Sweet Pea at War: A History of USS Portland (CA-33)

Sweet Pea at War: A History of USS Portland (CA-33) by Generous, William Thomas, Jr.. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780813122861.

In December 1945, the U.S. Navys great heavy cruiser, USS Portland, limped into the New York harbor after narrowly surviving a hurricane that ended her illustrious career. Portland was unique in being present at three critical American victories - the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, and the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, engagements that historians regard as major turning points in the Pacific war. She was the only cruiser ever to fight twice in night battles against enemy battleships, winning both times, and her dedicated crew avoided over eighty attacks by kamikazes. Throughout the war, Portland rescued nearly three thousand sailors from sunken ships, including once when she herself was almost as badly damaged. Because of her performance, she was singled out among the famous ships in the Pacific fleet to accept the Japanese surrender at Truk. Extensive research and interviews with members of the ships crew make Sweet Pea at War the definitive history of Portland. Generous recounts her history, from launch to scrap yard, proving that she deserves to be remembered as one of the most important ships in U.S. naval history.