CLASS - BROOKLYN
Displacement 9,700 Tons, Dimensions, 608' 4" (oa) x 61' 9" x 24' (Max)
Armament 15 x 6"/47, 8 x 5"/25, 8 x 0.5" 4 Aircraft.
Armor, 5" Belt, 6 1/2" Turrets, 2" Deck, 5" Conning Tower.
Machinery, 100,000 SHP; Geared Turbines, 4 screws
Speed, 32.5 Knots, Crew 868.
Operational and Building Data
Authorized and Ordered 1933
Keel laid on 12 MAR 1935 by the New York Navy Yard
Launched 30 NOV 1936
Commissioned 30 SEP 1937
Commissioned in Reserve 30 JAN 1946
Decommissioned 03 JAN 1947
CNO approval of transfer to Chile 09 JAN 1951
Stricken 22 JAN 1951
Accepted by Chile 19 JUN 1951 and renamed O'HIGGINS (02)
Decommissioned 14 JAN 1992
Fate: Sold for scrap in 1992 but sunk while under tow to India 03 NOV 1992

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y., 3-8-35 - U.S.S. Brooklyn, CL.40. Section of keel as fabricated showing shell plates connected before being installed F1104-C-10"

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y., 3-8-35 - U.S.S. Brooklyn, CL.40. Building Ways #2: Keel blocks and cribbing ready to receive keel. F1104-C-11"

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y., March-12-1935 Laying keel USS. Brooklyn, CL.40, First rivet driven. (Riveters) Raymond V. Ingersell. (Buro Pres, Brooklyn, Almetr Hoff Rep, Bklyn, Civic Council) Holder on Louis C. Wills (Rep, Bklyn COFC. Supervising. Yates Sterling Jr, Commandant G.A. Dunn Manager. F1104-C-14"

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y., 6-25-35 - U.S.S. Brooklyn, C.L.40, View looking forward F1104-C-15."

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y., 9-27-35 U.S.S. Brooklyn, C.L.40 F1104-C-25."

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y. 12-4-35 U.S.S. Brooklyn welded bow assembly forward of frame 4 and below 3rd deck F1104-C-36."

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Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y. 4-10-36 U.S.S. Brooklyn CL 40 midships looking forward F1104-C-53."

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y. 10-6-36 U.S.S. Brooklyn C.L. No 40 F1104-C-65."

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y. 11-27-36 U.S.S. Brooklyn, F1104-C-84."

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y. 11-27-36 U.S.S. Brooklyn, F1104-C-90."

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y. NOV.30, 1936 U.S.S. Brooklyn
F1104-C-77."

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y. 1-4-37 U.S.S. Brooklyn C.A. 40 F1104-C-101."

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y. 3-30-37 U.S.S. Brooklyn C.L. 40, F1104-C-103."

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y. 12-11-36 U.S.S. Brooklyn C.L. 40 Turret No 5 F1104-C-104."

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y. 6-24-37 U.S.S. Brooklyn F1104-C-107."

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y. 10-4-37 U.S.S. Brooklyn F1104-C-112."

Caption from photo:

"Navy Yard N.Y. 6-14-38 U.S.S. Brooklyn F1104-C-284."

Undated aerial view of the USS Brooklyn (CL 40). The ship is painted in Measure 22 camouflage scheme.

Captain's stateroom, 18 January 1938.

NHHC Photo #NH 56619

Crews berthing compartment, 18 January 1938.

NHHC Photo #NH 56620

Enlisted crewman's storage locker in use, 18 January 1938. Note galvanized steel washing buckets hung on the bulkheads in the background.

NHHC Photo #NH 56616

Crew's mess compartment, 18 January 1938.

NHHC Photo #NH 56618

Galley on 18 January 1938.

NHHC Photo #NH 56610

Officers' wardroom, 18 January 1938.

NHHC Photo #NH 56615

Cleaning the wardroom, 18 January 1938.

NHHC Photo #NH 56621

Scene in the Supply Officer's stateroom, 18 January 1938. The officer writing at the desk may be Lieutenant Commander Matthew T. Betton, USN(SC), who was Brooklyn's Supply Officer at the time. Note safe, with combination lock, installed as part of the desk; fan, electric heater, officer's sword and .45 caliber M1911 pistol on the bulkhead above the sofa.

NHHC Photo #NH 56614

Helmsman at the wheel on the bridge, 18 January 1938.

NHHC Photo #NH 56617

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USS Brooklyn (CL 40) anchored off Portsmouth, NH in May, 1939. The Brooklyn was part of the USS Squalus (SS 192) salvage fleet.

LIFE Magazine Archives - Carl Mydans Photographer, shared by Peter DeForest.

LIFE Magazine Archives - Carl Mydans Photographer, shared by Peter DeForest.

USS Brooklyn (CL 40) in the Hudson River, off New York City, 1939. The Palisade Amusement Park is in the center background.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives - 80-G-1023215.

USS Brooklyn (CL 40) Anchored in the Hudson River, off New York City, 1939. Donation of Lieutenant Gustave J. Freret, USN (Retired), 1972.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph - NH 81189.

USS Brooklyn (CL 40) Anchored in the Hudson River, off New York City, 1939. The Palisade Amusement Park is in the left background, beyond Brooklyn's aircraft crane. Donation of Lieutenant Gustave J. Freret, USN (Retired), 1972.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph - NH 81262.

USS Brooklyn (CL 40) in an Atlantic Convoy in Early-Mid 1942, as seen from either the USS New York or USS Texas.

LIFE Magazine Archives - Frank Scherschel Photographer, shared by Peter DeForest.

USS Brooklyn (CL 40) and USS Suwannee (ACV 27) underway, with the amphibious convoy, en route to North Africa, early November 1942.

USS Brooklyn (CL 40) Underway at sea, 15 May 1943. Photographed from an aircraft based as Naval Air Station Weeksville, North Carolina.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives - 80-G-68106.

USS Brooklyn (CL 40) Underway on 11 June 1943. Photographed by Fleet Air Wing Nine.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives - 80-G-383754.

Invasion of Sicily, July 1943 - Empty shell cases litter the deck near the forward 6"/47 gun turrets of USS Brooklyn (CL 40), after she had bombarded Licata, Sicily, during the early hours of the invasion, 10 July 1943.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives - 80-G-42522.

Anzio Campaign, 1944 - USS Brooklyn (CL 40) bombarding with her 6"/47 guns, during the landings at Anzio, Italy, 22 January 1944. Photographed from USS Frederick C. Davis (DE 136).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives - 80-G-223500.

HM LCF(3)-14 is in the foreground as USS Brooklyn (CL 40) bombarding during the initial landing at Anzio, 22 January 1944. Photographed from USS Frederick C. Davis (DE 136).

US National Archives, Photo #80-G-223490, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command

This photo shows some of the Mk11 5" guns on the mothballed USS Brooklyn (CL 40), along with various AA gun directors and other deck items which have been covered by way of a blown plastic process to protect the equipment. Also of interest, unrelated to the plastic process, is USS Brooklyn's wooden seaboat. After WWI, smallboats on the “Red Lead Row” ships were just covered in canvas. This sagged after a while, pooling up rainwater which eventually leaked through damaging the boat. After WWII, smallboats on inactivating ships were painted, topped with tarpaper, then covered with a steepled roof to run off rainwater.

View on the USS Brooklyn's (CL 40) forecastle, looking aft, showing seals over her 6"/47 guns and other equipment to sustain dehumidification while she is in "mothballs." Photographed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, circa early 1947. In the right background are USS Richmond (CL 9) and another stricken Omaha class cruiser.

United States National Archives, Photo #80-G-702187

Chilean light cruiser O'Higgins (02) underway. Note her camouflage paint scheme.

Chilean Navy official photo.