Chicago and USS Long Beach were given the unusual assignment of protecting A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair aircraft mining Hai Phong harbor at low altitude. From 9 September to 24 October the cruiser underwent a major restricted availability as repairs were conducted to fuel tanks, boiler casings, and the main propulsion plant. Chicago then spent a week in Subic Bay before resuming PIRAZ station from 18 January to 10 February. MARTINSBURG, W. Va - Forty-three years ago, as the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong took over the South Vietnam capital city of Saigon, thousands of refugees fled their home country and the communist government. Moved to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the heavy cruiser was placed out of commission in reserve on 6 June 1947. After a month long pre-deployment period the cruiser departed 30 May for the cruiser's final cruise to the Western Pacific. Arriving on station 3 October Chicago conducted PIRAZ and search coordination duties until 7 November when the ship steamed into Yokosuka for upkeep. Arriving three days later, after avoiding the third typhoon of the deployment, the ship spent six days in that liberty port. After a final readiness test, and embarking five guests of the Secretary of the Navy, Chicago departed for another deployment on 6 November. Stopping at Guam on 1 October, to refuel, and Pearl Harbor on 9 October, for a dependents cruise, the ship finally returned to San Diego on 16 October. From: Commanding Officer, USS BIDDLE (DLG-34) To: Director of Naval History (OP-09B9), Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D .C. After a practice Talos missile shot off Okinawa on 27 August, and a short visit to Keelung, Taiwan, the ship returned to her station on 7 September. Begun on 1 July 1959, the entire superstructure was removed and replaced with new aluminum compartments, modernized electronic systems, and an improved NTDS equipped combat information center. After conducting training exercises, and calibrated her compasses in Chesapeake Bay, the cruiser got underway 12 March for the Gulf of Paria, Trinidad. Following sonar calibration and deperming in Puget Sound the cruiser arrived at her home port of San Diego to begin weapons systems qualifications. These exercises, including helicopter pad training, simulated missile and torpedo attacks, and other similar drills, continued until 6 September when the ship got underway for her eighth WestPac tour. By Dale Andrad and Kenneth Conboy August 1999. . Returning to San Diego on 4 March the ship underwent operational readiness, technical proficiency, boiler, electronics, and nuclear warfare acceptance inspections. Nearly all of its radars were out of action, and we headed for Subic Bay in the Philippines at our best speed, which was something over 30 knots. After the exercise, involving seven U.S. ships and twenty Australian and New Zealand vessels, the ship visited Sydney, Australia, for a week-long port visit, then departed for the west coast via Subic Bay and Pearl Harbor, and arrived at San Diego on 17 December. The destroyed aft gun turret aboard the USS Higbee, when the warship was at Da Nang, South Vietnam, in April 1972. USS Chicago,ww2 cruiser,sunk in 1943. After a weekend stop at Pearl Harbor, where the passengers were debarked, the ship stopped at Guam, and Subic Bay, before arriving in the Gulf of Tonkin on 6 December. Following a visit to Hong Kong in early October, the cruiser spent the next month conducting training and fleet exercises in the Philippines area until getting underway for Guam on 17 November. Towed to the Inactive Ship Facility at Bremerton, Washington, the ship was held in reserve until 8 February 1989. Toward this end Chicago, on 21 August, embarked several Mauritian government officials for a two-day cruise to Rodrigues Island. USS Chicago (CG-11) [Guided Missile Cruiser] while anchored in Da Nang Harbor on May 22, 1969, deck logs show a utility boat went ashore for one hour with 8 crewmembers aboard Repainting the exterior, and interior improvements lasted until 27 September, when the cruiser got underway for home. Stripped of equipment by 11 August, the hulk was sold for scrap to Southwest Recycling, Inc., Terminal Island, California, on 9 December 1991. Your ORIGINAL HOMETOWN and State are asked for because that confirms who you are in your shipmate's memories. In April, the warship participated in Exercise "Gray Ghost," where the cruiser operated as tactical flagship for the anti-air warfare commander, Rear Admiral E. Zumwaldt. On 1 November 1958, Chicago was reclassified CG-11 and towed to San Francisco Naval Shipyard to begin a five-year conversion (20 months longer than Columbus and 13 months longer than Albany) to a Guided Missile Cruiser. On 17 April Chicago was ordered to proceed to the Sea of Japan, off Korea, for duty with Task Force 71. Naval Base Subic Bay on 12 June. Upon arrival in San Diego on 11 March the cruiser began the usual post-deployment leave and upkeep period. Arriving in San Diego on 15 May, via Guam and Pearl Harbor, the cruiser began preparations for an overdue yard period. Escort duties for Kitty Hawk continued through September when, on 6 October, she sailed for Australia. Arriving on station on 3 October, Chicago conducted PIRAZ and search coordination duties with evasive maneuvering to avoid super typhoons Joan and Kate between 14 and 26 October. Underway on 24 January 1946, the cruiser arrived in Shanghai on 18 February for occupation duty. After arrival on 23 November Chicago received an overhaul at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, before returning to the Far East. Veteran owned business since 2000. Arriving on station in the Gulf of Tonkin three weeks later, via Yokosuka, Okinawa, and Subic Bay, the ship relieved Belknap (DLG-26), beginning PIRAZ duties on 12 November. During April and May Chicago's air intercept controllers directed Navy and Air Force aircraft on CAP missions that were credited with 14 MIG's shot down. In January 1972, CHICAGO fired four RIM-8H . Returning to San Diego on 4 March the ship underwent operational readiness, technical proficiency, boiler, electronics, and nuclear warfare acceptance inspections. On 1 November 1958 Chicago was reclassified CG-11 and towed to San Francisco Naval Shipyard to begin a five-year conversion to a guided missile cruiser. There, along with other 7th Fleet ships, she helped rescue Vietnamese refugees fleeing the mainland, picking up five herself. On 15 October, after memorial services for two cruisers lost in the Soloman Islands battles during World War Two, HMAS Canberra and USS Chicago, the cruiser began two weeks of exercises in the Coral Sea. Although heavy smoke obscured the target from the cruiser's spotting planes, the combination of pre-plotting the target through photo reconaissance and radar positioning data allowed Chicago's guns to start fires in numerous buildings, several large warehouses, and among nearby oil tanks. Using radar, and assisted by spotting planes dropping flares and rockets, the ships fired at bridges, factories and the rail yard for about an hour. For the Navy's official account . Two triple torpedo tubes, an ASROC launcher, two 5 in/38 cal guns, and two antisubmarine helicopters rounded out the cruisers' modifications. Escort duties for Kitty Hawk continued through September when, on 6 October, she sailed for Australia. After another fleet exercise in July, where Chicago's Talos battery scored a direct hit on a drone at a range of 96 miles, the cruiser spent August conducting official visits to Seattle, Washington, Vancouver, and Esquimalt, British Columbia. UU. Following inspections and battle problem training the cruiser sailed to Philadelphia for post-shakedown repair availability on 16 April. The USS CHICAGO (CG-11), a Baltimore class cruiser, was commissioned on 10 JAN 1945 as CA-135. After the holidays, the cruiser moved to Phattaya Bay, Thailand on 30 December. After departing Pearl Harbor on 18 October, the warship assisted in vectoring aircraft to the site of a Navy F-8 Crusader crash site, successfully rescuing the pilot. After a visit to Vancouver the following week, Chicago returned to San Diego to begin overhaul preparations. If you served in USS Chicago (CG-11), Join TWS for free to reconnect with service friends. After the exercise, involving seven U.S. ships and twenty Australian and New Zealand vessels, the ship visited Sydney, Australia, for a week long port visit. Title: USS ENTERPRISE (CVAN-65) Caption: Steams in formation with USS NICHOLAS (DD-419) and USS O'BANNON (DD-450) in the Gulf of Tonkin, 6 March 1968. Chicago arrived in Subic Bay on 30 September, after multi-ship exercises that included four missile shots while underway, to begin a series of operations with the 7th Fleet. 20390 Subj: Command History - OPNAV Report 5750-1 . On June 25, 2019, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 was signed into law. New equipment and combat coordination procedures were also implemented, extending the cruiser's operational readiness date to 14 December. Gunfire exercises, helicopter operations, unreps, and other drills, including a real man overboard rescue on 28 February, lasted until 4 March when Chicago moored at Manila. Radar surveillance and air coordination continued until the end of March when, despite a dramatic rise in North Vietnamese trawler traffic, the cruiser began departure from the Gulf. This PIRAZ station radio call sign was "Red Crown." The first PIRAZ ships were USS Chicago, King, Mahan, and Long Beach. Three days later, on 7 November, the cruiser got underway for San Pedro, California. Picking up her helicopter detachment the cruiser departed the next day for duty with Task Force 77 on . Arriving home on 8 July, the ship underwent a local availability before entering Long Beach Naval Shipyard on 25 August for a Complex Overhaul. Chicago left PIRAZ station on 28 December to celebrate the new year in Singapore, and briefly crossed the equator on 4 January for a line-crossing ceremony at 10530 east. Something went wrong. En route to Sasebo, via Subic Bay, the cruiser stopped at the Okinawa Missile Range to fire two more practice missiles on 18 November. She remained there until 28 March as flagship of the Yangtze Patrol, and then sailed to Sasebo, Japan, where she became flagship of Naval Support Force, Japanese Empire Waters. After departing Pearl Harbor on 18 October, the warship assisted in vectoring aircraft to the site of a Navy F-8 Crusader crash site, successfully rescuing the pilot. Was the USS Chicago in Vietnam? After a 27 October refueling accident injured several men, Chicago left the Gulf of Tonkin on 1 November and Captain Stanley Thomas Counts assumed command before the ship arrived in Yokosuka on 7 November. By maintaining a complete air picture, Chicago vectored damaged bombers around enemy missile sites, set up tanker rendezvous points for planes low on fuel, and directed helicopters on rescue operations. After a week at Apra Harbor, the ship departed on 29 November for San Diego. Arriving home on 14 December, the ship remained in port for leave, repairs, and upkeep into March 1975. Following readiness inspections, the cruiser departed 6 June for an Alaskan cruise with Commander First Fleet. The scale of U.S. air operations increased dramatically as strike and interdiction missions, designed to restrict the movement of men and supplies, were conducted throughout North Vietnam. Although heavy smoke obscured the target from the cruiser's spotting planes, the combination of pre-plotting the target through photo reconnaissance and radar positioning data allowed Chicago's guns to start fires in numerous buildings, several large warehouses, and among nearby oil tanks. Towed to the Inactive Ship Facility at Bremerton, Washington, the ship was held in reserve until 8 February 1989. After a visit to Vancouver the following week, Chicago returned to San Diego to begin overhaul preparations. After a visit to Hong Kong, from 16 to 21 December, the cruiser moved to Subic Bay for an inport availability period. [10] Chicago came under fire from North Vietnamese coastal artillery batteries, but was able to maintain missile envelope coverage while moving out of gun range before suffering any damage. Departing the area, Chicago steamed south to Subic Bay, for sonar exercises with the submarine Queenfish, arriving at Singapore on 23 December. Departing 4 January 1978 the cruiser visited Subic Bay and Hong Kong before starting a month of exercises in the Philippine Sea. After stopping at Pearl Harbor and Yokosuka, where a new radar antenna was installed, the ship arrived at U.S. After upkeep at Yokosuka, a visit to Hong Kong, and a typhoon evasion, the cruiser returned to the Gulf of Tonkin on 1 August to continue radar surveillance, electronic countermeasures, and missile screen duties. After conducting training exercises, and calibrating her compasses in Chesapeake Bay, the cruiser got underway on 12 March for the Gulf of Paria, Trinidad. Following a month in port, and several service inspections, Chicago left San Diego on 13 April to deploy to the Western Pacific. Chicago spent her first six weeks preparing for sea duty before departing on 26 February for Norfolk. All Rights Reserved. A number of propulsion and electronic service inspections were also conducted. Leaving Hong Kong on 31 August, Chicago joined rendezvous with Enterprise for a war-at-sea exercise lasting until 8 September, before returning to Subic for a lengthy upkeep period. On her fourth PIRAZ tour, from 25 October to 12 November, the cruiser helped improve these procedures, particularly in the area of joint Air Force-Navy cooperation. Registration and communicating with shipmates at Hullnumber.com is FREE FOREVER. August 28 At the _____ in Chicago, police and . The scale of U.S. air operations increased dramatically as strike and interdiction missions, designed to restrict the movement of men and supplies, were conducted throughout North Vietnam. After arrival at Subic Bay on 15 June, the ship prepared for an extended cruise with Fanning (DE-1076), George K. MacKenzie (DD-836), and the oiler Passumpsic (AO-107). This, and later tests, examined guidance improvements and experimented with missile replenishment at sea. Chicago and the cruiser Long Beach were given the unusual assignment of protecting A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair aircraft mining Hai Phong harbor at low altitude during Operation Pocket Money. Chicago launched four RIM-8H Talos-ARM anti-radar homing missiles against North Vietnamese shore-based radar stations in February and March, but no hits were registered. After refueling at San Juan on 11 May the ships spent three days conducting gunnery practice before departing for Colon, Canal Zone, on 15 May. The cruiser remained at San Diego for the remainder of the year. Following an ECM exercise Chicago participated in a competitive missile firing exercise and won a gold Missilery "E" for her Tartar battery. Returning to Subic Bay for two weeks of upkeep, the cruiser sailed for Hong Kong on 22 August. Shop online for USS Chicago at VetFriends. Designed to operate offensively with strike and amphibious forces, Chicago spent her transit time conducting various anti-air drills, gunnery exercises, and radar tracking training. The cruiser remained at San Diego for the remainder of the year. Added to the anti-aircraft screen, Chicago guarded the Task Group's carriers as they conducted air strikes against the Tokyo Plains area, Honsh, Japan, on 10 July. Chicago spent her first six weeks preparing for sea duty before departing on 26 February 1945 for Norfolk. After repairs and upkeep, the ship steamed for Guam on 16 March, arriving five days later to refuel, before arriving in Pearl Harbor on 31 March. Chicago's forward Talos battery downed a MiG at long-range during the mining of Hai Phong harbor on 9 May. On 15 May 1973 Chicago began carrying out six months of sea trials, tests, and training evolutions. On 5 March, during exercises off southern California, the cruiser also earned her eleventh consecutive Missile "E". Rejoining the Task Group five hours later Chicago once again screened the carriers as they launched air strikes against the Tokyo-Nagoya area. After a cruise to Hawaii from 19 October to 3 November, during which the cruiser practiced tactical data sharing training with Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) and Mahan (DLG-11), the ship finished out the year conducting tests and exercises in the San Diego area. After replenishment operations on 16 July, the cruiser resumed screening the carriers as they launched air strikes over the Tokyo Plains, northern Honshu and Hokkaido, and the Kure-Kobe area over the next two weeks. Chicago remained with the carriers until 23 August, when she departed for Japan. This page contains Command History. For the next two months Chicago continued shakedown training, engineering, navigation, and seamanship drills as well as missile and electronic exercises. Triple torpedo tubes, two ASROC launchers, two 5-inch/38 guns, and two antisubmarine helicopters rounded out the cruisers modifications. Despite cutbacks that had substantially lowered her crew component, the cruiser sailed for Vietnam on 9 September 1970. Chicago launched four RIM-8H Talos-ARM anti-radar homing missiles against North Vietnamese shore-based radar stations in February and March, but no hits were registered. In June 1971, CAPT McNamara assumed command of guided missile cruiser USS CHICAGO (CG-11) for her fifth Vietnam deployment, serving as PIRAZ (Positive Identification Radar Advisory Zone) in the Gulf of Tonkin. On 31 January 1969 Chicago concluded her missile systems qualifications tests, including a Talos test firing against a missile drone, before departing for her third cruise to the Western Pacific on 13 February. Among these was the second MiG downed by Navy aces Randy Cunningham and William P. Arriving in Japan on 19 November, the ship visited Yokosuka before departing for home on 27 November. In March 1980 CHICAGO was decommissioned, and after a period in reserve in the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, WA, was sold for scrapping in December, 1991. These short cruises, concentrating on gunnery and underway training, lasted through February 1979. Following two more PIRAZ cruises, Chicago departed Subic Bay on 1 May for home. Departing Subic Bay on 25 June, the squadron passed through the Straits of Malacca on 2 July and arrived at Karachi, Pakistan six days later. Stripped of equipment by 11 August the hulk was sold for scrap to Southwest Recycling, Inc., Terminal Island, California on 9 December 1991. [8] After a few days in Subic Bay, radar surveillance and air coordination continued on PIRAZ station from 3 March until leaving on 21 March to visit Hong Kong. In 1966 CHICAGO began a series of five WestPac-Vietnam deployments. Anchoring in Sagami Wan on 27 August, and then moving to Tokyo Bay on 3 September, the cruiser supported the unloading of supplies and equipment for Third Fleet occupation forces. The day of May 10, 1972 I was stationed on the USS Chicago (code: Red Crown) that day. Assigned to tender availability on 1 September, the ship received boiler and other repairs and inspections from Isle Royale before departing for another WestPac deployment on 11 October 1967. MORE . Chicago escorted the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk and her battle group to Pearl Harbor, conducting exercises with the cruiser Jouett, frigate Lang, and auxiliary vessel Wabash along the way, before steaming on to Subic Bay on 13 June. Three North Vietnamese motor torpedo boats attacking the destroyer USS Maddox (DD 731) in the Tonkin Gulf, 2 August 1964 U. S. Navy photo A little after 3 PM Maddox opened fire on the torpedo boats, and at the same time put out a radio request for air support from the nearby aircraft carrier Ticonderoga.