>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1963) Vol. 2, p.103.







CHICAGO



CA-136

Displacement:  13,600 t.

Length:  674’11”

Beam:  70’10”

Draft:  20’6”

Speed:  33 k.

Complement:  1,142

Armament:  9 8”; 12 5”

Class: BALTIMORE



	The third CHICAGO (CA-136) was launched 20 August 1944 

by Philadelphia Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. E. J. Kelly; 

and commissioned 10 January 1945, Captain R. R. Hartung in 

command.



	The heavy cruiser sailed from Philadelphia 7 May 1945 

for Pearl Harbor, arriving 30 May.  On 28 June, after 

further training in the Hawaiian Islands, CHICAGO and NORTH 

CAROLINA (BB-55) departed Pearl Harbor and steamed to the 

Far East where they joined the 3d Fleet, 8 July.  CHICAGO 

supported carrier air strikes and furnished shore 

bombardment in the final attacks against the Japanese home 

islands until the cease-fire of 15 August.



	CHICAGO remained in Japan until November 1945 engaged 

in the demilitarization of Japanese bases.  On 7 November, 

she sailed from Tokyo for San Pedro, Calif. arriving 23 

November.  After overhaul and training, CHICAGO arrived at 

Shanghai 18 February 1946 for occupation duty.  She remained 

there until 28 March as flagship of the Yangtze Patrol Force 

and then sailed to Sasebo, Japan, where she became flagship 

of Naval Support Force, Japanese Empire Waters.  She visited 

several cities in north and south Japan before clearing for 

the west coast 14 January 1947.  She was placed out of 

commission in reserve at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, 6 June 

1947.  On 1 November 1958, CHICAGO was reclassified CG-11 

and early in 1959, began conversion to a guided missile 

cruiser with completion scheduled for 1962.



	CHICAGO (CA-136) received one battle star for World War 

II service.



	[Recommissioned on 2 May 1964, CHICAGO did not resemble 

her former self.  She possessed an all missile battery with 

Talos fore and aft, Tartar port and starboard of the bridge 

superstructure and Asroc amidships.  Two 5-inch/38 guns were 

added at the insistence of President Kennedy after he 

witnessed a surface to air missile from another ship fail to 

bring down a target drone.  ASW torpedo tubes were added to 

CHICAGO in 1968.  Anti-radar variants of Talos (RGM-8H) were 

used by CHICAGO, as well as OKLAHOMA CITY (CLG-5) and LONG 

BEACH (CGN-9), to strike North Vietnamese radar 

installations.  The cruiser served as primary air defense 

during the mining of Haiphong harbor in 1972.  She and other 

missile equipped surface ships had the primary air defense 

responsibility, with distant aircraft carriers acted as 

back-up.  On at least one occasion, MIGs appeared on radar, 

heading toward the low and slow mining aircraft.  CHICAGO 

shot one MIG down with her Talos at a distance of 48 

nautical miles.  The other MIGs fled.  Decommissioned on 1 

March 1980 and stricken on 31 January 1984, CHICAGO was sold 

on 9 December 1991.

K. Jack Bauer and Stephen S. Roberts, “Register of Ships of 

the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.155.

“Conway’s All The World’s Fighting Ships, 1947-1995,” 

pp.577, 578.]





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com