Warships of the US Navy: Heavy Cruiser: USS Macon (CA-132)

USS Macon (CA-132)

(USN Photo)

USS Macon (CA-132), a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy, was laid down on 14 June 1943 by the New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, New Jersey; launched on 15 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Charles F. Bowden, wife of the mayor of Macon, Georgia; and commissioned on 26 August 1945 at Philadelphia, Captain Edward Everett Pare in command. Decommissioned on 10 March 1961, and stricken from the Navy list on 1 November 1969, the USS Macon was sold for scrapping in July 1973. She was armed with nine 8-inch (20.3cm)/55 caliber guns in three triple mounts, twelve 5-inch (12.7cm)/38 caliber guns in six twin mounts, 14 3-inch (7.6 cm)/50 caliber guns, and carried three Regulus I missiles. Her crew included 59 officers and 1,083 enlisted sailors.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Macon (CA-132) underway on 6 October 1951.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Macon (CA-132) underway off the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Pennsylvania (USA), on 29 October 1946.

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(USN Photo)

The largest warship to ever transit the Great Lakes. The 8-inch gun Heavy Cruiser USS Macon came through the Seaway in 1959 to officially open the new waterway. She is seen here in the Eisenhower Lock. Note the missing radar antenna, removed in Boston to allow passage through the Seaway's lift bridges due to her high air draft.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Navy Baltimore-class heavy cruiser USS Macon (CA-132) on 25 July 1948. Note the raised helicopter platform aft and the Sikorsky HO3S helicopter.

(USN Photo)

The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Macon (CA-132) at Boston, Massachusetts (USA), in 1959, with two SSM-N-8 Regulus I missiles on her fantail. Note that both the AN/SPS-6 air search radar and the AN/SPQ-2 Regulus missile guidance radar have been removed.

(USN Photo)

SSM-N-8 Regulus cruise missile aboard the U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Macon (CA-132), in 1959.

(USN Photo)

Aerial view of the the U.S. Navy Boston Naval Shipyard, Massachusetts (USA), looking Southwest, on 1 April 1960. The following ships are present (front to back): Pier 11: aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CVS-18); Dry Dock 5: floating dry dock ARD-16; in ARD-16: dry dock companion craft YFND-23; Pier 10: empty; Pier 9E: heavy cruiser USS Macon (CA-132); floating crane YD-196 Pier 9W: destroyer USS Hugh Purvis (DD-709); Pier 8E: cable laying and repair ship USS Thor (ARC-4); floating pile driver YPD-24; Pier 7E: guided missile cruiser USS Springfield (CLG-7); Pier 7W: empty; Pier 6E: destroyer USS Perry (DD-844); Pier 6W: destroyer leader USS Mitscher (DL-2); Pier 5E: guided missile cruiser USS Albany (CG-10); Pier 5W: destroyer tender USS Yosemite (AD-19); Pier 4E: empty; Pier 4W: radar picket ship USS Skywatcher (AGR-3).