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USS Denver (CL-58)

Please see below for item level images and donated collections containing photographs of USS Denver (CL-58)

USS Denver (CL-58) was laid down on 26 December 1940 at Camden, N.J., by the New York Shipbuilding Corp.; launched on 4 April 1942; sponsored by Miss Lois J. Stapleton, daughter of the two-time Mayor of Denver, Colo., Benjamin F. Stapleton; and commissioned at the Philadelphia [Pa.] Navy Yard on 15 October 1942, Capt. Robert B. Carney in command.

USS Denver (CL-58) fitted out by 24 November 1942 and then steamed out for testing and trials in Delaware Bay. She returned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 28 November and entered dry dock on 29 November to examine problems with her number three main scoop injection valve until 30 November 1942. On 13 February 1943, at 1327, the cruiser got underway from Nouméa bound for Havannah Harbor and the base codenamed Acid. USS Denver (CL-58) exercised briefly en route and arrived at Havannah Harbor at 1029 on 14 February—anchored by 1149.

USS Denver (CL-58) remained in port at Havannah Harbor for much of early April 1943, performing only maintenance and routine readiness exercises at anchor—including with her Seagulls. USS Denver (CL-58) and a small group exercised on 22 August 1943. The cruiser remained moored at Espíritu Santo for much of the rest of August 1943. USS Denver (CL-58) held out at Mare Island until 9 May 1944, but then got underway at 0905 for San Diego, Calif. to attempt the full power test at another location.

The ship steamed out of Subic Bay at 1730 on 24 February 1945 in company of TG 74.2 en route first to Mangarin Bay to rendezvous with Fechteler’s TG 78.2. The cruiser then steamed for New York [N.Y.] Naval Shipyard for another brief overhaul through June 1946 upon being assigned to the Sixteenth Fleet. Riggs was relieved of command of CruDiv 14 by Vice Adm. Edmund W. Burrough to start the month before USS Denver (CL-58) was to be moving onto a goodwill tour in company of sister ships USS Columbia, USS Cleveland, and USS Montpelier with short stops at Portland, Maine, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and Quebec, Canada through most of June 1946. On 7 February 1947, USS Denver (CL-58) was decommissioned, and placed into the Atlantic Fleet reserve.

For a complete history of USS Denver (CL-58) please see its DANFS page.