WI The USS Indianapolis survives WWII
- Thread starter Somedevil
- Start date
She gets scrapped, or sent to bikini. If she’s lucky, her nameplate and some other mementos are saved for the next ship bearing her name.
I suppose the immediate counter-question to your own is 'what sort of experimental ship would she be made into?'
The Portlands were already looking long in the tooth after the war, with plenty of more modern successors taking up the bulk of the USN's cruiser fleet. I suppose she could be passed into service as a training ship, perhaps with her aft turret replaced by a missile rack to train on such things. In this role Indy could soldier on through the 70's, but I don't think there's much reason to keep her around.
Honestly, Indianapolis is really only famous because of her unfortunate demise. Having her end the war quietly would almost certainly result in her sharing the fate of her sister.
The Portlands were already looking long in the tooth after the war, with plenty of more modern successors taking up the bulk of the USN's cruiser fleet. I suppose she could be passed into service as a training ship, perhaps with her aft turret replaced by a missile rack to train on such things. In this role Indy could soldier on through the 70's, but I don't think there's much reason to keep her around.
Honestly, Indianapolis is really only famous because of her unfortunate demise. Having her end the war quietly would almost certainly result in her sharing the fate of her sister.
History Learner
Banned
Extremely niche, but I once sketched out a timeline where she survives and one of her sailors settles in California after the war; his son goes on to become the Governor of California and then President.
SsgtC
Banned
Nope. They were all decommissioned by 46/47 as were the Baltimores that saw war service. The Baltimores ended up recommissioning in the 50s, but none of the treaty cruisers ever saw active service again and they were sold sold for scrap in 1959
Captain McVay likely has a slightly better if low key post war career. He gets promoted to Rear Admiral sometime in the late 40s, given a couple important if low profile flag billets. He may or may not see actual service in Korea, but around that time he picks up his 3rd star upon promotion to Vice Admiral, stays in rank for 3, maybe 4 years, then retires
I think a few of the British treaty light cruisers hung around for another decade or so.
She was an old ship, so she wouldn't have been retained. It would be the height of irony if she'd been nuked at Bikini.
One change that was minor as far as this forum goes but major as far as I'm concerned: I'd get to meet and know my uncle Charles. I was born in 1952; my uncle was a LJG and went down with the Indianapolis. From stories I heard from my father, aunts, and uncles, I've gathered my uncle Charles and I would have gotten along pretty darn well.
An old cruiser with no particular claim to fame after a hard fought war? She's either razor blades or a target. Just because she secretly transported a nuclear weapon to Tinian is no reason for her to be preserved. At best the ship's bell and nameplate are placed in a museum in her namesake city.
Berwick, Kent and Suffolk were in reserve by the end of 1946 and they were broken up in 1948.
Cumberland was in reserve until 1949 and was converted to a trials ship 1949-51. She was in commission from 1951 to 1959 when she was paid off and scrapped. She survived long enough to play herself in the film Battle of the River Plate. Whilst serving as a trials ships she tested the prototype twin 6in and twin 3in gun turrets that were fitted to the Tiger class.
Devonshire was converted into a cadet training ship 1946-47 and relieved the Cavendish class cruiser Frobisher in 1947. She was relieved by the aircraft carrier Triumph in 1953 (which in turn had been relieved by the newly completed Centaur). Devonshire went into reserve in 1953 and was scrapped in 1954.
That leaves London, Sussex and Norfolk which remained in commission as operational warships until 1949 when they paid off into the Reserve Fleet and they were broken up in 1950.
Edit
I forgot about the RAN's Counties, Australia and Shropshire. Australia was in reserve until 1947, but was an operational warship 1947-50 and a training ship 1950-54. She was paid off in 1954 and scrapped in 1955. Shropshire was laid up in 1948 and scrapped in 1955. Both ships were scrapped in the UK rather than Australia.
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Portland and Indianapolis were to be an improvement on the Northampton class cruisers. However, the USN decided to abandon unit machinery and go for more heavy protection. So the ships of the Portland class that were to be built in Navy Yards were changed to the new design, becoming the New Orleans class. Portland and Indianapolis however were laid down at private yards, (Bethlehem, Quincy, and New York Shipbuilding, Camden respectively) and the Navy would have to pay a penalty if the design were changed. Hence the two-ship class. The Portlands were also designed as Fleet Flagships, and when Spruance was in charge of the 5th Fleet, he frequently flew his flag on Indianapolis.
Had Indianapolis survived the war, she very likely would have been used as her sister was. Portland went to the Atlantic for Magic Carpet service, and was badly damaged by a hurricane on her second homeward run. Three soldiers were killed, and a number suffered injuries, including spine fractures and paralysis. She was declared not seaworthy when she reached New York and was surveyed. Still, she went into mothballs, and wasn't struck from the Navy List until 1 March 1959, and sold for scrap on 6 October 1959.
Assuming Indianapolis is on a different Magic Carpet schedule, she won't have the hurricane problem, and will make a number of runs. She'll go into reserve as all pre-war heavy cruisers did, and she'll be stricken and sold for scrap in 1959 as well.
My thoughts,
Had Indianapolis survived the war, she very likely would have been used as her sister was. Portland went to the Atlantic for Magic Carpet service, and was badly damaged by a hurricane on her second homeward run. Three soldiers were killed, and a number suffered injuries, including spine fractures and paralysis. She was declared not seaworthy when she reached New York and was surveyed. Still, she went into mothballs, and wasn't struck from the Navy List until 1 March 1959, and sold for scrap on 6 October 1959.
Assuming Indianapolis is on a different Magic Carpet schedule, she won't have the hurricane problem, and will make a number of runs. She'll go into reserve as all pre-war heavy cruisers did, and she'll be stricken and sold for scrap in 1959 as well.
My thoughts,
For the Pre-war ships, mostly until 1959. Five Brooklyn class and St Louis went to the ABC navies, but the two that had war damage and were bulged and rearmed with twin 5in/38s, Honolulu and Savannah, were retained in reserve.
Regards,