| 29 Oct 40 | • | - | Contract for construction of USS Little Rock CL 92 is awarded to William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, PA. (See Note 6 below) |
| 30 Apr | • | - | Adolph Hitler commits suicide. |
| 01 - 06 May | • | - | Various German operations surrender, essentially ending the war in Europe. |
| 07 May | • | - | Representatives from the Allied high command accept the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, thus marking the end of World War II in Europe. |
| 08 May | • | - | Surrender is ratified. VE Day ("Victory in Europe") is celebrated in Europe. |
| 15 Jun | • | - | LITTLE ROCK delivered to U.S. Navy by Cramp Shipbuilding. Crew reports on board. |
| 17 Jun | • | 0530 | Reveille |
| • | 1400 | Hull No. 435 is commissioned as USS Little Rock CL 92, Capt. William E. Miller in command. | |
| • | - | Fitting out at NSY Philadelphia, PA. (Program) | |
| 18 - 30 Jun | • | - | Continued fitting out at NSY Philadelphia, PA. |
| 01-07 Jul | • | - | Continued fitting out at NSY Philadelphia, PA. |
| 03 Jul | • | - | Commenced fueling ship. Took on approx. 450,000 galloms. |
| 08 Jul | • | 0530 | Reveille |
| • | 0700 | Departed NSY Philadelphia. Made river run to point 5 miles south of Overfalls Light Vessel. Some problems with battle phone circuits. Speed attained 26 knots. | |
| • | 2230 | Returned to NSY Philadelphia, PA. | |
| 09 Jul | • | - | Continued fitting out. |
| 10 Jul | • | - | Loaded projectiles at Navy Yard, Philadelphia. |
| 11 Jul | • | - | Continued fitting out. |
| 12 Jul | • | - | Continued fitting out. Commenced readiness for sea. |
| 13 Jul | • | 0700 | Moved downriver about 1 mile, to Fort Mifflin, to load Ammo... 5" and 6" shells, powder cans, aerial depth charges (for seaplanes), and catapult charges. No ammo for 20 mm or 40 mm yet. |
| • | - | Anchored off Cape May, NJ in Delaware Bay. | |
| 14 Jul | • | 0950 | Underway for compass compensating lower Delaware Bay. Anchored at SE end of Brown Shoals in Delaware Bay. |
| • | 1530 | Hanger Bay sprinkler activated. Hanger and Elevator pit sprayed with salt water. | |
| 15 Jul | • | - | Sunday. Anchored. Equipment testing and checks. Rain. |
| 16 Jul | • | 0700 | Underway. GQ. Launch and retrieve planes. At anchor SE end of Brown Shoals in Delaware Bay. |
| 17 Jul | • | 0600 | Underway. GQ. Fired 6" and 5" guns for structural test. |
| • | - | Refueled by USS Elokomin AO 55. | |
| 18 Jul | • | 1230 | Moored stbd side to at deperming (degaussing) station, Lambert Pt., Norfolk, VA. |
| 19 Jul | • | 0600 | Underway for Pier #7 NOB, Norfolk, VA. |
| • | 0739 | Moored to Pier #7. Received fuel, provisions and (3) SOC-1 airplanes. (This information was derived from a crew member diary. There is no record of LITTLE ROCK ever having SOC-1 seaplanes. This is most likely an error, and should read "SC-1 seaplane.) | |
| • | - | Capt. William E. Miller CO was commissioned an "Arkansas Traveler" on board by Mayor Dan T. Sprick of Little Rock, Arkansas . | |
| 20 Jul | • | 0000 | Reported for duty to Commander-in-Chief, US Fleet; Commander-in-Chief, US Atlantic Fleet, and Commander Fleet Operational Training Command. |
| • | 0755 | Underway for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba | |
| • | - | First launch of a Curtiss SC-1 "Seahawk". Aircraft pilot was Lt. Frank. | |
| 21 Jul | • | - | Underway for Guantanamo Bay. Exercised at ship and gunnery drills. |
| • | - | Personnel Inspection. (According to Philip Taaffe, all non-regulation clothes discovered during Inspection "were thrown over the side then and there." | |
| • | - | General Quarters Drill held during the afternoon. | |
| • | - | General Quarters Drill. | |
| 22 Jul | • | - | Sunday. Underway for Guantanamo Bay. Exercised at ship and gunnery drills. |
| • | - | Payday for the crew. | |
| • | - | Launched aircraft. | |
| 23 Jul | • | 0800 | Reported to Commander Training Group Guantanamo Bay for shakedown. |
| • | 0812 | Arrived at entrance buoy 2GBE. Guantanamo Bay. | |
| • | 0842 | Moored portside of fuel dock BB-1. | |
| • | 1511 | Anchored - Berth 17. | |
| 24 Jul | • | 0655 | Underway for training. |
| • | - | Conducted Man-Overboard Drill. | |
| 25 Jul | • | - | At sea. Training |
| • | - | 1330-1500 General Quarters | |
| • | - | Water rationing imposed - 20 gallons per man per day. (Was 23 gal./man/day.) | |
| 26 Jul | • | 0630 | Entered Guantanamo Bay. |
| • | - | General Quarters drill 1030-1230, and 1330-1830. (6+ hours long) | |
| • | - | Weather very hot. Crew sleeping topside. | |
| • | - | A valve was accidentally left on filling Fireroom #1 firebox with water. (Heads rolled!) | |
| 27 Jul | • | - | Underway for exercises. |
| • | - | Anchored Guantanamo Bay in company with USS Lake Champlain. | |
| • | - | Evening movie "Here Come the Co-eds" with Bud Abbott & Lou Costello. | |
| • | - | Weather continues very hot. Crew sleeping topside. | |
| 28 Jul | • | - | At anchor Guantanamo Bay. Personnel Inspection (Saturday) |
| 29 Jul | • | 0730 | Underway. Practice shore bombardment Culebra Island. |
| • | - | Mount #3 fired a pair of 5" HE with one shell bursting about 20' out of the barrel. Fragments struck ship starting small fires. | |
| 30 Jul | • | - | At sea off south coast of Cuba. |
| • | - | General Quarters Drill | |
| • | - | Training and night cruising. | |
| 31 Jul | • | - | Reveille. At sea. |
| • | - | General Quarters Drill. Secured at 0830. | |
| • | - | Steaming singly south of Cuba. Training in ship handling, night illumination. Heavy seas. | |
| • | - | Cigarettes in Ship's Store cost 55¢ per carton! | |
| • | - | General Quarters Drill. Secured at 2215. | |
| 01 Aug | • | - | At Sea. Full power run. |
| • | - | Entered Guantanamo Bay, anchored berth #17. | |
| • | - | Zone Inspection. Secured at 1600. | |
| • | - | Liberty for Section 4. | |
| 02 Aug | • | 0700 | Underway. Casualty, Gunnery and Damage Control Drills. |
| • | - | Anchored berth #17. In company with USS Portsmouth. | |
| 03 Aug | • | 0700 | Underway. Launch and recover aircraft. Drills. 5" guns shot down two (2) sleeves. |
| 04 Aug | • | - | At sea. Drills and exercises. |
| • | - | One of the SC-1 float planes nosed over during landing. Pilot was okay, but lost his wallet ($55). When the rescuing motor whaleboat was alongside it nearly capsized when caught in the ship's back-down wake. The SC-1 was lost. | |
| • | - | Ship is secured for heavy weather. Hurricane over Santo Domingo. | |
| 05 Aug | • | - | At sea. Bad weather. |
| • | - | WT3 Philip Taaffe records in his notebook diary that today was the hottest he could remember the Fireroom (#1) ever being. He also records that steamed at 22 knots on a single boiler (#1). | |
| • | - | Night cruising. | |
| 06 Aug | • | - | At sea. Exercise 5", 20mm, 40mm. Battle practice. (Note: On this date U.S. drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.) |
| 1320 | General Quarters Drill until 1410. | ||
| 1700 | Man-Overboard Drill | ||
| 2000 | General Quarters Drill and Night-Firing Exercises until 2230. | ||
| 07 Aug | • | 0530 | At sea. General Quarters Drill until 0930. Crew ate morning meal at their battle stations. |
| • | - | Shore bombardment exercise. Launch at recover SC-1 aircraft. Night tactics and cruising. | |
| • | - | Crew hears about US atomic bomb. | |
| 08 Aug | • | - | At sea. Note: On this date the Soviet Union declares war on Japan. |
| • | 0630 | Entered Guantanamo Bay. Moored to fueling cay BB-1. Shift to #17. | |
| • | - | Captain inspects lower-decks. | |
| • | - | SC-1 Aircraft #35555 was lost off Cuba. The following info was derived from a Navy accident report: Accident Date: 8/4/1945 (See Note A. below), Aircraft Type: SC-1, Aircraft Number: 35555, Ship Number: CL 92, Ship Name: USS Little Rock, Location: OFF CUBA, Area: CENLANT, Pilot: Name not shown (See Note B. below). Note A. It is unlikely that the accident occurred on 04 Aug, as the ship was secured for heavy weather. Note B. John Breslin's Oral History reports that the pilot was Ensign Merryman. |
|
| • | - | Evening's movie "Leave it to Blondie" with Penny Sigleton, Arthur Lake and Larry Simms. | |
| 09 Aug | • | - | At anchor for upkeep and inspections. (Note: On this date U.S. drops atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.) |
| 10 Aug | • | 0630 | Underway from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. |
| • | - | Exercised towing with USS Portsmouth. Towing wire fouled Portsmouth rudder or propellers. | |
| • | - | Fired at drones ("Moderate success"). | |
| • | - | Abandon Ship drills. | |
| 11 Aug | • | - | Exercised fueling, passing stores and personnel with DD864 USS Ellison. |
| 12 Aug | • | - | Full power run. Reach ahead from 31 kts to dead-in-water 947 yards. |
| • | - | Towing practice with USS Providence. | |
| - | Crew practices firing against remote-controlled (from the ship) drones, | ||
| • | - | Roast Turkey for dinner | |
| 13 Aug | • | - | Bombardment rehearsal with USS Portsmouth, Ellison and Turner. |
| • | - | Ham for dinner. | |
| 14 Aug | • | - | Japan surrenders. LITTLE ROCK crew received news that the war was over. Done firings, Day Battle practice. Night AA practice. (Note: On this date Japan surrenders.) |
| 15 Aug | • | 0705 | Entered Guantanamo Bay for upkeep and inspection. |
| • | - | Movie for the evening was "Practically Your's" with Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. | |
| • | - | Emperor Hirohito of Japan announces the surrender of Japan. | |
| 16 Aug | • | - | At anchor for upkeep and inspection. |
| • | - | Payday for the crew. | |
| 17 Aug | • | 0700 | Underway. AA practice. Refuel 200,000 gallons, then tow tanker. Counter-measure practice. |
| • | - | Movies on the fantail. | |
| 18 Aug | • | 0430 | Reveille. |
| • | 0505 | General Quarters Drill | |
| • | - | Shore bombardment. Day Battle and Drone practice. Knocked down drone on 2nd run. | |
| 19 Aug | • | - | Overcast cancels drone exercise. Evening AA practice. |
| 21 Aug | • | - | Drone practice with 6" and 5". 6" not very close. 5" knocked down drone. 20mm practice. |
| 22 Aug | • | - | Entered Guantanamo Bay for upkeep prior to COTCLANT Inspection. |
| • | - | The evening: "Where Do We Go From Here?" with Fred MacMurray and Joan Leslie. | |
| 22 - 24 Aug | • | - | Continued preparations for COTCLANT Inspection. |
| 25 Aug | • | 0955 | Commenced COTCLANT "At Anchor" Inspection. |
| • | 1130 | Underway for "Underway Portion" of Inspection | |
| • | 1715 | Returned to Guantanamo Bay to disembark Inspection Team. | |
| • | 1815 | Underway for Culebra for bombardment exercise. | |
| 26 Aug | • | - | Enroute Culebra. |
| 27 Aug | • | - | Off Culebra. |
| • | 0754 | Commenced bombardment. | |
| • | 1130 | Completed bombardment. | |
| • | - | Headed northward during the night. | |
| 28 Aug | • | 0826 | Commenced bombardment. |
| • | 1130 | Completed bombardment. Underway for Philadelphia, PA with speed-run test enroute. | |
| 29 Aug | • | - | Enroute Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA |
| 30 Aug | • | 0700 | Enroute Philadelphia |
| • | 1822 | Moored starboard side to at Pier 5, PNY, Philadelphia, PA. | |
| 31 Aug | • | - | Moored as before, PNY, Philadelphia, PA |
| 01-16 Sep | • | - | Undergoing repairs and alterations at Pier 5, PNY, Philadelphia, PA |
| 02 Sep | • | - | Japan signs surrender on board USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Tokyo, Japan. |
| 17 Sep | • | - | Entered drydock No. 3 for inspection of rudder post and packing. Packing was renewed. Rudder post was in good condition. |
| • | - | Rumors abound that LITTLE ROCK will be "the flagship" for the upcoming Navy Day celebrations in New York City, however it turns out that LITTLE ROCK will be in San Juan, PR on 27 Oct. | |
| 18-19 Sep | • | - | Hurricane #9 (downgraded to an "extra-tropical depression on 18 Sep) strikes the Mid-Atlantic area with heavy rains and wind of up to 50 mph. |
| 21 Sep | • | - | Undocked and moved to Pier #5. Continued overhaul work. |
| 23 Sep | • | - | Yard availability expired. |
| 25 Sep | • | - | Depart Philadelphia Navy Yard, Phila. PA for Fort Mifflin, PA to load ammunition. |
| 26 Sep | • | 0930 | Underway for Newport, RI. |
| • | - | In lower Delaware Bay by afternoon. | |
| • | - | General Quarters drill in the evening. | |
| • | - | Rumors of South America cruise circulate among the crew. | |
| 27 Sep | • | 0830 | Anchored, Berth 54, East Passage, Newport, RI in 20 fathoms. |
| • | - | USS Augusta CA-31 in port. | |
| 28-30 Sep | • | - | At anchor Berth 54 Newport Harbor. |
| 01 Oct | • | - | At anchor. |
| • | 0815 | Embarked USS Juneau trainees. | |
| 02 Oct | • | 0900 | Underway on first of 3 five-day trips between Goat Is. and Block Is., with Middies from Annapolis (?). All types of drills for them with 1 Day liberty in Newport, RI, each week. |
| • | - | Poor weather prevented drills. | |
| • | 1730 | Anchored Block Island, in 16 fathoms | |
| 03 Oct | • | 0800 | Underway for drills and General Quarters. |
| 04 Oct | • | - | 20 and 40mm firing exercises. |
| • | 1700 | Anchored off Block Island. | |
| 05 Oct | • | 0830 | Underway for Newport Harbor. |
| • | 1112 | Moored to Buoy #5. | |
| • | 1315 | Disembarked trainees. | |
| 06-07 Oct | • | - | Moored Newport Harbor. |
| 08 Oct | • | - | Received trainees from USS Princeton Commissioning Detail. |
| 09 Oct | • | - | Underway for ship handling and AA training. |
| • | 1640 | Anchored east of Block Island. | |
| 10 Oct | • | 0800 | Underway for AA tracking and simulated Air Strikes. |
| 11 Oct | • | 0723 | Entered Narragansett Seaward Channel. |
| • | - | 5", 20mm and 40mm exercises. | |
| • | 1725 | Anchored east of Block Island. | |
| 12 Oct | • | 0830 | Underway for Newport Harbor. |
| • | 1120 | Moored to Buoy #5 Newport Harbor. | |
| 13-14 Oct | • | - | At anchor Newport Harbor. |
| 15 Oct | • | 0830 | Received trainees from USS Princeton Commissioning Detail. |
| 16 Oct | • | 0900 | Underway for training in Narragansett Seaward Channel. |
| • | 1735 | Anchored east of Block Island. | |
| 17 Oct | • | 0830 | Underway for training exercises. AA drills, steering casualty, man over-board. |
| • | 2035 | General Quarters drill. | |
| 18 Oct | • | 0737 | Passed Buoy "A" Narragansett Seaward Channel. Weather prevented gunnery exercise. |
| • | 1630 | Moored to Buoy #5 | |
| 19-20 Oct | • | - | Moored to Buoy #5 Newport Harbor. (War Diary discontinued.) |
| 21 Oct | • | - | Departed Newport, RI for South America cruise via San Juan, PR. |
| • | - | Pass Ambrose Lightship, NY. | |
| 22 Oct | • | - | LITTLE ROCK passes Cape Charles, VA |
| 23 Oct | • | - | Ship is about 100 miles off the coast of Georgia, USA. |
| 24 Oct | • | - | Off the coast of Florida. |
| 25 Oct | • | - | Calm blue seas. |
| • | - | Prophylactic treatments were administered to 231 crew members upon return from liberty. | |
| 26 Oct | • | - | Prophylactic treatments were administered to 289 crew members upon return from liberty. |
| • | 1405 | Moored starboard side at Frontier Base Wharf, San Juan, PR. | |
| 26 - 27 Oct | • | - | USS Little Rock holds two-day open house. Hours 1000-1100 and 1300-1600. |
| 27 Oct | • | - | "Navy Day" celebrations. Approximately 6,800 Puertoricans visit the USS Little Rock. |
| 28 Oct | • | - | CDR J.T. Hazen, XO, USS Little Rock, participates in a radio broadcast (WKAQ). |
| 25-30 Oct (?) | • | - | LITTLE ROCK crew acquires puppy "Hash Mark" |
| 30 Oct | • | 1249 | Underway for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, SA. Start of CL 92's South America cruise. |
| 04 Nov | • | - | "Davy Jones" arrives aboard LITTLE ROCK. |
| 05 Nov | • | 0810 | "King Neptune" arrives on board with his retinue. Crossed the Equator at Longitude 37° 00' W while heading south. Wild "hi-jinks" aboard! "Shellback" certificates and wallet size cards were issued to all those crew members who were initiated into King Neptune's Court. |
| 06 Nov | • | - | In port. Rio Grande, Brazil |
| 09(?) - 10 Nov | • | - | Arrive Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Moor starboard side to at Cais del Porto dock. |
| 19 Nov | • | - | Dress ship in honor of Brazil's Flag Day. |
| 20 Nov | • | 1035 | Underway after a vigorous inspection for stowaways. |
| 23 Nov | • | - | An Albatross was sighted by CDR Arthur Schultz (the ship's doctor). |
| 24 Nov | • | 1207 | Moored starboard side to at Montevideo, Uruguay. |
| • | 1500 | US Ambassador William Dawson, Ambassador to Uruguay came on board. | |
| • | - | Ship's Band performs for Ambassador Dawson. | |
| 26 Nov | • | - | Ambassador to Bolivia Pierre Boal comes aboard for lunch. |
| 28 Nov | • | - | The Polyfonic Choir of the "Talleres Don Bosco" school performs aboard LITTLE ROCK. |
| 30 Nov | • | - | Uruguayan Railroad hosts rail trip for 300 crew to interior of Uruguay. |
| 03 Dec | • | 1032 | Depart Montevideo, Uruguay for Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. |
| 04 Dec (?) | • | - | "Hash Mark" breaks her leg. |
| 05 Dec | • | - | At sea. Planned arrival at Rio Grande do Sul is delayed because of adverse winds and seas. |
| • | - | Moored at Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. | |
| 08 Dec | • | - | At Rio Grande do Sul. |
| • | - | Ship and Personnel inspection by Captain Miller. | |
| 11 Dec | • | - | At Rio Grande do Sul. |
| 12 Dec | • | - | Moored starboard side at A-2 Porto Nova Dock, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. |
| • | - | Captain William E. Miller flew to Rio de Janeiro. | |
| • | - | Evening movie "Sweet Rosie O'Grady". | |
| 15 Dec | • | 0847 | Underway for Santos, Brazil |
| 17 Dec | • | 1537 | Moored portside abreast Companhia Docas de Armazem ("Armazem Company docks") at Santos (Sao Paulo), Brazil, SA. |
| 18 Dec | • | - | Approximately 300 CL 92 sailors are guests at a picnic held for the crew of USS Little Rock. Festivities included a barbecue, swimming and a ball game. |
| • | - | Rioting breaks out between Japanese, Brazilian civilians and CL 92 liberty party. | |
| 19 Dec | • | - | Liberty for crew is canceled due to unrest in Sao Paulo. |
| 21 Dec | • | 1456 | Underway for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 22 Dec | • | 1058 | Moored starboard side to Praca Maua, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 13 day stop! |
| 25 Dec | • | - | Christmas in Rio !! |
| • | - | The ship's band performs on the mess decks and plays, among other things, "I'm Dreaming of A White Christmas" | |
| 27 Dec | • | - | Moored Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. |
| Notes: |
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In addition to the five Light Cruisers completed during this period, Cramp Shipbuilding Company also completed the following other type vessels: |
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