USS Worcester US Navy Light Cruiser
History and Technical Reference
By Mark A. Janowski
USS Worcester – CL-144 History and Technical Reference
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U.S.S. Worcester – CL-144
History and Technical Reference
By Mark A. Janowski, Copyright 2006
USS Worcester – CL-144 History and Technical Reference
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Dedication:
To the men who
served aboard her
June 26, 1948
to
December 19, 1958
USS Worcester – CL-144 History and Technical Reference
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Preface & Thanks
This book is a compilation of information from many sources. The USS Worcester Association’s web site has an enhanced
version of the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) entry that I have further enhanced with photographs,
maps and drawings. There are photographs from the US National Archives, The US Navy’s History Branch and from
several individuals. The maps are from the ship’s newspaper, “The Worcester’s Rooster” and US Navy’s History Branch
web site (history.navy.mil). The drawings are from US Navy publications and enhancements of scans of the ship’s plans on
microfilm.
Thanks to:
My dad, John A. Janowski, Jr., T Division, for photographs, stories, encouragement and sharing things he saved from his
time in the US Navy aboard the Worcester
Eugene Visconti, ship’s photographer, for sharing many photographs
Phil Harter, T Division, for answering questions and finding information and sources
William Lindeman, T Division, for sharing photographs
Jack Beard, for providing photographs of the seaplanes
Russell Maxwell, USS Brush, for providing photographs and more information about the mining of the Brush
All of the USS Worcester veterans for providing an interesting story to research and compile
Eugene Slover – whose website, www.eugeneleeslover.com, provided a wealth of information on naval artillery and gun fire
control systems
And thanks to my family, especially my wife, for their patience and understanding as I spent many hours in front of the
computer.
MAJ – 06/2006
USS Worcester – CL-144 History and Technical Reference
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Table of Contents
Preface & Thanks iii
Design, Construction and Commissioning 1
Introduction 1
Design 1
Construction 8
Commissioning 8
Operational History 10
Atlantic Fleet Service 10
1948 10
1949 11
1950 13
Korean Theater Service 15
Assisting the USS Brush 17
Fire Support, Interdiction and Mines 18
Return to the Atlantic Fleet 20
1951 20
1952 21
1953 22
1954 22
1955 23
Pacific Fleet Service 23
1956 23
1957 24
Reserve Fleet Service 24
1958 24
Final Disposition 25
Awards 25
Commanding Officers 25
Weapons 28
Main Battery – 6”/47 Caliber Guns 28
Secondary/Anti-Aircraft Battery – 3”/50 Cal. Guns 31
20mm Guns 33
Radar and Fire Control Directors 34
Mk 13 Radar – Main Battery Surface Fire Control 34
Mk 27 Radar – Projectile Ranging 34
Mk 37 Gun Fire Control System 35
Mk 56 Gun Director & Mk 35 Radar 39
Mk 63 Gun Director & Mk 34 Radar 40
Search Radar 41
SG-6 - Surface Search 41
SP - Height Finding 41
SR-2 – Air Search 41
SR-6 Air Search 41
Aircraft 42
Catapult launched seaplane 42
Target Pilotless Aircraft 43
Helicopter 45
Drawings – Guns & Directors/Main Deck Arrangement 47
Drawings – Inboard Profile 49
Drawings - Outboard Profile 51
Data 53
References 54
Photographs - Credits 54
Drawings 54
Maps 54
USS Worcester – CL-144 History and Technical Reference
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List of Figures
Figure 1 - Historical Data Plate Drawing (from NARA Microfilm) 1
Figure 2 - Scheme "A" - 31 July 1941 - 4 Triple Turrets (NHC) 2
Figure 3 - Scheme "B" - 31 July 1941- 6 Twin Turrets (NHC) 3
Figure 4 – Scheme “C” – 31 July 1941 - 4 Twin Gun Turrets (NHC) 4
Figure 5 – Scheme “D” – 18 October 1941 - 5 Twin Gun Turrets (NHC) 5
Figure 6 – Scheme “E” – 11 July 1942 - 5 Twin Gun Turrets (NHC) 6
Figure 7 – Scheme “J” - 31 May 1943 (revised further in June and July
1943) – 6 Twin Gun Turrets (NHC) 7
Figure 8 – Worcester during construction (NARA) 8
Figure 9 - Boatswains pipe the first watch to duty following ship's com-
missioning (NARA) 8
Figure 10 - Color guard salutes the flag after posting at the stern - June
26, 1948 (NARA) 9
Figure 11 - ETs outside Radio 2 (WL) 10
Figure 12 – Worcester in the North Atlantic (NHC) 11
Figure 13 - Atlantic Storm - December 1949 (WL) 12
Figure 14 - Atlantic Storm - December 1949 (WL) 12
Figure 15 - Storm Related Damage - December 1949 (WL) 12
Figure 16 - Storm Related Damage - December 1949 (WL) 12
Figure 17 - Anchored off St. Mark's Square Venice, Italy (EAV) 13
Figure 18 - Firing 6" Guns (EAV) 14
Figure 19 - Port Said, Egypt - Mediterranean entrance to the Suez Canal
(JAJ) 15
Figure 20 - Carriers Valley Forge & Leyte of Task Force 77 at Sasebo,
Japan 1950 (NHC) 16
Figure 21 – Powder Handling aboard USS Worcester (NHC) 16
Figure 22 - USS Brush lies low in the water after hitting mine (RM) 17
Figure 23 - Transferring USS Brush Casualty (EAV) 17
Figure 24 - Providing medical aid to Brush wounded (EAV) 18
Figure 25 - Worcester transits Panama Canal - Nov. 1950 (EAV) 20
Figure 26 Anti-radiation washdown system test 1952 (NHC) 21
Figure 27 – Worcester in Long Beach, 1956 (NHC) 23
Figure 28 – USS Missouri, USS Roanoke, USS Worcester (NHC) 24
Figure 29 - Venice 1950 (EAV) 25
Figure 30 - Deck Operations (EAV) 25
Figure 31 - Midship - weapon systems locations 26
Figure 32 – Foremast, Forward Stack, Stub Mast and Aft Stack, 3”/50
Mount in Foreground (JAJ) 27
Figure 33 - Foremast, Foreward Stack, Mk 37 Director in foreground
(WL) 27
Figure 34 – Section through 6”/47 dual-purpose two-gun turret (NavPers
10797-A) 28
Figure 35 – Plan view of 6”/47 two-gun turret gun house (NavPers
10797-A) 29
Figure 36 – Plan view of upper projectile flat in 6”/47 two-gun turret
(NavPers 10797-A) 29
Figure 37 – Plan view of powder –handling flat in 6”/47 two-gun turret
(NavPers 10797-A) 30
Figure 38 - 3"/50 Cal. Twin Mount (NavPers 10797-A) 31
Figure 39 - 3"/50 Cal. Twin Mount aboard USS Worcester (WL) 31
Figure 40 - 3"/50Cal. Twin Mount - Personnel Stations (NavPers 10797-
A) 32
Figure 41 - Preparing to fire 20mm Guns (CB) 33
Figure 42 - Mk 27 Radar (ice covered) located between gun barrels (WL)
34
Figure 43 - Mk 37 GFCS Element Interconnection (NavPers 10798-A) 35
Figure 44 - Mk 37 Director with Mk 25 Radar (NavPers 10798-A) 36
Figure 45 - Mk 37 Director with Mk 25 Radar (left), Mk 63 Gun sight (cen-
ter, bottom) (WL) 37
Figure 46 - Mk 1A Computer (NavPers 10798-A) 37
37
Figure 47 - Mk 6 Stable Element and Mk 1A Computer (NavPers 10798-
A) 38
Figure 48 - Mark-1A Computer (CB) 38
Figure 49 - Mk 56 GCFS Diagram (NavPers 10798-A) 39
Figure 50 - Mk 63 GFCS Diagram (NavPers 10798-A) 40
Figure 51 - Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk Seaplane (JB) 42
Figure 52 - Target drone on its catapult (JAJ) 43
Figure 53 - Target drone maintenance (JAJ) 44
Figure 54 - Target drone launch (JB) 44
Figure 55 - Helicopter operations (EAV) 45
Figure 56 - Helicopter operations (EAV) 46
46
Figure 57 - Helicopter Operations (JB) 46
Figure 58 - Elizabeth Taylor visits the Worcester (EAV) 55
Figure 59 - USS Worcester - CL-144 (EAV) 55
USS Worcester CL-144 History and Technical Reference
Page 1
Design, Construction and
Commissioning
Introduction
The USS WORCESTER, CL-144, was formally started as a project by
the Bureau of Ships when a request for designs was made by the
General Board on May 13, 1942.
Design
The design process actually started in 1941 in an effort to produce a
light cruiser armed with rapid-fire 6”/47 caliber dual-purpose guns. The
dual-purpose 6” gun was first proposed in 1936. It was considered for a
few ship designs, but was too heavy when the limitations of the naval
armament treaties were considered. The 6”/47 gun was revived in June
1941 with a request from the General Board to the Bureau of Ships and
the design of the Worcester class started in earnest. This resulted in
eleven different preliminary plans being prepared.
There were many issues to be resolved during the design process –
ship size, speed, armor configuration, cost and number of guns. The 6”/
47 twin gun turret increased from 260 tons to 360 tons and size from 16’
6”to 18’ 6”. This caused problems that the designers had to overcome.
The General Board wanted to change all of the CLs 143-149 from light
cruisers to heavy cruisers with 8” guns if the Bureau of Ordnance could
supply the 8” turrets. The Bureau of Ordnance couldn’t and it was
suggested that 3 of the ships have 8” guns and 4 of the ships use 6”
dual-purpose guns so that all the ships could be delivered in 1946. The
suggestion was followed and the final development and construction of
the Worcester class started.
The final design differed from the tenth design scheme’s sketches. The
design fulfilled the requirements of several functional needs:
All guns used for anti-aircraft fire as well as for surface targets
Destroyer-like maneuverability
Carry out scouting operations
Lead a flotilla of destroyers
Keep the sea in any kind of weather
Large fuel capacity for long voyages
Fuel smaller ships
Speed to overtake other vessels and keep up with fast carriers
Provide armor protection against gunfire and carry superior
guns capable of out-shooting the enemy’s cruiser units, and still
repel mass air attacks.
The following pages show some of the design sketches from the US
Navy’s Bureau of Ships, Preliminary Design Branch, Spring Styles
Book #3 1939-1944.
Figure 1 - Historical Data Plate Drawing (from NARA Microfilm)