USS Fresno (CL-121)

The second USS Fresno (CL-121) was a United States Navy Juneau-class light cruiser launched on 5 March 1946 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Kearny, New Jersey, sponsored by Mrs. Ruth R. Martin; and commissioned on 27 November 1946, with Captain Elliott Bowman Strauss in command. She was reclassified CLAA-121 on 18 March 1949.

Service history

During her first operational cruise, from 13 January-7 May 1947, Fresno not only concluded her preliminary training in the Caribbean, but also visited Montevideo, Uruguay, during a presidential inauguration and called at Rio de Janeiro. On 1 August, she sailed from Norfolk, Virginia for a tour of duty which took her to ports both of northern Europe and the Mediterranean, returning to Norfolk on 1 December.

A second overseas deployment, from 3 March-19 June 1948, found Fresno visiting Amsterdam, Dublin, Bergen, and Copenhagen from her overseas base at Plymouth, England. Her coastwise operations from Norfolk included cruises to Prince Edward Island and Bermuda prior to her decommissioning at New York Naval Shipyard on 17 May 1949. Placed in reserve, she was berthed at Bayonne, New Jersey. She was sold for scrap on 17 June 1966.

Awards

• World War II Victory Medal
• Navy Occupation Medal with “EUROPE” clasp

History
United States
Name	Fresno
Namesake	City of Fresno, California
Builder	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey
Laid down	12 February 1945
Launched	5 March 1946
Sponsored by	Mrs. Ruth R. Martin
Commissioned	27 November 1946
Decommissioned	17 May 1949
Reclassified	CLAA-121, 18 March 1949
Stricken	April 1965
Identification	Hull symbol:CL-121Hull symbol:CLAA-121Code letters:NKEL
Fate	Sold for scrap on 17 June 1966
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	Juneau-class light cruiser
Displacement	6,718 long tons (6,826 t) (standard)8,340 long tons (8,470 t) (max)
Length	541 ft 6 in (165.05 m) oa
Beam	53 ft (16 m)
Draft	20 ft 6 in (6.25 m) (mean)26 ft 6 in (8.08 m) (max)
Installed power	4 × Steam boilers75,000 shp (56,000 kW)
Propulsion	2 × geared turbines2 × screws
Speed	32.5 kn (37.4 mph; 60.2 km/h)
Complement	623 officers and enlisted
Armament	12 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber Mark 12 guns (6×2)6 × quad 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns6 × dual 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns8 × dual 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons8 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes6 × depth charge projectors2 × depth charge tracks
Armor	Belt: 1.1–3+3⁄4 in (28–95 mm)Deck: 1+1⁄4 in (32 mm)Turrets: 1+1⁄4 in (32 mm)Conning Tower: 2+1⁄2 in (64 mm)
General characteristics (post-war)
Armament	12 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber Mark 12 guns (6×2)4 × quad 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns4 × dual 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns