USS Huntington (CL-107)

USS Huntington (CL-107), underway, 12 April 1948.
History
United States
Name	Huntington
Namesake	City of Huntington, West Virginia
Builder	New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey
Laid down	4 October 1943
Launched	8 April 1945
Sponsored by	Mrs. M. L. Jarrett, Jr.
Commissioned	23 February 1946
Decommissioned	15 June 1949
Stricken	1 September 1961
Identification	Hull symbol:CL-107 Code letters:NHCJ
Fate	Sold for scrap on 16 May 1962
General characteristics
Class and type	Fargo-class light cruiser
Displacement	11,744 long tons (11,932 t) (standard) 14,131 long tons (14,358 t) (max)
Length	610 ft 1 in (185.95 m) oa 608 ft (185 m)pp
Beam	66 ft 4 in (20.22 m)
Draft	25 ft 6 in (7.77 m) (mean) 25 ft (7.6 m) (max)
Installed power	4 × 634 psi Steam boilers 100,000 shp (75,000 kW)
Propulsion	4 × geared turbines 4 × screws
Speed	32.5 kn (37.4 mph; 60.2 km/h)
Range	11,000 nmi (20,000 km) at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h)
Complement	1,255 officers and enlisted
Armament	4 × triple 6 in (150 mm)/47 caliber Mark 16 guns 6 × dual 5 in (130 mm)/38 caliber anti-aircraft guns 4 × quad 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns 6 × dual 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns 10 × single 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons
Armor	Belt: 3+1⁄2–5 in (89–127 mm) Deck: 2 in (51 mm) Barbettes: 6 in (150 mm) Turrets: 1+1⁄2–6 in (38–152 mm) Conning Tower: 2+1⁄4–5 in (57–127 mm)
Aircraft carried	4 × floatplanes
Aviation facilities	2 × stern catapults

USS Huntington (CL-107), a Fargo-class light cruiser, was the second ship of the United States Navy named after the city of Huntington, West Virginia. She was built during World War II but not completed until after the end of the war and in use for only a few years.

Huntington was launched by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, on 8 April 1945, sponsored by Mrs. M. L. Jarrett, Jr., and commissioned 23 February 1946.^[1]

After shakedown training off Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, Huntington sailed from Philadelphia on 23 July 1946 for duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. During the cruise she visited many ports, including Naples, Malta, Villefranche, and Alexandria, helping to stabilize the volatile post-war situation in Europe. Departing Gibraltar on 8 February 1947, she took part in exercises off Guantánamo Bay, stopped at Norfolk and Newport, Rhode Island, and departed the latter port 20 May 1947 for another tour of duty in the Mediterranean.^[1]

Returning from her cruise on 13 September 1947, Huntington departed Philadelphia on 24 October with Naval Reserve personnel for exercises off Bermuda and Newfoundland until 14 November 1947. The ship then entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and underwent an extensive overhaul until 12 April 1948. During that period Captain Arleigh Burke, future CNO, assumed command in December 1947 until December 1948. Returning to Norfolk on 27 April from her refresher training cruise in the Caribbean, Huntington sailed to Newport and departed for another tour of duty in the Mediterranean on 1 June 1948.^[1]

Huntington visited a variety of ports during June to August 1948, and after transiting the Suez Canal on 22 September, embarked on a good will tour of Africa and South America, arriving Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 6 November. There the ship was honored by an official visit from President Juan Perón, and continuing to Uruguay received a similar visit from President Luis Berres on 10 November. Huntington called at Rio de Janeiro and Trinidad before returning from this valuable good will cruise on 8 December 1948.^[1]

The cruiser made one short cruise from Philadelphia to the Caribbean, returned to Newport on 22 January, and decommissioned on 15 June 1949. She was finally struck from the Navy List on 1 September 1961 after being in reserve,^[1] and was sold to Boston Metals, Baltimore, Maryland, on 16 May 1962.^[2] Her name plate is on display at the Freedom Park.^[3]

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Friedman, Norman (1980). "United States of America". In Gardiner, Robert & Chesneau, Roger (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. pp. 86–166. ISBN 978-0-87021-913-9.

• Media related to USS Huntington (CL-107) at Wikimedia Commons
• Photo gallery of USS Huntington (CL-107) at NavSource Naval History
• Naval Historical Center Online Library of Selected Images: USS Huntington (CL-107), 1946-1962