USS Biloxi (CL-80)
History of the USS Biloxi Cruiser
The USS Biloxi (CL-80) was ordered for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her keel was laid down by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Virginia. She was launched on February 23, 1943 and commissioned on August 31, 1943 under the command of Captain Daniel Michael McGurl.
Upon her commissioning, USS Biloxi joined Cruiser Division 13. Her first combat action involved the seizure of Eniwetok from January 31 until February 8, 1944. Later that month, she assisted in the raids on Truk and the Mariana Islands. The cruiser moved on to support the raids on Palau, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai at the end of March and beginning of April.
At the end of April, the USS Biloxi moved on to conduct raids in support of the landings at Hollandia. She then helped raid Truk, Satawan, and Ponape before screening the carriers for the invasion of Saipan in mid-June. The cruiser also took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, a decisive victory for the Allied forces.
In the beginning of July, USS Biloxi participated in the third raid of the Bonin Islands. She then bombarded Chichi Jima before aiding in the occupation of Guam. From July 25 to July 27, the cruiser screened the carrier raids on Palau, Yap, and Ulithi. On August 4-5, she was also involved in the fourth raid on the Bonins.
From August 31 into September, the USS Biloxi took part in the raids on Yap, the Volcano Islands, and the Bonins. She then moved on to support the occupation of the southern Palau Islands from September 6 until the first week of October. On October 10, she covered the raid on Okinawa. For the next month or two, she would also join in the raids on Luzon and Formosa.
USS Biloxi was involved in the Battle of Leyte Gulf from October 24 until October 26. After returning for more raids on Luzon brought her into January 1945, the cruiser raided the coast of China on January 12 and January 16. In February, she aided in the Fifth Fleet raids on Honshu and the Nansei Shoto.
On February 15, the USS Biloxi was part of the covering force for the invasion of Iwo Jima. She remained to support operations there for the next few weeks. She then supported operations at Okinawa starting on March 25. Two days later, she was damaged by a kamikaze attack that left an unexploded 500 kg bomb behind.
The USS Biloxi headed back to the West Coast on April 27 for a much needed overhaul. After her yard work was completed, she returned to the war zone, aiding in the Wake Island attack on July 18. The cruiser arrived at Leyte Gulf on August 14, one day before the Japanese surrendered. She remained in the area to help evacuate Allied prisoners of war (POWs) from Nagasaki and support occupation forces.
Sailing to Pearl Harbor on November 9, USS Biloxi arrived on the West Coast on January 15, 1946. She was decommissioned on October 29, 1946, struck from the Naval Vessel Register on September 1, 1961, and sold for scrap on March 5, 1962. The cruiser was awarded nine 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
