Why was USS Spokane CL-97 renamed?

[sgtpete]

I just acquired a few technical manuals for the USS Atlanta CL-51 Class from 1942. I noticed that the CL-97 is listed as the USS Spokane, but it when it was actually built is was named USS Flint. I know that ships during WW2 were sometimes renamed to honor sunken ships, however I found no reason for the renaming. Does anyone familiar with the Atlanta class cruiser have any idea why this happened?

 

[RustyCanteen]

My guess is that it was changed to Flint because the CL-64 Flint was changed to Vincennes due to the loss of that ship off Guadalcanal in 1942.

 

But I don't know for certain.

 

RC

[sgtpete]

My guess is that it was changed to Flint because the CL-64 Flint was changed to Vincennes due to the loss of that ship off Guadalcanal in 1942.

 

But I don't know for certain.

 

RC

 

Thanks Rusty. That makes a lot of sense, I knew that there had to be a war loss in there somewhere, but I wasn't sure how they were connected.

[RustyCanteen]

It's the only reason I can see for the name change, but like I said, that's only a guess on my part.

 

RC

[sgtpete]

I think your right. I found this on the DANFS website:

 

 

 

"The third VINCENNES (CL-64) was originally laid down as

 

FLINT (CL-64) on 7 March 1942 at Quincy Mass., by the

 

Bethlehem Shipbuilding Company's Fore River plant. While

 

the ship was under construction, however, the Battle of Savo

 

Island occurred in August 1942, during which engagement the

 

heavy cruiser VINCENNES (CA-44) was sunk. In order to

 

perpetuate the name, FLINT was renamed VINCENNES on 16

 

October 1942."

 

 

"Light cruiser Spokane (CL-97) was renamed Flint (q.v.) on 26 November 1942"

 

 

What I don't understand is why they just didn't name the later ships name to USS Flint instead of renaming one and bestowing the name on a later cruiser? It would have saved a name change. Must have been politics.

[sigsaye]

I think your right. I found this on the DANFS website:

 

 

 

"The third VINCENNES (CL-64) was originally laid down as

 

FLINT (CL-64) on 7 March 1942 at Quincy Mass., by the

 

Bethlehem Shipbuilding Company's Fore River plant. While

 

the ship was under construction, however, the Battle of Savo

 

Island occurred in August 1942, during which engagement the

 

heavy cruiser VINCENNES (CA-44) was sunk. In order to

 

perpetuate the name, FLINT was renamed VINCENNES on 16

 

October 1942."

 

 

"Light cruiser Spokane (CL-97) was renamed Flint (q.v.) on 26 November 1942"

 

 

What I don't understand is why they just didn't name the later ships name to USS Flint instead of renaming one and bestowing the name on a later cruiser? It would have saved a name change. Must have been politics.

It's always politics. They had huge funding drives (besides Bond drives) in cities and states for money to build ships. In the Book "Ship of Ghoasts", The drive by the Navy to fund a new USS Houston raised so much money they not only built a new cruiser, but paid for the carrier USS San Juancinto. And recruited enough men to fully crew both. different days for sure.

 

Steve

[sgtpete]

It's always politics. They had huge funding drives (besides Bond drives) in cities and states for money to build ships. In the Book "Ship of Ghoasts", The drive by the Navy to fund a new USS Houston raised so much money they not only built a new cruiser, but paid for the carrier USS San Juancinto. And recruited enough men to fully crew both. different days for sure.

 

Steve

 

Funny that you said that. I just ran across this ad that describes almost the same situation.

 

[67Rally]

Due to the loss of the CA-44 - Vincennes, the city and Indiana senators worked to get the Navy to name a new ship that was under construction renamed to honor the lost ship. The catch was that the city had to raise enough in war bonds to meet their requirement (I have one of their bond-drive posters). When the requirements were met, the SecNav re-named the CL-64 as she was one of those nearest to christening at that time.The trickle-down effect meant that Spokane had less political clout than Flint and lost out with the CL-97. They only had to wait a short while as the Juneau-class cruiser, CL-120 was christened in Sept. '45.

 

It would be an interesting exercise to see what the original trajectories were for the original ships that were renamed and the ripple-effect for those states/cities/persons who lost out along the way.