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| USN New Orleans-class Heavy Cruiser 9,400 Tons (Standard) 12,463 Tons (Loaded) 588' x 61' 10" x 18' 8" 9 × 8"/55 cal. guns (3x3) 8 × 5"/25 cal. guns 2 x 3 pounder saluting guns 12 x 20mm cannons 4 x Quad 1.1" AA guns 4 x floatplanes 2 x catapults  USN 1938  USN July 8, 1942 |
Ship History Built by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Company's Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. Laid down January 2, 1934 as a New Orleans-class cruiser at Quincy, Massachusetts. Launched May 21, 1936 as USS Vincennes (CA-44) named for Vincennes, Indiana and was the second Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned February 24, 1937 in the U.S. Navy (USN) with Captain Burton H. Green in command. On April 19, 1937 departs Boston on her shakedown cruise to Europe. During January 1938 assigned to Cruiser Division 7 (CruDiv 7), Scouting Force and transits the Panama Canal to San Diego to join the Pacific Fleet. During March 1937 participates in Fleet Problem XIX off Hawaii then to San Pedro and operates off the west coast for the rest of the year. During early 1939 arrives Mare Island Navy Yard for an overhaul. During April 1939 departs via the Panama Canal to Hampton Roads then operates off Virgina. On September 1, 1939 anchored off Staten Island and begins Neutrality Patrols off the east coast and Caribbean Sea until early 1940. In late May 1940, ordered to the Azores but temporarily lost communications due to the failure of her cryptologic code machine that was repaired and ordered to Morocco to receive a shipment of gold from French. On June 10, 1940 departed for the United States to offload the gold then resumed Neutrality Patrols. In January 1941 overhauled at Norfolk Navy Yard. On January 7, 1941 departed for Guantánamo Bay and operated in the Caribbean Sea and participated in training exercises off Puerto Rico then departed via Pernambuco, Brazil bound fot Cape Town in South Africa arriving March 20, 1941 and embarked British gold then departed via Bermuda to New York to deliver the gold. On April 23, 1941 placed under the command of Captain Frederick Lois Riefkohl. Afterwards, resumed patrols of the Caribbean Sea and off the east coast. In November 1941 departs the east coast escorting Convoy WS-12 bound for Cape Town. Wartime History On December 7, 1941 when the U.S. entered World War II, Vincennes was still at sea in a storm with rough seas that destroyed a whaleboat and resulted in the loss of a SOC Seagull floatplane and arrived at Cape Town two days later. On December 16, 1941 departs via Trinidad and returns to Hampton Roads. On January 4, 1942 arrives Norfolk then four days later to New York for outfitting and conducts training with USS Hornet off the east coast. On March 4, 1942 departs New York via the Panama Canal seven days later then proceeds to San Francisco and was assigned to Task Force 18 (TF 18). On April 2, 1942 departs escorting USS Hornet and USS Enterprise for the Doolittle Raid against Japan. On April 25, 1941 arrives Pearl Harbor and five days later departs for the Coral Sea but arrive too late, missing the Battle of the Coral Sea. On May 26, 1941 returns to Pearl Harbor and departs three days later bound for Midway Atoll. On June 4, 1942 participates in the Battle of Midway engages Japanese B5N Kates with anti-aircraft fire from her 5" and 1.1" anti-aircraft guns and claims one shot down and screens USS Yorktown (CV-5) when damaged. After the battle, returns to Pearl Harbor for repairs and alterations until early July 1942 then conducts training with Task Force 11 (TF 11) off Hawaii. On July 14, 1941 departs for the South Pacific. On July 26, 1941 assigned to Task Force 62 (TF 62) and conducts training in Fiji and became the flagship of Task Group 62.3 (TG 62.3) for the upcoming U.S. landing in the Solomon Islands. On August 7, 1942 screens transport division "Yoke" off Guadalcanal and conducts shore bombardment to support the U.S. Marine landing at Red Beach while her floatplanes scout for targets. At 1:30pm opens fire on Japanese air raid againts Guadalcanal and claims two planes shot down. After sunset, conducts screening patrols. On August 8, 1942 resumes covering duty for transport area "X-ray" off Guadalcanal. At noon again opens fire with every available gun on another Japanese air raid by G4M1 Betty bombers attacking ships off Guadalcanal. During the engagement, evades a torpedo and a bomb that exploded off her port quarter. A single torpedo hits and damages nearby USS Jarvis (DD-393). In the afternoon, Vincennes, USS Quincy (CA-39) and USS Astoria (CA-34) formed the "northern escort force" and patrolled off Savo Island to screen for transports still unloading and defended against the arrival of a Japanese Navy surface force. Sinking History On August 9, 1942 at 12:50am Captain Riefkohl turned over command to his Executive Officer, Commander W. E. A. Mullan after midnight patrolling in column with USS Quincy (CA-39) and USS Astoria (CA-34) to the east of Savo Island. At the start of the Battle of Savo Island at 1:40am lookouts spotted flares and star shells to the south and heard gunfire as Allied "southern force" was engaged. Aboard, the alarm for general quarters was sounded and Captain Riefkohl was awaken. Meanwhile, a force of Japanese Navy crusiers and a destroyer under the command of command of Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa were headed towards their position. At 1:55am a Japanese searchlight illuminated Vincennes and her main battery opened fire aimed at the light. Within a minute Japanese gunfire bracketed the cruiser and a salvo of 8" shells hit the bridge, carpenter shop, radio antenna disrupting communications. Captain Riefkohl ordered an altered course and increased speed but likely the message was never received due to the disrupted communication from the inital salvo. A second salvo hit the cruiser that set her floatplanes in the hangar on a fire began that quickly got out of control and a hit on the anti-aircraft director knocked it overboard. At 2:00am turned starboard to evade the gunfire but was hit by one or two Japanese Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes that destroyed the no. 4 fireroom and cause the loss of engine power and steering. Within minutes, the damaged cruiser was dead in the water and illuminated by fire that attracted more Japanese gunfire. Additional hits knocked out her guns and the cruiser began to list to port. In total, Vincennes sustained at least 85 hits by both 8" and 5" shells. At 2:10am the Japanese withdrew and twenty minutes later Captain Riefkohl issued the order to abandon ship. During the engagement, 322 crew were killed in action. Around 2:50am Vincennes rolled over and sank into Iron Bottom Sound to the east of Savo Island. Awards For her World War II service, Vincennes earned two battle stars. Memorials A memorial dedicated to USS Vincennes is located in Vincennes, Indiana near the Vigo Bridge. The memorial plaque reads: "Heavy Cruiser CA 44 Commissioned Feb. 24, 1937 Sunk Aug. 9, 1942". Shipwreck During January 2015, Octopus owned by Paul Allen conducted a sonar mapping of Iron Bottom Sound and located 29 shipwrecks with six positively identified including Vincennes. The shipwreck of Vincennes is upright with the stern at a depth of 3,345' / 1,020m. On January 24, 2015 documented using an Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The stern has a 8" armor-piercing shell hole at the stern. References Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - Vincennes II (CA-44) NavSource - USS Vincennes (CA-44) ON&T "Mapping the Ghost Fleet of Iron Bottom Sound" by Garry Kozak June 1, 2015 Contribute
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