USS Northampton (CLC-1)

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| Ship image = File:USS Northampton (CLC-1) underway c1959.jpg

| Ship caption = USS Northampton underway in 1959

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{{Infobox ship career

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| Ship country = United States

| Ship flag = {{USN flag|1970}}

| Ship name = Northampton

| Ship namesake = Northampton, Massachusetts

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| Ship builder = Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Quincy, Massachusetts

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| Ship laid down = 31 August 1944

| Ship launched = 27 January 1951

| Ship sponsor = Mrs. Edmond J. Lampron

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| Ship commissioned = 7 March 1953

| Ship reclassified = *CLC-1, 27 January 1951

CC-1, 15 April 1961

| Ship decommissioned = 8 April 1970

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| Ship struck = 1 December 1977

| Ship identification = *Callsign: NTBX

{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Tango}}{{ICS|Bravo}}{{ICS|Xray}}
Hull number: CA-125

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| Ship honors = See Awards

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| Ship fate = *Scrapped, December 1977

| Ship notes = Bell at the Northampton Human Resources

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{{Infobox ship characteristics

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| Ship class = {{sclass|Oregon City|cruiser}}

| Ship displacement = {{convert|13700|LT|t|0|abbr=on}}

| Ship length = {{convert|674|ft|11|in|m|abbr=on}}

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| Ship propulsion = Steam turbines, {{convert|120000|shp|MW|abbr=on}}, 4 boilers, 4 shafts

| Ship speed = {{convert|33|kn|lk=in}}

| Ship sensors = *1 × AN/SPS-2

| Ship complement = 2,000

| Ship armament = *4 × 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 guns (4×1)

8 × 3 in/70 caliber guns (4×2)

| Ship armor = *Belt: {{convert|6|in|mm|abbr=on}}

Deck: {{convert|2.5|in|mm|abbr=on}}

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| Ship aircraft facilities = landing pad available for one helicopter

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The third USS Northampton (CLC-1/CC-1) was a US Navy command light cruiser (command ship). She was laid down as an {{sclass|Oregon City|cruiser|0}} heavy cruiser (CA–125), on 31 August 1944 by the Fore River Yard, Bethlehem Steel Corp., Quincy, Massachusetts. Work suspended between 11 August 1945 and 1 July 1948; she was converted to a command cruiser under project SCB 13 and launched as CLC–1, on 27 January 1951; sponsored by Mrs. Edmond J. Lampron; and commissioned as CLC–1, on 7 March 1953.

History

Following shakedown, Northampton reported for duty to Commander Operational Development Forces, Atlantic Fleet. For seven months she conducted extensive tests of her new equipment. Evaluation completed in September 1954 and she reverted to the operational control of Commander Battleship Cruiser Force, Atlantic Fleet. She next demonstrated her capabilities as a tactical Command Ship by serving as flagship, first for Commander Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet (October–November 1954) and then for Commander 6th Fleet (December 1954–March 1955). Between 1 September and 22 October she served as flagship for Commander Strike Force, Atlantic, a position she was to hold frequently over the next fifteen years.

On 24 February 1956, Northampton emerged from her first overhaul at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, and, after refresher training off Cuba, participated as a unit of the Navy’s first guided missile division afloat, CruDiv 6, in the first public demonstration of the Terrier missile. In April, she steamed east for six months with the 6th Fleet, and, during the summer of 1957, resumed midshipmen training cruises. However, between that time and 1961, she infrequently returned to European waters. Deployed on occasion for NATO and fleet exercises and People to People visits, the command ship was visited by high government officials of various European countries, including Kings Baudouin of Belgium and Olav V of Norway.

Decommissioning

Redesignated CC–1 on 15 April 1961, Northampton remained in the western Atlantic until decommissioning in February 1970. Her cruises ranged from Canadian to Panamanian waters as she extensively tested and evaluated new communications equipment and played host to visiting national and international dignitaries, including Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. The ship was eventually withdrawn from service, and was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 31 December 1977 during the Carter Administration.

The ship's bell is preserved at the war memorial in front of Memorial Hall, in the ship's namesake city of Northampton, Massachusetts.

Other roles

Besides acting as a fleet command ship, Northampton was planned for or actually functioned in at least two other roles.

=Pilotfish=

When the first supercarrier USS United States (CVA-58) was being designed, it was thought she would not be able to have an island or masts for radar or other antennas. Therefore the Northampton was seen as a 'pilotfish', a ship that would escort the carrier and act not only as a radar picket (although from the center of the task force rather than the periphery as a true picket would), but also as the radar director of aircraft approach and landing on the carrier. The recent invention of the angled flight deck made it possible to install islands and radar on supercarriers, and so this role was eliminated from the Northampton.Freidman, pp. 430

="Floating White House"=

According to a Washington Post article on 29 July 2006, Northampton was part of the U.S. government's plan for Continuity of Operations and reported to be a "floating White House" to which the President could be evacuated in the event of nuclear attack. As such she was designated as the National Emergency Command Post Afloat (NECPA); Northampton was one of two ships to serve in the role, with the other being the aircraft carrier {{USS|Wright|CVL-49|6}}. The ship was modified with an extra deck, the tallest communications mast in the Navy and multi-link communications gear.

Gallery

File:USS Northampton (CLC-1) at Guantanamo Bay in 1954.jpg|Northampton at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 1954.

File:SPS-2 antenna aboard USS Northampton (CLC-1) c1954.jpg|Close up of Northampton’s SPS-2 antenna {{circa|1954}}.

File:Sailors relaxing on fantail of USS Northampton (CLC-1) in 1957.jpg|Northampton’s crews relaxing on the fantail of the ship in 1957.

File:USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) leavin Norfolk in 1957.jpg|{{USS|Ticonderoga|CV-14|2}} alongside Northampton at Norfolk, Virginia in 1957.

File:USS Intrepid (CVA-11) with Valley Forge (CVS-45) at Norfolk 1957.jpg|Northampton, {{USS|Intrepid|CV-11|2}} and {{USS|Valley Forge|CV-45|2}} at Norfolk in 1957

File:USS Northampton (CLC-1) bow view c1958.jpg|Bow view of Northampton in 1958.

File:USS Des Moines (CA-134) and USS Northampton (CLC-1) at Mallorca c1960.jpg|Northampton and {{USS|Des Moines|CA-134|2}} at Mallorca {{circa|1960}}.

File:USS Northampton (CLC-1) with Polaris missile fountain at Portsmouth VA c1962.jpg|Northampton with Polaris Missile fountain at Portsmouth, Virginia {{circa|1962}}.

File:USS Alstede (AF-48) replenishes USS Northampton (CC-1) c1964.jpg|Northampton replenishing with Alsfeld {{circa|1964}}.

File:USS Northampton CLC-1.jpg|Northampton in her final configuration before decommissioning around early 1970.

File:USS Northampton (CC-1), USS Robert L. Wilson (DD-847) and USS Albacore (AGSS-569) mothballed at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, in August 1976 (K-117037).jpg|Northampton, {{USS|Robert L. Wilson|DD-847|2}} and {{USS|Albacore| AGSS-569|2}} mothballed at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in August 1976.

File:USS Newport News (CA 148), USS Springfield (CLG 7) and USS Northampton (CC 1) await disposal.jpg|Northampton, {{USS|Springfield|CL-66|2}} and {{USS|Newport News|CA-148|2}} await disposal at Philadelphia Naval Yard in October 1978.

Awards

Navy Expeditionary Medal
National Defense Service Medal with 2 awards

References

=Notes=

=Sources=

{{citation|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=U.S. Cruisers: an illustrated design history|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, MD|year=1984|isbn=0-87021-718-6|oclc=10949320}}
"A White House Physician" by James Young, M.D., in Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out (Candlewick Press 2008)
[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/clc-1.htm http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/clc-1.htm]