USS Helena (CA-75)

The USS Helena (CA-75) was built at Quincy, Massachusetts by the Bethlehem Steel Company and launched on 28 April 1945, just before Germany's surrender in the Second World War. She was commissioned on 4 September of that year under the command of Capt. A. H. McCollum.

Helena underwent two shakedown/training periods at Guantanamo Bay following the celebration of Navy Day on 27 October 1945. She returned to Boston in February 1946 to prepare for her first deployment, a circumnavigation of the globe. She departed on the 12th for Europe where she conducted training exercises in the North Sea and the Baltic and paid diplomatic visits to ports in Great Britain.

On 1 May 1946, Helena sailed for the Far East through the Suez Canal, arriving at Tsingtao, China six weeks later. During her tour of the Far East, Helena took part in a wide variety of training exercises and fleet maneuvers before sailing for the California coast on 22 March 1947.

After training operations in California waters, Helena departed for a second tour of duty in April 1948. Upon her return to the Port of Long Beach in December 1948, she spent a year serving as a training vessel for Naval reservists. During this time, Helena underwent alterations that would allow her to carry a helicopter.

Helena eventually returned to Japan in January 1950. During this period in the Far East, her crew carried out a number of large-scale fleet exercises off the coast of Okinawa as well as diplomatic visits to Japanese ports. She sailed home on 21 May 1950.

Korea

Helena was scheduled to spend the summer of 1950 in port at Long Beach, then travel north to San Francisco for repairs and maintenance. However, the outbreak of the Korean War required her to prepare to return to action on 6 July 1950. The Helena got underway for Pearl Harbor to take on ordinance, then to the east coast of Korea. On 7 August, she fired her guns in combat for the first time.

Although her cover fire was necessary for the success of several UN amphibious actions, by November her twice-postponed maintenance could no longer wait. She returned to Long Beach in November for five months of repairs and refits.

Following this overhaul, Helena returned to duty on 18 April 1951 and was assigned to Task Force 77, a carrier group whose airmen were making daily air strikes against enemy positions. In July, the Helena was hit by shore gunfire. Damage was minimal and her gunnery crew was able to deliver rapid fire that destroyed seven enemy gun positions and an ammunition dump.

As a fire support vessel in the Hungnam-Hamhung area, her helicopter was used to great advantage in spotting enemy targets and insuring accurate aim. The Helena returned to Long Beach on 8 December 1951, at which time her entire battery of nine, eight-inch guns were replaced. In February 1952, she took part in "Lex Baker One," the largest-scale training exercise held since the outbreak of the Korean conflict. The training exercise involved more than 70 ships and 15,000 combat personnel.

The Helena returned to Korea on 9 June 1952, reporting to Task Force 77 off the coast of Korea. For the next five months, her mission was to take out enemy facilities on shore as well as rescue downed airmen with the use of her helicopter.

On 29 November, 1952, the Helena was ordered to Guam where President Dwight D. Eisenhower and several of his prospective cabinet members as well as Admiral A. W. Radford, Commander of the 7th Fleet, embarked for passage to Pearl Harbor. During the voyage, top-level policy conferences were held. These high-level passengers left the ship at Pearl Harbor on 11 December, 1952 and she continued to Long Beach.

The Cold War In Asia

Helena made several more tours of duty in East Asia for the next few years; though a "cease-fire" was in effect in Korea , the geo-political situation with Communist China and Southeast Asia remained tense, requiring a skillful balance of diplomacy with a display of military prowess.

Toward the end of 1962, the Helena was scheduled for deactivation at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. She was decommissioned and put into the Pacific Reserve Fleet on 29 June 1963 and transferred in June 1963 to San Diego. Here she remained until struck from the Navy list on 1 January 1974 and sold for scrap later that year.

Asbestos Risks

The use of asbestos on ships was crucial in fireproofing and insulating many areas on board. However, exposure to the toxic mineral through the normal wear and tear of battle and repairs has caused many to develop asbestos-related diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. The latter is especially harmful as there is no cure for the disease and many are completely unaware of its development.

If you have already been diagnosed with an illness related to asbestos, you may have legal options for compensation that can help pay for medical expenses. For more information, please fill out the request form on this page to receive a free informational packet.

Cruisers Index