USS Denver (CL-58)

USS Denver (CL-58), underway, circa December 1942.
History
United States
Name:	Denver
Namesake:	City of Denver, Colorado
Builder:	New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey
Laid down:	26 December 1940
Launched:	4 April 1942
Sponsored by:	Miss L. J. Stapleton
Commissioned:	15 October 1942
Decommissioned:	7 February 1947
Struck:	March 1959
Identification:	Hull symbol:CL-58 Code letters:NADG
Honors and awards:	11 × battle stars Navy Unit Commendation
Fate:	Scrapped in 1960
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) at 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 8 × dual 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns 17 × 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
Service record
Operations:	World War II
Awards:	Navy Unit Commendation,11 × battle stars

USS Denver (CL-58) was a Cleveland-class light cruiser. Denver launched on 4 April 1942 by New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, New Jersey; sponsored by Miss L. J. Stapleton, daughter of the Mayor of Denver; and commissioned on 15 October 1942, Captain Robert Carney in command. It was the second ship named for the city of Denver, Colorado.

Denver sailed from Philadelphia on 23 January 1943, and arrived at Efate, New Hebrides on 14 February. Thomas Darden was in command. The new cruiser first saw combat in the bombardment of Vila on Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands, on 6 March. During this action her force engaged and sank the Japanese destroyers Minegumo and Murasame in the Battle of Blackett Strait. Continuing her operations in the Solomons, Denver joined the bombardment of Ballale Island on 29–30 June in conjunction with the invasion landings on New Georgia, then remained in the area on patrol.

On the last day of October 1943, Denver sortied from Port Purvis with Task Force 39 (TF 39) to intercept an enemy force attempting to disrupt the landings at Cape Torokina, Bougainville. In the resulting battle of Empress Augusta Bay on the night of 1/2 November, the American ships sank one enemy light cruiser and a destroyer and damaged two heavy cruisers and two destroyers, while the four other enemy ships broke off the action and retired. During the heavy firing Denver was hit by three 8-inch (203 mm) shells which fortunately did not explode. She shared in the Navy Unit Commendation awarded her division for its outstanding performance in this battle.