World War II Database

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ww2dbaseAfter commissioning at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, United States, light cruiser Memphis held her shakedown cruise in the Caribbean Sea. On 13 Apr 1925, she participated in the dedication of an American memorial gateway to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry at Port of Spain, Trinidad. In Jun, she joined a scouting fleet off Honolulu, Hawaii for a cruise to South America until Sep and then Australia and New Zealand until Oct. She returned to New York City in Apr 1926. Between 26 Jun and 1927, she operated in Europe as the flagship of US Naval Forces in Europe, and hosted King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Captain Charles Lindbergh in this role. She returned to Washington, DC on 11 Jun 1927. In Jan 1928, she escorted President Calvin Coolidge's flagship during his cruise to the West Indies. Between Jun 1928 and May 1933, she served off Central America. After a good will cruise to Australia in Jan 1938, Memphis reached Honolulu, Hawaii on 1 Apr. On 12 Jul 1939, she participated in the presidential review off San Francisco, California. Between Aug 1939 and early 1941, Memphis operated in the North Pacific off Alaska.

ww2dbaseMemphis' involvement in WW2 began on 24 Apr 1941 when she departed from Newport, Rhode Island for the South Atlantic for neutrality patrols. In Mar 1942, she escorted two US Army transports to Ascension Island where the US Army's 38th Engineer General Service Regiment debarked to construct an airfield for Allied aircraft to fly between the US and Africa. In May 1942, she patrolled the entrance to Fort-de-France, Martinique in the Caribbean Sea.

ww2dbaseMemphis' remaining service in WW2 saw less combat and more VIP-related duties. In Jan 1943, she hosted President Franklin Roosevelt off Bathurst, Gambia, during the Casablanca Conference. From Feb to Sep 1943, she patrolled off Bahia and Recife, Brazil. In Jan 1944, she hosted President Juan José de Amézaga of Uruguay and President Getúlio Vargas of Brazil. On 16 Jan 1945, Memphis arrived at Naples, Italy to serve as the flagship of Admiral Harold Stark. Later that month, she hosted Admiral Ernest King and General George Marshall. On 18 Feb, she escorted the convoy that brought Roosevelt from Algiers back to the United States after the Yalta conference. On 15 Aug, she participated in the first anniversary ceremonies of the Allied landings at St. Raphael and St. Tropez, southern France.

ww2dbaseAfter the war, Memphis remained in the Mediterranean Sea as the flagship of US naval forces in the area. On 27 Oct 1945, she participated in the Navy Day ceremonies at Naples, Italy. She was sent back to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States in Nov 1945 for decommissioning. She was sold for scrap to Patapsco Scrap Company of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States on 10 Jan 1947.

Light Cruiser Memphis Interactive Map

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Memphis Operational Timeline

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