| Navy | The US Navy |
| Type | Light cruiser |
| Class | Brooklyn |
| Pennant | CL 40 |
| Built by | New York Navy Yard (New York, New York, U.S.A.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 12 Mar 1935 |
| Launched | 30 Nov 1936 |
| Commissioned | 30 Sep 1937 |
| End service | 3 Jan 1947 |
| History | Decomissioned 3 January 1947.
Transferred to Chile on 9 January 1951 being renamed O'Higgins. |
Commands listed for USS Brooklyn (CL 40)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Capt. William Ward Smith, USN | 18 May 1939 | 5 Feb 1941 |
| 2 | Capt. Ellis Spencer Stone, USN | 5 Feb 1941 | 12 Jun 1942 |
| 3 | T/Capt. Francis Compton Denebrink, USN | 12 Jun 1942 | 14 Feb 1943 (1) |
| 4 | Capt. Humbert William Ziroli, USN | 14 Feb 1943 | 11 Oct 1943 (1) |
| 5 | Capt. Robert Webster Cary, Jr., USN | 11 Oct 1943 | 16 Feb 1944 |
| 6 | T/Capt. Frank Chester Layne, USN | 16 Feb 1944 | 12 Apr 1944 |
| 7 | Capt. Frank Riley Dodge, USN | 12 Apr 1944 | 14 Jan 1945 (1) |
| 8 | T/Cdr. Herbert Frederick Eckberg, USN | 14 Jan 1945 | 12 Apr 1945 |
| 9 | T/Capt. William Francis Fitzgerald, Jr,, USN | 12 Apr 1945 | 26 Sep 1945 |
| 10 | T/Cdr. Edson Hill Whitehurst, USN | 26 Sep 1945 | 30 Oct 1945 |
| 11 | Frank Anthony Zimanski, USN | 30 Oct 1945 | 5 Jan 1946 |
| 12 | Harold Chase Lank, USN | 5 Jan 1946 | 30 Jan 1946 |
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Notable events involving Brooklyn include:
19 Nov 1943
Around 1100 hours, USS Iowa (Capt. J.L. McCrea, USN) and her escort; USS Ellyson (Lt.Cdr. E.W. Longton, USN), USS Rodman (Cdr. J.F. Foley, USN) and USS Emmons (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Billingsley, USN) joined USS Brooklyn (Capt. R.W. Cary, Jr., USN) and her escort; USS Trippe (Lt.Cdr. R.C. Williams, USN), USS Edison (Lt.Cdr. H.A. Pearce, USN), HMS Troubridge (Capt. C.L. Firth, MVO, RN), HMS Teazer (Lt.Cdr. A.A.F. Talbot, DSO and Bar, RN) and HMS Tyrian (Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN). In the afternoon USS Ellson, USS Rodman and USS Emmons were detached.
20 Nov 1943
The battleship USS Iowa (Capt. J.L. McCrea, USN) arrived at Mers El Kebir where her 'passengers' left the ship.
She departed Mers El Kebir later the same day to proceed to Bahia, Brazil.
At sea she (re-)joined the light cruiser USS Brooklyn (Capt. R.W. Cary, Jr., USN) and the destroyers USS Trippe (Lt.Cdr. R.C. Williams, USN), USS Edison (Lt.Cdr. H.A. Pearce, USN), HMS Troubridge (Capt. C.L. Firth, MVO, RN), HMS Teazer (Lt.Cdr. A.A.F. Talbot, DSO and Bar, RN) and HMS Tyrian (Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN). The light cruiser HMS Sheffield (Capt. C.T. Addis, RN) had also departed Mers-el-Kebir and joined them.
21 Nov 1943
USS Iowa (Capt. J.L. McCrea, USN) passed Gibaltar Straits westbound into the Atlantic.
Around 0540 hours, HMS Sheffield, departed the formation.
Around 0820 hours, USS Ellyson (Lt.Cdr. E.W. Longton, USN), USS Rodman (Cdr. J.F. Foley, USN) and USS Emmons (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Billingsley, USN) arrived to take over the escort of USS Iowa and USS Brooklyn (Capt. R.W. Cary, Jr., USN) and her escort; USS Trippe (Lt.Cdr. R.C. Williams, USN), USS Edison (Lt.Cdr. H.A. Pearce, USN), HMS Troubridge (Capt. C.L. Firth, MVO, RN), HMS Teazer (Lt.Cdr. A.A.F. Talbot, DSO and Bar, RN) and HMS Tyrian (Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN) departed the formation and set course for Gibraltar.
15 Jan 1944
The light cruisers HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Belben, DSC, AM, RN), HMS Dido (Capt. J. Terry, RN), HMS Phoebe (Capt. C.P. Frend, RN), USS Brooklyn (Capt. R.W. Cary, Jr., USN) and the destroyers HMS Teazer (Lt.Cdr. A.A.F. Talbot, DSO and Bar, RN), USS Niblack (T/Cdr. R.R. Conner, USN) and USS Trippe (T/Cdr. R.C. Williams, USN) conducted exercises off Malta. (2)
18 Jan 1944
Around 1545/18, The light cruisers HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Belben, DSC, AM, RN), USS Brooklyn (Capt. R.W. Cary, Jr., USN) and the destroyers HMS Loyal (Lt.Cdr. H.E.F. Tweedie, DSC, RN), USS Niblack (T/Cdr. R.R. Conner, USN) and USS Trippe (T/Cdr. R.C. Williams, USN) departed Malta for Naples. They arrived at Naples around 1015/19. (3)
21 Jan 1944
Around 1220/21, the Task Group 82.8, part of 'X-ray Force', made up of the light cruisers USS Brooklyn (Capt. R.W. Cary, Jr., USN), HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Belben, DSC, AM, RN) and the destroyers USS Trippe (T/Cdr. R.C. Williams, USN), USS Mayo (T/Cdr. F.S. Habecker, USN), USS Woolsey (T/Cdr. H.R. Wier, USN), USS Ludlow (T/Cdr. L.W. Creighton, USN) and USS Edison (T/Cdr. H.A. Pearce, USN) departed Naples in support of Operation Shingle, the landings at Anzio. En-route to the landing area they escorted a convoy (NAF 1).
They entered the 'fire support area' around 0130/22.
22 Jan 1944
Task Group 82.8, part of 'X-ray Force', made up of the light cruisers USS Brooklyn (Capt. R.W. Cary, Jr., USN), HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Belben, DSC, AM, RN) and the destroyers USS Trippe (T/Cdr. R.C. Williams, USN), USS Mayo (T/Cdr. F.S. Habecker, USN), USS Woolsey (T/Cdr. H.R. Wier, USN), USS Ludlow (T/Cdr. L.W. Creighton, USN) and USS Edison (T/Cdr. H.A. Pearce, USN) is still operating in their part of the landing area.
Several air attacks were carried out in the area by the Germans during the day.
At 1440 hours, HMS Penelope commenced a bombardment. [No further details available.]
Around 1730 hours, USS Brooklyn, HMS Penelope, USS Trippe and USS Edison proceeded to seaward.
At 2026 hours, they were informed that two enemy destroyers might attack during the night. These ships had been reported in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea and USS Brooklyn, HMS Penelope, USS Trippe and USS Edison proceeded northwards to intercept.
23 Jan 1944
Task Group 82.8, part of 'X-ray Force', made up of the light cruisers USS Brooklyn (Capt. R.W. Cary, Jr., USN), HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Belben, DSC, AM, RN) and the destroyers USS Trippe (T/Cdr. R.C. Williams, USN), USS Mayo (T/Cdr. F.S. Habecker, USN), USS Woolsey (T/Cdr. H.R. Wier, USN), USS Ludlow (T/Cdr. L.W. Creighton, USN) and USS Edison (T/Cdr. H.A. Pearce, USN) is still operating in the Anzio landings area.
USS Brooklyn, HMS Penelope, HMS Trippe and HMS Edison were outside the landing zone to try to intercept two German destroyers. At 0600 hours, the hunt for these destroyers was abandoned and they returned to the landing zone for fire support duties.
At 0858 hours, USS Brooklyn opened fire on a shore target having been requisted to do so. Fire was ceased at 0904 hours. A total of 27 rounds had been fired.
At 1743 hours, USS Brooklyn, HMS Penelope, HMS Trippe and HMS Edison again departed the landing zone to proceed to seawards.
Sources
- http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/040/04040.htm
- Logbook USS Brooklyn
- ADM 199/1430 + Logbook USS Brooklyn
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.