Welcome to USSATLANTA.COM

USS AtlantaUSS Juneau Home Page

Picture provided by Bruce McKinney

This site was last updated on Nov 12th, 2008.

In memory for those that fought in this battle 66 years ago Nov 13th 1942!.


This site is dedicated to my father, W.E. Edwards, who passed away April 23,1996; to my Uncle, Edward Morra, and to the rest of the men who served aboard the Atlanta and the Juneau.

COPYRIGHT - ALL information on these pages, personal pictures, lists created by myself, donated stories and page designs are copy righted and strictly prohibited from use on other web sites without written permission from myself. The information on these pages is the result of hard work on the part of myself and other people who were kind enough to donate time and material for the site. PLEASE do not lift anything off this site for use on another site without the premission of myself. We do require you mention the source to give credit to those that put in the time and effort. Thanks


W elcome to the Home Page for the USS Atlanta, CL-51, and the USS Juneau, CL-52. This web site was designed as a memorial to those that served on these two great ships. We have tried to include not only ships histories and battle details but more importantly, we wanted to include personal perspectives, how events affected those that participated and their families and loved ones. In this respect we have included personal letters and stories that have been donated by survivors and their family members. We hope you will therefore find more than just history and ship specs, we hope you come away with a sense of how these events affected all those that were touched to this day!



The USS Atlanta was the lead ship in a class of light cruisers of unique design. They were conceived as flotilla leaders but ushered in a new concept in warship design, the anti-aircraft cruiser, a concept that can still be seen in the navy today in ships specialized for this role. Both ships were sunk in a night surface action in the Naval Battle for Guadalcanal on November 13th, 1942, for which the Atlanta received a Presidential Unit Citation.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13th, 1942- one of the most ferocious naval battles ever fought took place off Guadalcanal. Thirteen US ships including,light cruisers Atlanta and Juneau, fought a superior Japanese naval force including two battleships, at close range in what one US naval officer described as a "bar room brawl with the lights shut off"!

The smaller American naval force turned back the Japanese that night and as a result 1,439 US and 520 Japanese sailors gave their lives.

Please check out our site and related links for more information on these battles and the men and ships that fought in them.

We would also like to hear from you and welcome your comments, suggestions and especially if you have additional information, stories, pictures etc. that you would like to contribute. After your voyage, please sign our guest book (at the bottom of this page). We would be most grateful.



  • JUST POSTED An article detailing JOHN HARVEY's experiences aboard the USS Atlanta. Mr Harvey was the sole surviving Signalmen after the battle and sent and received all communications for Captain Jenkins. This information was kindly supplied by his granddaughter Christine Burmeister. Check out the out the stories page.
  • NEW A Overhead view of the USS Atlanta and Juneau building at Federal Ship Building

  • NEW A Picture of the USS Atlanta and Federal Ship Building ID card of Charles Bedman who was a worker on the USS Atlanta. This was supplied by his family.

  • NEW A Post card sent by Stanley Kokoska of the USS Juneau to his mother dated two weeks before the Juneau was sunk and Mr Kokoska lost his life. This was kindly supplied by John Kokish.
  • NEW A copyof a war bond certificate supplied by Kem Statham, which his great aunt purchased during WW2. This was to fund the construction of the second Atlanta, a Cleveland Class Light Cruiser,although a picture of the already sunk Cl51 was used.

Many thanks to Preston Cook for his kindness and generosity in supplying the action reports and some excellent pictures that appear on our pictures page.

Table of Contents

Atlanta History

Atlanta Action Report

Atlanta Damage Report

Juneau History

Juneau Action Report

Juneau Ships Log

Atlanta Roster

Juneau Roster

Survivor Stories - Ever Growing

Pictures

Design History

Atlanta Class Specs

2002 Guadalcanal Reunion Pic's - 8/17/02

Military Links-UPDATED

Naval Battle 11/13/42

Commemorations 11/13/42



NOTICES - Nov 20th, 2006

It is with great sadness that I must inform you that my uncle and Atlanta survivor, Edward Morra passed away today. Please say a prayer for him and his family. He will be missed!

I regret to inform you that Petty Officer Samuel Hicks (USS Atlanta) passed away recently. His funeral was on March 16th, 2005. I knew Sam as a caring, friendly neighbor who looked out after my widowed mother in law. He is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren. He passed peacefully of natural causes at the age of 86. - Phil Yost

Anyone who served with Mr George R. Archibald and is interested in contacting him may do so at the following address:

George R. Archibald (Chief Watertender- Retired) 450 N. Soldano Ave.Apt. #103 Azusa, CA 91702

Posted by Joe Laferriere - "I am trying to locate an old shipmate of mine who served with me on the USS Atlanta. We were seperated after we abandoned ship and I have not been able to locate him. I know this is almost impossible but I sure would like to try. His name was Pete Leyva, he was from ElPaso Tx. and the last I heard he was an attorney in the Boston area. Mr. Laferriere can be contacted at the following email address - Gwenjo5 at Juno.com

Check out this new book by Glenn Arnold called Warship Perspectives - The Atlanta Class Cruisers in World War 2. Has great pictures, some from personal collections and details of the ships in the class. A great reference on these great ships. Its published by W.R. Press in NY.

Our survivor stories page is growing!!! The purpose of this page is to add a personal touch to the site and give interested parties a chance to add to their content. If you would like to supply information please email me by using the email button below. Thanks to all that would like to help.


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TAPS

Michael Hegedus, BM2c, passed away in 2000. Information was greatfully supplied by his nephew William T. Moran Jr. USN retired.

Bowdie Craighill, an officer on board the USS Atlanta during the cruiser's night action of 12-13 November 1942 and who was awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in combat action against the Japanese, passed away at the age of 88 on April 7th. He will be buried in Washington, DC on April 21 at a service at St. Marks Church - 3rd. and A. St. SE at 1:30. If you have reflections on Bowdie and would like to pass them along to me so I in turn can pass them to those giving the eulogy, please E-mail Bill Dickinson at wdickin953@aol.com "Bowdie is a man who indeed deserves to be honored." - Bill Dickinson

Victor Sr. passed away on Saturday, 11/24, at UCONN Medical Center in Farmington, Conn. He was 81 yrs. old. He is survived by his wife, Mary Kelmelis, and his children, Joanie and Victor Jr.

Mr.Howard "Guns" Goddard, who served aboard the Atlanta, passed away May 22nd 2000 in Athol, Mass..Please take a moment to remember Mr.Howard in your prayers.

Mr. Lester Zook, one of the few remaining survivors of the USS Juneau, died November 12th, 1998. Please take a moment to remember Mr. Zook and say a prayer for him and his family..Thank you.




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