USS Atlanta (CL-51)

USS Atlanta (CL-51): Sacrificed at Guadalcanal

Commissioned on 24 December 1941, Christmas Eve, just two weeks after Pearl Harbor, USS Atlanta was the lead ship of a new class of anti-aircraft cruisers that the Navy had been developing as the air threat to surface forces became increasingly clear. Her main battery was sixteen 5-inch dual-purpose guns, capable of engaging both surface and aerial targets, making her a powerful escort and anti-aircraft platform. She would barely have time to prove what she could do.

The Atlanta class represented a significant conceptual evolution in American cruiser design. Rather than trying to match Japanese heavy cruisers gun-for-gun, Atlanta was designed to provide anti-aircraft coverage for task forces and to serve as a fast, maneuverable escort for carriers and capital ships. Her relatively light build and focus on AA capability reflected hard lessons being learned in combat across every ocean.

Atlanta arrived in the Pacific in early 1942 and immediately entered the Guadalcanal campaign. She participated in operations throughout 1942, building toward the climactic naval engagements of November. The Japanese had determined to retake Guadalcanal, and the Americans had determined to hold it. The stage was set for one of the most violent nights in U.S. Navy history.

On the night of 12–13 November 1942, during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Atlanta was part of Rear Admiral Norman Scott's force that plunged into a Japanese battleship force at close range. In the confusion of close-quarters night combat, Atlanta was struck by a Japanese torpedo, and then, catastrophically, by American shellfire from USS San Francisco, which misidentified her in the chaos. The combined damage was catastrophic: fires raged throughout the ship, and she lost propulsion. Rear Admiral Scott, who had transferred his flag to Atlanta, was killed on her bridge. The decision was made to scuttle her to prevent capture. She went down off Guadalcanal on 13 November 1942.

Five battle stars for a ship that served barely ten months. Her crew fought alongside USS San Francisco in the night that arguably saved Guadalcanal. Tactically Acquired's USS Atlanta (CL-51) collection honors the lead ship and the men who gave their lives in the darkness off Guadalcanal.