USS Worcester – CL-144 History and Technical Reference
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it. The collision also resulted in extensive damage to the bow of the
WASP. After survivor recovery operations were completed, the WASP
limped back to the New York Navy Shipyard for repairs. Over 100 lives
were lost on the HOBSON. The Task Force then continued on to the
Mediterranean. The ship was escorted thru the Strait of Gibraltar by
dozens of dolphins, and arrived at Oran, Algeria on 3 May, the first port-
of-call for the 1952 summer Cruise with the 6th Fleet. The next stop
was Arancia Bay, Sardinia, 14-19 May; then to St. Jean Beaulieu,
France, 23-31 May. Next was a run past Stromboli, thru the Strait of
Messina, and dropped anchor at Taranto, Italy, 2-5 June; then down to
Messina, Sicily, 6- 10 June. We then joined with NATO Forces at Malta
on 13 June for a NATO “MLEDLANDEX” Exercise, and then departed
for Naples, Italy, 16-22 June. While docking in Naples, an old WW-I
Battleship was departing from the other side of the pier. The next stop
was Cannes, France, 2-15 July. On Bastille Day, the Carrier USS
WASP arrived after being repaired by removing a section of the bow
from HORNET while it was in dry-dock at New York. Then WASP was
placed in dry-dock and the damaged section was removed. Then the
matching bow section from the HORNET was welded in place on the
WASP. The Carrier TARAWA (CVA-40) could then be relieved, after
being held over until the WASP could be repaired and return to the 6th
Fleet operation. Departed Cannes, enroute Athens, Greece, 24-31 July,
then on to Izmir, Turkey, 1-6 August WORCESTER then re-joined the
NATO Forces for an exercise at Suda Bay, Crete on 8-9 August, then
visited Tripoli, Libya, 13-18 August, then back to Taranto, Italy, 23 Aug-
3 September She then visited Barn, Italy, 14-16 September, and
witnessed a beautiful fireworks display. The next stop was Trieste,
F.T.T., 17-19 September, which was still a joint-occupied city. Then on
to beautiful Venice, Italy 20-24 September She pulled anchor in the
Grand Canal in Venice on 24 September and headed for Gibraltar,
B.C.C., arriving 2 October She then bid the 6th Fleet good-by and
departed Gibraltar on 5 October she was again escorted thru the Strait
of Gibraltar by dozens of dolphins, arriving Boston on 17 October 1952,
to complete WORCESTER’s Fourth Mediterranean Cruise. After a brief
stay in Boston, she got underway again with Cruiser Division Four, for
exercises in the North Atlantic for two weeks, then returning to Boston
for shipyard overhaul until the spring of 1953.
1953
WORCESTER departed Boston on 7 April for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
on a summer Midshipman Cruise, arriving Guantanamo 11 April, then
on to Port Au Prince on 2 May, back to Guantanamo on 4 May, then out
to San Juan, Puerto Rico on 16 May, and back to Guantanamo on 19
May. She departed for Boston on 22 May and arrived Boston 26 May.
WORCESTER then departed Boston for Norfolk, arriving 9 June, and
then returned to Boston 22 June. She departed Boston again on 7 July
1953 for Norfolk, arriving 9 July. WORCESTER then departed Norfolk
12 July on a Midshipman Cruise. The first stop was Bergen, Norway on
27 July; Copenhagen, Denmark on 3 August; then Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba on 26 August; and returned to Norfolk on 3 September. She then
departed Norfolk and arrived Boston 5 September 1953. In September
1953, WORCESTER departed Boston to take part in “Operation
Mariner”, in North Atlantic waters, which was the largest peacetime
Naval Maneuvers on record.
FIFTH MED CRUISE - A month later, on 9 October, she joined the Sixth
Fleet at Cagliari, to begin her fifth tour of duty in the Mediterranean Sea.
Ports visited were: Istanbul, Turkey on 21 October; Athens, Greece on
28 October; Suda Bay, Crete on 31 October; La Spezia, on 10
November; Golfe Juan, France on 21 November; Naples, Italy on 3
December; Cannes, France on 28 December
1954
Worcester continued her fifth Mediterranean cruise arriving in
Barcelona, Spain on 9 January, 1954; Lisbon, Portugal on 19 January
Worcester then returned to Boston on 3 February, 1954 to complete the
WORCESTER’s fifth Mediterranean Cruise. WORCESTER then left
Boston for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, arriving 14 February; then
departed for New York, arriving 30 March, then back to Boston on 7
April, 1954 for a shipyard overhaul period. She departed Boston on 7