Last update to page: 02/25/01
USS SAINT PAUL (CA-73) served continuously in commission for more than 26 years.
A Baltimore class heavy crusier, she was 674 feet long and displaced 17,400
tons. "The Fighting Saint" was named in honor of the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
She was built by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Company in Quincy, Massachusetts,
and was commissioned in Boston on February 17, 1945. After a shakedown cruise
in the Caribbean, SAINT PAUL transitted the Panama Canal to the Pacific where
she remained for her entire active lifetime of service.
The SAINT PAUL reported to Admiral "Bull" Halsey's Third Fleet and participated
in task force strikes on the Japanese mainland near the close of World War II.
On August 9, 1945, she fired the final salvo on the home islands of Japan. She
rescued two British POWs just before entering Tokyo Bay for the surrender
ceremonies on September 2, 1945. From November 1945 until early 1946, she was
anchored off Shanghai, China as the flagship of Task Force 73.
During the Korean War, Saint Paul supplied close gunfire support for United
Nations troops, conducted gun strikes against enemy supply lines, and rescued
downed pilots. She participated in the drive to Chongjin, the Inchon invasion,
Wonsan, and the Hungnam evacuation. On July 27, 1953, SAINT PAUL fired the last
salvo of the war, just two minutes prior to the cease fire.
In 1959, SAINT PAUL became the first heavy combatant to be permanently
homeported in the Orient since the pre-World War II days of the Asiatic Fleet.
She operated from Yokosuka, Japan as the Commander Seventh Fleet flagship for
more three years. In June of 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower embarked on
SAINT PAUL for a trip from the Philippines to Taiwan. Three weeks later, she became
the first Navy ship to raise the new 50 -star flag. She hosted nearly a
quarter million visitors during this extended Far East assignment.
The next four years were spent operating in eastern Pacific waters out of
her homeport of San Diego. For much of the time she served as the flagship
for Commander First Fleet. In 1963, she was visited by the Secretary of the
Navy, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Commandant of The Coast
Guard. John Wayne and Kirk Douglas filmed scenes for the movie "In Harms Way"
as she steamed from Seattle to Hawaii in 1964.
"The Fighting Saint" returned to her home away from home, the western Pacific,
in 1966, for combat operations off North and South Vietnam. During five annual
deployments to southeast Asia, she supplied gunfire support to allied troops,
interdicted supply lines, and struck enemy installations. She heavily damaged
coastal defense sites and destroyed North Vietnamese coastal naval craft.
SAINT PAUL celebrated her silver anniversary on February 17, 1970, while
preparing for what would be her final deployment. She arrived back in her homeport
of San Diego for the last time in late 1970, to begin preparations for
inactivation. In early 1971, she sailed for Bremerton, Washington, where she was
decommissioned on April 30, 1971.
In more than a quarter century of service to her country, SAINT PAUL earned
18 battle stars and fired more rounds of ammunition than any other United
States crusier in history. She hosted eight heads of state. A total of 18 of
her commanding officers and executive officers ascended to flag rank. "The
Fighting Saint" was truly a crusier among crusiers. Her likes will not be seen
again.
The USS SAINT PAUL'S second Vietnam deployment began April 3, 1967 when she
steamed west from San Diego. It would be seven months and 20,000 rounds later
before the Fighting Saint would return. In her 1966 deployment, she had fired
more than 10,000 rounds in support of allied troops south of the DMZ. Prior
to that it was in Korea that CA-73 had last fired her big guns at hostile
forces; and more than 20 years since the "Snooky Poo Maru", as she was
affectionately known to her crew, had participated in World War II.
This time, SAINT PAUL, would be taking part in a new phase of the Vietnamese
war...Operation Sea Dragon...firing upon military targets located inland, on
the coast and off the shores of Vietnam. The most important objectives were
the interdiction of supply routes and waterborne logistic craft called
Wiblics used by the North Vietnamese to transport military supplies to the
Viet Cong and other elements operating in South Vietnam.
These large junks and barges that moved stealthily along the coastline were
protected by a network of costal defense guns capable of ranges from 10 to
12 miles. It was these guns that SAINT PAUL braved to halt trafficking of
supplies. More than once she felt the sting of their shrapnel as she charged
in to fire on her targets.
"The Fighting Saint" worked hand-in-hand with spotter aircraft from naval carriers
and land-based Marine air units, making use of their eyes to destroy her
targets. At other times, when the use of these aircraft was not practical,
she would zero-in on her targets using computer coordinates or visual sighting
by gun director personnel.
SAINT PAUL did not return from this combat unscathed. On September 1, 1967,
she engaged in her toughest battle of the deployment. Accompanied by two
destroyers, she moved in to attack waterborne logistics craft when about 25
coastal defense sites opened fire. She immediately returned the enemy fire
and a running batle ensued with shells falling all around the ship.
More than 500 rounds were fired at SAINT PAUL that morning, and one round found
its mark. A shell entered near the starboard bow and damaged a storeroom and
several staterooms. There were no personnel casualties. Continuously firing,
the ship maneuvered to safety and retired to sea for repairs. Working all,
night, crewmembers pumped the damaged area dry and welded a patch over the
hole. The patch held during high-speed turns, and the next day, "The
Fighting Saint" returned to the gunline.
The ship later steamed to Subic Bay for permanent repairs. (She had been in Subic
Bay just a month earlier to have all of her 8" guns replaced.) She returned to
Sea Dragon where she destroyed six more waterborne craft, two concrete blockhouses,
and two costal defense sites. She also heavily damaged railroad yards at Cong
Phu and the shipyards Phuc Doi. She was relieved by USS NEWPORT NEWS CA-148
in October and headed to San Diego.
In May 1968, on her third Vietnam deployment, SAINT PAUL returned to Sea Dragon
operations. She picked up right where she had left off, shelling enemy targets
on call-fire missions on a round-the-clock basis. She silenced North Vietnamese
Army gun positions and sank three 30-foot logistics craft while damaging two
50-foot motorized tugs. The ship again took a brief mid-deployment break for
regunning in Subic Bay. In over 1300 missions, she was credited with 380 enemy
killed and 800 military structures destroyed or damaged. She was relieved in
October by USS NEW JERSEY BB-62 before pointing her bow eastward for San Diego.
During her 130 days on the gunline on this deployment, "The Fighting Saint"
fired a total of 64,055 rounds, making a total for the Vietnam conflict of
more than 93,000. These figures established the 23-year old SAINT PAUL as
"Top Gun", having fired more rounds during a single deployment, and more
rounds in all of her deployments, than any other warship. She was awarded the
Navy Unit Commendation for her exceptionally meritorious service during the
deployment.
Although "The Fighting Saint" had been decommissioned by the time the Vietnam
conflict ended, she holds the distinction of two famous gunfire "lasts". As
a member of Admiral 'Bull' Halsey's Third Fleet, she fired the final round on
main home islands of Japan on August 9, 1945. She followed up that notoriety by letting go
the last salvo of the Korean War on July 27, 1953, just two minutes before
the armistice took effect.
(Captain Zucker served aboard the SAINT PAUL from 1960 to 1963.)
If you have any information you wish to share, please send it to:
George Takis ; 125 West Spalding Drive, NE ; Atlanta, GA 30328-1912 ;
(770) 393-3185 ; FAX (770) 351-9573 ; or E-mail gtakisatlcom.net@mindspring.com
Return to main homepage: HISTORY OF THE USS SAINT PAUL
OPERATION SEA DRAGON
Captain Channing M. Zucker, USN (Ret)
PICTURES-USS SAINT PAUL (CA-73)
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