USS Boston (CA-69)

USS Boston (CAG-1), underway in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 10 January 1967.
History
United States
Name:	Boston
Namesake:	City of Boston
Builder:	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts
Laid down:	30 June 1941
Launched:	26 August 1942
Sponsored by:	Mrs. Helen Noonan Tobin
Commissioned:	30 June 1943
Decommissioned:	29 October 1946
Recommissioned:	1 November 1955
Decommissioned:	5 May 1970
Reclassified:	CAG-1, 4 January 1952 CA-69, 1 May 1968
Struck:	4 January 1974
Identification:	Hull symbol:CA-69 Hull Symbol:CAG-1 Code letters:NAWP
Honors and awards:	10 × battle stars for World War II 5 × battle stars for the Vietnam War Navy Unit Commendation (May 1968) Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation (July–August 1968, June–July 1969)
Fate:	Sold for scrap 28 March 1975
Badge:
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type:	Baltimore-class heavy cruiser
Displacement:	14,472 long tons (14,704 t) (standard) 17,031 long tons (17,304 t) (max)
Length:	673 ft 5 in (205.26 m) oa
Beam:	70 ft 10 in (21.59 m)
Draft:	20 ft 6 in (6.25 m) (mean) 26 ft (7.9248000000 m) (max)
Installed power:	4 × 615 psi Steam boilers 120,000 shp (89,000 kW)
Propulsion:	4 × General Electric geared turbines 4 × screws
Speed:	33 kn (38 mph; 61 km/h)
Range:	10,000 nmi (19,000 km) at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h)
Complement:	1,142 officers and enlisted
Armament:	3 × triple 8 in (200 mm)/55 caliber guns 6 × dual 5 in (130 mm)/38 caliber anti-aircraft guns 12 × quad 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns 24 × single 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons
Armor:	Belt: 4–6 in (100–150 mm) Deck: 2.5 in (64 mm) Barbettes: 6–6.3 in (150–160 mm) Turrets: 1.5–8 in (38–203 mm)
Aircraft carried:	4 × floatplanes
Aviation facilities:	2 × stern catapults
General characteristics (1955)
Armament:	2 × triple 8 in (200 mm)/55 caliber guns 5 × dual 5 in (130 mm)/38 caliber anti-aircraft guns 6 × dual 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber anti-aircraft guns 2 × twin-rail Terrier SAM launcher (144 missiles)
Aircraft carried:	removed
Aviation facilities:	removed

USS Boston (CA-69/CAG-1), a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser, was the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston was launched 26 August 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Company's, Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts; sponsored by Mrs. Helen Noonan Tobin, wife of the Mayor of Boston, Maurice J. Tobin; and commissioned 30 June 1943, Captain J. H. Carson in command.

Boston reported to the Pacific Fleet, arriving at Pearl Harbor 6 December 1943. She joined Task Force 58 (TF 58) in January and took part in the raids on the Marshall Islands in support of the invasions of Kwajalein, Majuro, and of Eniwetok (31 January – 28 February 1944).

Boston also supported the assaults on the Palaus and Western Carolines between 30 March and 1 April, and operations at Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura) and Western New Guinea on 21 – 24 April. The ship participated in the attack on Truk, including bombardment of Satawan Island between 29 April – 1 May. Boston supported the invasion of Saipan between 11 and 24 June. She also took part in several raids on the Bonin Islands in June and July and supported the carrier task forces during the Battle of the Philippine Sea on 19 June.Boston towed the crippled Houston after it was torpedoed by the Japanese.