USS Worcester US Navy Light Cruiser

History and Technical Reference

By Mark A. Janowski

USS Worcester – CL-144 History and Technical Reference

Page i

U.S.S. Worcester – CL-144

History and Technical Reference

USS Worcester – CL-144 History and Technical Reference

Page ii

Dedication:

To the men who

served aboard her

June 26, 1948

December 19, 1958

USS Worcester – CL-144 History and Technical Reference

Page iii

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)

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

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

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)