Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War

United States Navy — Light cruiser

USS Amsterdam (CL-101) — service history

This is the full service history. For the vessel's particulars, photograph and specifications, see the entry.

In the words of the US Navy. The account below is reproduced verbatim from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command — a work of the United States Government, in the public domain, and the only text on this site not written here.

Before commissioning

USS Amsterdam (CL-101)
The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Amsterdam (CL-101): Starboard bow view off the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 29 January 1945. Note the high waterline. She has yet to take on ammunition. She is wearing camouflage Measure 31a, Design 10c. U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy photo 9610(45) from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

Amsterdam (CL-59), whose name was personally chosen by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 2 August 1940 for this projected Cleveland-class light cruiser, was laid down on 1 May 1941 at Camden, N.J., by the New York Shipbuilding Corp. However, prior to her completion, the warship was converted to an aircraft carrier; renamed Independence (CV-22) (q.v.) on 12 February 1942; and was launched under the new name on 22 August 1942.

Second World War 1939–1945

1943

Amsterdam (CL-101) was laid down on 3 March 1943 at Newport News, Va., by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry-dock Co.; launched on 25 April 1944, sponsored by Mrs. William E. Hasenfuss, the first "Gold Star Mother" of Amsterdam, N.Y., who had lost a son in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941; and commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va., on 8 January 1945, Capt. Andrew P. Lawton in command.

After final fitting out at Norfolk, the light cruiser got underway on 5 February for shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay. On 17 February, she stood out from Hampton Roads and headed south for Trinidad, British West Indies, and the second phase of her shakedown cruise. Amsterdam operated from Trinidad through 13 March, when she set a course for Norfolk. During the return voyage, she held shore bombardment practice off the island of Culebra and then arrived back at Norfolk on the 20th. Following a short cruise to Cape May, N.J., for gunnery exercises, the ship entered the Norfolk Navy Yard on 24 March for availability.

Amsterdam left the yard on 20 April for training exercises in Chesapeake Bay and, four days later, sailed for the Caribbean. She held training exercises off Culebra and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and then proceeded to the Panama Canal which she transited on 5 May. The warship reached Pearl Harbor on 18 May and, during her stay in Hawaiian waters, carried out numerous gunnery and tactical exercises.

On 9 June, the cruiser set a course for Leyte, Philippine Islands. Upon her arrival in San Pedro Bay on the 21st, she reported to the 3d Fleet for duty. After a period of provisioning and refueling, the ship sortied on 1 July with Task Force (TF) 38 to cover air strikes against the Japanese home islands. On 10 July, the force's planes began a series of raids on Japanese airfields, factories, and shipping. During these actions, Amsterdam protected the carriers from attack by enemy air or surface forces. Among the cities the task force attacked were Tokyo, Kure, Kobe, and Osaka. On 15 August, TF 38 was preparing to launch another attack on Tokyo when its ships received word of Japan's capitulation.

During the next few weeks, Amsterdam remained in waters off the east coast of Honshu guarding against possible Japanese aggression during armistice negotiations. She steamed into Tokyo Bay on 5 September and remained there through the 20th and then shaped a course for the United States. After brief layovers at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, and Pearl Harbor to take on personnel for transportation to the United States, the cruiser arrived at Portland, Oreg., on 15 October and remained at that port for a fortnight to participate in Navy Day ceremonies. On the 29th, she got underway for San Pedro, Calif.

Post-war 1946–1949

1947

The ship reached San Pedro on 1 November. After a period of leave and upkeep, the cruiser left the west coast on 19 November bound for Pearl Harbor. She touched there on the 25th and took on personnel and equipment for transportation to the west coast. The cruiser set sail again on 12 December, arrived back at San Pedro on the 18th, and rode at anchor there into early 1946. On 21 January, she got underway for San Francisco. Shortly after her arrival, her crew began work to prepare the ship for inactivation and entry into the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was decommissioned on 30 June 1947 and was laid up at San Francisco. Amsterdam's name was struck from the Navy list on 2 January 1971, and the vessel was sold on 11 February 1972 to National Metal & Steel Corp., Terminal Island, Calif., and later scrapped.

Other photographs

Held for this vessel, and not tied to any part of the account above.

USS Amsterdam (CL-101)
Drawing prepared by the Bureau of Ships for a camouflage scheme intended for light cruisers of the CL-55 ( Template:Sclass ). This plan, approved by Commander William C. Latrobe, USN, is dated 17 February 1944. It shows the ship's port side. Ships known or reported to have worn this camouflage design (some in the darker tones of measure 32) are USS Pasadena (CL-65) , USS Springfield (CL-66) , USS Unknown author — history.navy.mil — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Amsterdam (CL-101)
The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Amsterdam (CL-101) off Norfolk, Virginia (USA), on 29 January 1945. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 31a, Design 10C. U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-LCM-CL101-1 from usndazzle.com — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Amsterdam (CL-101)
The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Amsterdam (CL-101) at Portland, Oregon (USA), for Navy Day festivities, October 1945. U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo NH 98589 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Amsterdam (CL-101)
The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Amsterdam (CL-101): Starboard bow view off the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 29 January 1945. Note the high waterline. She has yet to take on ammunition. She is wearing camouflage Measure 31a, Design 10c. U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy photo 9610(45) from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

References

Every work this entry draws on. There are no numbered markers in the text above: what we hold is the provenance of the page — this history, this article, these photographs.

  1. History Amsterdam (CL-101) Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command. A work of the United States Government, in the public domain — the only text on this site reproduced verbatim.
  2. Facts USS Amsterdam (CL-101) Structured facts only — dates, dimensions, armament and fate. No wording is taken from it. Harvested 1 August 2026.
  3. Photograph USS Amsterdam (CL-101) at Astoria, 14 October 1945 Unknown author — Official U.S. Navy photo 80-G-391152 from the ship's entry in the U.S. Navy Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) available at the Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  4. Photograph 80-G-165992 Cleveland class camouflage measure 33 Unknown author — history.navy.mil — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  5. Photograph USS Amsterdam (CL-101) off Norfolk, Virginia (USA), on 29 January 1945 (19-LCM-CL101-1) U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-LCM-CL101-1 from usndazzle.com — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  6. Photograph USS Amsterdam (CL-101) at Portland, Oregon in October 1945 U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo NH 98589 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  7. Photograph USS Amsterdam (CL-101) off the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 29 January 1945 (cropped) U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy photo 9610(45) from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  8. Photograph USS Amsterdam (CL-101) off the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 29 January 1945 U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy photo 9610(45) from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons