USS Phoenix (CL-46)
History of the USS Phoenix Cruiser
The USS Phoenix (CL-46) was ordered for the U.S. Navy between World War I and World War II. Her keel was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in New Jersey on April 15, 1938. She was launched on March 13, 1938 and commissioned on October 3, 1938 under the command of Captain John W. Rankin.
Before World War II, USS Phoenix cruised down to South America and the Caribbean, returning to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in January 1939. She was transferred to the West Coast for a short time before her homeport shifted again to Pearl Harbor. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, she was anchored near the USS Solace, her gunners fighting off enemy aircraft. The cruiser escaped damage and joined the unsuccessful search for the enemy carriers.
After the attack, the USS Phoenix escorted the first convoy from Hawaii back to the United States. Her convoy duty continued until she was sent to Melbourne. She took up convoy duty in Australian waters before moving on to patrol the Indian Ocean in March 1942. The cruiser escorted a convoy to Bombay before aiding in the evacuation of Java.
USS Phoenix operated out of Australia until July 1943, when she returned to Philadelphia Navy Yard in Pennsylvania for overhaul. Once her work was completed, she carried Secretary of State Cordell Hull to Casablanca. She then proceeded to the South Pacific to join the Seventh Fleet.
One day after Christmas, the USS Phoenix bombarded New Britain to cover the troop landings there. On January 25, 1944, she raided Madang and Alexishafen in New Guinea. At the end of February, she headed to the Admiralty Islands to cover the troop landings at Los Negros Island. She moved on to bombard other islands in the Admiralties in March.
In April, USS Phoenix supported the invasion of Hollandia. At the end of the month, she fired on targets at Wakde and Sawar. She continued her fire support in this area in May, supporting the troop landings on several islands in New Guinea. The cruiser was damaged by an aerial bomb exploding close by on June 4, killing one man and injuring four others, but she was able to remain on station.
The USS Phoenix conducted pre-invasion bombardment of Noemfoor Island before the July 2 invasion. She moved on to support the occupation of Morotai in September, then covered the troop landings at Halmahera Island.
In October, USS Phoenix was assigned to the Close Covering Group for the pre-invasion bombardment of Leyte. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, she scored a hit on the Japanese battleship Yamashiro, which sank in under 30 minutes. On November 1, her patrol group was attacked by torpedo bombers, damaging several of the American ships. The cruiser helped splash some of their kamikaze attackers.
Kamikaze attack continued throughout December as the USS Phoenix sailed to Mindoro to cover the troop landings. She then proceeded to Lingayen Gulf in support of the Luzon invasion. In February 1945, she supported operations on Bataan and Corregidor. By the summertime, she was covering minesweeping operations at Balikpapan.
USS Phoenix was headed back to Pearl Harbor for overhaul when the war ended. On September 6, she transited the Panama Canal and joined the Atlantic Fleet. She was decommissioned on July 3, 1946 and sold to the Argentine Navy on April 9, 1951. The cruiser served Argentina as the Diecisiete de Octubre (C-4) until she was sunk by the HMS Conqueror during the Falklands War in 1982. USS Phoenix received 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
