the
UARTERDECK
Vol. 22 No. 2
Spring1996
A review and newsletter from the Columbia River Maritime Museum at 1792 Marine Drive in Astoria, Oregon
U.S.S. Astoria (CL-90), first arrival from the War Zone at Terminal Island, California. September 15, 1945, at 0800. Courtesy of Herman Schnipper, ship's photographer for the CL-90.
A Ship Named Astoria On July 4th, the Columbia River Maritime Museum will open a new exhibit inside the Naval History Gallery. A Ship Named Astoria traces the stories of three ships of the U.S. Navy, all named after Astoria, Oregon. Much of our twentieth-century naval history is exemplified in these namesake ships . The exhibit, a permanent addition to the Naval History Gallery, was the inspiration of the U.S.S. Astoria (CA-34) Reunion Association, which generously funded the gallery work in memory of their founder, Kenneth Cruse. The exhibit uses an exciting mix of artifacts, souvenirs, photographs, and sound
recordings to tell the story of the ships named Astoria and the town - our town - that so closely followed their careers. Since the turn of the century, three U.S. Navy ships have been commissioned as Astoria. The first, U.S.S. Astoria (AK-8), was commissioned in 1917 as part of the Naval Overseas Transportation Service and shuttled coal and supplies from England to France throughout World War One. (A previous U.S.S. Astoria, an Alaska-class wooden screw sloop of war built in Philadelphia in 1869, bore the name only briefly. When commissioned, this vessel was renamed U .S.S.Omaha - the name originally assigned at her keel-laying). The second U .S.S. Astoria (CA-34), was a heavy cruiser. The city of Astoria had strong
ties to this ship, following her progress with pride as the CA-34 served as U.S. flagship for a diplomatic trip to Japan in 1939. Three years later, Astoria played a key role in the Battle of Midway. The heavy cruiser was sunk in adsastrous attack off Savo Island on August 9th, 1942, with the loss of 238 lives. In October 1942 a light cruiser, U.S.S. Wilkes Barre, was renamed Astoria and was launched in March 1943. Known as a vengeance ship, Astoria saw active service through the end of the war and beyond. Our feature photo essay on page 6 reveals just a few of the powerful images now on display in A Ship Named Astoria. -David Pearson, Collections Manager/Registrar