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USS Salem (CA-139) facts for kids

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USS Salem (CA-139) at Toulon, France, 18 June 1951 (80-G-K-11921).jpg
USS Salem at Toulon, 18 June 1951
Quick facts for kids
History
United States
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
  • Callsign: NIQY
  • ICS November.svgICS India.svgICS Quebec.svgICS Yankee.svg
  • Hull number: CA-139
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 / 42.24417; -70.97000
Badge USS Salem (CA-139) crest 1949.png
General characteristics
Class and type Des Moines-class heavy cruiser
Displacement
  • 17,000 long tons (17,273 t) (standard)
  • 21,500 long tons (21,845 t) (full load)
Length
  • 700 ft (210 m) wl
  • 716 ft 6 in (218.39 m) oa
Beam 76 ft 6 in (23.32 m)
Draft 22 ft (6.7 m)
Propulsion
  • 4 shafts
  • General Electric turbines
  • 4 boilers
  • 120,000 shp (89,000 kW)
Speed 33 kn (61 km/h)
Range
  • 10,500 nmi at 15 knots
  • 19,400 km at 28 km/h
Boats & landing
craft carried
2–4 × lifeboats
Complement 1,799 officers and enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
  • AN/SPS-6 air-search radar
  • AN/SPS-8A height-finding radar
  • AN/URN-3 TACAN
  • AN/URD-4 radio direction finder
Armament
  • 3 × triple 8"/55 caliber guns
  • 6 × twin 5"/38 caliber guns
  • 12 × twin 3"/50 caliber guns
  • 12 × single Oerlikon 20 mm cannons
Armor
  • Belt: 4–6 in (102-152 mm)
  • Deck: 3.5 in (89 mm)
  • Turrets: 2–8 in (51-203 mm)
  • Barbettes: 6.3 in (160 mm)
  • Conning tower: 6.5 in (165 mm)
Aviation facilities
  • 2 × aircraft catapults
  • Helipad (later conversion)

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.

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.

USS Salem (CA-139) at anchor off Sardinia on 19 May 1950 (NH 97604)
Salem anchored near Sardinia in 1950

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

See also

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