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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 |
0412523 |
411k |
USS Northampton (CLC 1) launching at Quincy, Massachusetts on 27 January 1951
Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo #NH 73324. |
Mike Green |
 |
65k |
Starboard bow view, date unknown. |
Edward C. Shaw, USN (Ret.) |
 |
68k |
Starboard side view while at anchor, date unknown. |
Edward C. Shaw, USN (Ret.) |
0412509 |
141k |
Starboard side view while underway, date and location unknown. |
Robert Hurst |
 |
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 |
 |
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 |
 |
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 |
0412517 |
945k |
Starboard side view while underway in 1954. |
David Upton |
0412519 |
857k |
Ships officers in 1954. |
David Upton |
0412518 |
1.8m |
First Class Petty Officers in 1954. |
David Upton |
0412516 |
828k |
Ships Servicemen 1954. |
David Upton |
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 |
0412512 |
72k |
Med-moored in Genoa, Italy, 08 July 1956. |
Carlo Martinelli |
0412514 |
572k |
Welcome aboard pamphlet circa 1957/1958. |
Thomas Becher |
0412515 |
968k |
Welcome aboard pamphlet circa 1957/1958. |
Thomas Becher |
0412521 |
77k |
Port quarter view while underway in 1959, location unknown. |
Robert Hurst |
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 |
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 |
0412501 |
149k |
A cake is presented to President John F. Kennedy aboard the USS Northampton, 13 April 1962. |
Tommy Trampp |
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 |
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 |
0412526 |
177k |
Chinese People's Liberation Army ship recognition poster, circa 1966. |
|
 |
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 |
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 |
 |
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 |
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 |
