| Distinguished Ancestors Naval Overseas Tanker The first LOS ANGELES, a naval overseas tanker, was bulit by the Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California, for the Union Oil Company and was launched in 1916. She was commissioned by the Navy on 9 August 1917 under the command of
LCDR Alexander Mackenzie, USNRF. LOS ANGELES operated along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts during 1917 and in 1918 was assigned to transatlantic crossings carrying fuel oil to Brest, France, and Portsmouth and Devonport, England. In 1919, at the end of World War I, LOS ANGELES, was decommissioned and returned to her former owners. Naval Airship The second LOS ANGELES was commissioned an air ship, the LOS ANGELES (ZR3) on 25 November 1924 and remained in commission until 30 June 1932. The airship LOS ANGELES was
built by the Zepplin Airship Company at Friedrichshafen, Germany, for the United States Government. She was christened by Mrs. Grace Coolidge, wife of President Calvin Coolidge and placed under the command of LCDR Maurice R. Pierce, USN. At the time she was first flown, she was the largest aircraft in the world. LOS ANGELES served for more than 7 years as an aerial laboratory and testing station for numerous experiments in the development of coordinated naval air and sea tactics. No other
airship had as long a career as the dirigible USS LOS ANGELES. See related information for more photographs.Heavy Cruiser
USS Los Angeles, 1958 The third LOS ANGELES, a heavy cruiser was commissioned USS LOS ANGELES (CA135) on 22 July 1945 and placed under the command of CAPT John A. Snackenburg, USN. Her sponsor was Mrs. Fletcher Bowron, wife of the Mayor of Los Angeles, USS LOS ANGELES (CA135) served in the Seventh Fleet cruising off the coast of China and in the western Pacific to the Marianas, from 3 January 1946 until 21 january 1947. She was
decommissioned on 9 April 1948. In January 1951, USS LOS ANGELES (CA135) was recommissioned under the command of CAPT Robert N. McFarlane. She was deployed in the Far East in support of operations in the Korean conflict. USS LOS ANGELES (CA135) served as the Flag Ship for RADM Arleigh E. Burke, COMCRUDIV FIVE, providing gunfire support and bombardment at KojiNi and Wonsan and other coastal areas. She received minor damage from shore gunfire in March 1953 and returned to Long
Beach, California on 15 May 1953. From 1953 to 1963 LOS ANGELES made six deployments to the Far East and participated in the Quemoy-Matsu operation of 1956. On 15 November 1963, USS LOS ANGELES (CA135) was decommissioned. Source: Reprinted from commissioning pamphlet
Additional information about the Cruiser USS LOS ANGELES may be found on the Web:
A skimmer and fellow Webmaster, George Bell, served aboard USS Los Angeles CA-135 from May 1958 to December 1960. He maintains a Web site tribute to the old girl. I highly recommend you visit. The San Pedro Chamber of Commerce has a page with a photograph of the USS LOS ANGELES NAVAL MEMORIAL. The LA Maritime Museum maintains a display of memorabilia from CA 135. The official history of CA 135 can be found at Dictionary of
American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) Online. | |
