USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) at sea on 23 August 1935.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives - 80-G-414458.

Starboard side view, date and location unknown.

George Winstead photo.

Aerial port quarter view while at anchor, date and location unknown.

U.S. Navy photo.

USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) Steaming at high speed, probably during trials in 1934.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives - 19-N-14733.

Norfolk, VA. December 1940 - Adm. William D. Leahy (fore, L) and his wife standing under big guns of the Tuscaloosa with Capt. Lee P. Johnson (fore, R) prior to their departure for France.

Photo courtesy of Look magazine

USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) Steams through heavy seas while en route to the Bahamas with President Franklin D. Roosevelt embarked, probably in December 1940. Photographed from the bridge, with her forward eight-inch gun turrets in the foreground.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph - NH 50850

Convoy to Iceland, September 1941 - USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) hoists in a Curtiss SOC scout-observation plane after a patrol. View looks aft on the cruiser's starboard side, with midships' 5"/25 guns in the foreground. Another SOC is resting on the starboard catapult.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph - NH 47007

USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) Moored in Scapa Flow, April 1942, while she was operating with the British Home Fleet. The British heavy cruiser London is in the background.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives - 80-G-12018

USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) underway in the Atlantic Ocean in 1942.

Source: Imperial War Museum Admiralty Official Collection, Photo #A 13189. IWM

USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) at Hvalfjord, Iceland in April 1942.

Imperial War Museum, Photo #A 7486. IWM

Port quarter view of the USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) at Hvalfjord, Iceland in April 1942.

Imperial War Museum, Photo #A 8960. IWM

Midship close-up of the USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) passing the HMS Wheatland (L 122) in May 1942 at Hvalfjord, Iceland. A good detail shot of plane handling facilities and searchlights.

Imperial War Museum Admiralty Official Collection by Parnall, C.J. (Lt), Photo #A 8957. IWM

USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) Underway on 7 October 1942.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center - NH 97938

North African Invasion, November 1942 - USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) fires her eight-inch main battery at French forces, during action off Casablanca, Morocco, circa 8 November 1942. Collection of Commodore Norman C. Gillette, USN.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph - NH 96030

USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) recovering an SOC Seagull which had over-ridden the sea sled due to too rapid an approach, slightly damaging one float, July 1943. Here the sled is spinning the plane around.

National Museum of the U.S. Navy. United States Naval and Historical Command. Photo # 80-G-79417.

USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) anchored at Greenock, Scotland on 25 October 1943. The cruiser was carrying Norwegians and a British radio mechanic who escaped and were rescued from Spitzbergen, Norway. The mechanic, H.L. Hollins, RN, is the leading RN radio mechanic and is from Bradford, Yorkshire.

Imperial War Museum Admiralty Official Collection, by Beadell, S.J. (Lt), Photo #A 19976. IWM

Camouflage Measure 33, Design 13D

Drawing prepared by the Bureau of Ships for a camouflage scheme intended for heavy cruisers of the CA 32 (New Orleans) class. Ships known to have worn this scheme included USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) and USS San Francisco (CA 38). This plan, showing the ship's starboard side, superstructure ends and exposed decks, is dated 3 February 1944, and was approved by Captain Logan McKee, USN.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Photo #80-G-105506

Camouflage Measure 33, Design 13D

Drawing prepared by the Bureau of Ships for a camouflage scheme intended for heavy cruisers of the CA 32 (New Orleans) class. Ships known to have worn this scheme included USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) and USS San Francisco (CA 38). This plan, showing the ship's port side, is dated 3 February 1944, and was approved by Captain Logan McKee, USN.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Photo #80-G-105507

General Eisenhower (upper right area) addressing officers and sailors of USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) while anchored at Belfast Lough, Ireland on 19 May 1944.

NARA photo #80-G-240308

USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) Off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, 10 November 1944. She is wearing camouflage Measure 32, Design 13d.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center - NH 97939

Iwo Jima Invasion, February 1945 - USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) signals with a blinker lamp, during a rainy dusk off Iwo Jima, 16 February 1945. Photographed from USS Texas (BB 35).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives - 80-G-309132.

USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) in Measure 31a/3d camouflage scheme is seen bombarding Iwo Jima on 17 February 1945, from USS Texas (BB 35).

United States National Archives, Photo #80-G-352911, courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, (usndazzle.com).

USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) and USS Arkansas (BB 33) bombarding Iwo Jima on 17 February 1945, as seen from USS Texas (BB 35). The Tuscaloosa carries Measure 31a/13d camouflage scheme, while Arkansas is in Measure 21.

United States National Archives, Photo #80-G-309144, courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, (usndazzle.com).

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(comments of D. Buell) This photo is of USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37). You can almost make out the number 37 on her bow with a good magnifying glass. Since she was painted up in the same camouflage paint - Measure 12-the Pandemus' ship's photographer, who may have not had ship recognition training, probably took a quick shot and assumed that it was Indianapolis, since it was taken same area, different day. At any rate, this is also a good find, as photos of Tuscaloosa in the Pacific are relatively rare, since she spent most of World War II in the Atlantic, and did not join the Pacific fleet until the final push on Japan, joining the 3rd fleet in January 1945. Most photography of CA 37 was taken in the Atlantic.

Since the number on her bow was not too distinct, I also spent some time to ID this photo, since all of the surviving
New Orleans class of cruisers were in the Pacific at this time and all wore the same paint scheme as Tuscaloosa
at the same time also. I am confident that definite ID was made as Tuscaloosa by two items:

1) She does not have any 20mm guns on her bow. The three other surviving sisters all had at least one 20mm mount and tub at this time on their bows, but Tuscaloosa alone never had 20mm bow mounts all during the war.

2) Tuscaloosa's after (main) mast has no large radar platform on it. At the time of the photo, each
of her three surviving sisters had a platform either with or without radar mounted on them. She alone had no platform on the mainmast at this time. The Navsource photos of CA 37 from 1945 helped me to confirm this item.

U.S. Navy photo from the Collection of David Buell.