USS Newport News ( CA - 148 ) The second USS " Newport News " ( CA – 148 ) was a in the United States Navy . " Newport News " was laid down 1 November 1945 ; launched on 6 March 1948 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company , Newport News , Virginia . The vessel was sponsored by Mrs . Homer L . Ferguson upon commissioning on 29 January 1949 , Captain Roland N . Smoot commanding . She was the first air - conditioned surface ship in the United States Navy , and the last all - gun heavy cruiser in commission in naval history . 1950 – 1962 . In addition to annual deployments to the Mediterranean from 1950 to 1961 for duty with the Sixth Fleet , she participated in major fleet exercises and midshipman training cruises in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic . On 4 January 1956 the ship steamed for a tour of duty in the Mediterranean as flagship of Vice Admiral Ralph A . Ofstie , Commander Sixth Fleet . Vice Admiral Ofstie was relieved on board by Vice Admiral Harry Donald Felt on 12 April in Barcelona , Spain . Commander Sixth Fleet transferred his flag to the USS Salem on 21 May at Gibraltar . The ship returned to Norfolk , Virginia on 29 May 1956 . The ship visited the city of Newport News over the Fourth of July holiday leaving Norfolk 2 July and returning 5 July . During the trip from Norfolk to Newport News 250 dependents took part in the first dependents ' cruise in the history of the ship . From 16 July to 24 August , she participated in Midshipman Cruise Charlie as flagship of Commander Cruiser Division TWO . Visits were made at New Orleans , Louisiana , Balboa , Canal Zone , and Guantanamo Bay . While transitting the Panama Canal , Rear Admiral Ira H . Nunn relieved Rear Admiral E . R . McLean , Jr . as Commander Cruiser Division TWO . On 19 September she entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for overhaul , remaining at Norfolk through December 1956 . Commander Cruiser Division TWO transferred to the USS Des Moines on 20 September and his staff returned aboard on 1 November 1956 . In early September 1957 , " Newport News " was on station in the Eastern Mediterranean in preparation for any contingency during the Syrian crisis . In March 1960 , while steaming 75 miles northeast of Sicily , " Newport News " was ordered to proceed to Agadir , Morocco , to render assistance to the survivors of that earthquake - shattered city . She steamed 1 , 225 miles in 40 . 5 hours at an average speed of 31 knots , arriving on 3 March to provide medical and material aid . With the assassination of General Trujillo and the resulting instability in Santo Domingo , " Newport News " was underway on short notice on 4 June 1961 , and proceeded to a station in international waters off the Dominican Republic to await further orders . When the crisis terminated , the ship returned to Norfolk after conducting training exercises off Puerto Rico . " Newport News ’ " berthing and communications facilities were modified in the winter of 1962 to accommodate Commander Second Fleet and his staff . In August 1962 , she participated in NATO Exercise RIPTIDE III , and upon the end of the exercise , made a month long tour of Northern European ports as flagship of ComStrikFltLant , the NATO role of Commander Second Fleet . Within a month after return to Norfolk , " Newport News " was underway on 22 October as the flagship of the Atlantic Fleet for the Cuban missile crisis , with the " USS Leary " ( DDR - 879 ) as her destroyer escort . The two ships stopped the Soviet vessel " Labinsk " and ordered her away from Cuban waters . For the next month , acting as flagship for ComSecondFlt , CA – 148 was on station northeast of Cuba . When the Soviet MRBM ’ s were dismantled and removed from Cuba , " Newport News " assisted in the missile count . Upon cancellation of the quarantine , she returned to her homeport of Norfolk the day before Thanksgiving . 1963 – 1974 . Operations from 1963 through 1967 consisted primarily of NATO exercises in the North Atlantic , gunnery and amphibious exercises off the Eastern seaboard and Caribbean , and midshipman cruises . When the Dominican Republic crisis of 1965 developed , " Newport News " sortied from Norfolk on 29 April for Santo Domingo , where she was flagship for Commander Joint Task Force 122 . " Newport News " remained on station off Santo Domingo until 7 May 1965 when JTF 122 was dissolved , and command was shifted to the Army ashore in the Dominican Republic . She returned to Norfolk , where in June alterations were made to increase her combat capabilities . On 28 June 1965 , Newport News entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard , Portsmouth , Virginia for a five - month period of refitting and overhaul . Shakedown was in Guantanamo , Cuba , over Christmas and New Year of 1965 . Upon her return from Gitmo , Newport News once again became Flagship for Second Fleet , Vice Admiral Masterson taking command . 1 September 1967 , Commander Second Fleet shifted his flag to USS " Springfield , and " Newport News " departed Norfolk 5 September for a six - month deployment to Southeast Asia . Arriving Da Nang , South Vietnam , on the morning of 9 October , she became the flagship of ComCruDesFlot 3 . That night , at 2300 , she fired her eight - inch rifles for the first time in anger against shore targets in North Vietnam as part of Operation Sea Dragon . " Newport News " spent some 50 days patrolling the coast of North Vietnam as part of Operation Sea Dragon – the Navy ' s effort to destroy waterborne logistics craft as well as military supply routes ashore in North Vietnam . During this period , the ship conducted 156 strikes against enemy targets and , in the execution of these strikes , 325 North Vietnamese coastal defense sites were taken under fire . According to spotters ’ reports , " Newport News " sank 17 waterborne logistics craft , damaged another 14 and destroyed several enemy bunker and radar sites , bridges , barges , trucks and roads . The ship was subjected to hostile fire on several occasions , but each time countered effectively and silenced the enemy batteries . On 19 December 1967 , " Newport News " exchanged fire with 20 – 28 separate shore batteries , simultaneously , off the coast of North Vietnam . During the short period of this engagement , over 300 enemy rounds bracketed the cruiser ' s position , but suffered no direct hits . This encounter led American forward observers to nickname " Newport News " " The Gray Ghost from the East Coast , " a moniker she retained throughout her three Vietnam deployments . Subsequent to the end of Operation Sea Dragon and for the remaining several months of this deployment , " Newport News " participated in Naval Gunfire Support operations near the DMZ . In support of Third Marine Division forces on the beach , the ship fired around the clock for periods sometimes lasting several weeks in succession . During the total period of this deployment , " Newport News " expended a record 59 , 241 rounds of high - explosive ammunition , while conducting a total of 239 observed and 602 unobserved missions against the enemy . She came under fire of enemy coastal defense batteries on seventeen separate occasions , was frequently straffed with shrapnel , but never suffered a direct hit . The cruiser departed Subic Bay on 21 April and arrived at her homeport of Norfolk , Virginia , on 13 May 1968 , via the Panama Canal . Following an extensive yard overhaul period to prepare her for further combat operations , on 21 November 1968 " Newport News " once again departed Norfolk to commence her second deployment to Vietnam . Combat operations during this second tour commenced on 25 December 1968 , focused primarily on providing naval gunfire support to the 7th and 9th ARVN in Vĩnh Bình province and the DMZ . " Newport News " departed Da Nang on 3 June 1969 , via San Francisco and the Panama Canal , to arrive at her homeport in Norfolk , Virginia , in early July of that year . In May 1972 , " Newport News " returned for her third combat tour . During the summer of 1972 the ship , along with the guided missile cruisers , and , as well as several screening destroyer s , took part in a high speed night bombardment of Haiphong harbor . Known as the Three Cruiser Raid , it was the last time in naval history a major shore bombardment would be undertaken by multiple cruisers . On 1 October 1972 , while in action off the Demilitarized Zone , " Newport News " sustained an in - bore explosion in her center 8 - inch gun of number two turret . A defective auxiliary detonating fuse caused the projectile to detonate almost immediately upon firing . Nineteen men were killed and ten injured . The barrel proper was blown forward from the gun . The damaged gun was removed and its port plated over . The explosion had caused extensive damage to the center gun mount . It was proposed to replace the damaged mount with one from " Des Moines " ( CA - 134 ) or " Salem " ( CA - 139 ) , both of which had been decommissioned , but this was rejected as being too expensive . As a result , the damage was not repaired and the turret was simply closed off , for the remainder of the ship ' s career . Operations near Vietnam continued until December 1972 when the ship was recalled to Norfolk . During 1973 and 1974 the ship undertook training cruises and visited many ports around the world before being recalled for decommissioning , after a survey to determine further service indicated the ship was beyond refitting . Modifications . During her career " Newport News " underwent several refits which changed her appearance somewhat , and increased her capabilities . During the mid - 1950s her forward bridge was enclosed on both levels with roofs and glass windows creating a navigation bridge above , and a flag bridge below . Later in the 1950s new and more capable radars for navigation and gunnery were fitted . The biggest change for her came in 1962 when a large deck - house was added midships which gave her enhanced flagship accommodation and office spaces . This would result in her becoming the Second Fleet flagship for most of the rest of her career , save for her gunfire support stints during the Vietnam War . Decommissioning . " Newport News " was decommissioned on 27 June 1975 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 31 July 1978 . She spent her twilight years as a member of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard ' s " Mothball Fleet " and was sold for scrap in New Orleans , Louisiana , on 25 February 1993 . A museum dedicated to " Newport News " and her crew is maintained in in Quincy , Massachusetts .