USS Detroit (CL 8) launching at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts, 29 June 1922. Courtesy of Ted Stone, 1981.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 92817.

0400845

0400845b

"A NEW CRUISER FOR UNCLE SAM.

PHOTO SHOWS THE NEW U S CRUISER "DETROIT" OUT FOR A TRIAL SPIN AFTER LEAVING THE FORE RIVER YARD OF THE BETHLEHEM SHIP BUILDING CORPORATION. THIS CRUISER IS 552 FEET LONG, HAS 90,000 RATED HORSEPOWER, AND IS CAPABLE OF DEVELOPING 105,000. QUADRUPLE PROPELLERS, AND METAL RIGGING ENTIRELY INSULATED FROM THE DECK FOR THE FACILITATING OF RADIO COMMUNICATION. THE VESSEL WILL MAKE HER FINAL TRIAL TRIPS FOR THE GOVERNMENT EXPERTS ABOUT APRIL 15TH.
B-3-28-23"

International News Reel photo #200643

USS Detroit (CL 8) at Venice, Italy, 11 November 1923, dressed with flags in honor of King Victor Emanuel's birthday.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 54508.

USS Detroit (CL 8) at Belfast, Northern Ireland on 25 September 1929.

Imperial War Museum Belfast Telegraph Collection, Photo #HU 111338. ?© IWM

Starboard quarter view of the USS Detroit (CL 8) anchored at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, circa 1930.

City of Vancouver Archives, Photo #AM640-S1-2-:CVA 260-281, by James Crookall.

USS Detroit (CL 8) In the harbor at San Diego, California, 10 January 1935. Donation of Franklin Moran, 1967.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 64610.

Pearl Harbor raid, 7 December 1941 - Photograph of the western side of Ford Island and ships in moorings offshore, taken from a Japanese Navy plane during the attack. Ships are (from left to right):

USS Detroit (CL 8); USS Raleigh (CL 7), listing to port after being hit by one torpedo; USS Utah (AG 16), capsized after being hit by two torpedoes; and USS Tangier (AV 8).

Japanese writing in the lower left states that the photograph's reproduction was authorized by the Navy Ministry.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 50933.

USS Detroit (CL 8) plan view of the ship's forward superstructure and bow area, taken at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 18 February 1942. Note Detroit's tripod foremast, signal flag bins and 6"/53 guns in casemate mounts.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives #19-N-28442.

USS Detroit (CL 8) at the Mare Island Navy Yard, 18 February 1942. Note the 3"/50 guns and searchlights aboard Detroit. The British cruiser HMS Orion (85) is in background.

U.S. National Archives, Photo #19-N-28441

USS Detroit (CL 8) at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, on 15 August 1942. Note her anchor, anchor gear and 6"/53 guns. Circles mark recent alterations to the ship. USS Preston (DD 379) is in the left background and YF-380 is in the far center distance.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives #19-N-33052.

USS Detroit (CL 8) at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 15 August 1942. Note her after 6"/53 guns and men lounging on the fantail. Circles mark recent alterations to the ship. Destroyers in the background include USS Preston (DD 379), at right, and USS Conyngham (DD 371), at left. On the far side of the pier from them are USS Caldwell (DD 605), in the far center distance beyond Preston's bow, and USS Walke (DD 416), at left beyond Conyngham. YOS 1 is in the far right distance.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives #19-N-33050.

USS Detroit (CL 8) off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 16 August 1942.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives #19-N-33047.

USS Detroit (CL 8) departing Mare Island on 16 August 1942. She was under going repairs at the yard from 4 July to 16 August 1942.

Navy Photo #4864-8-42

An OS2U-3 Kingfisher of Cruiser Scouting Squadron One (VCS 1) is catapulted off the cruiser USS Detroit (CL 8) during operations in the Aleutians. The aircraft is flown by LT Steve Corneliussen with Petty Officer Paul Proffer in the rear seat. Note the vertical white identifier stripe on the tail of the aircraft.

Photo courtesy of the National Naval Aviation Museum

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo #1999.298.010

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. 1999.298.009

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. 1999.298.006

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. 1999.298.008

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. 1999.298.005

USS Detroit (CL 8) off Port Angeles, Washington, 22 March 1943.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives #19-N-42678.

Starboard quarter view, 1944, location unknown.

U.S. Navy photo

USS Detroit (CL 8) off the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, 11 April 1944. Her camouflage is Design 3d in the Measure 31-32-33 series.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives #19-N-63759.

USS Detroit (CL 8) off Port Angeles, Washington, 14 April 1944. Her camouflage is Design 3d in the Measure 31-32-33 series.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives #19-N-63828.

USS Detroit (CL 8) on 9 June 1944, in Massacre Bay, Attu, Alaska, wearing measure 33/3d camouflage.

United States National Archives, Photo #80-G-239365, courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, (usndazzle.com).

USS Detroit (CL 8) off San Francisco, California, following overhaul, 10 January 1945. Circles mark recent alterations to the ship.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 45695.

The four CLs that were scrapped in Drydock #4 at the Philadelphia NSY were: Omaha (CL 4), Cincinnati (CL 6), Raleigh (CL 7) and Marblehead (CL 12).
I have two documents from the 4th Naval District, and of course they give different completion dates for the scrapping of these ships. The first document (dated 1 Apr 46) indicates that scrapping was completed on 27 February of that year; the second document (also dated 1 April 46) gives the completion date as 10 March 1946.
(My notes also indicate that scrapping was completed at the yard on nine ex-destroyer types as of 29 March 46: Litchfield (DD 336), Pruitt (DD 347), Jouett (DD 396), Clark (DD 361), Balch (DD 363), Sampson(DD 394), Schley (DD 103), Stringham (DD 83) and Whipple (DD 217).

The remaining CLs; Detroit (CL 8), Trenton (CL 11), Richmond (CL 9), Concord (CL 10) and Memphis (CL 13) were all sold to the Patapsco Scrap Co. of Baltimore. The sales bid (B-76-47AV T) was opened on 6 Dec 46; the five ships were sold for $336,140 (or $67,228 each), and custody of the ships was transferred to Patapsco between 27 December 46 and 21 January 47.
Note also that the attached photo distinctly shows that both cruisers have all four funnels--I think it's an optical illusion that either of these had had any of them removed.

The "light colored objects" in front of the two cruisers might "possibly" be barbettes from the Illinois (BB 65). According to drawings in the 1945 "Gun Mount and Turret Catalog", these two items appear to be about the same diameter as the barbettes for the two BBs' Tennessee & California; 14"/50 triple gun turrets; inside diameter 31 feet, from the same source -- outside diameter would have been about 33 feet. The Illinois barbettes would have an inside diameter about 37 1/4 feet, outside diameter rather over 39 feet.

07/01/1938 - 05/31/1939