CA-26 U.S.S.
NORTHAMPTON
War Diary and Action Reports November 1942,
Due to the sinking of the Northampton at The Battle of Tassafaronga on
November 30, 1942, no records of the Battle off Guadalcanal were saved
or recoded.
Information U.S.S. NORTHAMPTON
Dictionary of Fighting Ships
U.S.S. Northampton CA-26
Northampton (CL-26) was laid down 12 April 1928 by Bethlehem Steel
Corp., Quincy, Mass., launched 5 September 1929, sponsored by Mrs.
Calvin Coolidge; and commissioned 17 May 1930, Captain Walter N.
Vernou in command.
Joining the Atlantic Fleet, Northampton made a shakedown cruise to
the Mediterranean during the summer of 1930, then participated in the
fleet training schedule which took her to the Caribbean, the Canal
Zone, and, occasionally, into the Pacific for exercises with other
cruisers and ships of all types. Redesignated CA-26 in 1931, she
operated primarily in the Pacific from 1932, home ported at San Pedro,
and later at Pearl Harbor.
Northampton was at sea with Admiral William Halsey in Enterprise
during the Japanese attack 7 December 1941, returning to Pearl Harbor
the next day. On the 9th the force sortied to search northeast of
Oahu, then swept south to Johnston Island, then north again to hunt
the enemy west of Lisianski and Midway. Through January 1942
Northampton joined in such searches until detached with Salt Lake
City to bombard Wotje 1 February. The bombardment not only demolished
buildings and fuel dumps on the island, but also sank two Japanese
ships. A similar assault was fired against Wake 24 February when
despite serious enemy counter fire, the guns of Northampton and her
force started large fires on the island and sank a dredge in the
lagoon. As Northampton retired from the island, enemy sea-planes, land
based planes, and patrol craft attacked, but all were destroyed or
repulsed.
On 4 March, the force launched aircraft for a strike on Marcus, then
turned east for Pearl Harbor. Early in April the Enterprise force,
Northampton a member, sortied once again, and joined the Hornet force
for the "Shangri-La" raid on Tokyo 18 April. Once again the ships
replenished at Pearl Harbor, then sailed for the Southwest Pacific,
arriving just after the Battle of the Coral Sea. Returning to Pearl
Harbor, Northampton prepared for the action soon to come at Midway,
when s he screened Enterprise. On 4 and 5 June the American carriers
launched their planes to win a great victory, turning the Japanese
back in the mid-Pacific, and dealing them an irreparable blow by
sinking or completely disabling their four carriers. Throughout the
Battle of Midway, Northampton protected her carrier and with her
returned undamaged to Pearl Harbor 13 June.
In mid-August, Northampton sailed for the Southwest Pacific to join
in the Guadalcanal operation. She patrolled southeast of San Cristobal
where on 15 September her force was attacked by submarines which
damaged Wasp and North Carolina and struck O'Brien only 800 yards
off Northampton's port beam. Now sailing with Hornet, Northampton
screened the carrier during attacks on Bougainville 5 October.
During the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October, which took
place without surface contact with the enemy, Northampton went to the
aid of Hornet, mortally wounded by enemy aircraft, and fired
antiaircraft cover while attempting to take the stricken giant in tow.
Obviously doomed, the carrier was later sunk by destroyer torpedo and
gunfire, and the American force retired to the southwest.
Northampton next operated with a cruiser-destroyer force to prevent
the Japanese from reinforcing their troops on Guadalcanal. The Battle
of Tassafaronga began 40 minutes before midnight, 30 November, when
three American destroyers made a surprise torpedo attack on the
Japanese. All American ships then opened fire, which the startled
enemy did not return for 7 minutes. Then two of the American cruisers
took torpedo hits within the space of a minute, and 10 minutes later,
another was hit, all being forced to retire from the action.
Northampton and Honolulu, with 6 destroyers, continued the fierce
action, scoring many hits. Close to the end of the engagement,
Northampton was struck by two torpedoes, which tore a huge hole in her
port side, ripping away decks and bulkheads. Flaming diesel oil
sprayed over the ship, she took on water rapidly and began to list.
Three hours later, as she began to sink stern first, she had to be
abandoned. So orderly and controlled was the process that loss of life
was surprisingly light, and the survivors were all picked up within an
hour by destroyers. While three cruisers had been damaged and
Northampton lost, the Japanese had been denied a major reinforcement,
and once again the Navy had given vital support to the marines
fighting ashore.
Northampton received 6 battle stars for World War II service.
Norhtampton Class
Completed - 1939 - 40
Norhtampton Class
CA-Heavy Cruisers
CA-26 NORTHAMPTON
CA-27 CHESTER
CA-28 LOUISVILLE
CA-29 CHICAGO
CA-30 HOUSTON
CA-31 AUGUSTA
Completed:
1930-31
Displacement (tons):
9,050 (stand)
13,100 (Mean war service)
(CA 31 14,300)
Length (oa):
600'
Beam:
66'
Draft (max):
22'
(CA 31 24')
Armament (max auth):
9 8"/55
8 5"/25 DP
4 40 mm twins
5 40 mm quads (4 in CA 31)
26 20 mm (22 on CA 31)
Propulsion:
Speed:
32 knots (max)
Max. Cruising radius:
4,800 miles @ 25 knots
10,200 @ 15 knots
Horsepower:
107,000 (shaft)
Drive:
4 screws
geared turbine
Fuel:
2,980 tons oil (max)
Aircraft:
3 SC-1
Remarks:
The NORTHAMPTON Class introduced the standard main battery
disposition for all newer American heavy cruiser, fast battleships and
large cruisers. Another innovation was the adoption of aircraft
hangers; in these ships and the PORTLAND Class this structure was
built around the second stack. A raised forecastle was reverted to,
thus overcoming the freeboard defect of the PORTLAND's. As in the case
of the other earlier heavy cruisers, these vessels were originally
fitted with 6 21" torpedo tubes in triple deck mounts; prevailing
tactical doctrine resulted in the removal of this armament in favor of
additional heavy AA guns. The forecastle deck of the AUGUSTA is
carried abaft the forward stack, while in the other two units the
break in this deck occurs at the after edge of the bridge.
Wartime alterations have effected the appearance of these
cruisers: in all units the foremast had been cut down considerably,
while in the LOUISVILLE and CHESTER the original tripod mainmast has
been entirely suppressed and replaced by a light tripod built over the
after stack. This latter change has resulted in a greater effective
field of fire for the AA batteries.
The PORTLAND follows the general design of the NORTHAMPTON Class
with minor alterations, including 10 ft. additional length and a
redistribution of weight throughout the ship in favor of improved
protection.
War losses include:
CA-26 NORTHAMPTON
CA-29 CHICAGO
CA-30 HOUSTON
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