The USS Salem was not a WWII ship she was commissioned 14 May 49. She did not participate in WWII. She wasn't laid down until July 1945 and launched in March 1947. It was not the "only one of its kind that survived". All three Des Moines Class Heavy Cruisers survived until their decommissioning. The USS Des Moines and the USS Newport News were scrapped and the USS Salem was converted to a museum ship.
Her sister ships of the same class did participate in WWII. The USS Salem was the last U.S. heavy cruiser launched. She did participate in Korean and Vietnam Wars. And she's the only heavy cruiser that still exists in the world.
misterjag her sister ships did not participate in ww2, they were laid down during ww2 and commissioned post war. The only ship that actually participated in combat was the USS Newport News in Vietnam
It would be nice to see a tour like this with someone who is halfway interested and actually knows something about the ship. I'm the wife of a former crew member and regret not being able to tour the ship myself.
Nice Video. The shell you are standing by in the beginning of the video is for a Battleship - 16 inch 50 Caliber. I saw the all (3) Des Monies class cruisers in mothballs at the Philadelphia Navy Yard prior to scrapping and USS Salem becoming a museum. Note: these ships were too late for WW2 usage. My dad who passed in 2017 at age 92 was on the heavy cruiser USS Louisville CA 28 from 1943-46 and witnessed (51) sailors and Rear Admiral Theodore Chandler buried at sea due to (3) kamikaze hits in the Pacific. (1) 8 inch 55 caliber gun turret was found in the desert in 2016. God Bless our service men and service women - past and present!
My dad took me to see the cruisers in the 60's several times, grew up in N Phila. He was on the heavy cruiser Macon. When I was stationed at PNSY in 1982 I think two were still there in the basin.
@@JW-xj1yf Thank your dad for his service. The USS Macon went thru the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UGEyl2tmnys.html I saw from a distance in Phila Navy Yard - USS Newport News, USS Des Monies and USS Salem. I flew into Philly for I worked at the Budd Co. - 1983 - 2006. The USS Louisville CA 28 was there til 1959. Take care!
I served aboard the Heavy Cruiser Boston from October 1968 to April 1970. She was decommissioned on 5 May 1970. This ship had a very impressive WW2 history as well as completing three tours in Viet Nam and receiving damage there from friendly fire. She was more notably the worlds first guided missle cruiser. The Salem on the other hand,used to be referred to as,”The Show Boat,” having never fired her guns in actual combat. It’s too bad that a ship with an actual history and one named for the city where she was built couldn’t have been saved.
My son and I spent a day exploring her and over night on board the USS Salem when he was in scouts. She was never used in battle but used for humanitarian aid purposes to support earthquake efforts in India in fact several babies were born on-board making them Dual citizens of India and the US. You can watch her underway in the Movie the Great Gadsby
Commenting more about the components you were observing would have added to the very interesting excursion you experienced. Your subjective impressions aboard an historic artifact of military significance could have added depth to the video. Thank you for the tour, it was appreciated.
The USS Salem is notable for being the last remaining heavy cruiser, and for its rapid fire 8-inch guns, which could sustain about twice the fire rate of any other heavy cruiser. All 3 Des Moines class cruisers were laid down near the end of the war in 1945 and commissioned in 1948-1949. Only USS Newport News saw combat, in Vietnam. All 3 survived into the 1990s when they were sold off and scrapped (or became a museum).
I served aboard the USS Columbus CG-12 in the early 70s.She was a converted gun cruiser CA-74 built at Fore River shipyard.I grew up a few miles away and my father[after WW2 worked on Columbus] and I worked at the shipyard during the building of the natural gas container ships prior to the yards closing down for good..Also, caught my 1st striped bass across the river at the old Edgar station power plant outflow.Unfortunately I have not been aboard Salem yet.
Kind of interesting to see footage of something I read of in a fiction series. This ship and its sister the Des Moines were featured in a book by John Ringo called "Yellow Eyes", as well as a couple of later books in the same series. Really puts images to what I read seeing this.
There are videos aboard other warships where the video maker had enough pull that he was given full access to all of the areas closed to the public. May be it had to do with He actually wanted to be there. And he made it interesting, he talked with the guide.
Commenting more about the components you were observing would have added to the very interesting excursion you experienced. Your subjective impressions aboard an historic artifact of military significance could have added depth to the video. Thank you for the tour, it was appreciated.
