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The USS Albany (CA-123), the fourth ship with the name Albany, was a Navy Oregon City-class heavy cruiser. The ship was later converted to the guided-missile cruiser CG-10. It was the lead ship of the new Albany guided-missile cruiser class. The ship, sponsored by Mrs. Elizabeth F. Pinckney, was laid down on 6 March 1944 at Quincy, Massachusetts, by the Bethlehem Steel Company and launched on 30 June 1945. The USS Albany (CA-123) was placed in commission on 15 June 1946 with Captain Harold A. Carlisle in command at the Boston Navy Yard.
Technical Features of the USS Albany (CA-123)
Class and type: Oregon City-class heavy cruiser
Launch date: 30 June 1945
Commissioning date: 15 June 1946
Decommissioning date: 30 June 1958
Displacement: approx. 13,700 tons
Length: 673 feet (205.26 meters)
Draft: 26 feet (8.03 meters)
Beam: 70 feet (21.59 meters)
Speed: 32.6 knots
Complement: 1,969 (officers and enlisted)
Propulsion: Geared turbines providing 120,000 shp (89.5 MW)
Armament: 20 x 20 mm guns, 40 x 40 mm guns, 9 x 8/55 caliber guns and 12 x 5/38 caliber guns
History of the USS Albany (CA- 123)
The ship made a number of voyages for naval reservists and NROTC midshipmen's training until 1948. On 11 September 1948, the cruiser departed for her first tour of duty with the American naval forces operating in the Mediterranean Sea.
In the next ten years, the cruiser had five assignments to the 6th Fleet operations along the east coast of the US, in the West Indies, and off South America. In January 1951, the USS Albany transported the official US representative to the inauguration of the President of Brazil. The cruiser served as flagship for Commander Battleship-Cruiser Force, Atlantic, until 1955.
Conversion to a Guided-missile Cruiser (CG-10)
On 30 June 1958, she was placed out of commission for conversion to a guided-missile cruiser, and it was redesignated CG-10 in November 1958. As part of the conversion, the ship underwent extensive modification at the Boston Naval Shipyard, being stripped down to her hull to be fitted with a new superstructure. The USS Albany (CG-10), now a guided-missile cruiser, was recommissioned on 3 November 1962 at Boston with Captain Ben B. Pickett in command. For the next five years, the cruiser alternated operations on the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic with deployments along the east coast of the US and in the West Indies. During that period, the ship participated in exercises with units of friendly navies. The cruiser was decommissioned on 1 March 1967 once again to undergo extensive modifications at the Boston Naval Shipyard. The ship was placed back in commission on 9 November 1968, at Boston, with Captain Allan P. Slaff in command. The cruiser was decommissioned again in 1973 for overhaul at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and recommissioned in May 1974. She was homeported under the command of Captain John J. Ekelund in Norfolk, VA, and it became the flagship of the 2nd Fleet. The USS Albany was the flagship of the 6th Fleet between 1976 and 1980, being homeported in Gaeta, Italy, until she was decommissioned on 29 August 1980.
Asbestos Risks on the USS Albany (CA-123)
An alarming number of the veterans who served in the U.S. Navy between the 1930s and mid-1970s were exposed to asbestos, a popular but highly toxic fibrous mineral used in many applications aboard navy ships. Asbestos was used in the military equipment carried aboard and in the materials required for building the vessels. The toxic mineral was present everywhere on the navy ships in mess halls, engine rooms, boiler rooms, turbine rooms, sleeping quarters, and weapon and ammunition storage rooms. Many Navy veterans developed service-related conditions as a result of asbestos exposure during their military service serving on ships like the USS Albany, built with asbestos-containing materials. Crew members of the USS Albany (CA-123) were likely to breathe in large amounts of asbestos fibers during their active duty on that ship. Those who worked in the Boston Naval Shipyard, where the cruiser was converted into a guided-missile cruiser, and in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyards, where the ship had an overhaul, were also at serious risk for asbestos exposure, as they handled asbestos-containing materials to build, repair, or remove from naval vessels as part of their job. Asbestos exposure can cause serious illnesses with a long latency period.
Navy veterans who served onboard the USS Albany (CA-123) and shipyard workers should monitor their health and consult a specialist immediately if they experience chest pain, shortness of breath, dry cough, or other respiratory problems.
Have You Been Exposed to Asbestos on the USS Albany (CA-123)
If you are a Navy veteran and have served in the U.S. Navy, then you might have been exposed to asbestos and have an increased risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. Our team will connect you with the best professionals in your area if you seek medical assistance. We will put you in touch with experienced attorneys if you wish to file for financial compensation after a diagnosis of asbestos-related cancer. Feel free to call us for more information about asbestos exposure on Navy ships.