History of USS Portland and photographs of Japanese prisoners. (undated)
This collection consists of documents pertaining to the history (1931-1945) of the heavy cruiser USS PORTLAND (CA-33). A pre-World War II document contains information on the ship's construction, armament, its shakedown cruise, involvement in search and rescue operations concerning the airship AKRON, and the ship's use as an escort for the heavy cruiser USS HOUSTON (CA-30) that carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt during a vacation (1935).
World War II-related information contains an official war diary that documents PORTLAND' s participation in numerous engagements and operations (1941-1945). Included are details during actions in the Coral Sea (May, 1942); Midway (June, 1942); Guadalcanal (August & November, 1942); Santa Cruz Islands (October, 1942); Gilbert Islands (November, 1943); Marshall Islands (December, 1943-March, 1944); Carolina Islands (March-September, 1944); Leyte (October-November, 1944); Luzon (December, 1944-February, 1945); and Okinawa Shima (March-April, 1945). Specific information concerning battle damage suffered by the PORTLAND during the third savo at Guadalcanal is included, particularly its jammed turret that forced the cruiser to steam in circles while continuing to fight and damage control measures used to keep the ship functional (November, 1942). Other U.S. naval vessels are mentioned in the war diary and include heavy cruisers USS COLUMBIA (CA-74) and USS LOUISVILLE (CA-28); aircraft carriers USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6), USS LEXINGTON (CV-2), and USS YORKTOWN (CV-5); and battleship USS MARYLAND (BB-46). Also detailed are Japanese kamikaze raids (November, 1944; January and April, 1945) and submarine and midget submarine attacks (October, 1942; March, 1945).
Other records include an account of the Japanese surrender of the Carolina Islands at Truk on board the PORTLAND (September 2, 1945); lists of the PORTLAND' s achievements in sinking or damaging enemy ships and shooting down enemy aircraft; a description of the vessel's outstanding performances in battle; and a synopsis of the PORTLAND' s war-time actions that mentions its battle stars. Four photographs of Japanese officers during the Caroline surrender and one holiday greeting card depicting the PORTLAND finish the collection.
Gift of Mr. Carl Hicks
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.