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| The USS ''Baltimore'' was commissioned in April 1943 and first saw service with Task Force 52 at the invasion of Makin in the Gilbert Islands, providing artillery support and anti-air screening for the escort carriers. The cruiser would also take part in the invasion of Marshall Islands, raid on Palau Islands, and invasion of Iwo Jima. The main task for the ''Baltimore'' was to support and provide anti-air cover for the carriers it was grouped with, such as the ''Saratoga'', ''Lexington'', and ''Princeton''. In July 1944, it became the Presidential flagship and transported Franklin D. Roosevelt to Pearl Harbor, where he met with Admiral Nimitz & General MacArthur. It was only a short while before it would transfer the Presidential party to the USS ''Cummings'' and be relieved of its duty as Presidential flagship. The ''Baltimore'' returned to its duties as a carrier escort in December 1944.<br /> | | | The USS ''Baltimore'' was commissioned in April 1943 and first saw service with Task Force 52 at the invasion of Makin in the Gilbert Islands, providing artillery support and anti-air screening for the escort carriers. The cruiser would also take part in the invasion of Marshall Islands, raid on Palau Islands, and invasion of Iwo Jima. The main task for the ''Baltimore'' was to support and provide anti-air cover for the carriers it was grouped with, such as the ''Saratoga'', ''Lexington'', and ''Princeton''. In July 1944, it became the Presidential flagship and transported Franklin D. Roosevelt to Pearl Harbor, where he met with Admiral Nimitz & General MacArthur. It was only a short while before it would transfer the Presidential party to the USS ''Cummings'' and be relieved of its duty as Presidential flagship. The ''Baltimore'' returned to its duties as a carrier escort in December 1944.<br /> |
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? | Between 17 May and 11 June, 1945, while operating off the island of Okinawa, a typhoon caused damage to the bow of the ship. This marked the end of the ''Baltimore'''s wartime service, as the Japanese surrendered while it was under repairs in Pearl Harbor. In the aftermath of the war, the cruiser carried out three 'Magic Carpet' missions, ferrying soldiers between Pearl Harbor & the US west coast. The cruiser was decommissioned in 29 April 1947, before being recommissioned for the Korean War in November 1951. However, the cruiser would never take a direct part in the war. Instead, the ''Baltimore'''s only major task was to visit Britain as a representative of the US Navy for Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Review. Other than a few tours with the 6th & 7th fleets, the cruiser would be finally placed in reserve on January 1, 1956 and decommissioned May 31, 1956. She was struck off the Navy List on February 15, 1971. | | + | Between 17 May and 11 June, 1945, while operating off the island of Okinawa, a typhoon caused damage to the bow of the ship. This marked the end of the ''Baltimore's'' wartime service, as the Japanese surrendered while it was under repairs in Pearl Harbor. In the aftermath of the war, the cruiser carried out three 'Magic Carpet' missions, ferrying soldiers between Pearl Harbor & the US west coast. The cruiser was decommissioned in 29 April 1947, before being recommissioned for the Korean War in November 1951. However, the cruiser would never take a direct part in the war. Instead, the ''Baltimore's'' only major task was to visit Britain as a representative of the US Navy for Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Review. Other than a few tours with the 6th & 7th fleets, the cruiser would be finally placed in reserve on January 1, 1956 and decommissioned May 31, 1956. She was struck off the Navy List on February 15, 1971. |
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Baltimore — American Tier VIII cruiser.
With the beginning of World War II, restrictions on building heavy cruisers were lifted. A new ship was based on USS Wichita, but it was decided to go for a more substantial change in the design, strengthening the anti-aircraft armament. USS Baltimore took part in fire support and covering missions in support of such operations as the Kwajalein invasion, the raid on Truk, the Eniwetok seizure, and the Mariana and Palau Islands attacks. She fought in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and participated in the invasion of Okinawa and Iwo Jima.