>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1970) Vol. 5, pp.416-417.





QUINCY



CA-39

Displacement:  9,375 t.

Length:  588’2”

Beam:  61’10”

Draft:  19’5”

Speed:  32 k.

Complement:  807

Armament:  9 8”; 8 5”; 8 .50 cal. MG

Class:  NEW ORLEANS



	QUINCY (CA-39) was laid down by the Bethlehem 

Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, Mass., 15 November 1933; 

launched 19 June 1935; sponsored by Mrs. Henry S. Morgan; 

and commissioned at Boston 9 June 1936, Capt. William 

Faulkner Amsden in command.



	Soon after being assigned to Cruiser Division 8 

Atlantic Fleet, QUINCY was ordered to Mediterranean waters 

20 July 1936, to protect American interests in Spain during 

the height of the Spanish Civil War.  QUINCY passed through 

the Straits of Gibraltar 26 July and arrived at Malaga, 

Spain, 27 July to assume her duties.  While in Spanish 

waters, she operated with an international rescue fleet that 

included the German pocket battleships DEUTSCHLAND, ADMIRAL 

GRAF SPEE and ADMIRAL SCHEER.  QUINCY evacuated 490 refugees 

to Marseilles and Villefranche, France, before being 

relieved by RALEIGH (CL-7) 27 September.



	QUINCY returned to the Boston Navy Yard 5 October for 

refit preparatory to final acceptance trials which were held 

15-18 March 1937.  She got underway for the Pacific 12 April 

to join Cruiser Division 7, transited the Panama Canal 23-27 

April and arrived at Pearl Harbor 10 May.



	QUINCY sortied with Cruiser Divisions, Pacific Fleet, 

20 May on a tactical exercise which was the first of many 

such maneuvers that she participated in during 1937 and 

1938.  From 15 March-28 April, she engaged in important 

battle practice off Hawaii with the Pacific Fleet in Fleet 

Problem XIX.  After an overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard, 

QUINCY resumed tactical operations with her division off San 

Clemente, Calif., until her redeployment to the Atlantic 4 

January 1939.



	QUINCY transited the Panama Canal 13 January bound for 

Guantanamo Bay where she engaged in gunnery practice and 

amphibious exercises.  She also took part in Fleet Problem 

XX with the Atlantic Fleet 13-26 February.  QUINCY later 

made a South American good will tour 10 April-12 June, and 

upon returning to Norfolk, embarked reservists for three 

training cruises 9 July-24 August.  She spent the remainder 

of 1939 on patrol in the North Atlantic due to the outbreak 

of World War II.



	After overhaul at Norfolk until 4 May 1940, QUINCY 

again visited Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, returning to 

Norfolk 22 September.  She completed three more reserve 

training cruises 1 October-20 December.



	QUINCY was occupied in Atlantic Fleet maneuvers and 

landing force exercises off Culebra Island, P.R. 3 

February-1 April 1941.  With the growth of hostilities in 

Europe, she was ordered to Task Group 2 and operated with 

WASP (CV-7) in the mid-Atlantic, preserving U.S. neutrality 

26 April-6 June.  Later, she operated with YORKTOWN (CV-5) 

and Task Group 28 until sailing for home 14 July.



	On 28 July 1941, QUINCY sailed with Task Group 16 for 

Iceland on neutrality duty which included a patrol in the 

Denmark Straits 21-24 September.  She returned to 

Newfoundland with a convoy 31 October.  QUINCY then 

proceeded to Capetown, South Africa, via Trinidad, where she 

met a convoy which she escorted back to Trinidad 29 December 

1941.



	QUINCY returned 25 January 1942 to Icelandic waters on 

convoy duty with Task Force 15 and made a patrol in the 

Denmark Straits 8-11 March.  She departed 14 March for the 

U.S. and an overhaul at the New York Navy Yard that lasted 

until the end of May.



	QUINCY sailed for San Diego 5 June via the Panama Canal 

and arrived 19 June.  She was then assigned to Task Force 18 

as the flagship of Rear Admiral Norman R. Scott, Commander, 

Cruisers.



	QUINCY got underway for the South Pacific in July with 

other vessels assembling for the invasion of Guadalcanal.



	Prior to the Marine assault on Guadalcanal 7 August, 

QUINCY destroyed several Japanese installations and an oil 

depot during her bombardment of Lunga Point.  She later 

provided close fire support for the Marines during the 

landing.  While on patrol in the channel between Florida 

Island and Savo Island, in the early hours of 9 August 1942, 

QUINCY was attacked by a large Japanese naval force and sank 

after sustaining many direct hits with all guns out of 

action. 



	QUINCY earned one battle star during World War II.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com