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USS Albany (CA-123)

Please see below for item level and donated collection containing photographs of USS Albany (CA-123).

USS Albany (CA-123) was laid down on 6 March 1944 at Quincy, Mass., by the Bethlehem Steel Co.; launched on 30 June 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Elizabeth F. Pinckney; and commissioned on 15 June 1946 at the Boston Navy Yard, Capt. Harold A. Carlisle in command.

Following outfitting and a shakedown cruise in the vicinity of Casco Bay, Maine, USS Albany  (CA-123) began operations along the east coast of the United States punctuated with cruises to the West Indies. During one of the South American voyages, Albany carried the official United States representative to the inauguration of the President of Brazil in January 1951.

On 30 June 1958, USS Albany (CA-123)  was placed out of commission at the Boston Naval Shipyard to begin conversion to a guided missile cruiser. On 1 November 1958, she was redesignated CG-10. The warship spent the next four years at Boston undergoing very extensive modifications as part of the conversion. The ship was recommissioned at Boston on 3 November 1962, Capt. Ben B. Pickett in command.

However, the warship did completed her rehabilitation and modernization overhaul in the summer of 1969. After several weeks of preparations, USS Albany embarked upon her shakedown cruise to the West Indies on 15 September. Late in February 1970, USS Albany (CA-123) embarked upon her first deployment to European waters since her modernization overhaul. During the next six years, she made three cruises to the Mediterranean and completed one assignment to northern European waters. Operating from her overseas home port at Gaeta, Italy, she served as flagship for the Commander, 6th Fleet, for almost four years.

Relieved of that duty at Gaeta by Puget Sound (AD-38) on 28 May 1980, the guided missile cruiser embarked upon the voyage back to the United States on 2 June. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 30 June 1985. However, as of the beginning of 1987, the ship was still there.

For a complete history of USS Albany (CA-123) please see its DANFS page.