USS Worcester (CL-144)

USS ''Worcester'' (CL-144) was a light cruiser in the United States Navy and was the third ship to carry that name, honoring the city of Worcester, Massachusetts. ''Worcester'' was the lead ship of the ''Worcester''-class of light cruisers. She was launched just after the close of World War II and commissioned in 1948. She was decommissioned in 1958.

Description and design

The ''Worcester'' combined destroyer manoeuvrability with cruiser size, with a main battery that could engage both surface targets and aircraft. The design was largely considered a failure, due to the main armament of twin automatic guns achieving fire rates of 9-10 rpm which was lower than the similar design of automatic guns on . In addition, the fire control fitted to ''Worcester'' was optimized for anti-aircraft fire rather than surface action or naval gunfire support.

Construction and career

''Worcester'' was laid down on 29 January 1945 at Camden, New Jersey, by the New York Shipbuilding and Dry dock Corp, and launched on 4 February 1947. Sponsored by Gloria Ann Sullivan, the daughter of Mayor Charles F. Sullivan of Worcester, Massachusetts, she was commissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 26 June 1948.

''Worcester was'' assigned to Cruiser Division 10. She spent the first year of her commissioned service completing her fitting out, conducting shakedown testing, undergoing availability and type training off the eastern seaboard of the United States. In the summer of 1949, she participated in her first large-scale training exercises in Guantanamo Bay and visited Kingston, Jamaica. Later that summer, she sailed for the Mediterranean, departing Newport, Rhode Island, on 6 September and reaching Gibraltar 10 days later. She made her first deployment with the 6th Fleet in the ensuing months, visiting Malta; Bizerte, Tunisia; Golfe-Juan, France; Argostoli and Phaleron Bay, Greece; İskenderun, Turkey; Trieste and Venice, Italy; and Gibraltar. During her 6th Fleet deployment, she engaged in exercises and manoeuvres with fast carrier task forces, including the carrier and the heavy cruiser . She returned to Norfolk, Virginia on 10 December.

''Worcester'' operated off the eastern seaboard, ranging from Newport to Norfolk and south to Puerto Rico, with visits in between to Philadelphia, before she began her second 6th Fleet deployment in the spring of 1950. She departed Norfolk on 3 May, arrived at Lisbon on 13 May, and entered the Mediterranean soon thereafter.

In between her cycles of drills and exercises in the Mediterranean, ''Worcester'' visited Augusta, Sicily; Bizerte; Genoa and La Spezia, Italy; and Golfe Juan, on the southern coast of France, before she was put into Phaleron Bay on 20 July. She was there only for a week before she received orders to sail for the Far East. While the light cruiser and her consorts had been operating in the Mediterranean, war had broken out in Korea on 25 June. Accordingly, ''Worcester'' departed Phaleron Bay on 27 July, in company with Destroyer Division 21 composed of , , , and . Reaching Port Said, Egypt, on the morning of 29 July, ''Worcester'' transited the Suez Canal that afternoon.

Reaching Colombo for provisions and fuel, ''Worcester'' and her escorts tarried there from 7 August to 9 August before pushing on towards the Malacca Strait. They then proceeded through the Bashi Channel to Buckner Bay, Okinawa, where they arrived on 19 August. En route, the American warships had been diverted through the Bashi Channel to be available to counter any invasion attempt by the communist Chinese of Formosa.

After fuelling from , ''Worcester'' departed Buckner Bay on 20 August and set a course for Keelung, Formosa, to join the Formosa Patrol.

Joining that force on 21 August, ''Worcester'' remained at anchor at Keelung from 22 through 26 August. She got underway the following day to add her anti-aircraft defense to the screen of Task Force (TF) 77—the fast carrier task force consisting of and , then operating in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Korea.

On 28 August, the light cruiser—steaming in company with ''Norris''—joined TF 77 and proceeded into the Yellow Sea for operations against enemy targets located in central and southwestern Korea. Each day in the ensuing days, the carriers launched their strikes against North Korean ground targets while the screen provided protection in case of any attempts by the North Korean air forces to interrupt the operation. ''Worcester''s helicopter also performed plane-guard duty, standing by in the air to rescue any ditched pilots from the waters nearby.

On 4 September, ''Worcester''s radar picked up an unidentified contact at 13:31. The combat air patrol—four Vought F4U Corsairs from ''Valley Forge''—soon reported the stranger as being a twin-engine bomber with a pointed nose, a single tail fin, and high inverted gull wings. It also bore red star markings. At 19:45, the F4Us vectored to the "bogey" by and shot down the plane 49 miles away.

The following day, ''Worcester'' went to general quarters at 11:08 and commenced manoeuvring at to avoid possible attack when her radar picked up an unidentified plane closing the formation from the east. Three minutes later, the cruiser fired a warning shot of three rounds of 6-inch projectiles in the direction of the intruder—it turned out to be a British Short Sunderland flying boat on patrol. At 21:43, ''Worcester'' secured from battle stations and resumed her cruising with TF 77.

There was one more day of flight operations off the Korean coast, 6 September, before ''Worcester'' transferred her helicopter to ''Philippine Sea'' to clear the ship for a practice anti-aircraft firing. The cruiser later recovered the helicopter before heading for Sasebo, Japan, for replenishment of fuel, ammunition, stores, and provisions.

''Worcester'' remained at Sasebo from 7 to 10 September and got underway at 05:32 on 11 September, again with TF 77, and proceeded to the operation area in the Yellow Sea to support a large-scale amphibious assault by United Nations (UN) forces against enemy forces in the Inchon and Seoul areas of Korea.

''Worcester'' subsequently supported the Inchon landing — an attack aimed at outflanking the North Korean invaders by a strategic landing behind their lines in South Korea masterminded by General Douglas MacArthur. ''Worcester'' screened the fast carrier task forces as their planes dropped lethal loads on North Korean targets ashore until she was detached on 20 September to conduct a shore bombardment mission as part of TG 95.2 in the vicinity of Pohang Dong. Proceeding to the objective via the straits north of the Quelpart Islands and west of Tsushima, the light cruiser rendezvoused with three miles off the east coast of Korea and 12 miles north of Pohang Dong.

Over the following days, ''Worcester'' patrolled off the coast with TG 95.2. She relieved ''Helena'' in her fire support duties at 06:00 on 24 September, freeing the heavy cruiser to proceed to Sasebo. While her own helicopter was aloft providing anti-submarine screening, ''Worcester'' commenced firing at 08:05, shelling nine North Korean troop concentrations ashore. Directed by Korean Military Advisory Group (KMAG) personnel ashore, ''Worcester'' delivered call-fire throughout the day with pinpoint accuracy at troop concentrations and command posts. Relieved by as fire support ship, ''Worcester'' patrolled in company with to seaward of the fire support area for the night.

''Worcester'' returned the following day and resumed her fire support duties, harassing the retreating North Korean forces. Throughout 25 September, ''Worcester''—using KMAG spotting from shore—delivered fire support for the advancing UN forces, breaking up communist troop concentrations with 6-inch fire. As the ship's war diary at one point recorded: "Spotter reported troops dispersed. KMAG reported that all firing has been very effective and instrumental in enemy retreat."

''Worcester'' spent the night hours on 25 September and into 26 September patrolling eight miles of a stretch of coast between Yonghae and Utchin. The rapid advance of the UN forces on 26 September obviated fire support from ''Worcester''s guns; but the cruiser received word that ''Brush'' had hit a naval mine off Tanchon, North Korea, at 12:20. While ''Samuel N. Moore'' took over the on-call fire support duties in the vicinity, ''Worcester'' sailed at and went to ''Brush''s aid.

The cruiser found ''Brush'' down by the bow with a 3-degree port list. There were five dead and 30 injured. At 01:01 on 27 September, ''Worcester'' commenced taking on board the more seriously wounded of the destroyer's company via highline transfer, eventually receiving 15 stretcher cases—all men suffering from burns—by 02:28. The cruiser then altered course for Japan and, later that day, took on board four more stretcher patients, six ambulatory patients, and a corpse. At that time, two hospital-men—who had been transferred from ''Worcester'' to ''Brush'' to tend the wounded on the destroyer—returned to the cruiser.

Proceeding in company with the crippled ''Brush'', , and , ''Worcester'' headed for Sasebo and reached port on 29 September. As she was being made fast to her buoy in Sasebo harbor, ''Worcester'' received a message from the destroyer that she had aided: "With us you are not only big league but world champions. The kindness, consideration and eagerness to help ''Worcester's'' ship's company will never be forgotten by the ''Brush''."

The stay in Sasebo, however, proved a short one for ''Worcester'', because she got underway on the 30th to return to Korean waters to resume her fire support and interdiction duties. At 06:00 on 1 October, ''Worcester'' joined the blockading force off the east coast of Korea, south of the 41st parallel, ready to render gunfire support for UN troops advancing against North Korean forces. As she patrolled off the coast, ''Worcester'' launched her helicopter to conduct anti-submarine and anti-mine patrols and frequently stationed lookouts in the bows of the ship, their eyes peeled for mines. Periodically, the screening destroyers found and destroyed mines drifting nearby.

''Worcester''—having served as flagship for TG 95.2, Rear Admiral Charles C. Hartman embarked—arrived back at Sasebo for replenishment on 8 October and fueled there before disembarking Rear Admiral Hartman. While still at Sasebo, ''Worcester'' became a flagship again the next day when Rear Admiral Allan E. Smith, Commander, TF 95 came aboard. At 12:48 on 10 October, ''Worcester'' got underway to return to the east coast of Korea—this time to screen minesweeping operations at the port of Wonsan and to support the advance of the 3rd Republic of Korea (ROK) Army Division.

Early on the next day, the British destroyer , the Australian destroyer , and the Canadian destroyer joined ''Worcester''s group which already included the British light cruiser HMS ''Ceylon'' and the heavy cruiser ''Helena'' besides the American warships , , and . On 12 October, the battleship joined.

While ''Missouri''s helicopter searched the projected bombardment track for mines, the UN force formed up for battle. At 11:50, when a shell from an unobserved shore battery fell short of the group, it apparently signalled the beginning. ''Worcester'' hoisted the blue and white UN flag to the foretruck and commenced firing at exactly noon on 12 October. For almost the next 90-odd minutes, ''Worcester''s 6-inch guns hammered at iron works and railroad tunnels in the vicinity. The next day, she extended her target list to include railroad marshalling yards, tearing up sections of track and blasting rolling stock.

Over the next few days, ''Worcester'' and the ships accompanying her proceeded to rain destruction on targets of opportunity near Wonsan—targets that ranged from railroad marshalling yards to rolling stock and adjacent warehouse areas. Also, on 16 October, ''Worcester'', ''Helena'', and accompanying destroyers fired at unidentified radar contacts—"blips" on the radar screens that approached from the northward.

After returning to Sasebo, ''Worcester'' returned briefly to Wonsan to transfer mail, passengers, and her helicopter unit to Rochester on 21 October, before she sailed from Wonsan at 17:23 on that day, in company with ''Helena'' and screened by and . Joined later by , ''Worcester'' parted company with the others and, escorted only by ''Collett'', headed for Sasebo where, upon arrival, Rear Admiral Smith disembarked and shifted his flag to the destroyer tender .

''Worcester'' completed the transfer of helicopter personnel, spares, and equipment to Fleet Activities, Sasebo, and, at 17:01 on 23 October, headed for Yokosuka. She reached that port at 08:23 two days later. After replenishment, liberty for her crew, and the cleaning of two boilers, the light cruiser left the Far East on 27 October, bound for Pearl Harbor. The day after she sailed, ''Worcester'' received a dispatch from Admiral C. Turner Joy, Commander, Naval Forces, Far East, which said: "Upon the ''Worcester''s departure from the Far East I wish to extend a hearty 'well done' to the entire ship's company. Your rapid deployment from the European station to the Far East, followed by your immediate and most effective participation in the Korean effort, clearly demonstrates that your status of war readiness was excellent."

Returning to Philadelphia on 21 November—via Pearl Harbor and the Panama Canal—''Worcester'' later spent six days at Norfolk, 23 to 29 November, before she was overhauled at the Boston Naval Shipyard from 1 December 1950 to 20 March 1951. After another brief period at Norfolk from 22 to 30 March, the light cruiser operated at Guantanamo Bay on refresher training for nearly a month before she headed back to Norfolk. Departing that port on 15 May, ''Worcester'' headed for the Mediterranean and her third deployment to the 6th Fleet.

''Worcester'' conducted four more 6th Fleet "Med" deployments into the mid-1950s and twice visited northern European ports. During that time, she participated in fleet manoeuvres and exercises and paid good-will calls on many ports—ranging from Bergen, Norway; to Copenhagen, Denmark; to Dublin, Ireland; and Portsmouth, England. Between her foreign deployments were operations closer to home: local operations out of eastern seaboard ports like Boston and Norfolk. In addition, the ship also plied the warmer waters of the Caribbean and West Indies, ranging from Guantanamo Bay to Kingston, Jamaica.

Transferred from the Atlantic to the Pacific Fleet in January 1956, Worcester made two more deployments to operate with the 7th Fleet, visiting such highly frequented ports as Sasebo and Yokosuka, Japan; Hong Kong; Manila; as well as the Japanese ports of Hakodate, Nagasaki, Shimoda, Yokohama, and Kobe. Returning each time to her home port at Long Beach, California, the ship conducted local operations between her cruises in Pacific waters.

Decommissioning

On 2 September 1958, ''Worcester'' departed Long Beach and steamed for the Mare Island Naval Shipyard to commence the inactivation process. She was decommissioned at Mare Island on 19 December 1958 and simultaneously placed in reserve. ''Worcester'' was subsequently berthed at San Francisco and later, at Bremerton, Washington, before she was struck from the Navy list on 1 December 1970. She was sold to Zidell Explorations, Inc., of Portland, Oregon, for disposal on 5 July 1972. The light cruiser, which never fought in its designated role, was subsequently broken up for scrap.

Approximately 200 tons of her armor plate was sent to the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, west of Chicago, and the armor is being used for absorption shielding in the particle accelerator and experiment lines.

The bell of USS Worcester is on display at the first floor near back entrance of Worcester City Hall.

Gallery

File:USS Worcester (CL-144) at Venice in 1949.jpg, ''Worcester'' at Venice, Italy in 1949
File:Aerial view of USS Worcester (CL-144) in May 1949.jpg, ''Worcester'' in May, 1949
File:USS Worcester (CL-144) testing her anti-nuclear radiation washdown system on 7 July 1954 (NH 97335).jpg, ''Worcester'' testing her anti-nuclear radiation wash down system on 7 July 1954

Awards

* Combat Action Ribbon
* China Service Medal
* World War 2 Navy Occupation Medal with "Asia" and "Europe" clasps
* National Defense Service Medal
* Korean Service Medal with 2 awards
* Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
* United Nations Korea Medal
* Republic of Korea War Service Medal

References

Sources

*

External links

USS ''Worcester'' Association
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Worcester (CL-144)
Worcester-class cruisers
Ships built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation
1947 ships
Cold War cruisers of the United States
Korean War cruisers of the United States