USS ''Roanoke'' (CL-145) was the second ship of the light cruisers completed for the U.S. Navy shortly after the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Commissioned in 1949, she served in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific before being decommissioned in 1958. She was sold for scrap in 1972.

Construction and Commissioning

''Roanoke'' was

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...

on 15 May 1945 by the New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, New Jersey; launched on 16 June 1947; sponsored by Miss Julia Ann Henebry; and commissioned at

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on 4 April 1949. Following a shakedown cruise in the Caribbean, ''Roanoke'' undertook maneuvers in the Atlantic as a unit of the Battleship-Cruiser Force and on 6 January 1950 got underway to join the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean for her first extended deployment. Returning to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in May, she alternated 6th Fleet deployments with operations in the western Atlantic until the summer of 1952 when she added a midshipman's cruise to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

and the Caribbean to her schedule. Continuing to operate in the Battleship-Cruiser Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet until the fall of 1955, ''Roanoke'' completed her sixth Mediterranean deployment in May, then prepared for transfer to the Pacific Fleet. On 22 September 1955, ''Roanoke'' departed Norfolk, Va., for the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a condui ...

. Homeported at

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, she conducted nine Naval Reserve cruises and completed three WestPac cruises, May to December 1956, September 1957 to March 1958, and September to October 1958, before decommissioning on 31 October 1958.

Decommissioning

She was berthed at

Mare Island Mare Island ( Spanish: ''Isla de la Yegua'') is a peninsula in the United States in the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the ...

in 1963 until sold to the Levin Metals Corporation of

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...

on 22 February 1972. Her bell can be seen on display outside of Elmwood Park which is inside Roanoke Public Library. ''Roanoke''’s model is on display in the Virginia Museum of Transportation, Roanoke, Virginia.

Awards

Navy Occupation Medal The Navy Occupation Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy which was "Awarded to commemorate the services of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel in the occupation of certain territories of the enemies of the U.S. durin ...

with (Europe clasp) *

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four ...

Gallery

File:Aft view of USS Roanoke (CL-145) underway, circa in 1949.jpg, Aft view of ''Roanoke'' underway, circa in 1949 File:USS Roanoke (CL-145) underway in January 1950.jpg, ''Roanoke'' underway in January 1950 File:USS Roanoke (CL-145) at anchor off Famagusta (Cyprus) on 22 February 1950.jpg, ''Roanoke'' at anchor off Famagusta on 22 February 1950 File:USS Roanoke (CL-145) off Sasebo, Japan, in 1956.jpg, ''Roanoke'' off

Sasebo is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...

, in 1956 File:HUP Retriever landing aboard the light cruiser USS Roanoke (CL-145), in 1956.jpg, HUP Retriever landing aboard ''Roanoke'' in 1956

References

External links

* Worcester-class cruisers Ships built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation 1947 ships Cold War cruisers of the United States {{US-mil-ship-stub