USS Salt Lake City CA-25

The USS Salt Lake City was a Pensacola-class heavy cruiser. Construction began on June 9, 1927, and she was launched on January 23, 1929 under the sponsorship of Helen Budge. She was then commissioned on December 11, 1929 under the command of Captain Frederick Lansing Oliver.

History

The Salt Lake City had her shakedown cruise off the coast of Maine before sailing for Guantanamo Bay, Culebra, and Brazil. She returned to Guantanamo Bay and joined Cruiser Division 2. She stayed along the East Coast for the rest of the year and into 1931. On July 1, 1931, the USS Salt Lake City was reclassified as a heavy cruiser and given the designation CA-25.

In early 1932, the Salt Lake City headed for the west coast, arriving there in early March. She was reassigned to the Pacific Fleet, and in 1933, she visited Pearl Harbor. She had an overhaul in October that took her until January 1934, and in May, she headed back to New York for a Fleet Review, returning to California in mid-December.

The Salt Lake City spent 1935 along the West Coast. She was sent to the Panama Canal Zone in 1936 for an operation, and then spent the rest of the year along the West Coast. Aside from a short trip to Hawaii, 1937 and 1938 were also spent along the West Coast. In early 1939, she was sent on an extended cruise in the Caribbean, and she returned back to the West Coast in early April. Then in October, she was sent on another extended cruise that lasted until late June 1940, which included stops at Pearl Harbor, Wake and Guam. In 1941, the Salt Lake City was sent to Australia.

The Salt Lake City was returning from Wake Island the day Pearl Harbor was attacked and sent out scouting planes in hope of catching the enemy. From there, she headed into Pearl Harbor for refueling before being sent out again to hunt for submarines. Afterwards, she operated with Task Force 8 at Wake Islands and in the eastern Marshalls. These strikes continued into 1942.

In April, the Salt Lake City participated in the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, and in May, she was a part of the Battle of the Coral Sea. She then sailed to New Hebrides. From August until October, the Salt Lake City operated in the South Pacific near Guadalcanal. In September, she offered assistance to survivors of the Wasp after the carrier was sunk.

In mid-October, the Salt Lake City was a part of the Battle of Cape Esperance. One of her planes caught fire and crashed, but the Japanese thought it was a signal flare from their own landing force. They answered with their own signals, and the American force was able to use these indicators to attack them. The Salt Lake City sustained three major hits in the resulting battle, and the task force headed back to Espiritu Santo.

From there, the Salt Lake City headed back to Pearl Harbor for repairs. In late March 1943, she headed to the Aleutian Islands to join Task Force 8 and became involved in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands. The Americans thought the battle would be easy, but they were outgunned and outnumbered by the Japanese. The Salt Lake City was hit numerous times and was dead in the water. Smoke screened her from the enemy and allowed her engineers time to fix the problem. The Japanese withdrew, and the Salt Lake City headed back to Pearl Harbor.

The Salt Lake City was then assigned to Task Group 50.3. She underwent training and was then sent out to Wake and Rabaul. In mid-November, she hit the Ellice Islands. From there, she joined Task Group 50.15 for the Marshalls Campaign, which started in late January 1944. She participated in many raids before heading to Pearl Harbor in late April, and from there, she went to Mare Island Naval Shipyard. She remained along the west coast until July, when she was sent to Alaska. She then returned to Pearl Harbor in mid-August.

In late August, the Salt Lake City headed to Wake Island, then to Eniwetok, Marcus Island, and later Saipan. She participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea in October, and for the rest of the year, she attacked the Volcano Islands. In February 1945, she was part of the attacks on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In late May, she was sent to Leyte for upkeep, and the rest of the summer was spent in the East China Sea. The Salt Lake City then returned to Adak before heading to Honshu for occupation.

After the war, the Salt Lake City was a part of Operation Magic Carpet and assisted with the return of veterans to the United States. She then became a part of the Atomic Bomb Experiments. She survived the blasts and was eventually sunk as a target hull on May 25, 1948. She was removed from the Navy list that June.

Asbestos Risks

Like other ships involved in the war, the Salt Lake City had many hazards and suffered her own share of casualties. But torpedoes and enemy gunfire weren't the only risk - the Salt Lake City had the additional hazard of being built with asbestos.

Asbestos was commonly used at the time as insulation. Resistant to heat and fire, it was often incorporated around boilers and steam pipes. However, when asbestos is used, tiny particles break away and contaminate the air. If inhaled, these particles can cause irritation leading to asbestosis and mesothelioma.

The sailors and shipyard workers were not informed of this risk, and many of them were exposed to asbestos on a daily basis. Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases can take decades to develop, so many did not even realize the danger until long after their time of service. Many of these victims have since gone on to sue the companies responsible for their exposure. If you served aboard the Salt Lake City or worked on her at one of the shipyards and have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related medical condition, you may have legal options. For more information, please fill out the form on this page to receive a comprehensive packet in the mail.

Cruisers Index