Side view of
USS Boise (CL-47)
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USS Boise (CL-47) was a Brooklyn class light cruiser that fought at Guadalcanal then took part in the invasion of Sicily and the landings at Salerno on the mainland of Italy before returning to the Pacific to take part in the campaigns on New Guinea, the Philippines and Borneo. Boise received eleven battle stars for her service in World War II.
The Boise was launched on 3 December 1936 and commissioned on 12 August 1938. Her shakedown cruise took her to Africa, and she then joined Cruiser Division 9 of the Battle Force, and was based at San Pedro, California.
In November 1941 she left Pearl Harbor to escort a convoy to Manila, in the Philippines. She arrived on 4 December, four days before the Japanese entry into the war. On 8 December the Boise was off Cebu. She joined Task Force 5, operating the Dutch East Indies, at the start of one of the more disastrous naval campaigns of the Second World War, but on 21 January 1942 she grounded on an uncharted shoal in Sape Strait and had to return to the US for repairs.
The Boise returned to service in June 1942 when she escorted a convoy from the United States to New Zealand. Next she carried out a raid into Japanese-held waters (31 July-1 August 1942), a deception operation designed to pull attention away from Guadalcanal. In August she escorted a convoy to Fiji and the New Hebrides.
On 14-18 September she escorted Marine Corps reinforcements as they landed on Guadalcanal. She fought at the battle of Cape Esperance (11 October 1942), where she was hit by Japanese gunfire. She also helped sink the Japanese destroyer Fubuki. After the battle she had to return to Philadelphia for repairs that lasted until 20 March 1943.
Next came a spell in the Mediterranean theatre. From 10 July to 18 August she supported the invasion of Sicily. In September she supported the invasion of mainland Italy, taking part in the landings at Taranto (9-10 September) and Salerno (12-19 September). After this she returned to the United States and then sailed on to the Pacific.
The Boise joined the Seventh Fleet at Milne Bay on New Guinea. She formed part of the fleet that supported MacArthur during his advance west across New Guinea and the return to the Philippines.
In 1944 the main focus was on New Guinea. In January she bombarded Madang and Alexishafen. In April she supported the landings at Humboldt Bay and bombarded Wakde and Sawar. In May she supported landings at Wakde-Toem and Biak. In July she supporting the landings at Noemfoor, and then from late July to the end of August took part in the invasion of Morotai.
The next step was the return to the Philippines. From 20-24 October 1944 she supported the landings on Leyte and was thus caught up in the battle of Leyte Gulf. She fought in the battle of the Surigao Strait (25 October 1944), the last clash between battleships. As the Japanese battleships advanced the American cruisers attacked from the flanks, before the American battleships opened fire, crushing the Japanese fleet.
From 12-17 December she covered the landings on Mindoro. On 9-13 January 1945 she carried General MacArthur during the landings in Lingayen Gulf. In February she supported the return to Bataan and Corregidor and in March the landings at Zamboanga.
Between 27 April and 3 May she took part in the landings at Tarakan on Borneo.
In June she carried General MacArthur as he conducted a tour of the central and southern Philippines and Borneo. After that she returned to California where she remained until October. She then moved to the US East Coast, where she was decommissioned on 1 July 1946.
On 11 January 1951 the Bloise was sold to Argentina, where she was renamed as the Neuve de Julio (Ninth of July). She remained in service until 1979 when she was finally decommissioned.
Displacement (standard) |
9,767t |
Displacement (loaded) |
12,207t |
Top Speed |
32.5kts |
Range |
10,000nm at 15kts |
Armour – belt |
5in on 0.625in STS |
- deck |
2in |
- barbettes |
6in |
- turrets |
6.5in face |
- conning tower |
5in |
Length |
608ft 4in |
Armaments |
Fifteen 6in/47 guns (five triple turrets) |
Crew complement |
868 |
Laid down |
1 April 1935 |
Launched |
3 December 1936 |
Completed |
12 August 1938 |
Sold to Argentina |
11 January 1951 |
US Navy Light Cruisers 1941-45, Mark Stille.
Covers the five classes of US Navy light cruisers that saw service during the Second World War, with sections on their design, weaponry, radar, combat experience. Nicely organised, with the wartime service records separated out from the main text, so that the design history of the light cruisers flows nicely. Interesting to see how new roles had to be found for them, after other technology replaced them as reconnaissance aircraft [read full review]
