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A Chronological History
of the U.S. Navy Cruiser
U.S.S. LITTLE ROCK
CL-92 / CLG-4 / CG-4




1957 - 1965

1957     1958     1959     1960     1961     1962     1963     1964
    1965


1957
 
13 Jan

30 Jan
23 May




USS Little Rock arrives New York Ship Building, Camden NJ for
conversion preparation
Enters Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for conversion to CLG configuration.
Little Rock CL92 designation changed to CLG4

1958 - 1959

1958 -1959


Undergoing conversion to a Guided Missile Cruise at New York Shipbuilding
Corp. Camden, NJ.


1960

06 May
03 Jun
06 Jun
21 Jun
25 Jul
05 Sep
? Sep
17-19 Sep
15 Oct
21 Oct
21-23 Oct
31 Oct - 03 Nov
05 Nov
11 Nov

25 Dec
















Delivered to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Capt. Jewett O. Phillips assumes command of the CLG4
USS Little Rock commissioned Philadelphia Navy Yard
Albert A. Sevey YN1 becomes first sailor to reenlist on Little Rock as CLG4
Depart Philadelphia for sea trials off Virginia coast
Arrive Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for shakedown training
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Little Rock first port of call Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
Depart Guantanamo Bay, for missile firing range
USS Little Rock gets first direct hit on a drone by a Talos Missile
Saint Thomas, VI.
Final Acceptance Trials - San Juan, PR
Depart San Juan, PR for Philadelphia, PA
Arrive Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for approximately two months post-
shakedown outfitting
Christmas in Philadelphia NSY, Philadelphia, PA


1961

04 Jan
09 Jan
20 Jan

25 Jan
09 Feb

18 Feb
18-20 Feb
20 Feb
24-27 Feb
28 Feb - 02 Mar
06-09 Mar
7 Mar

9 Mar

13 Mar
16 Mar
18 Mar
24-29 Mar

27 Mar
31 Mar


31 Mar-03 Apr
08 Apr
10-11 Apr
14 Apr
16 Apr


19 Apr
21-24 Apr
25 Apr
01-04 May
04 May
15-22 May
27 May - 09 Jun
16 Jun
21-26 Jun
26 Jun - 05 Jul
03 Jul

04 Jul
05-09 Jul
10-17 Jul
17-21 Jul
22 Jul
26 Jul
29 Jul - 07 Aug


30 Jul - 06 Aug
07 - 13 Aug
14 Aug
14 - 16 Aug

16 Aug
29 Aug
?? Sep
01 Sep
06 Oct
16 Oct
28-29 Oct
04 Nov
13 Nov
16-17 Nov
18 Nov


25 Nov (?)
?? Nov










































































Underway for Norfolk, VA. Embark RAdm James W. Davis ComCruDesFour.
Depart Norfolk with ComCruDesFour for U.S. Atlantic Fleet Exercise I-61
Concluded U.S. Atlantic Fleet Exercise 1-61.
Detached to Philadelphia Naval Base for preparations for Med cruise.
Capt. Frederick A. Chenault relieves Capt. Jewett O. Phillips
Depart Philadelphia, PA for first European cruise.
USS Little Rock deployed to 6th Fleet (Homeport -Norfolk VA)
Transited Straits of Gibraltar (first time as CLG4)
Pollensa
Relieve USS Des Moines at Pollensa Bay, Island of Mallorca (1st stop in the Med!)
Valletta, Malta (1st port call in Med)
Naples, Italy
Cannes, France
At French CERES missile range for missile shoot, however French Drone(s)
failed to deploy. Shoot canceled.
At CERES missile range. Talos intercepts CT20 drone. This is first Talos launch
without civilian technical Assistance
Steaming toward Gulf of Catania - three Russian “trawlers”
At sea. Conducting Anti-submarine and Air Defense exercises.
VADM Anderson ComSixthFlt arrives for overnight visit.
Istanbul, Turkey.
RAdm Francis T. Williamson relieves RAdm James W. Davis as ComCruDesFour
Personnel Inspection
At sea.
Good Friday Services held on Mess Decks.
Conducted Electronic Countermeasures exercises.
Izmir, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Taranto, Italy
Rota, Spain
At sea.
Anti-submarine exercises.
1300 (approx.) Refuel from USS NANTAHALA
Rota, Spain
Bordeaux France as 6th Fleet Flag for meeting.
Bay of Biscay - 40 Knot winds & heavy seas with damage to forward areas.
Little Rock arrives Cannes France - French film festival
Missile Firing Exercise
Athens, Greece
Cannes, France
Anchored off coast of Turkey for "Swim Call"
Rhodes, Greece. Midshipmen arrive for 6 week summer cruise.
Naples, Italy
ComCruDiv4 arrives for one day visit..
CinCSouth arrives for evening visit.
Full Dress Ship.
Operations at sea.
Genoa, Italy
Major Fleet Exercises
Naples, Italy to exchange Midshipmen for another 6 week cruise
Fleet Anchorage, Aranci Bay
Livorno, Italy - Little Rock presented with Battle Efficiency "E" (atlantic
Fleet Cruisers), as well as "E"s for both gun mounts, missile system,
communications systems, and Operations Department.
With the Fleet
Major Fleet Exercises
Livorno, Italy
Fleet Anchorage Golfo de Palmas, Mallorca (to be relieved as Flag
by NEWPORT NEWS)
Depart for US
Arrive Boston, MA
Arrive Norfolk, VA for 30 days leave and upkeep.
Little Rock shifts to CruDivTwo.
ComSecondFleet shifts flag to Little Rock, VAdm John Taylor
Depart Norfolk for 2nd Fleet ops in Atlantic
Morehead City, NC
Arrive Norfolk, VA
Depart NORVA with 5 SecNav guests for San Juan, PR
Missile Firing Exercise off Puerto Rico
Disembark SecNav guests.
Ordered to the waters off Santo Domingo to provide an element of stability
during the uncertainty and unrest following assassination of Trujillo.
Depart for Norfolk, VA
Arrived Norfolk, VA


1962

08 Jan
12-14 Jan
18-19 Jan
20-24 Jan
20-26 Jan

25 Jan
01 Feb
07 Feb
12 Feb
15 Feb (?)
21 Feb
09 Mar
11-12 Mar
15 Mar
19 Mar

12 Oct - 23 Oct
20 Mar - 31 Dec



















Depart Norfolk for Atlantic Fleet Exercises.
Mayport, FL
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Operated off southern coast
Per OPNAV NOTICE 1650, Little Rock crew, attached to the ship during
this period are entitled to the Navy Expeditionary Medal for Cuba. (Ribbon)
Arrived Norfolk, VA
USS Little Rock selected “Ship of the Month” by Our Navy Magazine
Capt. James R. Payne relieves Capt. Frederic A. Chenault.
Depart for Bayonne, NJ. for 2 day stay
Depart Bayonne, NJ for Nassau, Bahamas
Arrived Norfolk, VA
Depart Norfolk, VA for Bermuda
Bermuda
Returned Norfolk, VA
Enter drydock at Portsmouth NSY, VA for overhaul and new Gas Turbine
Generator, connected to Aft Distribution Panel in Aft Fire Rm.
Cuban Missile Crisis and Naval Blockade
Little Rock in Portsmouth for remainder of 1962


1963

11 Jan
05 Feb
09 Feb
11 Feb
22-24 Feb
Mar

30-31 Mar
14 Apr
01 May
09 May
11 May

14 May
14-20 May
20 May
21 May
27 May - 03 Jun
08-11 Jun
19-25 Jun
27 Jun
29 Jun - 08 Jul
08 Jul - 13 Jul
13 Jul- 22 Jul
27 Jul - 02 Aug
05-10 Aug
15-19 Aug
19-22 Aug
23 Aug
26 Aug
27 Aug
30 Aug - 09 Sep
27 Sep - 01 Oct
02-03 Oct
07 Oct
11-13 Oct
14-17 Oct
27 Oct - 04 Nov
09-12 Nov
12-18 Nov
22 Nov
?? Nov
26 Nov - 03 Dec
03-07 Dec
09 Dec
11-14 Dec
14 Dec
15 Dec
15 Dec
24 Dec


















































Portsmouth VA Naval Shipyard Inclining Experiments
Depart Portsmouth NSY for Yorktown, VA    
ComCruDesFltEight broke his flag on Little Rock
Underway for Caribbean
St. Thomas, VI
Operating out of Guantanamo Bay, Little Rock conducts a series of
successful missile firings at Roosevelt Roads, PR
Kingston, Jamaica
Underway for Norfolk, VA
Underway for Mediterranean
Passed Straits of Gibraltar
Arrive Toulon, France to relieve USS Springfield as Sixth Fleet Flagship.
VAdm William E. Gentner Jr. breaks flag.
Depart Toulon for Villefranche, France
Villefranche, France
Transited the Adriatic Sea - 70% of crew sick
Talos missile launch
Trieste, Italy. General illness after fantail party - contaminated food suspected.
Rhodes, Greece
Beruit, Lebanon
Cdr. D.A. Johnson relieves Cdr. J.B. Randolph as XO
Villefranche, France
At sea
Villefranche, France
Barcelona, Spain
Genoa, Italy
La Spezia, Italy
Livorno, Italy
Arrived Palma, Spain
Capt. C. Edwin Bell relieves Capt. James R. Payne as CO
Depart Palma
Villefranche, France
Istanbul, Turkey
Izmir, Turkey
Famagusta, Cyprus. Visited by Archbishop Makarios, Head of State, Cyprus.
Taranto, Italy
Split, Yugoslavia. Only communist nation visited by Little Rock to date.
Villefranche, France
Marseilles, France
Villefranche, France
President John F. Kennedy Assassinated in Dallas, TX
Talos launch to port
Villefranche, France
La Spezia, Italy
Talos launch to port
Palma, Spain
Underway for Rota, Spain
Rota, Spain. USS Springfield CLG-7 relieves Little Rock as Flagship of Sixth Fleet..
Depart Rota for full speed crossing of Atlantic to be home for Christmas
Arrive Norfolk, VA (Christmas Eve!) for Holidays


1964

03 Feb
07 Feb
10 Feb
14 Feb
03 Mar

28 Mar
08-15 Apr
27-29 Apr
04-05 May
02 Jun
05 Jun
24 Jul
24 Aug
29-30 Aug
05 Sep
12 Sep
05 Oct
23 Oct
24 Oct - 27 Nov
28 Nov
05 Dec
14 Dec
21 Dec
27 Dec
30 Dec


























Depart Norfolk for training exercises off Virginia coast
Arrive Norfolk for weekend
Depart Norfolk for training exercises off Virginia coast
Arrive Norfolk
Depart Norfolk for Caribbean for Operation SPRING-BOARD 64
and missile firings. Visited St. Thomas, VI and Roosevelt Roads, PR
Arrive Norfolk
Participated in "Operation QUICK-KICK V" off VA coast
At sea off southern Virginia coast
At sea practicing  drills for annual inspections and drills competition
Depart Norfolk for Annapolis, MD to embark 275 Midshipmen
Depart Annapolis for North Atlantic training cruise
Arrive Norfolk, VA
Depart Norfolk VA for Roosevelt Roads, PR for missile firings
St. Thomas, VI
Arrive Norfolk, VA
Capt. Roderick O. Middleton relieves Capt. C. Edwin Bell Jr.
Depart Norfolk for training exercises off Virginia coast
Arrive Norfolk
At Norfolk. Preparations made for Med deployment.
Depart Norfolk VA for Caribbean for missile firings
Depart for Mediterranean
Arrive Gibraltar to relieve USS Boston. Depart same day for Naples, Italy.
Arrive Naples for Christmas holidays
Depart for La Spezia, Italy. At sea replenishment.
Arrive La Spezia for New Year's.

1965

25 Feb
19 Jun
27 Sep
Early Fall ?
Late Fall ?





Arrive Gaeta, Italy - Home port changes from Villefranche, France to Gaeta.
Temporary Flagship of ComSecondFleet, VADM Masterson
Capt. Oscar F. Dreyer relieves Capt. Roderick O. Middleton
Caribbean? Roosevelt Roads?
North Atlantic?  Arctic Circle Crossing?

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