USS Saint Paul
The USS Saint Paul, a Baltimore Class Cruiser, was built in 1943 at the Bethlehem Steel Company in Quincy, Massachusetts. Her launch date was September 16, 1944. On February 17, 1945 she was commissioned by the US Navy under the command of Captain Ernest H. Von Heimburg, making her the second ship in the Navy to be named the Saint Paul.
The Saint Paul trained near Pearl Harbor and prepared to join Task Force 38. The ships of TF38 sailed to the Japanese island of Honshu. The Saint Paul assisted in the war efforts, and destroyed many targets with her own fire power on two separate nights while stationed in Japan. By August, the war was at an end, and the Saint Paul sailed to Tokyo Bay for the ceremony of surrender that was scheduled for September.
By November The Saint Paul had sailed to Shanghai and become the flagship of Task Force 73. From that time until late in the year of 1949, she spent her time going between America and the Far East, and was eventually converted to be able to carry helicopters on her deck.
In 1950 the Korean War brought The Saint Paul into active wartime duty again. She joined the United Nations forces in Korea to provide gunfire support. In 1951 the ship participated in a group of raids intended to destroy Korean railroads and tunnels. This mission proved to be very successful and caused great damage to the Korean military.
Following a brief return to America to have some work done on the ship, The Saint Paul sailed right back to Korea and was involved in many more battles. Her guns destroyed major targets in important Korean cities. During an operation conducted on April 21, 1952, a fire was started on the ship, killing 30 of her men. Even in this tragic moment, the Saint Paul crew continued to battle and even managed to capture a boat that held nine Korean soldiers. By June the ship had returned to the US for much needed repairs.
February of 1953 saw The Saint Paul's third tour of duty in Korea. She was again involved in many battles, but during all of this time she was only damaged once by enemy fire. An anti-aircraft mount aboard the ship was damaged, and that was the full extent. She remained stationed in Korea until the end of the war, and even received the honor of being the ship to fire the very last round.
In 1954, The Saint Paul spent time around China to deal with threats made by Chinese Communists. She worked with the 7th Fleet, and after a quick trip home for repairs, she became to flagship for her fleet. Over the next few years she spent her time in many areas of the world conducting a variety of successful missions. In 1959 she returned to the Far East, being the first ship to do so after the end of World War II. By 1965 she worked with the 7th Fleet in the Vietnam War, and she deployed with the fleet on five separate occasions to assist the allied troops. During one deployment, she was once again hit by an enemy shell, but the damage was minimal and the ship remained at sea to continue fighting.
After the war, The Saint Paul was deactivated on February 1, 1971. She was removed from the Naval Vessel Register in 1978 and eventually sold in January of 1980.
The Saint Paul earned great fame in all of her wartime efforts, and also notoriety for being used as a set for the movie In Harm's Way. There was irony to be found in the title of that movie, as the crew members of The Saint Paul were put in harm's way not only because of the many battles she participated in, but because of the presence of asbestos on the ship. Asbestos was once used as a construction material for products such as insulation, but it was later discovered to be toxic and very harmful to humans. Exposure to asbestos can lead to diseases such as mesothelioma, a form of cancer. If you served on board The Saint Paul or other naval vessel, talk to your doctor about your risk of exposure.
Last modified: June 13 2008.
