View source for USS Atlanta (CL-104)

{{short description|Light cruiser of the United States Navy}}
{{other ships|USS Atlanta}}
{{Use shortened footnotes|date=October 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Atlanta (CL-104) leaves Seattle on 27 June 1948 (NH 98878).jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Atlanta'', [[Seattle]], June 1948
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1965}}
|Ship name=''Atlanta''
|Ship namesake=City of [[Atlanta, Georgia]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[New York Shipbuilding Corporation]], [[Camden, New Jersey]]
|Ship laid down=25 January 1943
|Ship launched=6 February 1944
|Ship sponsor=[[Margaret Mitchell]]
|Ship commissioned=3 December 1944
|Ship decommissioned=1 July 1949
|Ship struck=1 October 1962
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship reinstated=15 May 1964
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship struck=1 April 1970
|Ship fate=Sunk as a [[target ship]], 1 October 1970 
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Ship class={{sclass|Cleveland|cruiser|0}} [[light cruiser]]
|Ship displacement=
*[[Standard displacement|Standard]]: {{convert|11744|LT|t|lk=on}}
*[[Full load]]: {{convert|14131|LT|t}}
|Ship length={{convert|610|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|66|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|24|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=
*4 × [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s 
*{{cvt|100000|shp|kW|lk=in}}
|Ship propulsion=
*4 × [[steam turbines]]
*4 × [[Propeller|screw propellers]]
|Ship speed={{convert|32.5|kn|lk=in}} 
|Ship range={{cvt|11000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{cvt|15|kn}}
|Ship complement=1,285 officers and enlisted
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=
* 12 × [[6"/47 caliber Mark 16 gun|{{cvt|6|in|0}} Mark 16 guns]]
* 12 × [[5"/38 caliber gun|{{cvt|5|in|0}}/38 caliber]] guns
* 28 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|{{cvt|40|mm}} Bofors]] [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft guns]]
* 10 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|{{cvt|20|mm}} Oerlikon]] anti-aircraft guns
|Ship armor=
*[[Armor belt|Belt]]: {{cvt|3.5|-|5|in}}
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{cvt|2|in}}
*[[Barbette]]s: {{cvt|6|in|0}}
*[[Gun turret|Turret]]s: {{cvt|6|in|0}}
*[[Conning tower|Conning Tower]]: {{cvt|5|in|0}}
|Ship aircraft=4 × [[floatplane]]s
|Ship aircraft facilities=2 × [[stern]] [[Aircraft catapult|catapults]] 
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''USS ''Atlanta''''' was a {{sclass|Cleveland|cruiser|0}} [[light cruiser]] of the [[United States Navy]], which were built during [[World War II]]. The [[ship class|class]] was designed as a development of the earlier {{sclass|Brooklyn|cruiser|1}}s, the size of which had been limited by the [[First London Naval Treaty]]. The start of the war led to the dissolution of the treaty system, but the dramatic need for new vessels precluded a new design, so the ''Cleveland''s used the same [[hull (watercraft)|hull]] as their predecessors, but were significantly heavier. The ''Cleveland''s carried a [[main battery]] of twelve [[6"/47 caliber gun|{{convert|6|in|adj=on|0}} guns]] in four three-gun [[gun turret|turrets]], along with a [[secondary armament]] of twelve [[5"/38 caliber gun|{{cvt|5|in|0}}]] [[dual-purpose gun]]s. They had a top speed of {{convert|32.5|kn|lk=in}}.

The ship was laid down on 25 January 1943 at [[Camden, New Jersey]], by the [[New York Shipbuilding Corporation]], launched on 6 February 1944, sponsored by [[Margaret Mitchell]] (author of ''[[Gone with the Wind (novel)|Gone with the Wind]]'', who also sponsored the previous {{USS|Atlanta|CL-51|6}}), and commissioned on 3 December 1944, [[Captain (United States O-6)#U.S. Navy|Captain]] B. H. Colyear in command.

==Design==
{{main|Cleveland-class cruiser}}
[[File:80-G-165992 Cleveland class camouflage measure 33.jpg|thumb|left|Depiction of the ''Cleveland'' class, showing the plan and profile]]

The ''Cleveland''-class [[light cruiser]]s traced their origin to design work done in the late 1930s; at the time, light cruiser [[displacement (ship)|displacement]] was limited to {{cvt|8000|LT|lk=in}} by the [[Second London Naval Treaty]]. Following the start of [[World War II]] in September 1939, Britain announced it would suspend the treaty for the duration of the conflict, a decision the [[US Navy]] quickly followed. Though still neutral, the United States recognized that war was likely and the urgent need for additional ships ruled out an entirely new design, so the ''Cleveland''s were a close development of the earlier {{sclass|Brooklyn|cruiser|1}}s, the chief difference being the substitution of a two-gun {{cvt|5|in|0}} [[dual-purpose gun]] mount for one of the [[main battery]] {{cvt|6|in|0}} [[gun turret]]s.{{sfn|Friedman 1984|pp=245–247}}

''Atlanta'' was {{convert|610|ft|1|in|0}} [[length overall|long overall]] and had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|66|ft|4|in|abbr=on}} and a [[draft (nautical)|draft]] of {{convert|24|ft|6|in|abbr=on}}. Her [[standard displacement]] amounted to {{convert|11744|LT|t|abbr=on|0}} and increased to {{convert|14131|LT|t|abbr=on}} at [[Full-load displacement|full load]]. The ship was powered by four General Electric [[steam turbines]], each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four oil-fired [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s. Rated at {{convert|100000|shp|lk=on}}, the turbines were intended to give a top speed of {{convert|32.5|kn|lk=in}}. Her crew numbered 1285&nbsp;officers and enlisted men.{{sfn|Friedman 1980|p=119}}

The ship was armed with a main battery of twelve [[6"/47 caliber gun|6 in /47-caliber Mark 16 guns]]{{efn|/47 refers to the length of the gun in terms of [[Caliber (artillery)|calibers]]. A /47 gun is 47 times long as it is in bore diameter.}} in four 3-gun turrets on the centerline. Two were placed forward in a [[superfire|superfiring pair]]; the other two turrets were placed aft of the [[superstructure]] in another superfiring pair. The secondary battery consisted of twelve [[5"/38 caliber gun|{{cvt|5|in|0}} /38-caliber]] dual-purpose guns mounted in twin turrets. Two of these were placed on the centerline, one directly behind the forward main turrets and the other just forward of the aft turrets. Two more were placed abreast of the [[conning tower]] and the other pair on either side of the aft superstructure. Anti-aircraft defense consisted of twenty-eight [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|Bofors {{cvt|40|mm}} guns]] in four quadruple and six double mounts and ten [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|Oerlikon {{cvt|20|mm}} guns]] in single mounts.{{sfn|Friedman 1980|p=119}}

The ship's [[belt armor]] ranged in thickness from {{cvt|3.5|to|5|in}}, with the thicker section [[amidships]] where it protected the ammunition magazines and propulsion machinery spaces. Her deck armor was {{cvt|2|in}} thick. The main battery turrets were protected with {{cvt|6.5|in}} faces and {{cvt|3|in}} sides and tops, and they were supported by [[barbette]]s 6&nbsp;inches thick. ''Atlanta''{{'}}s conning tower had 5-inch sides.{{sfn|Friedman 1980|p=119}}

==Service history==

===Construction and World War II===
[[File:USS Atlanta (CL-104) at New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey (USA), on 22 November 1944 (19-LCM-CL104-9-10).jpg|thumb|left|''Atlanta'' during [[fitting out]] in November 1944]]

''Atlanta'' was [[keel laying|laid down]] at the [[New York Shipbuilding Corporation]] in [[Camden, New Jersey]], on 25 January 1943. She was [[ship launching|launched]] 6 February 1944,{{sfn|Friedman 1980|p=120}} and at the launching ceremony, she was christened by [[Margaret Mitchell]], the author of ''[[Gone with the Wind (novel)|Gone with the Wind]]''.{{sfn|DANFS}} The ship was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 3 December that year with the [[hull number]] CL-104.{{sfn|Friedman 1980|p=120}} ''Atlanta'' embarked on a [[shakedown cruise]] on 5 January 1945 in [[Chesapeake Bay]] and later south to the [[Caribbean Sea]]. She concluded her initial training cruise at [[Norfolk, Virginia]], on 14 February. She then sailed north to [[Philadelphia]] for maintenance before departing on 27 March to join the US fleet in the Pacific. ''Atlanta'' passed through [[Guantánamo Bay, Cuba]], while en route, transited the [[Panama Canal]], and arrived in [[Pearl Harbor]] on 18 April. She carried out training exercises in the area through 1 May, before departing on 12 May to join [[Task Force 58]] at [[Ulithi]].{{sfn|DANFS}}

''Atlanta'' served in the defensive screen for the task force's [[aircraft carrier]]s, which operated off [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]] from 22 to 27 May; the carriers repeatedly struck Japanese positions in the area to prepare for the imminent [[invasion of Okinawa]].{{sfn|DANFS}} While cruising at sea on 5 June, the fleet was struck by a major [[typhoon]] that damaged most of the ships, including ''Atlanta''.{{sfn|Rohwer|p=419}} ''Atlanta'' was detached on 13 June and sent to [[San Pedro Bay (Philippines)|San Pedro Bay]] in the Philippines for periodic maintenance. She arrived there the following day, and the work lasted through the end of the month. She got underway on 1 July to rejoin the task force, which had by that time passed to [[United States Third Fleet|3rd Fleet]] and had been re-numbered as Task Force 38.{{sfn|DANFS}} ''Atlanta'' was assigned to the subordinate unit, Task Group 38.1, once again serving in the screen for the carriers. At that time, the unit consisted five carriers, three [[fast battleship]]s, four other cruisers, and several [[destroyer]]s.{{sfn|Rohwer|p=421}} The carriers conducted a series of strikes on the Japanese [[Japanese archipelago|Home Islands]] over the following weeks, and ''Atlanta'' took part in [[Allied naval bombardments of Japan during World War II|several shore bombardments]] during this period.{{sfn|DANFS}}

On 18 July, ''Atlanta'' was temporarily transferred to Task Group 35.4, along with the cruisers {{USS|Topeka|CL-67|2}}, {{USS|Dayton|CL-105|2}}, and {{USS|Duluth|CL-87|2}} and eight destroyers. The unit carried out a sweep for Japanese coastal shipping that night, but failed to locate any significant targets.{{sfn|Rohwer|p=422}} By mid-August, ''Atlanta'' was patrolling off the coast of [[Honshū]] when Japan announced on the 15th that it would surrender.{{sfn|DANFS}} ''Atlanta'' entered [[Sagami Bay]] on 27 August with the rest of TF&nbsp;38 to begin preparations for the formal surrender of Japan, which took place aboard the battleship {{USS|Missouri|BB-63|2}} on 2 September.{{sfn|Rohwer|pp=428–429}} ''Atlanta'' moved to [[Tokyo Bay]] on 16 September during the initial occupation of Japan. On 30 September, she departed to return to the United States with more than 500 passengers. The ship passed through [[Guam]] on the way to [[Seattle]], Washington, arriving there on 24 October. From there, she steamed south to [[Terminal Island]], California, for extensive maintenance. The ship earned two [[battle star]]s during her short wartime career.{{sfn|DANFS}}

===Post-War===
[[File:USS Atlanta (CL-104) at sea, en route to Sydney, Australia, 13 May 1947.jpg|thumb|left|''Atlanta'' on the way to Australia in 1947]]

On 3 January 1946, ''Atlanta'' departed California, bound for [[Sasebo]], Japan. Over the following six months, she toured the Far East, visiting a number of ports including [[Manila]], Philippines; [[Qingdao]] and [[Shanghai]], China; Okinawa, [[Nagasaki]], [[Kagoshima]], and [[Yokosuka]], Japan; and [[Saipan]] in the [[Mariana Islands]]. The ship returned to the San Pedro, California, on 27 June by way of Guam. She was moved to the [[San Francisco Naval Shipyard]] two days later for an overhaul. She got underway again on 8 October to conduct [[sea trials]] out of [[San Diego, California]]. ''Atlanta'' operated off California into February 1947, until she departed on the 23rd to take part in training exercises held off Hawaii. She thereafter joined Task Force 38 to visit Australia, departing Pearl Harbor on 1 May. The ships had a lengthy stay in [[Sydney, Australia]], before departing on 27 May to return home. They stopped at [[Guadalcanal]], [[Tulagi]], and Guam on the way back to San Pedro, which they reached on 28 July.{{sfn|DANFS}}

''Atlanta'' participated in a series of exercises held off California over the following weeks. On 28 September, she returned to Pearl Harbor in preparation for another tour of East Asia. The ship visited Yokosuka and Qingdao again, and also made stops in [[Keelung]], China, [[Hong Kong]], and [[Singapore]]. She departed the Far East on 27 April 1948, stopping in [[Kwajalein]] in the [[Marshall Islands]] and Pearl Harbor on the way back to San Diego, arriving on 19 May. ''Atlanta'' thereafter resumed training maneuvers off San Diego, which included a cruise north to [[Juneau, Alaska]], which lasted from 29 June to 6 July. Six days later, she stopped in Seattle for a lengthy overhaul. On 20 November, she departed for San Diego for another round of exercises. The ship embarked a contingent of [[United States Naval Reserve|naval reservists]] in early February 1949 for short training cruises between San Diego and San Francisco. On 1 March, the ship moved to the [[Mare Island Naval Shipyard]] to be readied for transfer to the [[reserve fleet]]. The ship was decommissioned on 1 July and assigned to the [[Pacific Reserve Fleet]]. ''Atlanta'' was struck from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on 1 October 1962.{{sfn|DANFS}}

The Navy decided to use ''Atlanta'' as a weapons testing ship, rather than simply [[ship breaking|break her up]]. She was moved to the San Francisco Naval Shipyard to be extensively rebuilt. Her upper deck and existing superstructure were removed and several experimental structures were installed; these were intended to be fitted to the next generation of [[guided-missile destroyer]]s and frigates. ''Atlanta'' would be used to test the resistance of these structures to explosions of various types. She was reinstated to the Naval Vessel Register on 15 May 1964 with the hull number IX-304. The ship was subjected to three tests in early 1965, designated [[Operation Sailor Hat]], which damaged the ship but did not sink her. She was subsequently [[laid up]] in [[Stockton, California]] in late 1965 and remained there for the next five years. She was struck from the register again on 1 April 1970 and expended as a [[target ship]] off [[San Clemente Island]] on 1 October.{{sfn|DANFS}}

==Footnotes==
===Notes===

{{notes}}

===Citations===

{{reflist|20em}}

==References==
* {{cite DANFS
  | title = Atlanta IV (CL-104)
  | url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/atlanta-cl-104-iv.html
  | date= 19 June 2015
  | access-date = 30 January 2022
  | ref={{sfnref|DANFS}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last=Friedman
  | first=Norman
  | chapter=United States of America
  | pages=86–166
  | editor1-last = Gardiner
  | editor1-first = Robert
  | editor2-last = Chesneau
  | editor2-first = Roger
  | year = 1980
  | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946
  | location = Annapolis
  | publisher = Naval Institute Press
  | isbn = 978-0-87021-913-9
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Friedman 1980}}
  |name-list-style=amp
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last=Friedman
  | first=Norman
  | year=1984
  | title=U.S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History
  | location=Annapolis
  | publisher=Naval Institute Press
  | isbn=978-0-87021-739-5
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Friedman 1984}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Rohwer
  | first = Jürgen
  | author-link = Jürgen Rohwer
  | year = 2005
  | title = Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two
  | publisher = Naval Institute Press
  | location = Annapolis
  | isbn = 978-1-59114-119-8
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Rohwer}}
  }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|USS Atlanta (CL-104)}}
*{{navsource|04/104/04104|USS Atlanta}}

{{Cleveland class cruiser}}
{{1970 shipwrecks}}

{{Coord|32.8796|-118.5081|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atlanta (Cl-104)}}
[[Category:Cleveland-class cruisers]]
[[Category:World War II cruisers of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the California coast]]
[[Category:Ships sunk as targets]]
[[Category:1944 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1970]]