Hear the roar of the mighty engines. Feel the steel beneath your feet. You are standing before the USS Salem a true legend of the sea.
This majestic heavy cruiser. The last of her kind. She served with distinction for a decade. Flagship of the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. She also patrolled the Atlantic as part of the Second Fleet.
Imagine the dignitaries who graced her decks. The US Ambassador to Spain. The Undersecretary of the Navy. Even the Shah of Iran. The USS Salem hosted them all. A floating embassy of American power and prestige. She sailed the world. Yet never fired a shot in anger. Her presence a powerful symbol of peace during the Cold War.
She was commissioned in 1949 at the Boston Navy Yard. A marvel of engineering. Four General Electric geared turbines. Four Babcock & Wilcox boilers generating a staggering 120,000 horsepower. She was a city at sea. A small city that carried 1799 officers and enlisted men.
Her armament was formidable. Eight-inch guns. The world’s first automatic 8-inch guns. They used cased ammunition a significant technological leap. These guns could fire 10 rounds per gun per minute. She also had a secondary battery of 5-inch guns and an anti-aircraft battery of 3-inch guns. The latter was specifically developed in response to the threat of kamikaze attacks.
Decommissioned in 1959. She spent decades in mothballs. Then in 1994 she returned to her birthplace. Now a museum. A testament to American shipbuilding and naval history. A symbol of peace and power. Walk her decks. Explore her guns. Let her story inspire you. The USS Salem awaits.