USS Augusta (CA-31)
History of the USS Augusta Cruiser
The USS Augusta (CA-31) was originally designated as CL-31. She was ordered for the U.S. Navy between World War I and World War II. Her keel was laid down by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Virginia on July 2, 1928. She was launched on February 1, 1930 and commissioned on January 30, 1931 under the command of Captain James O. Richardson.
After shakedown, USS Augusta became the flagship for Vice Admiral Arthur L. Willard, Commander Scouting Force. While operating in New England waters during the summer of 1931, she was reclassified as a heavy cruiser, CA-31. The cruiser headed to Chesapeake Bay in September to participate in gunnery drills before entering Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia.
In January 1932, the USS Augusta sailed with the Scouting Force from Hampton Roads in Virginia to Guantanamo Bay for training operations. The ships departed in February to take part in Fleet Problem XIII in the Eastern Pacific. She remained on the West Coast with the rest of the Scouting Force in an effort to discourage Japanese aggression in China. The Scouting Force was still on the West Coast for Fleet Problem XIV the following year, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered to keep them there indefinitely. The cruiser was relieved as flagship in October.
On October 20, 1933, USS Augusta sailed to Shanghai to join the Asiatic Fleet. Upon her arrival on November 9, she became the flagship for Admiral Frank B. Upham, Commander in Chief of the Asiatic Fleet. During the following year, she operated in the Philippines, near China, and at Yokosuka, conducting training exercises and putting in for overhaul at Cavite and Olongapo.
USS Augusta departed Shanghai for Guam on October 5, 1934 under the command of Captain Chester W. Nimitz. From there, she headed to Australia, allowing her crew to celebrate crossing the Equator on October 14. During her visit, Admiral Upham visited Canberra and the ship celebrated the centennial ceremonies for at the port of Melbourne.
After her visit to Australia ended, the USS Augusta arrived at Batavia, now known as Jakarta, on November 25. She then proceeded to Bali, Sandakan, Zamboanga, Iloilo, and Manila. The cruiser remained in the Philippines until March 15, 1935, when she sailed to Hong Kong.
Over the next several years, USS Augusta would continue her visits to various ports in China and Japan in between operations in the Philippines. War between Japan and China led the cruiser to help in the evacuation of American citizens until attacks by the Chinese stopped her. She remained vigilant, reporting back what intelligence she could about the military forces of both nations.
The USS Augusta was moored at Tsingtao when Germany invaded Poland to start World War II. She remained with the Asiatic Fleet until she was relieved by the USS Houston as flagship on November 22, 1940, allowing her to return to the United States. The cruiser patrolled the waters north of Hawaii before putting in at Mare Island Navy Yard in California on December 10 for a major overhaul.
With her newly upgraded equipment, USS Augusta sailed from Mare Island on April 11, 1941. She arrived at Newport on April 23 and soon became the flagship for Admiral Ernest J. Kin, Commander in Chief of the Atlantic Fleet. The cruiser was chosen for special duty, serving as President Roosevelt’s flagship on a voyage to Argentia in Newfoundland to meet with Prime Minister Winston Churchill in August. The USS Augusta arrived with the President on August 7, and the HMS Prince of Wales arrived with the Prime Minister two days later.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, the USS Augusta was moored in Newport. She departed Newport on January 12, 1942, joining Task Group 22.7 one week later. In March, she and her Task Group got underway to patrol the waters of the Caribbean. The cruiser was detached on May 16, sailing instead to New York with the USS Hambleton and the USS Emmons. On March 18, the USS Hambleton rescued six survivors from the wreck of the Honduran steamer Ciepa.
USS Augusta conducted gunnery experiments out of Casco Bay before joining Task Force 36 in Newport on the way to Trinidad. After refueling, the cruiser was detached to proceed to Hampton Roads. On May 30, she became the flagship for Rear Admiral Alexander Sharp, Commander Task Force 22.
Over the next several months, the USS Augusta continued her operations in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. On October 23, 1942, she became the flagship for Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, Commander Task Force 34. The cruiser also embarked Major General George S. Patton and Rear Admiral John L. Hall, Jr. for the voyage to French Morocco for Operation Torch.
On November 8, USS Augusta arrived off Casablanca to support the troop landings. She spent the next three days protecting the American transports and invasion troops. The cruiser turned back a sortie of French units who were attempting to disrupt the troop landings on November 10. In four enemy engagements with naval ships and one with a shore battery, the cruiser dealt heavy damage to her opponents without sustaining damage to herself or injury to her crew.
After the French signed a cease-fire agreement with Allied forces on November 11, the USS Augusta was free to sail home with Task Force 34 nine days later. She headed back to New York via Norfolk, Virginia for a major overhaul that finished in time for her to put in at Newport, Rhode Island on February 15, 1943.
When USS Augusta completed a series of training activities, she joined Task Group 21.7 to escort the RMS Queen Mary to New York in May. In July, she escorted a convoy on a round trip to Scotland. After a brief stop at Argentia, the cruiser got underway for Scapa Flow with Task Force 22. Upon arrival, the task force was renamed Task Group 112.1 by the British Admiralty, and USS Augusta reported to the British Home Fleet on August 19.
The USS Augusta operated with the Royal Navy until November 26, when control passed back to the United States Navy. She sailed for Boston, Massachusetts with Task Force 68, arriving on December 3 for a brief overhaul. The cruiser headed to Casco Bay, Maine for training exercises on January 29, 1944.
In April, USS Augusta set out with a convoy, but she was detached and sent instead to Belfast. She arrived on April 15 and headed to Plymouth, England two days later. The cruiser became the flagship for Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk, Commander of Task Force 122. On May 25, she received King George VI as he came aboard to have lunch with Admiral Kirk.
When Allied forces invaded Normandy on June 6, the USS Augusta was there with U.S. Lieutenant General Omar Bradley onboard. The cruiser fired upon enemy shore installations to protect the invasion force. Four days later, General Bradley went ashore to establish headquarters there. The ship remained on station until July 1, when Admiral Kirk shifted his flag to the USS Thompson. She headed back to Plymouth before sailing with Task Group 120.6 to Algeria and Palermo.
On July 14 at Palermo, USS Augusta joined Task Force 86 and became the flagship for Rear Admiral L.A. Davidson. She got underway for Naples, where she would take part in shore bombardment exercises. Training continued until August 12, when she transported U.S. Brigadier General Benjamin W. Chidlaw to Corsica. Two days later, she sailed to southern France for Operation Dragoon as part of the Sitka Attack Group. Admiral Davidson transferred his flag to the USS Philadelphia on August 30, and the cruiser was detached from Task Force 86.
USS Augusta joined Cruiser Division 7 on September 1 at Naples. She made a visit to Algeria before sailing home for overhaul at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During this overhaul, there was an explosion onboard on November 20, killing three shipyard workers and injuring four crew members. Her yard work was completed on January 26, 1945.
From there, the USS Augusta got underway for Trinidad. On February 9, she called on San Juan, Puerto Rico. As she returned to the United States, she rendezvoused with the USS Quincy, which was carrying President Roosevelt back from the Yalta Conference. The cruiser covered the President’s approach to Hampton Roads before undergoing minor emergency repairs at Norfolk, Virginia.
Remaining in the United States for training, USS Augusta was at Casco Bay when the war in Europe ended. On July 7, she embarked President Harry S. Truman, Secretary of State James F. Byrnes, and Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy for the first leg of their voyage to the Potsdam Conference. She arrived at Antwerp on July 14, embarking General Dwight D. Eisenhower before proceeding to Plymouth. Her passengers returned to the ship on August 2, and she was paid a second visit by King George VI before she sailed home to disembark the President on August 7 at Newport.
After World War II ended, the USS Augusta conducted training operations before celebrating Navy Day in New York. The cruiser was open to the public from October 25-30, and she received over 23,000 visitors. She then underwent modifications so she could conduct Operation Magic Carpet duties, bringing American veterans home from war.
The USS Augusta was decommissioned on July 16, 1946. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on March 1, 1959 and sold for scrap on November 9, 1959. The cruiser earned three battle stars for her service in World War II.
The use of asbestos was common in shipbuilding components for much of the 20th Century because of its resistance to heat, fire, water and corrosion. Because of their asbestos exposure onboard ship and in the shipyards, seaman, shipyard workers and longshoreman are at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.
Sources include:
Asbestos and Ship-Building: Fatal Consequences, by John Hedley-Whyte and Debra R Milamed
