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NavSource Online: Cruiser Photo Archive

USS WICHITA (CA-45)


       
Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign: November - Alpha - Foxtrot - Zulu

CLASS - WICHITA
Displacement 10,000 Tons, Dimensions, 608' 4" (oa) x 61' 9" x 25' (Max)
Armament 9 x 8"/55, 8 x 5"/38, 8 x 0.5" 4 Aircraft.
Armor, 6" Belt, 8" Turrets, 2 1/4" Deck, 6" Conning Tower.
Machinery, 100,000 SHP; Geared Turbines, 4 screws
Speed, 33.5 Knots, Crew 900.
Operational and Building Data
Keel laid on 28 OCT 1935 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard
Launched 16 NOV 1937
Commissioned 16 FEB 1939
Decommissioned 3 FEB 1947
Stricken on 1 MAR 1959
Fate: Sold for scrap to Union Minerals and Alloys Corp on 14 AUG 1959

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Size Image Description Contributed
By And/Or Copyright
Wichita 244k

USS Wichita (CA-45) Operating in the Atlantic Ocean, out of Norfolk, Virginia, on 1 May 1940. Note the markings on her turret tops (bars on the forward turrets, a circle on the after turret). These scheme was used on several other heavy cruisers in 1939-40.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center #NH 93145

USNHC
Wichita
0404536
116k USS Wichita (CA-45) Steaming through heavy weather, while operating as a unit of Task Force Four in the North Atlantic, September 1941.
Photographed from USS Wasp (CV-7). Collection of Vice Admiral Robert C. Giffen, USN.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center #NH 94652.

USNHC
Wichita 107k

USS Wichita (CA-45) rides out a winter storm off Iceland in 1941-42. Note the PBY patrol plane on the deck of the seaplane tender from which the photograph was taken.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center #NH 97885.

USNHC/Fred Weiss
Wichita
0404538
54k

USS Wichita (CA-45) together with HMS London operating in northern waters as part of the British Home Fleet in 1942.

Imperial War Museum Photograph.

Robert Hurst
Wichita 120k

USS Wichita (CA-45) at anchor in Scapa Flow in April 1942. USS Wasp (CV-7) is in the background.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center #NH 97884.

USNHC/Fred Weiss
Wichita 91k

USS Wichita (CA-45) Operating with the British Home Fleet, in the vicinity of Scapa Flow, 22 April 1942.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives #80-G-21010.

National Archives
Wichita 121k

USS Wichita (CA-45) in heavy weather, while patrolling in the North Atlantic, circa early 1942. View looks forward from the pilothouse, with the forward 5"/38 gun's barrel in the foreground. Note the life rafts stowed atop the # 2 eight-inch gun turret.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives #80-G-405279.

National Archives/Scott Dyben
Wichita
0404542
50k USS Wichita, with a tender tied up at her port side, anchored at Hvalfjörður, Iceland in mid-1942. Both ships are camouflaged in Measure 12 (modified) color scheme. The photo was taken from a battleship or cruiser observation plane. Mike Green
Wichita
0404541
43k USS Wichita anchored at Hvalfjörður, Iceland in mid-1942. The photo was taken from a battleship or cruiser observation plane and four other observation planes are visible in the foreground. Mike Green
Wichita 90k

Battle of Casablanca, November 1942 USS Wichita (CA-45) engaging the French battleship Jean Bart, off Casablanca, Morocco, on 8 November 1942. Note the shell splashes off Wichita's bow.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives #80-G-38835.

National Archives/Scott Dyben
Wichita 81k

USS Wichita (CA-45) Underway at sea, 2 May 1944, during operations in the central Pacific.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center #NH 90428.

USNHC
Wichita 84k

Saipan Operation, June 1944 - Port side and after 5"/38 guns of USS Wichita (CA-45) firing on enemy targets on Saipan, 26 June 1944. The guns' simultaneous discharge indicates they are firing under director control. Note the 40mm gun mount at left, with ammunition loaded but no personnel present.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives #80-G-238240.

National Archives/Scott Dyben
Wichita 136k 1945 overhead of the Wichita firing a broadside. USN
Wichita
0404537
  USS Wichita (CA-45) in Nagasaki Harbor, Japan, in September 1945, a few weeks after the end of World War II. Hospital ships in the left background are USS Sanctuary (AH-17) and USS Haven (AH-12). Collection of Admiral Harry W. Hill, USN, 1968.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 65834.

USNHC

Commanding Officers
Name/Rank Final Rank Dates
Thomson Jr., Thaddeus Austin, CAPT   02/16/1939 -
Hill, Harry Wilbur, CAPT VADM 02/1942 - 09/28/1942
Low, Francis Stuart, CAPT ADM 09/28/1942 - 01/1943
Lowe, Frank Loper, CAPT VADM 01/1943 -
Mahoney, John Joseph., CAPT   03/1943 - 1944
Spencer, Douglas Ancrum., CAPT   1944 -
Hibbs, William, CAPT   12/1945 - 04/1946

(Courtesy of Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves - Photos courtesy of Bill Gonyo)


USS WICHITA (CA-45) History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry on the U.S. Navy Historical Center website.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Mr. John Sheeran
Address: 1224 Madison ave. Council Bluff, Ia 51503
Phone: 712-322-1127
E-mail: wausie@cox.net


Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.


Additional Resources
Hazegray & Underway Cruiser Pages By Andrew Toppan.
Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Cruiser Photo Index Page

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This Page Was Created By Paul R. Yarnall And Maintained By Tom Bateman
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Last updated 12/24/2008