Chronological History

  • 1928 - 1931 - The ship's keel is laid, she is launched and commissioned

  • 1932 - Transit to the Pacific; port vists at Cuba and Panama; the Augusta engages in sea manuevers as flagship of the "Scouting Force"

  • 1933 - The ship becomes flagship of Asiatic Fleet; "Scouting Force" fleet maneuvers in Pacific; participates in Fleet Problem XIV; sails for Shanghai; on to Manilla

  • 1934 - Augusta cruises Asian waters "showing the flag"

  • 1935 - Augusta makes second visit to Japan; continues "showing the flag", as tensions between China and Japan heighten

  • 1936 - Third visit to Japan; cruising Asiatic ports

  • 1937 - Augusta enters Cavite Navy Yard for repairs and alterations; patrols Philippine waters; port visit to British Crown Colony of Hong Kong; visits to China; port visit to Vladivostok; Chinese Air Force mistakenly drops bombs on Augusta; evacuation of Americans from the International Settlement of Shanghai as war erupts between Japan and China; smoored in Shanghai Augusta has ringside seat of war gaining valuable intelligence of Japanese tactics in the process

  • 1938 - Augusta cruises Asiatic waters

  • 1939 - patrols Philippine waters; visits Siam, Singapore, and Shanghai; visits North China

  • 1940 - patrols Philippine waters; visits North China; patrols waters north of Hawaiian islands; returns to Long Beach for a major refit

  • 1941 - Ship becomes flagship of Atlantic Fleet; Atlantic Conference, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill meet onboard the Augusta off Newfoundland to sign the Atlantic Charter; ship in Newport, RI when Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor

  • 1942 - Bermuda; "show of force" against Martinique; flagship of Operation Torch (North African Invasion), Gen. Patton is onboard;

  • 1943 - Escort duty in North Atlantic

  • 1944 - the ship is flagship of Operation Overlord (Normandy Invasion) and Operation Dragoon (invasion of Southern France); returns to Philadelphia for extensive overhaul

  • 1945 - Patrols Caribeaan waters, visits Trinidad and Puerto Rico; returns to Norfolk; escorts Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt on his return from Yalta Conference; Pres. Truman is transported to the Potsdam Conference; Truman announces the Hiroshima A-bomb attack while onboard the Augusta

DECOMMISSIONED

Ultimately placed out of commission, in reserve, in a deferred disposal status at Philadelphia, on 16 July 1946, Augusta remained in the Philadelphia group of the Reserve Fleet until she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 March 1959. She was sold on 9 November 1959 to Robert Benjamin of Panama City, Fla., and removed from naval custody on 2 March 1960.

USS AUGUSTA - Her Story - a publication recounting the ship's history was provided to members of the ship's crew in the summer of 1945 and is a valuable source of information about the Augusta

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