Happy New Year’s Guys!
80 years ago today, drawn from the deck log of the veteran Cleveland-class light cruiser USS Denver (CL 58), while at sea headed to Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Saturday 1 January 1944, for much-needed overhaul following months of arduous combat in the South Pacific.
The U.S.S. DENVER is part of CRUISER DIVISION TWELVE and is assigned to TASK FORCE THIRTY-NINE, in the THIRD FLEET.
Commander TASK FORCE THIRTY-NINE is Rear Admiral A. S. MERRILL in the U.S.S. MONTPELIER.
TASK FORCE THIRTY-NINE consists of CRUISER DIVISION TWELVE and DESTROYER SQUADRON TWENTY-THREE less U.S.S. AULICK.
Proceeding to the UNITED STATES in accordance with directives of COMMANDER THIRD FLEET, under routing instructions of COMMANDE HAWAIIAN SEA FRONTIER.
00 – 04 Watch
The U.S.S. BOYD and DENVER too
Aboard both ships a happy crew,
On base course zero six three,
Which is true and P.G.C.
(Our Material is Baker – our Condition Three).The formation is a column
And is time two miles long,
With the BOYD aleading
And the DENVER following along.Captain Briscoe is OTC
Of all he surveys about the sea,
A couple of alleged cripples we
Steam along, knots twenty three,
Aheading for Frisco by the sea
With thoughts of leave and liberty.Kettles One and Two
And Engines Three and Four,
That’s all there is
There ain’t no more.
The SA and SG radars are in use
Asearching for what may be loose.For the Captain, Exec and Officers too
The Chiefs, PO’s and the crew,
To one and all about the craft
We wish a Happy New Year fore and aft.
Five months later, she was ready to get back into the fight.
USS Denver (CL-58) off the Mare Island Navy Yard, following an overhaul. She is painted in camouflage Measure 33, Design 3d, 3 May 1944. (Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph NH 98090)
Denver—along with her sister ships from CruDiv 12—received the Navy Unit Commendation for the 2 November 1943 Battle of Empress Augusta Bay. The cruiser received the Navy Occupation Service Medal and earned 11 battle stars for her World War II service.
Laid up in 1947, she was scrapped in 1960.