USS Salem (CA-139) facts for kids
_at_Toulon,_France,_18_June_1951_(80-G-K-11921).jpg)
USS Salem at Toulon, 18 June 1951
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United States |
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| Name | Salem |
| Namesake | Salem, Massachusetts |
| Ordered | 14 June 1943 |
| Builder | Bethlehem Steel Co.'s Fore River Shipyard |
| Laid down | 4 July 1945 |
| Launched | 25 March 1947 |
| Commissioned | 14 May 1949 |
| Decommissioned | 30 January 1959 |
| Stricken | 7 December 1991 |
| Identification |
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| Honours and awards |
See Awards |
| Status | Museum ship in Quincy, Massachusetts 42°14′39″N 70°58′12″W / 42.24417°N 70.97000°W |
| Badge | _crest_1949.png) |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Des Moines-class heavy cruiser |
| Displacement |
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| Length |
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| Beam | 76 ft 6 in (23.32 m) |
| Draft | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 33 kn (61 km/h) |
| Range |
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| Boats & landing craft carried |
2–4 × lifeboats |
| Complement | 1,799 officers and enlisted |
| Sensors and processing systems |
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| Armament |
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| Armor |
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| Aviation facilities |
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The USS Salem (CA-139) was a powerful warship called a heavy cruiser. It was built for the United States Navy right after World War II. The Salem was launched in 1949. It was the second ship of its kind and the very last heavy cruiser ever to join the navy.
The Salem served in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It was taken out of service in 1959. Today, you can visit the Salem as a museum ship in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Contents
Building the Salem
The Salem started being built on July 4, 1945. It was constructed by the Bethlehem Steel Company at their Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. The ship was officially launched into the water on March 25, 1947.
It was then put into active service on May 14, 1949. Captain John C. Daniel was its first commander. The Salem had special main guns. They were the first 8-inch naval guns that could load ammunition automatically.
Salem's Time at Sea
After visiting Salem, Massachusetts, the ship went to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba for three months. This was a "shakedown" period to test everything. After that, it had some final repairs in Boston.
The Salem then took part in training exercises with the US Atlantic Fleet.
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On May 3, 1950, the Salem left the United States East Coast. It sailed to the Mediterranean Sea to become the main ship, or flagship, for the US 6th Fleet. This was the first of seven times the Salem would serve as the fleet's flagship in the Mediterranean.
During these trips, the Salem visited many countries. These included Malta, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, and Algeria. It also took part in many training exercises.
In 1953, the Salem helped with emergency relief. A big earthquake hit the Ionian Islands. The Salem was the first American ship to arrive. It brought supplies and help to people from August 13 to August 17.
In 1956, the Suez Crisis happened. This was a conflict over the Suez Canal. The Salem was sent to the eastern Mediterranean to be ready. In 1957, the 6th Fleet, with Salem as its flagship, showed support for the government of Jordan.
The Salem was supposed to be taken out of service in 1958. However, Lebanon asked for help against a possible coup. So, the Salem had a short extra period of service. It became the flagship for the US 2nd Fleet.
The ship was officially taken out of service on January 30, 1959. It was stored in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
Becoming a Museum Ship
In October 1994, the Salem returned to Quincy, Massachusetts. It became a museum ship at the United States Naval Shipbuilding Museum. The Salem also hosts other museums inside it. These include the USS Newport News Museum and the US Navy Cruiser Sailors Association Museum.
In September 2013, the Salem closed to visitors. The dock it was tied to became unsafe. The ship reopened on weekends in May 2015. In 2016, a deal was made to keep the Salem at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy. It reopened for visits on weekends in April 2016.
The Salem was closed again in August 2017 to move to a different pier. As of August 2019, it is open to the public on weekends.
Salem in Movies and TV
The USS Salem has appeared in several movies and TV shows.
Movies
The Salem was used in the 1956 film The Battle of the River Plate. It pretended to be a German warship called the Admiral Graf Spee. Even though the Salem looked a bit different, its hull number (139) was visible. The movie explained this by saying the German ship often disguised itself.
The Salem was also featured in the 2016 movie The Finest Hours. It was used as the set for the tanker SS Pendleton. This ship broke in half during a famous United States Coast Guard rescue in 1952. Many parts of the Salem can be seen in the movie.
Television
The ship was featured on the TV show Ghost Hunters. In late 2016, the USS Salem worked with Ghost Ship Harbor. They created a haunted attraction on the ship's deck. This event helped raise money for the museum.
In 2017, Fodor's travel guide called it the scariest haunted house in Massachusetts. The Salem was also shown as a haunted place on the TV series Most Terrifying Places in 2019. The show talked about people who claimed to see the ghost of a sailor. He was badly burned on another ship and brought to the Salem for medical help.
Images for kids
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The USS Salem/United States Naval Shipbuilding Museum at its former location in Quincy, Massachusetts
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Aft view of the Salem
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The Salem at its new berth
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View from the front-left of the ship looking towards the back
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The ship's official seal
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See also
In Spanish: USS Salem (CA-139) para niños
