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USS Flint (CL-97)
Encyclopedia
USS Flint (CL-97) was a modified Atlanta-class
light cruiser
, sometimes referred to as the "Oakland-class". She was named after the city of Flint, Michigan
. She was launched on 25 January 1944 by Bethlehem Steel Company of San Francisco, California
, sponsored by Mrs. R. A. Pitcher. She was and commissioned on 31 August 1944, with Captain
C. R. Will in command. She was reclassified CLAA-97 on 18 March 1949.
on 27 December 1944, and six days later, sailed with Task Force 38
(TF 38) for a month-long cruise in support of the invasion of Luzon
. She screened aircraft carrier
s as they launched strikes on Luzon, Taiwan
, and the China
coast, and fired protective anti-aircraft cover during a Japan
ese kamikaze
attack on 21 January 1945. Replenishing at Ulithi from 26 January to 10 February, Flint then sailed with newly designated TF 38
for air strikes on Tokyo
preceding the attack on Iwo Jima
. Her force arrived off Iwo Jima on 21 February to fly air support for the Marines
who had landed two days previously, and Flint returned to Ulithi 12 March for a brief 2 days of replenishment.
Putting to sea with TF 58 for strikes against Kyūshū
in preparation for the invasion of Okinawa, Flint aided in bringing down several airplanes in heavy attacks on the task force from 18 to 22 March. The task force then closed Okinawa, and Flint with other cruiser
s bombarded beach installations in preparation for the landings on 1 April. Aside from the period of 14–24 May, when she was at Ulithi for upkeep, Flint operated off Okinawa until 13 June, when she anchored in Leyte Gulf
.
Flint sortied from Leyte
on 1 July to screen the final air attacks on the Japanese home islands and to join the bombardment of the east coast of Honshū
until the cessation of hostilities. On 24 August, she took station off Nii Shima to serve as rescue ship and homing station for transport planes carrying occupation troops to Japan
. From 10 to 15 September, she lay in Tokyo Bay
, then sailed with a carrier task force to provide air and sea surveillance of Central Honshū until 21 September.
The cruiser made a voyage from Japan to Eniwetok, then loaded homeward bound servicemen at Yokosuka on 13 October, bringing them into San Francisco Bay
on 28 November. After sailing to Kwajalein
to bring home more servicemen eligible for discharge, Flint reported at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
, Bremerton, Washington
on 11 January 1946, and there was placed out of commission in reserve at Bremerton on 6 May 1947. Her dedication plaque currently rests in the Sloan Museum, in the city she is named after.
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...
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...
, sometimes referred to as the "Oakland-class". She was named after the city of Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
. She was launched on 25 January 1944 by Bethlehem Steel Company of San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, sponsored by Mrs. R. A. Pitcher. She was and commissioned on 31 August 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....
C. R. Will in command. She was reclassified CLAA-97 on 18 March 1949.
Service history
Flint reported to the 3rd Fleet for duty at UlithiUlithi
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 27 December 1944, and six days later, sailed with Task Force 38
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 38) for a month-long cruise in support of the invasion of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. She screened 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 as they launched strikes on Luzon, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, and the 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...
coast, and fired protective anti-aircraft cover during a Japan
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...
ese kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attack on 21 January 1945. Replenishing at Ulithi from 26 January to 10 February, Flint then sailed with newly designated TF 38
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...
for air strikes on 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...
preceding the attack on Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
. Her force arrived off Iwo Jima on 21 February to fly air support for the Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
who had landed two days previously, and Flint returned to Ulithi 12 March for a brief 2 days of replenishment.
Putting to sea with TF 58 for strikes against 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....
in preparation for the invasion of Okinawa, Flint aided in bringing down several airplanes in heavy attacks on the task force from 18 to 22 March. The task force then closed Okinawa, and Flint with other 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...
s bombarded beach installations in preparation for the landings on 1 April. Aside from the period of 14–24 May, when she was at Ulithi for upkeep, Flint operated off Okinawa until 13 June, when she anchored 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...
.
Flint sortied from Leyte
Leyte Island
Leyte is an island in the Visayas group of the Philippines.The island measures about 180 km north-south and about 65 km at its widest point. In the north it nearly joins Samar, separated by the San Juanico Strait, which becomes as narrow as 2 km in some places...
on 1 July to screen the final air attacks on the Japanese home islands and to join the bombardment of the east coast of 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...
until the cessation of hostilities. On 24 August, she took station off Nii Shima to serve as rescue ship and homing station for transport planes carrying occupation troops to Japan
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...
. From 10 to 15 September, she lay in Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
, then sailed with a carrier task force to provide air and sea surveillance of Central Honshū until 21 September.
The cruiser made a voyage from Japan to Eniwetok, then loaded homeward bound servicemen at Yokosuka on 13 October, bringing them into San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
on 28 November. After sailing to Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
to bring home more servicemen eligible for discharge, Flint reported at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington...
, Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
on 11 January 1946, and there was placed out of commission in reserve at Bremerton on 6 May 1947. Her dedication plaque currently rests in the Sloan Museum, in the city she is named after.