USS St. Louis (CL-49)
History of the USS St. Louis Cruiser
The USS St. Louis (CL-49) 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 December 10, 1936. She was launched on April 15, 1938 and commissioned on May 19, 1939 under the command of Captain Charles H. Morrison.
During her early career, USS St. Louis conducted Neutrality Patrol in the West Indies and the North Atlantic. After nearly a year, she was transferred to the Pacific Fleet, arriving at Pearl Harbor on December 12, 1940. The cruiser took part in maneuvers and patrol duty over the winter before heading to Mare Island Navy Yard in California for overhaul.
Upon her return to Pearl Harbor, the USS St. Louis got underway for patrol duty between Wake Island, Midway Atoll, and Guam with other Battle Force cruisers. She put in at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for upkeep on September 28, 1941.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, USS St. Louis was moored to the pier in Southeast Lock. She was at general quarters within minutes of enemy aircraft being sighted, and her gunners took down several of the Japanese planes. The cruiser put out to sea to pursue the enemy, but her search was unsuccessful.
USS St. Louis set sail with Task Force 17 on January 6, 1942 to escort the transports carrying the Marine Expeditionary Force to Samoa. She covered their arrival at Pago Pago before screening the carrier strikes on the Marshall Islands and the Gilbert Islands. The cruiser then took up escort duty, including a voyage alongside the USS President Coolidge and the carrier President Quezon of the Philippines to San Francisco.
After delivering reinforcements to Midway in May, the USS St. Louis sailed with Task Force 8 to the Aleutian Islands. She patrolled Alaskan Waters throughout the summer, bombarding Kiska in August and covering the occupation of Adak. The cruiser departed on October 25 for overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard.
Once her yard work was completed, USS St. Louis got underway for New Caledonia on December 4 with a convoy of transports. In January 1943, she moved on to bombard Munda and Kolombangara. She spent five months raiding Japanese ships in the Solomon Islands.
The USS St. Louis bombarded enemy shore targets in New Georgia on July 4-5. The next day, she became involved in the Battle of Kula Gulf, during which the USS Helena was lost. The cruiser was damaged the following week in the Battle of Kolombangara, but her crew suffered no casualties. She headed to Espiritu Santo for temporary repairs before proceeding to Mare Island Navy Yard to finish the job.
Her repair work was finished by November, and USS St. Louis arrived back in the war zone to cover the ground troops on Bougainville. She bombarded shore targets on Bougainville and in the Shortland Islands before covering the landing of reinforcement troops at Cape Torokina. On January 13, 1945, she supported the troop landings in the Green Islands.
On January 14, the USS St. Louis was the target of enemy bombers. There was one direct hit and five near misses, killing 23 men and injuring 20 others. Her scout planes were inoperable, her ventilation system was damaged, and her after engine room was out of commission. After another air attack the next day, she was ordered to Purvis Bay for repairs.
Over the next few months, USS St. Louis supported operations in the Mariana Islands with Task Force 52. She remained north of Saipan during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. In July, she provided pre-invasion bombardment and fire support for the troop landings at Guam. The cruiser then headed back to California via Pearl Harbor for overhaul.
When her overhaul was completed, the USS St. Louis arrived back at Leyte Gulf on November 16. While patrolling Surigao Strait, she was struck by a kamikaze on November 27, killing or injuring all men stationed at gun turrets No. 7-10. Another kamikaze tore up her hull and took off 20 feet of armor belt. By the end of the attack, 15 men were dead, 21 were seriously injured, 1 was missing, and 22 others had minor injuries. After transferring her seriously injured men, she put in for temporary repairs at San Pedro Bay before proceeding to California for permanent repairs.
Upon her return to the war zone in March 1945, USS St. Louis screened the carrier strikes on the Japanese home islands. She then joined Task Force 54 to bombard Okinawa and support the minesweepers and underwater demolition teams there. After replenishing at Kerama Retto, she returned to cover the invasion on April 1.
USS St. Louis moved on to cover minesweeping operations off Iwo Jima before returning to support ongoing operations at Okinawa. She was transferred to Task Force 95 on July 25 to screen the carriers during air strikes against mainland Asia. When the war ended in August, the cruiser was assigned to the Yangtze River Patrol Force. In October, she helped transport units of the Chinese Army to Formosa.
After conducting several Operation Magic Carpet voyages to bring American veterans home from the war, the USS St. Louis was decommissioned on June 20, 1946. She was transferred to the Brazilian Navy and struck from the United States Naval Vessel Register on January 22, 1951. The cruiser served Brazil as the Tamandare until she was stricken in 1976 and sold for scrap, though she sank while under tow. USS St. Louis received 11 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
