Donated by LTJG Neal Hammon, USS Helena CA-75. 1950 - 1951.
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guests, We are proud to show you our ship and to explain to you how we operate and fight it. Most everything aboard is available for your close scrutiny Don't hesitate to ask questions. But of course there are some things which it would be better for you not to know There value is in their secrecy. Ask anyway, well not tell you anything you should not know. of navy life, at least once Over lightly, in the short time allowed, We think it will be inter- esting, but if you are more interested in any one phase do not hesitate to say so. We can rearrange the program to meet your convenience, We'd like you to observe the wide range of activities aboard, and particularly to note how many skills and trades are necessary to oper- ate a ship of this type, Very frankly we've all learned these skills in the Navy. Not a small part of our time is taken up teaching others, for most of the Navy's men enlist while quite young, and before they are skilled in anything, one of the things you see is our "school" work. It goes on continuously, gone of the exercises you will witness are solely for your benefit. They are normal to a cruise of this sort, and are our way of keeping fit and practicing our profession. to assist you, The ship's history is appended because it reflects the pride and accomplish- ments of the men of the Helena. H.0. LARSON,
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ship of the U. S. Navy to bear that name. 1392 tons, she was veteran of the Spanish -American War and. the Philippine Campaign and served the Navy for over thirty years before being stricken from the Navy Register as obsolete in 1932. Caught in the Japanese bombing attack in Pearl Harbor she suffered a torpedo hit which kept her out of service for the first two months of the war. Upon her return to the fleet, she took part in the Battle of Cape Esperance and the Battle of Guadalcanal, and eleven other engagements, "up the slot" in the Solomons Campaign before she was torpedoed and sunk in Kula Gulf on July 7, 1943. Her outstanding contribution to our victory in the Solomons earned her the following NAVY Unit Commendation: already been laid at the Bethlehem shipbuilding yard, Quincy, Massachusetts, should bear the name HELENA in recognition of the outstanding war record of the second HELENA. The citizens of HELENA, MONTANA and of the state of MONTANA quickly over-subscribed the war bond sales representing the cost of the ship. of that year with Captain A.H. McCollum, USN, as Commanding officer, Review at New York City on October 27, 1945, and then underwent three months shakedown training in the vicinity of Guantanamo, Cuba. On February 4, 1946 she entered Boston Navy yard to pre- pare for what was to turn out to be a round-the-world cruises; she sailed for England on February 12th and upon her arrival became the flagship of Admiral Kent Hewitt, USN Commander Naval Forces, Europe end Commander 12th Fleet. During the next three months she visited many British ports. U. S. S. HOUSTON, and was redeployed to the pacific Fleet via the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean. On dune 18th the HELENA anchored at Tsingtao, China and Rear Admiral Kitta, USN, Commander Task Force 71 raised his flag on board. Page 2 |
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Rear Admiral Kitts transferred his flag from the HELENA early in March of 1947, and Vice Admiral W. S. DeLany, USN, Commander Battleship-Cruiser Force pacific Fleet broke his flag on board. The spring of 1947 found her homeward bound, and shortly after her arrival in Long Beach, California on April 15th, she entered the U.S Naval Ship yard at Terminal Island for a complete overhaul. Captain Blue was relieved, and on August 7th, 1947, Captain W.P. Burford, USN, assumed command. reserve cruises kept the HELENA busy for the ensuing five months. The HELENA became flagship of Cruiser Division THREE, and Rear Admiral R.F. Good, USN, broke his flag aboard the HELENA. His Chief of Staff was the present Commanding officer, Captain H.O. Larson, USN.
On August 3rd, 1948 Captain Burford was relieved as the HELENA's Commanding Officer by Captain G. C. Towner, USN. During the latter part of that month Vice Admiral Oscar Badger, USN, Commander Naval Forces Western Pacific visited the HELENA and awarded the ship the Navy Battle Efficiency Award and the Marjorie Sterett Battleship Fund Award for attaining first place in overall battle efficiency among the battleships and cruisers of the pacific Fleet during the fiscal year 1948. Japan. There Rear Admiral J.P. Womble, USN commander Naval Support Group, Far East, broke his flag aboard the HELENA which then visited a number of Japanese ports. and Rear Admiral Good returned to the HELENA. In company with the U.S.S. Oakland and her destroyer escorts the HELENA returned to Long Beach on November 26th for a much needed overhaul period. finished up another period with the Underway Training Unit San Diego, for which Rear Admiral for a two weeks training cruise. the Naval Shipyard, this time for major alterations which included the removal of catapults for launching seaplanes, and the installation of decking and handling equipment for shipbased heli- copters. During the summer of 1949 the HELENA received the first cruiser based helicopter of the Pacific Fleet. On June 16th, 1949 the HELENA embarked about four hundred fifty Naval Reserve Midshipmen in San Francisco and made a six-week training cruise in southern waters which featured Crossing-of-the-Equator ceremonies on June 26th and a visit to Balboa, Canal Zone. the Southern California operating area. On September 24th, Captain G.C. Towner, USN, was succeeded as Commanding officer by Captain H. L. Collins, USN. In October the HELENA operated as a support vessel in a Fast Carrier Group and as Fire Support Ship in operation MIKI, a joint Army-Navy Amphibious Landing Exercise on Oahu, T.H. Page 3 |
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reported to Vice Admiral R.S. BERKY, USN, Commander Seventh Task Fleet, and as his flagship, The ship next paid a short visit to Hong Kong and then moved on to her base at Sangley point in the Philippines. was honored by being the host ship for luncheon of the joint Chiefs of staff, then touring the Far East. Admiral C.C. Hartman, USN, Commander Cruiser Division THREE and Commander Support Group, Naval Forces Far East, then in the U.S.S. Toledo, exchanged flagships, The HELENA flying Rear Admiral Hartman's flag, spent the remainder of her tour of duty in Japan conducting her Operational Readiness Inspection, routine training, a joint exercise off Okinawa with seventh Fleet Units, and visits to various Japanese ports. In May, Cruiser Division THREE was relieved by Cruiser Div- ision Five on the Far Eastern Station, and the HELENA sailed for Long Beach, California, arriving on June 13, 1950. Beach, with ever one-third of her crew on leave in all parts of the United States. Within a few hours the ship was alerted for possible extended service; hundreds of telegrams went out to men on leave ordering them recalled at once. The next week, an around-the-clock schedule of replenesh- ment and loading for war service was the order of the day. On 6 July the HELENA and Toledo sailed for Japan via Pearl Harbor, T.H. At Pearl Harbor, Captain H. O. Larson relieved Captain Collins as Commanding officer. surface forces furnishing fire support to our troops ashore and enforcing the united Nations blockade of Korean waters. On 7 August the HELENA fired her first shot at the enemy, when she bombarded the rail center and marshaling yards at Tanchon, only seventy-seven miles from the Manchurian border. were fighting a desperate delaying action along the coast as the defense perimeter around Pusan continued to shrink under the North Korean advances. For the next six weeks either HELENA or Toledo, together with several destroyers, stayed continuously on station in this sector, furnishing gunfire support on a twenty-four hour a day basis. Reports from the U.S. Military advisor with the 3rd ROK Division emphasized the tremendous value of naval gun fire support in demoralizing the enemy, in breaking up his attacks, disrupting his supply lines, and in supporting counter attacks by our own forces. During this period of over a month, there was never an hour that went by when the guns of one or more of the ships were not furnishing fire support. ions in North Korea or enemy held South Korea, including the followings Tanchon, Yongdok, Sinch'on, Koko-do, Maganj, Samchok and Chongjin. In early instance, the ship' s helicopter, piloted by LT. H. W. SWINBURNE, furnished aerial operations of our gunfire and greatly improved the accuracy of fire and pin-point destruction of such military targets as bridges, tunnels, trains, railyards, highways, port facilities and shipping. Pohang that the HELENA, received her nick name of "The Hell Ship". This was based upon the awe in which the HELEN's gunfire support was held by the enemy troops ashore, many of whom had been induced to surrender by the demoralizing effects of the relentless and unceasing shelling of their front lines. Page 4 |
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| 1 BRIDGE & M.B. CONT.
2 PILOT HOUSE & CHART HOUSE 3 FLAG BRIDGE & FLAG PLOT 4 ADM. SEA CABIN 5 CAPT SEA CABIN 6 ADM. STATERM. PORT CAPT STATERM. STB. 7 CHIEF OF STAFF S.R. PORT EXEC. S.R. STB. 8 SIGNAL BRIDGE 9OFFICES & OFFICERS COUNTRY SEE PLAN BELOW 10 SPOT 1 (M. B. DIR.) 11 AIR DEF. FWD. 12 DIR. 51 |
13 DIR. 52
14 AIR DEF. AFT 15 SPOT 2 (M. B. DIR.) 16 M-B. CONTROL AFT 17 CONTROL AFT 18 HANGER 19 CRAIN 20 40 MM GUN 21 5"/MOUNT 22 8"TURRET 23 FOREMAST MAIN MAST |
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