USS Amsterdam (CL-101)

USS Amsterdam (CL-101), flying a large ensign at the fore, arrives off the Naval Air Station at Astoria, Oregon 14 October 1945. Note the ship's two-tone color scheme and Curtiss SC1 "Seahawk" floatplanes, aft.
History
United States
Name:	Amsterdam
Namesake:	City of Amsterdam, New York
Builder:	Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia
Laid down:	3 March 1943
Launched:	25 April 1944
Sponsored by:	Mrs. William E. Hasenfuss
Commissioned:	8 January 1945
Decommissioned:	30 June 1947
Struck:	2 January 1971
Identification:	Hull symbol:CL-101 Code letters:NUGB
Honors and awards:	1 × battle stars
Fate:	Sold for scrap 11 February 1972
General characteristics
Class and type:	Cleveland-class Light cruiser
Displacement:	11,744 long tons (11,932 t) (standard) 14,131 long tons (14,358 t) (max)
Length:	610 ft 1 in (185.95 m) oa 608 ft (185 m)pp
Beam:	66 ft 4 in (20.22 m)
Draft:	25 ft 6 in (7.77 m) (mean) 25 ft (7.6 m) (max)
Installed power:	4 × 634 psi Steam boilers 100,000 shp (75,000 kW)
Propulsion:	4 × geared turbines 4 × screws
Speed:	32.5 kn (37.4 mph; 60.2 km/h)
Range:	11,000 nmi (20,000 km) @ 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h)
Complement:	1,255 officers and enlisted
Armament:	4 × triple 6 in (150 mm)/47 caliber Mark 16 guns 6 × dual 5 in (130 mm)/38 caliber anti-aircraft guns 4 × quad 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns 6 × dual 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns 10 × single 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons
Armor:	Belt: 3 1⁄2–5 in (89–127 mm) Deck: 2 in (51 mm) Barbettes: 6 in (150 mm) Turrets: 1 1⁄2–6 in (38–152 mm) Conning Tower: 2 1⁄4–5 in (57–127 mm)
Aircraft carried:	4 × floatplanes
Aviation facilities:	2 × stern catapults

USS Amsterdam (CL-101) was a United States Navy Cleveland-class light cruiser, the last of the class to see action in World War II.

The ship was laid down on 3 March 1943 at Newport News, Virginia, by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, launched on 25 April 1944, sponsored by Mrs. William E. Hasenfuss (the first "Gold Star Mother" of Amsterdam, New York, who had lost her son William E. Hasenfuss, Jr. in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor), and commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard Portsmouth, Virginia, on 8 January 1945, Captain Andrew P. Lawton in command.

After final fitting out at Norfolk, Virginia, the cruiser got underway on 5 February for shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay. On 17 February, she stood out from Hampton Roads and headed south for Trinidad and the second phase of her shakedown cruise. Amsterdam operated from Trinidad through 13 March, when she set a course for Norfolk. During the return voyage, she held shore bombardment practice off the island of Culebra and then arrived back at Norfolk on the 20th. Following a short cruise to Cape May, New Jersey, for gunnery exercises, the ship entered the Norfolk Navy Yard on 24 March for availability.