedy had expressed views that she should be retained as a
museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...
on the city's waterfront but no plans materialised so she began the inactivation process at Boston Navy Yard's Naval Annex, on the 5 May 1970, was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in January 1973 and sold for scrapping in March 1975. Scrapping was completed in 1976.


Awards

*
Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy and U.S. Marine Corps commands may recommend any Navy or Marine Co ...
* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 10 battle stars * World War II Victory Medal * Navy Occupation Medal(Asia clasp) * National Defense Service Medal * Vietnam Service Medal with 5 battle stars * Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation * Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal ''Boston'' received 10 battle stars for her World War II service, 5 more during the Vietnam War and the
Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy and U.S. Marine Corps commands may recommend any Navy or Marine Co ...
for her naval gunfire support during the Battle of Đông Hà in May 1968. ''Boston'' was honored with the Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation- Gallantry for naval gunfire support and "Sea Dragon" operations during the period 30 July – 30 August 1968 and again for operations, Brave Armada and Durham Peak in June–July 1969.


References

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External links


USS ''Boston'' (CA-69)
'' Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships'',
Naval History and Heritage Command The Naval History and Heritage Command, formerly the Naval Historical Center, is an Echelon II command responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage located at the historic Washington Navy Yard. ...
*
hazegray.org: USS ''Boston''USS ''Boston'' Shipmates websiteSite devoted to USS ''Boston'' CA-69 during World War IIStory about USS ''Boston'' during World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boston (Ca-69) Baltimore-class cruisers Boston-class cruisers World War II cruisers of the United States Cold War cruisers of the United States Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts 1942 ships Vietnam War cruisers of the United States