USS Nashville (CL-43)

The second Nashville (CL-43) was laid down on 24 January 1935 at Camden, N.J., by the New York Shipbuilding Corp.; launched on 2 October 1937; sponsored by Misses Ann and Mildred Stahlman, daughters of James G. Stahlman, President of The Nashville Banner ; and commissioned at the Philadelphia [Pa.] Navy Yard on 6 June 1938, Capt. William W. Wilson in command.

After fitting out, Nashville departed Philadelphia on 19 July 1938 for her shakedown cruise, pausing at Norfolk, Va., on 23 July to take on stores and load ammunition. She operated from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (1-11 August), punctuating that period of training with a visit to Gonaives, Haiti, on 8 August. Subsequently, she sailed for European waters on a good will visit, arriving at Cherbourg, France, on 24 August 1938. She then visited Stockholm (3 September) and Göteborg (7 September), Sweden, before continuing on to the British Isles, visiting Portland (12 September) and Gravesend (14 September). Ultimately, she got underway on 21 September from Portland, with 25 million dollars in British gold bullion aboard, arriving at the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y., on 30 September, offloaded the gold, and returned to Philadelphia on 5 October for post-shakedown repairs and alterations.

Nashville cleared Philadelphia on 4 January 1939, reaching Norfolk the following day. She conducted battle practice out of Gonaives (10 January), then Guantanamo (13 January), Port of Spain, Trinidad (16 February), then, between 27 February and 12 March, from Culebra, Gonaives, and Guantanamo. Returning to Norfolk on 1 April, she proceeded to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for an overhaul (13-29 April), after which, at New York, N.Y., she embarked Brig. Gen. George C. Marshall, the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, and a staff of five officers and 10 enlisted men, on 29 April, bound for the Pan American Defense Conference, and sailed for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Steaming via San Juan, Puerto Rico (14 May), and Port of Spain (16 May), she arrived at her destination on 25 May, remaining there until 10 June, when she got underway to return to the U.S., with Gen. Goes Monteiro, Chief of Staff of the Brazilian Army and a staff of five embarked as passengers, disembarking the Brazilian military delegation at Annapolis, Md., on 20 June. On the 23rd Nashville sailed from Norfolk for the Pacific, proceeding via the Panama Canal (5-6 July), and arriving at San Pedro, Calif., on 16 July to begin two years of operations, with her home port changed from Philadelphia to San Pedro.

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From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Nashville II (CL-43)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.