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NavSource Online: Cruiser Photo Archive

USS NORTHAMPTON
(CA 125/CLC 1/CC 1)

Image courtesy of Al Grazevich


       

Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign: November - Tango - Bravo - Xray
Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Sea Ruler

CLASS - OREGON CITY
Displacement 13,700 Tons, Dimensions, 674' 11" (oa) x 70' 10" x 26' 6" (Max)
Armament 9 x 8"/55, 12 x 5"/38AA, 48 x 40mm, 24 x 20mm, 4 Aircraft
Armor, 6" Belt, 8" Turrets, 2 1/2" Deck, 6" Conning Tower.
Machinery, 120,000 SHP; G. E. Geared Turbines, 4 screws
Speed, 33 Knots, Crew 2000.
Operational and Building Data
Keel laid on 31 AUG 1944 by the Fore River Yard, Bethlehem Steel Corp., Quincy, MA as CA 125
Construction suspended between 11 AUG 1945 and 1 JUL 1948
Launched as CLC 1 27 JAN 1951
Commissioned 07 MAR 1953
Redesignated CC 1 15 APR 1961
Decommissioned 08 APR 1970
Stricken 01 DEC 1977
Fate: Sold for scrap in DEC 1977. Scrapping completed 01 MAR 1980

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2)

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Size Image Description Contributed
By And/Or Copyright
Note
Her keel was originally laid as the 4th of the Oregon City Class but construction was stopped on 12 August 1945, when 56.2% complete. Construction was resumed under a new design, 1 July 1948. Capable of acting as either a fleet flagship or an amphibious force flagship, she had an extra deck added to her hull for command and control spaces. She was converted into a National Emergency Command Post Afloat (NECPA) in 1961.
NORTHAMPTON as Command and Control ship CLC 1
1951 - 1961
Northampton
0412523
411k

USS Northampton (CLC 1) launching at Quincy, Massachusetts on 27 January 1951

Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo #NH 73324.
Mike Green
Northampton 65k Starboard bow view, date unknown. Edward C. Shaw, USN (Ret.)
Northampton 68k Starboard side view while at anchor, date unknown. Edward C. Shaw, USN (Ret.)
Northampton
0412509
141k Starboard side view while underway, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
Northampton 103k Shown off in Boston on 3 March 1954, the full array of radars and antennas are easily seen in these two views. Armed with 5"/54 caliber rapid fire guns and 3"/50 light weight A.A. weapons (until the twin 3"/70 gun was became available), these seem small as they are dwarfed by the massive amount of electronics. All of these height finder, hemispheric-scan, radio and wire radars and antennas are necessary for her command cruiser role. USN
Northampton 116k Shown off Boston on 3 March 1954, the full array of radars and antennas are easily seen in these two views. Armed with 5"/54 caliber rapid fire guns and 3"/50 light weight A.A. weapons (until the twin 3"/70 gun was became available), these seem small as they are dwarfed by the massive amount of electronics. All of these height finder, hemispheric-scan, radio and wire radars and antennas are necessary for her command cruiser role. USN
Northampton 141k Starboard quarter view, rafting on USS Albany (CA 123) which is tied up to pier 5 at Norfolk Unidentified carrier across the pier. USS Wisconsin (BB 64) (right) is tied up to pier 7. Summer of 1954. Note that the hull of Northampton is identical to Albany except that it has one more deck added. Also at that time, the foremast on Northampton was the tallest unstayed mast on any ship. Larry Bohn
Northampton
0412517
945k Starboard side view while underway in 1954.
David Upton
Northampton
0412519
857k Ships officers in 1954. David Upton
Northampton
0412518
1.8m First Class Petty Officers in 1954. David Upton
Northampton
0412516
828k Ships Servicemen 1954. David Upton
Northampton
0412520
3.44m Starboard side view while underway, location unknown, mid 1950's. Nice view showing the enclosure of the former Main Deck and the various antennas. David Upton
Northampton
0412512
72k Med-moored in Genoa, Italy, 08 July 1956. Carlo Martinelli
Northampton
0412514
572k Welcome aboard pamphlet circa 1957/1958. Thomas Becher
Northampton
0412515
968k Welcome aboard pamphlet circa 1957/1958. Thomas Becher
Northampton
0412521
77k Port quarter view while underway in 1959, location unknown. Robert Hurst
Northampton
0412508
141k Seen here as Task Force Command Ship while underway in 1960, location unknown. Robert Hurst
NORTHAMPTON as Command and Control ship CC 1
1961 - 1970
Northampton
0412525
12m USS Northampton, (CC 1) refueling from port side of USS Elokomin (AO 55) as USS Newman K. Perry, (DDR 883) refuels from the starboard side. USS Boston (CAG 1) is in the background. Dave Nilsen
Northampton
0412501
149k A cake is presented to President John F. Kennedy aboard the USS Northampton, 13 April 1962. Tommy Trampp
Northampton
0412522
70k

USS Northampton (CC 1) underway at sea, 26 June 1962. Photographed by Crandall. Note that the 3"/50RF turrets have been replaced with the 3"/70RF

Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo #NH 106503.

Mike Green
Northampton
0412510
661k

Replenishment at sea between USS Northampton (CC 1) and USS Alstede (AF 48), location unknown, 4 June 1964. Taken by Knapp, C.F., PH1.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph #USN 1103939

David Buell
Northampton
0412526
177k Chinese People's Liberation Army ship recognition poster, circa 1966.  
Northampton 174k Seen here in early 1970, shortly before her decommissioning, the Northampton served as a "national emergency command post afloat" (NECPA) from 1961. She was to serve as a command post for the President and his advisors in the event of a nuclear war. Her armament has been reduced to a single 5"/54 turret aft due to the demand for command and control spaces. Her forward superstructure has been enlarged to accommodate these personnel. The NECPA program was expensive and satellites were taking over the long distance communication role, making both the ship and her function obsolete. USN
Springfield
0584735
178k

At Philadelphia Navy Yard, July 1976. Left to right,ex-Albacore (AGSS 569), ex-Robert L. Wilson (DD 847) and ex-Northampton (CC 1).

Ed Zajkowski
Springfield 79k

Philadelphia Naval Base, Pennsylvania - Three stricken cruisers await disposal in the Reserve Basin, October 1978. The ships, whose hull numbers have been painted out, are (from left to right): ex-Newport News (CA 148); ex-Springfield (CG 7); and ex-Northampton (CC 1).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph #K-121961.

National Archives
Northampton
0412513
319k Photo of the ex-Northampton awaiting the cutters torch along with a short news article about her and Federal Shipyards in Kearney, NJ. Len Glaser, LTJG, USNR (Ret.)

Commanding Officers
Name/Rank Class Final Rank Dates
Irvin, William Davis, CAPT 1927 RADM 03/07/1953 - 10/02/1954
Weakley, Charles Enright, CAPT 1929 VADM 10/02/1954 - 10/06/1955
Holmes, Ephraim Paul, CAPT 1930 ADM 10/06/1955 - 10/19/1956
Renken, Henry Algernon, CAPT 1931 RADM 10/19/1956 - 11/05/1957
Bryan, Louis Allen, CAPT 1932 RADM 11/05/1957 - 10/10/1958
Lee, John Marshall, CAPT 1935 VADM 10/10/1958 - 08/20/1959
Bowen Jr., Harold Gardiner, CAPT 1933 VADM 08/20/1959 - 10/05/1960
Cutter, Slade Deville, CAPT 1935   10/05/1960 - 08/04/1961
Slaughter, John S., CAPT 1937   08/04/1961 - 08/01/1962
Hahn, Harry Barrett, CAPT

1937

  08/01/1962 - 08/20/1963
Conrad, Edward Everett, CAPT     08/20/1963 - 10/01/1964
Kuntz, William Edward, CAPT 1939 RADM 10/01/1964 - 08/06/1965
Hemley, Eugene Adams, CAPT 1940   08/06/1965 - 10/17/1966
Farrell, Eugene Harrison, CAPT 1942 RADM 10/17/1966 - 04/17/1968
Short, James Woodleigh, CAPT 1941   04/17/1968 - 08/08/1969
Poe, Donald Trisler, CAPT 1945 RADM 08/08/1969 - 04/08/1970

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


USS NORTHAMPTON (CA 125/CLC 1/CC 1) History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry on the U.S. Navy Historical Center website.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: John Gauthier
Address: 2672 Royal Ridge Dr., Spring Hill, FL 34606
Phone:
E-mail: thenorthampton@live.com
Date:
Location:

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
USS Northampton Reunion Association
Hazegray & Underway Cruiser Pages By Andrew Toppan.
Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Cruiser Photo Index Page

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