USS Boise (CL 47)
Light cruiser of the Brooklyn class
The US Navy
Type: Light cruiser
Class: Brooklyn
Pennant: CL 47
Built by: Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. (Newport News, Virginia, U.S.A.)
Ordered
Laid down: 1 Apr 1935
Launched: 3 Dec 1936
Commissioned: 12 Aug 1938
End service: 1 Jul 1946

History

In February 1939, following a shakedown cruise to Monrovia, Liberia; and Cape Town, Union of South Africa, Boise joined Division 9, Cruisers, Battle Force, at San Pedro, California. Until November 1941 she operated alternately off the west coast and in Hawaiian waters. She then escorted a convoy to Manila, Philippine Islands, arriving 4 December 1941.

The outbreak of war in the Philippines found Boise off Cebu. She joined TF 5 in the East Indies, but on 21 January 1942 Boise (Captain Stephen Boutwell Robinson) struck an uncharted shoal in Sape Strait and had to retire to Colombo, Ceylon and later Bombay, India and finally Mare Island Navy Yard for repairs. Her repairs completed, she sailed on 22 June 1942 to escort a convoy to Auckland, New Zealand. She then returned to Pearl Harbor and during 31 July-10 August 1942 conducted a raiding cruise in Japanese waters as a feint to draw attention away from the Guadalcanal landings. In August she escorted a convoy to the Fiji and New Hebrides Islands. During 14-18 September she helped cover the landing of Marine reinforcements on Guadalcanal. However during the Battle of Cape Esperance (Captain Edward Joseph Moran, USN) she was badly damaged by Gunfire and incurred casualties of 107 killed and 32 wounded. She made her way to Philadelphia Navy Yard where she underwent extensive repairs from 19 November 1942 till 20 March 1943.

Boise departed 8 June 1943 for the Mediterranean, arriving at Algiers, Algeria on 21 June. Between 10 July and 18 August 1943 she acted as a cover and fire support ship during the landings in Sicily. In September she took part in the Italian mainland landings at Taranto (9-10 September). She returned to New York 15 November 1943 and once again steamed to the South Pacific, arriving at Milne Bay, New Guinea, 31 December.

During January-September 1944 she took part in operations along the northern shore of New Guinea, including: Madang-Alexishafen bombardment (25-26 January); Humboldt Bay landings (22 April); Wakde-Sawar bombardment (29-30 April); Wakde-Toem landings (15-25 May); Biak landings (25 May-10 June); Noemfoor landings (1-2 July); Cape Sansapor landings (27 July-31 August); and the occupation of Morotai (1-30 September). The cruiser moved northward as the battle front advanced into the Philippines taking part in: Leyte invasion (20-24 October); Battle of Surigao Strait (25 October); Mindoro landings (12-17 December); Leyte-Mindoro covering action (26-29 December); Lingayen Gulf landings, with General D. MacArthur embarked (9-13 January 1945); Luzon covering force (14-31 January); Bataan-Corregidor occupation (13-17 February); and Zamboanga landings (8-12 March). She then moved to Borneo for the Tarakan landings (27 April-3 May). During 3-16 June she carried General MacArthur on a 35,000 mile tour of the Central and Southern Philippines and Brunei Bay, Borneo, and then returned to San Pedro, California arriving on 7 July.

The cruiser remained in the San Pedro area undergoing overhaul and training until October. She sailed 3 October for the east coast, arriving at New York 20 October. Boise remained there until she was decommissioned 1 July 1946.

She was sold to Argentina on 11 January 1951 and was renamed Neuve de Julio in 1955, the cruiser was an active unit of the Argentine Navy until 1978 and was sold for scrapping in 1981.