Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War

United States Navy — Light cruiser

USS Marblehead (CL-12) — 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.

Interwar 1919–1938

1920

The third Marblehead (CL‑12) was laid down 4 August 1920 by William Cramp & Son, Philadelphia, Pa.; launched 9 October 1923; sponsored by Mrs. Joseph Evans; and commissioned 8 September 1924, Capt. Chauncey Shackford in command.

1927

After commissioning, the scout cruiser Marblehead departed Boston for shakedown in the English Channel and Mediterranean. In 1925 she visited Australia, stopping en route in the Samoan and Society Islands and, on her return, in the Galapagos. A year after her return, Marblehead was underway again on an extended voyage. Early in 1927 she cruised off Bluefields and Bragman's Bluffs, Nicaragua, her mission there to aid American efforts to bring together and reconcile the various political factions then fighting in that country. With one exception, Sandino, faction leaders agreed to the terms of the Peace of Tipitapa, 4 May 1927, and the United States was requested to supervise elections in 1928.

Marblehead next sailed for Pearl Harbor, where she joined Richmond and Trenton and headed for Shanghai, China. Upon arrival there she contributed to the show of force aimed at the protection of American and other foreign nationals of Shanghai's international settlement during operations against that city through the summer of 1927 in China's civil war.

1928

In addition to her stay at Shanghai, Marblehead spent 2 months up the Yangtze River at Hankow, and visited several Japanese ports before leaving the Far East in March 1928. En route home the cruiser stopped at Corinto, Nicaragua, to assist in the preparations for elections under the Peace of Tipitapa, delaying her return to Boston until August.

During the next decade Marblehead operated with both the Atlantic (August 1928 to January 1933) and Pacific (February 1933 to January 1938) Fleets. In January 1938 she was temporarily assigned to the Asiatic Fleet, receiving permanent assignment there 7 months later. Home ported at Cavite, Philippine Islands, she cruised the Sea of Japan and the South and East China seas as tension, political and military, rapidly increased in the Far East.

Second World War 1939–1945

1941

USS Marblehead (CL-12)
Unknown author or not provided — U.S. National Archives and Records Administration — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

"About 24 November 1941," her war diary reported, "the Commander‑in‑Chief, U.S. Asiatic Fleet sensed that the relations between the United States and Japan had reached such a critical state that movement of men‑of‑war...was indicated." The next day, Marblehead, with TF 5, departed Manila Bay for seemingly "routine weekly operations." She anchored at Tarakan, Borneo, 29 November and waited for further instructions. On 8 December (7 December in the United States) she received the message -Japan started hostilities; govern yourselves accordingly."

1942

USS Marblehead (CL-12)
The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12) at Tjilatjap, Java, in February 1942, after she had been damaged by Japanese high-level bombing attack in the Java Sea on 4 February 1942 in the Battle of Makassar Strait. This view shows the effect of an enemy bomb which struck her stern. Her after 6"/53 gun turret is at left. Note the blanked off portholes on her hull side. Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo 80-G-237439 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

Marblehead and other American warships then joined with those of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Royal Australian Navy to patrol the waters surrounding the Netherlands East Indies and to screen Allied shipping moving south from the Philippines. On the night of 24 January 1942, Marblehead covered the withdrawal of a force of Dutch and American warships after they had attacked, with devastating effect, an enemy convoy off Balikpapan. Six days later, in an attempt to repeat this success, the force departed Surabaja, Java, to intercept an enemy convoy concentration at Kendari. The Japanese convoy, however, sailed soon after, and the Allied force changed course, anchoring in Bunda Roads 2 February. On the 4th, the ships steamed out of Bunda Roads and headed for another Japanese convoy sighted at the southern entrance to the Makassar Straits. At 0949, 36 enemy bombers were sighted closing in on the formation from the east.

Marblehead successfully maneuvered through three attacks. After the third an enemy plane spiraled toward the cruiser, but her gunners splashed it. The next minute a fourth wave of seven bombers released bombs at Marblehead. Two were direct hits and a third a near miss close aboard the port bow causing severe underwater damage. Fires swept the ship as she listed to starboard and began to settle by the bow. Her rudder jammed, Marblehead, continuing to steam at full speed, circled to port her gunners kept firing, while damage control crews fought the fires and helped the wounded. By 1100 the fires were under control. Before noon the enemy planes departed, leaving the damaged cruiser with 15 dead or mortally wounded and 84 seriously injured.

Marblehead's engineers soon released the rudder angle to 9- left, and at 1255 she retired to Tjilatjap, steering by working the engines at varying speeds. She made Tjilatjap with a forward draft of 30 feet, aft 22 feet. Unable to be docked there, her worst leaks were repaired and she put to sea again on the 13th, beginning a voyage of more than 9,000 miles in search of complete repairs.

Still steering with her engines, she made Trincomalee, Ceylon on the 21st. Repairs could not be made there or anywhere in India for several weeks. So Marblehead departed for South Africa 2 March. After touching at Durban and Port Elizabeth, Marblehead arrived at Simonstown 24 March. There she underwent extensive repairs and on 15 April sailed for New York. Steaming via Recife, Brazil, she arrived New York 4 May and immediately entered drydock at the navy yard.

On 15 October 1942; the rebuilt Marblehead again put to sea. Attached to the South Atlantic Force, she operated against the enemy in the South Atlantic from Recife and Bahia, Brazil, until February 1944. Returning to New York 20 February, she operated along the convoy lanes of the North Atlantic for the next 5 months. She then sailed for the Mediterranean. Arriving at Palermo 29 July, she joined the task force then staging for operation "Anvil", the invasion of southern France. On 15, 16, and 17 August, the crusier bombarded enemy installations in the vicinity of Saint Raphael, where Allied assault troops were landing. On the 18th, she withdrew to Corsica, her mission complete.

1945

USS Marblehead (CL-12)
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) steams past the light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12), in New York Harbor (USA), circa 28 April 1945, after her arrival from the Pacific for battle damage repairs. Note the cruiser's Measure 22 camouflage. U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo 80-G-K-4776 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

Marblehead returned to the United States, conducted a summer training cruise for Naval Academy midshipmen and then entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, where she decommissioned 1 November 1945. Her name was struck from the Navy Register 28 November 1945 and her hulk was scrapped 27 February 1946.

Other photographs

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

USS Marblehead (CL-12)
General notes: The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12) underway at sea on 10 January 1933. Unknown author or not provided — U.S. National Archives and Records Administration — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
Unknown author or not provided — U.S. National Archives and Records Administration — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
Scrapping of the U.S. Navy Omaha -class light cruisers USS Omaha (CL-4), USS Cincinnati (CL-6), USS Raleigh (CL-7) and USS Marblehead (CL-12) in Dry Dock No.4 of Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Pennsylvania (USA), on 18 February 1946. U.S. Navy — Historic American Buildings Survey photo HAER PA,51-PHILA,709D-21 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
Unknown author — https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/pa3396.photos.359817p — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
Unknown author — https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/pa3396.photos.359818p — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
Scrapping of the light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12) in Dry Dock No. 4 at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, 10 January 1946. Original Photograph in Collection of National Archives, Mid-Atlantic Regional Records Center, Philadelphia [1] . — This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID PA,51-PHILA,709D-20 HAER PA,51-PHILA,709D-20 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) steams past the light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12), in New York Harbor (USA), circa 28 April 1945, after her arrival from the Pacific for battle damage repairs. Note the cruiser's Measure 22 camouflage. USN — Official U.S. Navy photo 80-G-K-4777 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) at Tjilatjap , Java, 6 February 1942, seen from the light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12) , which was passing close aboard. Houston 's colours are half-masted pending return of her funeral party, ashore for burial of men lost when a bomb hit near her after 20.3 cm gun turret two days earlier during a Japanese air attack in Bangka Strait. The disabled U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo NH 82480 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12) circa the early 1930s, probably at San Diego, Califronia (USA). USN — Official U.S. Navy photo NH 64633 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12) off New York City (USA), 11 October 1942. USN — Official U.S. Navy photo 19-N-36901 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12) steaming at top speed during trials, 15 August 1924. Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 46638 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12) underway at sea, 10 May 1944. USN — Official U.S. Navy photo NH 98035 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12) off New York City (USA), on 14 October 1942. USN — Official U.S. Navy photo 19-N-34910 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. 9/18/1947 — This file was contributed to Wikimedia Commons by National Archives and Records Administration as part of a cooperation project. The donation was facilitated by the Digital Public Library of America , via its partner Digital Public Library of America . Record in source catalog DPLA identifier: 9b0aa2f7d3f7f2b80f5bf235f98eeb58 National Archives Identifier: 167817772 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
View taken 29 May, 1942, at New York Navy Yard, NY looking aft from bow. Numbers and arrows denote modifications. Note USS Juneau (CL-52) in background (l) & USS Marblehead (CL-12) in background (r). Unknown author — This image has been extracted from another file — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Marblehead (CL-12)
View taken 29 May, 1942, at New York Navy Yard, NY looking aft from bow. Numbers and arrows denote modifications. Note USS Juneau (CL-52) in background (l) & USS Marblehead (CL-12) in background (r). Unknown author — 19-N-30724 — 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 Marblehead III (CL-12) 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 Marblehead (CL-12) Structured facts only — dates, dimensions, armament and fate. No wording is taken from it. Harvested 1 August 2026.
  3. Photograph USS Marblehead (CL-12) underway in San Diego harbor on 10 January 1935 (NH 64611) Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 64611 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  4. Photograph Bomb damage to USS Marblehead (CL-12) following the Battle of Makassar Strait, February 1942 (80-G-237439) Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo 80-G-237439 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  5. Photograph Marblehead (light CL12). Aerial, starboard side, underway - NARA - 520828 Unknown author or not provided — U.S. National Archives and Records Administration — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  6. Photograph Marblehead (light CL12). Aerial, starboard side, underway, 01-10-1933 - NARA - 520828 Unknown author or not provided — U.S. National Archives and Records Administration — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  7. Photograph Omaha-class cruisers being scrapped at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, 8 February 1946 (HAER PA,51-PHILA,709D-21) U.S. Navy — Historic American Buildings Survey photo HAER PA,51-PHILA,709D-21 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  8. Photograph Scrapping C1-12 U.S.S. Marblehead. Naval Shipyard Philadelphia. January 10, 1946. Original Photograph In Collection of National Archives, Mid-Atlantic Regional Records Center, HAER PA,51-PHILA,709D-20 Unknown author — https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/pa3396.photos.359817p — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  9. Photograph Scrapping In Dry Dock -4. Naval Shipyard Philadelphia. February 18, 1946. Original Photograph In Collection of National Archives, Mid-Atlantic Regional Records Center, HAER PA,51-PHILA,709D-21 Unknown author — https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/pa3396.photos.359818p — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  10. Photograph Scrapping of USS Marblehead (CL-12) 1946 Original Photograph in Collection of National Archives, Mid-Atlantic Regional Records Center, Philadelphia [1] . — This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID PA,51-PHILA,709D-20 HAER PA,51-PHILA,709D-20 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  11. Photograph THE U.S.S. MARBLEHEAD COMES HOME^ - NARA - 513505 Unknown author or not provided — U.S. National Archives and Records Administration — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  12. Photograph USS Franklin (CV-13) and USS Marblehead (CL-12) off New York in April 1945 U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo 80-G-K-4776 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  13. Photograph USS Franklin (CV-13) and USS Marblehead (CL-12) off NY 1945 USN — Official U.S. Navy photo 80-G-K-4777 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  14. Photograph USS Houston (CA-30) at Tjilatjap in February 1942 U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo NH 82480 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  15. Photograph USS Marblehead (CL-12) in the early 1930s USN — Official U.S. Navy photo NH 64633 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  16. Photograph USS Marblehead (CL-12) off New York City in October 1942 USN — Official U.S. Navy photo 19-N-36901 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  17. Photograph USS Marblehead (CL-12) steaming at top speed during trials, 15 August 1924 (NH 46638) Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 46638 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  18. Photograph USS Marblehead (CL-12) underway in May 1944 USN — Official U.S. Navy photo NH 98035 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  19. Photograph USS Marblehead (CL-12) underway in October 1942 USN — Official U.S. Navy photo 19-N-34910 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  20. Photograph USS Marblehead (CL-12)- Booklet of General Plans - Cover, Data Sheet & Inner Bottom Plan - DPLA - 9b0aa2f7d3f7f2b80f5bf235f98eeb58 Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. 9/18/1947 — This file was contributed to Wikimedia Commons by National Archives and Records Administration as part of a cooperation project. The donation was facilitated by the Digital Public Library of America , via its partner Digital Public Library of America . Record in source catalog DPLA identifier: 9b0aa2f7d3f7f2b80f5bf235f98eeb58 National Archives Identifier: 167817772 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  21. Photograph USS Quincy (CA-39) - 19-N-30724 Unknown author — This image has been extracted from another file — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  22. Photograph USS Quincy (CA-39) - 19-N-30724 Unknown author — 19-N-30724 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons