USS Pittsburgh (CA-72)

History of the USS Pittsburgh Cruiser

The USS Pittsburgh (CA-72) was originally planned as the USS Albany. She was ordered for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her keel was laid down by the Bethlehem Steel Company in Massachusetts on February 3, 1943. She was launched on February 22, 1944 and commissioned on October 10, 1944 under the command of John Edward Gingrich.

USS Pittsburgh arrived at Ulithi on February 13, 1943. She joined Task Force 58 and was assigned to Task Group 58.2 to protect the carrier USS Lexington. The cruiser screened the carriers during air strikes on Tokyo, aiding in the upcoming invasion of Iwo Jima. Her fire support continued until March 1 for this operation.

Later in March, the USS Pittsburgh moved on to hit targets at Kyushu. On March 19, she rescued 34 men from the water when the USS Franklin was hit in a Japanese air raid. The cruiser towed the burning ship to safety, and the USS Franklin was able to sail under her own power the next day for repairs.

From March 23 until April 27, USS Pittsburgh supported the invasion of Okinawa. She headed back to Ulithi for replenishment before returning to the Nansei Shoto and southern Japan in May. The cruiser was damaged by a typhoon on June 4, but she had no casualties. The cruiser sailed to Puget Sound Navy Yard in Washington for repairs, arriving on July 16. After the war ended, she was decommissioned on March 7, 1947.

With the onset of the Korean War, the USS Pittsburgh was recommissioned on September 25, 1951. She sailed for the Mediterranean with the Sixth Fleet from February 11 until May 20, 1952. Upon her return, she conducted exercises and special operations in the Atlantic and the Caribbean.

Over the next few years, USS Pittsburgh made two more cruises to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. In 1954, she joined the Seventh Fleet at Yokosuka. While in the Far East, she helped cover the evacuation of the Tachen Islands.

The USS Pittsburgh was decommissioned on August 28, 1956. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on July 1, 1973 and sold for scrap on August 1, 1974. The cruiser earned two 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

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships – USS Pittsburgh