USS Vicksburg (CL-86)

USS Vicksburg (CL-86), arrives off San Francisco, California, soon after the end of World War II, probably in October 1945. She is flying a long "homeward bound" pennant from her mainmast.
History
United States
Name:	Vicksburg
Namesake:	City of Vicksburg, Mississippi
Builder:	Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia
Laid down:	26 October 1942
Launched:	14 December 1943
Sponsored by:	Miss Muriel Hamilton
Commissioned:	12 June 1944
Decommissioned:	30 June 1947
Struck:	1 October 1962
Identification:	Hull symbol:CL-86 Code letters:NUDW
Honors and awards:	2 × battle stars
Fate:	Sold for scrap on 25 August 1964
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
Service record
Operations:	World War II
Awards:	2 battle stars

USS Vicksburg (CL-86), a Cleveland-class light cruiser, was the third ship of the United States Navy named after the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Vicksburg was first laid down as Cheyenne on 26 October 1942 at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia, but, exactly one month later, was renamed Vicksburg. The light cruiser was launched on 14 December 1943; sponsored by Miss Muriel Hamilton, the daughter of Mayor J. C. Hamilton, of Vicksburg, Mississippi; and commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 12 June 1944, with Captain William C. Vose in command. Vicksburg received two battle stars for her World War II service.

The ship was fitted out for sea at Norfolk, Virginia into July, and conducted the preliminary phases of her shakedown in Chesapeake Bay prior to sailing for the British West Indies on 7 August. The light cruiser, then operating out of Trinidad, completed her shakedown training in the Gulf of Paria from 12–30 August, conducted shore bombardment exercises off Culebra, Puerto Rico, on 1 September, and on the following day, sailed for Hampton Roads in company with Broome and Simpson.