USS Huntington (CL-107)

USS Huntington (CL-107), a Fargo-class light cruiser, was the second ship of the United States Navy named after the city of Huntington, West Virginia. She was built during World War II but not completed until after the end of the war and in use for only a few years.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Huntington.
USS Huntington (CL-107), underway, 12 April 1948.
History
United States
Name: Huntington
Namesake: City of Huntington, West Virginia
Builder: New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey
Launched: 8 April 1945
Sponsored by: Mrs. M. L. Jarrett, Jr.
Commissioned: 23 February 1946
Decommissioned: 15 June 1949
Stricken: 1 September 1961
Identification:
Fate: Sold for scrap on 16 May 1962
General characteristics
Class and type: Fargo-class light cruiser
Displacement:
  • 11,744 long tons (11,932 t) (standard)
  • 14,131 long tons (14,358 t) (max)
Length:
  • 610 ft 1 in (185.95 m) oa
  • 608 ft (185 m)pp
Beam: 66 ft 4 in (20.22 m)
Draft:
  • 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m) (mean)
  • 25 ft (7.6 m) (max)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed: 32.5 kn (37.4 mph; 60.2 km/h)
Range: 11,000 nmi (20,000 km) at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h)
Complement: 1,255 officers and enlisted
Armament:
Armor:
Aircraft carried: 4 × floatplanes
Aviation facilities: 2 × stern catapults

Huntington was launched by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, on 8 April 1945, sponsored by Mrs. M. L. Jarrett, Jr., and commissioned 23 February 1946, Captain Donald Rex Tallman in command.[1]

Service history

After shakedown training off Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, Huntington sailed from Philadelphia on 23 July 1946 for duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. During the cruise she visited many ports, including Naples, Malta, Villefranche, and Alexandria, helping to stabilize the volatile post-war situation in Europe. Departing Gibraltar on 8 February 1947, she took part in exercises off Guantánamo Bay, stopped at Norfolk and Newport, Rhode Island, and departed the latter port 20 May 1947 for another tour of duty in the Mediterranean.[1]

Returning from her cruise on 13 September 1947, Huntington departed Philadelphia on 24 October with Naval Reserve personnel for exercises off Bermuda and Newfoundland until 14 November 1947. The ship then entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and underwent an extensive overhaul until 12 April 1948. During that period Captain Arleigh Burke, future CNO, assumed command in December 1947 until December 1948. Returning to Norfolk on 27 April from her refresher training cruise in the Caribbean, Huntington sailed to Newport and departed for another tour of duty in the Mediterranean on 1 June 1948.[1]

Huntington visited a variety of ports during June to August 1948, and after transiting the Suez Canal on 22 September, embarked on a good will tour of Africa and South America, arriving Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 6 November. There the ship was honored by an official visit from President Juan Perón, and continuing to Uruguay received a similar visit from President Luis Berres on 10 November. Huntington called at Rio de Janeiro and Trinidad before returning from this valuable good will cruise on 8 December 1948.[1]

The cruiser made one short cruise from Philadelphia to the Caribbean, returned to Newport on 22 January, and decommissioned on 15 June 1949. She was finally struck from the Navy List on 1 September 1961 after being in reserve,[1] and was sold to Boston Metals, Baltimore, Maryland, on 16 May 1962.[2]

References
  1. "Huntington II (CL-107)". Naval History and Heritage Command. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  2. Yarnall, Paul R. (22 June 2015). "USS HUNTINGTON (CL 107)". Navsource.org. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
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