USS Alaska (CB–1)—the third ship to be named after the then-territory and present state

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

—was the lead ship

Lead ship

The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...

 of a planned six "large cruiser

Cruiser

A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...

"sMany contemporary historians believe that the Alaskas should be classified as battlecruiser

Battlecruiser

Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...

s instead. See Alaska class battlecruiser#"Large cruisers" or "battlecruisers"?. of the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

. Unlike normal U.S. battleship

Battleship

A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...

 and cruiser naming practices,With only a very few exceptions, U.S. battleships were named for states, e.g. or , while cruisers were named for cities, e.g. or . See United States ship naming conventions

United States ship naming conventions

United States ship naming conventions for the navy were established by United States Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt. However, elements had existed since before his time...

all of the members of the class—including Alaska—were named after "territories or insular areas" of the U.S. to signify their role between battleships and normal heavy or light cruisers.Alaska and Hawaii were "insular areas" of the United States at this time; they acceded to the Union as the forty-ninth and fiftieth States in 1959.

When the class was originally ordered on 9 September 1940, it came as a surprise to many because the U.S. had never finished a battlecruiser

Battlecruiser

Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...

 in its entire history, even when the type was in its "heyday" in 1906-1916.The two Lexington class

Lexington class aircraft carrier

The Lexington class aircraft carriers were the first operational aircraft carriers in the United States Navy. There were two ships in the class: and ....

 aircraft carriers of World War II fame ( and ) were originally part of a 1916 six-ship battlecruiser class

Lexington class battlecruiser

The Lexington-class battlecruisers were the only class of battlecruiser to ever be ordered by the United States Navy.The Lexington class were the only class of U.S. Navy ships to be officially referred to as battlecruisers. The World War II-era , officially classified as "large cruisers", but some...

. Due to the Washington Naval Treaty

Washington Naval Treaty

The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...

, they were converted to aircraft carriers, while the other four were all canceled. However, construction went ahead, and the first three, Alaska, and , were laid down at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey

Camden, New Jersey

The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...

 on 17 December 1941, 2 February 1942 and 20 December 1943, respectively.

Alaska was launched on 15 August 1943, and she was commissioned 11 months later on 17 June 1944. After many trials and a few modifications, she sailed for the Pacific in December of that year, reaching San Diego on the 12th. After sailing into the Western Pacific, she joined Task Force 58 (TF 58) in Ulithi

Ulithi

Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...

 on 10 February 1945, and the entire force sailed for the Japanese home islands

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. She continued protecting this force, and the carriers within it, for the next month; but on 19 March, was hit with two bombs and had to withdraw. An escort that included both Alaska and her sister, Guam, was formed to shepherd the carrier's way home to Guam

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

. Alaska departed this force on 22 March, and covered the aircraft carriers who were making strikes on Okinawa. After shelling a small island, she sailed again for Ulithi, where she joined the 3rd Fleet.

For the next two weeks, she covered the carriers of the 3d Fleet, and then Alaska, with her sister Guam once again, set course for the East China Sea

East China Sea

The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...

 to conduct raids on Japanese shipping, continuing this until the end of the war. After making a "show of force" at a few locations, she departed to cover landings in North China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. She subsequently sailed for the Boston Naval Yard

Boston Navy Yard

The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...

, arriving on 18 December. After she was prepared for inactivation, she was assigned a permanent berthing area at Bayonne, New Jersey

Bayonne, New Jersey

Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...

; on 13 August 1946, she was placed in "inactive status commission". Her final decommissioning was on 17 February 1947.

Though there were proposals to convert Alaska and her sister Guam to guided-missile cruisers, Alaska was struck from the Naval Vessel Register

Naval Vessel Register

The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...

 on 1 June 1960 and sold on 30 June to the Lipsett Division of Luria Brothers of New York City; she was subsequently broken up

Ship breaking

Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...

 for scrap.

Designing the class

Heavy cruiser development had been held steady between World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 and World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 by the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty

Washington Naval Treaty

The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...

 and successor treaties and conferences

Second London Naval Treaty

The Second London Naval Disarmament Conference opened in London, the United Kingdom, on 9 December 1935. It resulted in the Second London Naval Treaty which was signed on 25 March 1936.- Description :...

. In this treaty, the U.S., Britain

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, Japan, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, and Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 had agreed to limit heavy cruiser

Heavy cruiser

The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...

s to 10000 LT (10,160.5 t) displacement

Displacement (ship)

A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...

 with 8 in (203.2 mm) main armament. U.S. "treaty cruisers" designed between the wars followed this pattern. After the Treaty effectively lapsed in 1939, the designs were slightly enlarged into the Baltimore-class

Baltimore class cruiser

The Baltimore class cruiser was a type of heavy cruiser in the United States Navy from the last years of the Second World War. Fast and heavily armed, ships like the Baltimore cruisers were mainly used by the Navy in World War II to protect the fast aircraft carriers in carrier battle groups...

.

The original idea for a U.S. class of battlecruiser began in the late 1930s, when the U.S. Navy wanted to counter both the German

Kriegsmarine

The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...

 Scharnhorst-class and a new battlecruiser class (the notional Chichibu class) Japan supposedly had under construction.Jane's

Jane's Fighting Ships

Jane's Fighting Ships is an annual reference book of information on all the world's warships arranged by nation, including information on ship's names, dimensions, armaments, silhouettes and photographs, etc...

thought that this mythical battlecruiser would have six 12-inch guns and 30 kn (36.53 mph) speed packed into a 15,000-ton ship. See Worth, 305. The Alaskas were intended to serve as "cruiser-killers", in order to seek out and destroy this type of post-Treaty heavy cruiser. To facilitate this, it was planned that this new class would be given large guns of a new (and more expensive) design, limited armor protection against 12 in (304.8 mm) shells, and machinery capable of speeds up to 31.4 kn (38.2 mph; 61.5 km/h).

The initial impetus for the design of the Alaskas came from reports that Japan was planning and/or building "super cruisers" that were much more powerful than U.S. heavy cruisers.Japan actually developed plans for two of the "super cruisers" in 1941, though it was mostly in response to these new Alaskas. However, the ships were never ordered due to the greater need for carriers. The Navy responded in 1938, when a request from the General Board

General Board of the United States Navy

The General Board of the United States Navy was an advisory body of the United States Navy, effectively a naval general staff. The General Board was established by general order 544, issued on March 13, 1900 by John Davis Long. The order was officially recognized by Congress in 1916...

 was sent to the Bureau of Construction and Repair

Bureau of Construction and Repair

The Bureau of Construction and Repair was the part of the United States Navy which from 1862 to 1940 was responsible for supervising the design, construction, conversion, procurement, maintenance, and repair of ships and other craft for the Navy...

 for a "comprehensive study of all types of naval vessels for consideration for a new and expanded building program." The President of the time—Franklin Delano Roosevelt—might have inspired the idea for the class with his desire to have a counter to the raiding abilities of Japanese cruisers and German battlecruisers/"pocket battleships", but these claims are hard to verify.

The design process of the Alaska class was "torturous" because of the numerous changes and modifications made to the ships' layouts by many different departments and individuals; indeed, the ships had at least nine different planned layouts, ranging from 6000 LT (6,096.3 t) Atlanta-class

Atlanta class cruiser

The Atlanta-class cruisers were United States Navy light cruisers originally designed as fast scout cruisers or flotilla leaders, but later proved to be effective anti-aircraft cruisers during World War II. They were also known as the Atlanta-Oakland class. The lead ship Atlanta was sunk in action...

 anti-aircraft cruisers, to "overgrown" heavy cruiser

Heavy cruiser

The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...

s to a 38000 LT (38,609.9 t) mini-battleship

Battleship

A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...

 that would have been armed with twelve 12 in (304.8 mm) guns and sixteen 5 in (127 mm) guns. The General Board—in trying to keep the displacement under 25000 LT (25,401.3 t)—allowed the designers to have only limited underwater protection in their designs to try to save weight. As a result, the Alaskas—when built—were vulnerable to torpedoes and shells that fell short of the ship. Early in their development, the class used the designation CC, signifying battlecruisers in the tradition of the Lexingtons;The Lexington class would have been designated CC-1 through CC-6, had they been built. the designation was changed to CB to reflect their new name of "large cruiser", and the practice of referring to them as "battlecruisers" was officially discouraged.

The class was officially ordered on 9 September 1940 along with a plethora of other ships during the 70% Expansion ("Two Ocean Navy") building program.Along with the Alaskas, there were 210 other ships ordered at the same time: two s, five s, 12 s, four s, 19 s, four s, 52 s, 12 s and 73 s. The new ships' role had been altered slightly: in addition to their surface-to-surface role, it was also planned for them to protect carrier groups. Because of their bigger guns, greater size and increased speed, they would be more valuable in this role than heavy cruisers. This would also provide insurance against reports that Japan was building "super cruisers" more powerful than U.S. heavy cruisers.

Yet another drastic change was considered, during the "carrier panic" of early 1942 when the Navy, and the President, realized that the next fleet carriers, the s, were not expected to enter service before 1944.Franklin was eventually commissioned on 31 January 1944. It was decided to convert a few hulls that were currently under construction. At different points during 1942, the Bureau of Ships

Bureau of Ships

The United States Navy's Bureau of Ships was established by Congress on June 20, 1940, by a law which consolidated the functions of the Bureau of Construction and Repair and the Bureau of Engineering. The new Bureau was to be headed by a Chief and Deputy-Chief, one selected from the engineering...

 considered converting some of the s, a few of the s, all six Alaskas, or even one of the s to aircraft carrier

Aircraft carrier

An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...

s. A conversion of the Alaskas to carriers was "particularly attractive" because of the many similarities between the design of the s and the Alaskas, including the same machinery. However, when compared with the Essex class, the Alaskas would have had a shorter flight deck (so they could have carried only 90% of the aircraft), they would have been 11 ft (3.35 m) lower in the water, and they could travel 8000 mi (6,951.8 nmi; 12,874.7 km) fewer at 15 kn (18.3 mph; 29.4 km/h). In addition, the large cruiser design did not include the massive underwater protections found in normal carriers due to the armor weight devoted to counter shell fire. In the end, the Cleveland class was chosen because the biggest factor was "speed of production", which was found with the Clevelands but not the others. In the end, nine Clevelands were converted to Independence-class light carrier

Independence class aircraft carrier

The Independence class aircraft carriers were a class of light carriers built for the United States Navy that served during World War II.This class were a result of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's interest in Navy shipbuilding plans...

s, and the construction of the Essex-class fleet carrier

Essex class aircraft carrier

The Essex class was a class of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy, which constituted the 20th century's most numerous class of capital ships with 24 vessels built in both "short-hull" and "long-hull" versions. Thirty-two were originally ordered; however as World War II wound down, six were...

s was accelerated to the point that seven were commissioned between December 1942 and November 1943, way ahead of the original 1944 target date. Plans to convert the Alaskas were shelved.

Service history

Alaska was laid down on 17 December 1941 at Camden, New Jersey

Camden, New Jersey

The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...

, by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation. She was launched on 15 August 1943 and was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 17 June 1944 with Captain

Captain (naval)

Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....

 Peter K. Fischler in command.

Following post-commissioning fitting out at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Alaska traveled down the Delaware River

Delaware River

The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...

 on 6 August 1944, bound for Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...

, escorted by and . She then conducted an "intensive" shakedown, starting first in Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

 and then moving to the Gulf of Paria

Gulf of Paria

The Gulf of Paria is a shallow inland sea between the island of Trinidad and the east coast of Venezuela. This sheltered body of water is considered to be one of the best natural harbours on the Atlantic coast of the Americas...

 (off Trinidad

Trinidad

Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...

, British West Indies

British West Indies

The British West Indies was a term used to describe the islands in and around the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire The term was sometimes used to include British Honduras and British Guiana, even though these territories are not geographically part of the Caribbean...

), this time escorted by and . After all of these tests, she steamed to the Philadelphia Navy Yard via Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...

, and Norfolk to undergo changes and alterations to her fire control suite: the fitting of four Mk. 57 fire directors for her five-inch battery.

Alaska departed Philadelphia on 12 November 1944 for the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

 in company with , and, after two weeks of standardization trials out of Guantanamo Bay

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...

, Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

, she sailed for the Pacific on 2 December. She completed her transit of the Panama Canal

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...

 on 4 December, and reached San Diego on the 12th. Thereafter, the new "large cruiser" practiced shore bombardment and anti-aircraft firing off San Diego.

Pacific Action

On 8 January 1945, Alaska sailed for Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

, reaching Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

 on the 13th, where, on the 27th, Capt. Kenneth H. Noble relieved Capt. Fischler, who had achieved flag rank. Over the ensuing days, Alaska conducted further training before getting underway as a unit of Task Group 12.2 (TG 12.2), weighing anchor for the western Pacific on 29 January. She reached Ulithi

Ulithi

Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...

, the fleet anchorage in the Caroline Islands

Caroline Islands

The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...

, on 6 February, and there joined TG 58.5, a task group in the "famed" Task Force 58

Fast Carrier Task Force

The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...

 (TF 58), the fast carrier task force.
Alaska sailed for the Japanese home islands as part of TG 58.5 on 10 February. She was assigned the mission of screening Saratoga and as they carried out night air strikes against Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 and its airfields. TF 58, cloaked by bad weather, approached the Japanese homeland from east of the Marianas. Using radio deception along with deployed submarines, long-range patrol aircraft from Fleet Air Wing 1, and Army Air Forces

United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....

 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses as scouts ahead of the advancing task force, the task force neared their objective undetected. The low ceiling prevented Japanese retaliation. Assigned to TG 58.4 soon thereafter, Alaska supported the Iwo Jima operations, and, as before, no enemy aircraft came near the carrier formation to which the large cruiser was attached. For nineteen days she screened the carriers before retiring to Ulithi to take on stores and carry out minor repairs.

With the decision reached to occupy Okinawa in early April 1945, invasion planners proceeded on the assumption that the Japanese would resist with maximum available naval and air strength. To destroy as many aircraft as possible (and thus diminish the possibility of American naval forces coming under air attack from Japanese aircraft), the fast carrier task force struck airfields on Kyūshū

Kyushu

is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

, Shikoku

Shikoku

is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...

, and western Honshū

Honshu

is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...

. Alaska—still with TG 58, formed around , , and —again drew the duty of protecting the carriers. Her principal mission then, as it had been before, was defense of the task group against enemy air or surface attacks.

Its battle plan outlined in detail, TF 58 cruised north-westerly from the Carolines, following the departure from Ulithi on 14 March. Refueling at sea on the 16th, this force reached a point southeast of Kyūshū early on the 18th. On that day, the aircraft from TG 58.4 swept over Japanese airfields at Usa

Usa, Oita

' is a city located in Ōita Prefecture, Japan. Usa is famous for being the location of the Usa Shrine, built in 725, the head shrine of all of Hachiman shrines in Japan.Usa is made up of three areas.*Usa, the area surrounding the Usa Shrine...

, Ōita

Oita, Oita

is the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture...

, and Saeki

Saeki

The Saeki were a people of ancient Japan, believed to have lived on Honshū in the area between the modern regions of Kantō and Hokuriku.They are believed to have spoken a Tungusic language....

, joining those from three other task groups, TG 58.1, TG 58.2, and TG 58.3 in claiming 107 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground and a further 77 (of 142 engaged) over the target area.

Alaska engaged the Japanese for the first time on the 18th during a Japanese air attack upon the force. She downed two aircraft by herself: a kamikaze Yokosuka P1Y

Yokosuka P1Y

|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam 7 Company Ltd., 1970. ISBN 0-370-00033-1 ....

 "Frances" that had been on course to hit Intrepid, and a Yokosuka D4Y

Yokosuka D4Y

The D4Y Navy Type 2 Carrier Dive bomber was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Its Allied reporting name was "Judy". The D4Y was one of the fastest dive-bombers of the war, and only the delays in its development hindered its service, while its predecessor, the slower fixed gear Aichi D3A...

 "Judy" at about 13:15.

Protecting Franklin

The Japanese struck in full force on the 19th, and they caught TG 58.2 some 20 mi (17.4 nmi; 32.2 km) to the northward of the other groups in TF 58. At about 07:08, Franklin was hit with two bombs; too, fell victim to Japanese bombs. On board Alaska, those in a position to watch the developing battle noted a flash, followed by a slowly rising column of smoke. "All who saw it knew that a carrier had been hit," the cruiser's historian records, "and soon the radio brought confirmation that the Franklin had been the victim".

A salvage unit—designated Task Unit 58.2.9 (TU 58.2.9)—was quickly formed to screen the damaged Franklin. Composed of Alaska, her sister ship , heavy cruiser

Heavy cruiser

The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...

 , light cruiser

Light cruiser

A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...

 , and three destroyer divisions, TU 58.2.9 was ordered to make its best speed toward Guam

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

.

No Japanese were sighted until the afternoon rolled around: aircraft now appeared on the horizon. Though most were PB4Y aircraft not broadcasting IFF

IFF

IFF, Iff or iff may refer to:Technology/Science:* Identification friend or foe, an electronic radio-based identification system using transponders...

 signals, one "Judy" aircraft snuck in with them. A "hail" of gunfire was put up to defend against the "Judy" but it sped away, unscathed, though its bomb missed Franklin. The final salvo from Alaska′s Mount 51 during this fight caused flash burns on the crew of a 40 mm mount nearby; these were the only casualties suffered by the large cruiser during her career.

The following morning, Alaska assumed fighter director duty, and controlled three divisions of fighters from . While these divisions remained on station pending the arrival of their relief, Alaska′s radar

Radar

Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...

 picked up a single aircraft, 35 mi (30.4 nmi; 56.3 km) away, at 11:43. At 11:49, the fighters splashed a Kawasaki Ki-45

Kawasaki Ki-45

The Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu was a two-seat, twin-engine fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. The army gave it the designation "Type 2 Two-Seat Fighter"; the Allied reporting name was "Nick"....

 "Nick" 19 mi (16.5 nmi; 30.6 km) away. On 22 March, Alaska′s part in the escort of the damaged Franklin was complete, and so she rejoined TG 58.4, fueling that same day from .

Okinawa

Over the next few days, the air strikes against Okinawa continued, setting the stage for the landing set to commence on Easter Sunday, 1 April 1945. Alaska continued to provide support for the carriers launching the strikes until detached on 27 March to carry out a shore bombardment against Minami Daito Shimo, a tiny island 160 mi (139 nmi; 257.5 km) east of Okinawa. The task unit, TU—58.4.9, consisted of Alaska, Guam, , , and Destroyer Squadron47 (DesRon 47).

Ordered to carry out the shoot en route to a fueling area, Alaska and Guam and their screen steamed west of the island on north/south courses between 22:45 on 27 March and 00:30 on the 28th. Alaska′s main battery hurled 45 high-capacity rounds shoreward, while her five-inch battery added 352 rounds. No answering fire came from the beach, and Alaska′s observers noted "satisfactory fires" on the island.

Rejoining TG 58.4 at the fueling rendezvous, Alaska transferred wounded from Franklin to oiler while she took on fuel. She then resumed her screening of the fast carriers as they carried out operations in support of the build-up and landing on Okinawa, on the alert to repel aircraft attacks. The landings went off as scheduled on 1 April, and her operations over ensuing days supported the troops. On 7 April, Japanese surface units moving through the East China Sea toward Okinawa to disrupt the landings ran afoul of a massive air strike from Vice Admiral

Vice admiral (United States)

In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...

 Marc Mitscher

Marc Mitscher

Admiral Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific in the latter half of World War II.-Early life and career:...

's fast carrier task force which sank the giant battleship , one cruiser and four destroyers.

Operating off Okinawa and Kyūshū, Alaska lent the protection of her guns to the fast carriers in the task group which sent daily sweeps of Grumman F6F Hellcats and Vought F4U Corsairs over enemy airfields, shore installations and shipping. On the evening of 11 April, Alaska chalked up an assist in shooting down a Japanese aircraft, shot down one, unassisted, and claimed what might have been a piloted rocket bomb "Baka

Ohka

The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka was a purpose-built, rocket powered human-guided anti-shipping kamikaze attack plane employed by Japan towards the end of World War II...

" on the night of 11/12 April.

Four days later, on the 16th, Alaska′s gunfire splashed what were probably a "Judy" and two Mitsubishi A6M Zeros, and the ship claimed assists in downing three additional enemy aircraft. That same day, however, an enemy aircraft managed to get through Alaskas barrage to crash into Intrepid. That night, though, the cruiser's gunfire proved instrumental in driving off a single snooper attempting to close the formation. On the night of 21/22 April, the cruiser again used her heavy antiaircraft battery to drive off single aircraft attempting to attack the task group. On the night of 29/30 April, toward the end of the ship's time at sea with the fast carriers for that stretch, Alaska twice drove off attacking groups of Japanese aircraft.

Final war operations

Alaska anchored back at Ulithi on 14 May, bringing to a close a cruise of almost two months duration. Ten days later, after rest and refreshment, the ship sailed-now part of the 3rd Fleet and with TG 38.4. Newcomers to the formation included and . Over the next two weeks, Alaska again screened a portion of the fast carrier task force, and conducted her second shore bombardment when, on 9 June, she and Guam shelled the Japanese-held Okino Daito Shima, just south of Minami Daito Shimo which had been visited by the two cruisers in late March, and known to have enemy radar sites located there.

Subsequently, the task group sailed south-westerly for San Pedro Bay

San Pedro Bay (Philippines)

San Pedro Bay is a bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east-west and 20 km north-south. The bay is bounded on the north and east by Samar and on the east by Leyte Island. It is connected by San Juanico Strait to Carigara Bay of the Samar Sea. The...

, Leyte, reaching its destination on the afternoon of 13 June 1945. A month in Leyte Gulf

Leyte Gulf

Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...

 then ensued—a period of "rest, refreshment, and maintenance"—before Alaska sailed again on 13 July, this time as part of the newly formed TF 95. Reaching Buckner Bay, Okinawa, on the 16th, TF 95 fueled there and then sailed the following day, bound for the coast of China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 and a foray into the East China Sea

East China Sea

The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...

, long a hunting ground for American aircraft and submarines but not entered by an American surface force since before Pearl Harbor.

Although planners for the sweep had anticipated resistance, none materialized; Alaska, Guam, and their escorts ranged the area at will, encountering only Chinese fishing junks. Enemy aircraft venturing out to attack the task force several times fell to CAP fighters. Operating out of Buckner Bay, Alaska participated in three sweeps into these waters, and all could see how effective the blockade of Japan had become; no Japanese ships were sighted during the course of the operation. Commented Guam′s commanding officer, Captain Leland P. Lovette: "We went prepared to tangle with a hornet's nest and wound up in a field of pansies—but we've proved a point and the East China Sea is ours to do with as we please."

Buckner Bay proved to offer more excitement than the sweeps. Even the war's waning days possessed elements of danger; on 12 August, a Japanese torpedo aircraft scored a hit on , near Alaska′s anchorage. Over the days that ensued, nightly sorties to avoid last-ditch suiciders took place. When the war did finally end in mid-August, the ship went wild with joy, as Alaska′s chronicler wrote: "We knew that we would be going home far sooner than any of us had ever expected when we first set out the preceding January for the combat area."

Post-war operation

There was, however, still work to be done. On 30 August, Alaska sailed from Okinawa as part of the 7th Fleet

United States Seventh Fleet

The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...

's occupation forces, and after taking part in a "show of force" in the Yellow Sea

Yellow Sea

The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...

 and Gulf of Chihli, reached Jinsen (later Incheon

Incheon

The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...

), Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

, on 8 September 1945. Alaska supported the landing of Army occupation troops at Jinsen, and remained at that port until 26 September, on which date she sailed for Tsingtao

Qingdao

' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...

, China, making port the following day. She shifted to an anchorage outside the harbor entrance on 11 October to support the 6th Marine Division landings to occupy the key North China seaport, and ultimately remained at Tsingtao until 13 November, when she got underway to return to Jinsen, there to embark returning Army soldiers homeward-bound as part of Operation Magic Carpet. Sailing for the U.S. on 14 November, Alaska stopped briefly at Pearl Harbor before proceeding on to San Francisco.

Steaming thence to the Panama Canal, and completing her transit of the isthmian waterway on 13 December 1945, Alaska proceeded to the Boston Naval Shipyard, arriving on 18 December. There she underwent an availability preparing her for inactivation. Departing Boston on 1 February 1946 for her assigned permanent berthing area at Bayonne, New Jersey

Bayonne, New Jersey

Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...

, Alaska arrived there the following day. Placed in inactive status commission, in reserve at Bayonne, on 13 August 1946, Alaska was ultimately placed out of commission, in reserve, on 17 February 1947.

The large cruiser never returned to active duty. Her name struck from the Naval Vessel Register

Naval Vessel Register

The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...

 on 1 June 1960, Alaska was sold on 30 June to the Lipsett Division of Luria Brothers of New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, to be broken up for scrap.

Conversion proposals

In 1958, the Bureau of Ships prepared two feasibility studies to see if Alaska and Guam were suitable to be converted to guided missile cruisers. The first study involved removing all of the guns in favor of four different missile systems. This was seen as too costly at $160 million, so the second study was made up. This study left the forward batteries—the two 12″ triple turrets and three of the 5" dual turrets—alone and added a reduced version of the first plan aft. This would have cost $82 million, and so it was still seen as too cost-prohibitive.

Awards

Alaska was awarded three battle stars for her World War II service. Sailing on her final wartime service was a newly commissioned officer, future astronaut

Astronaut

An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....

 Wally Schirra

Wally Schirra

Walter Marty Schirra, Jr. was an American test pilot, United States Navy officer, and one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts chosen for the Project Mercury, America's effort to put humans in space. He is the only person to fly in all of America's first three space programs...

.

External links

• Alaska website
• Navy photographs of Alaska (CB-1)
• Alaska class Large Cruisers From U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence recognition manual ONI 200, Issued 1 July 1950