USS Biloxi ( CL - 80 ) USS " Biloxi " ( CL - 80 ) was a United States Navy , the first ship named after the city of Biloxi , Mississippi . The ship was laid down on 9 July 1941 at Newport News , Virginia by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co . and launched on 23 February 1943 , sponsored by Mrs . Katharine G . Braun , wife of the Mayor of Biloxi . She was commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 31 August 1943 , with Captain Daniel M . McGurl in command . Service history . Preparation for war , September 1943 – January 1944 . The light cruiser fitted out at Norfolk until 17 September when she began shakedown training in Chesapeake Bay . This included aircraft launch and recovery drills , structural test gun firing , day spotting practice and anti - aircraft drills . The crew also conducted an unplanned but successful man overboard drill when S2c Scott was knocked overboard by a training gun mount . On 29 September , " Biloxi " and the destroyer departed for Trinidad . While en route , one of " Biloxi " s four Curtiss SO3C Seamew floatplane s crashed during a landing attempt off the port beam . Both the pilot and passenger , Ensign H . Jolly and ACMM J . Phagan , were rescued and the wreck was destroyed by gunfire as a hazard to navigation . After arriving at Trinidad on 3 October , " Biloxi " conducted two weeks of battle drills and other exercises . These included radar calibration tests , night and day battle practice , fueling at sea exercises , and fighter ( CAP ) director drills . Departing Trinidad on the 18th , the light cruiser entered the Norfolk Navy Yard on 26 October for post - shakedown overhaul . Following these repairs , and a short trip north to Rockland , Maine , for gyro and compass standardization trials , " Biloxi " sailed south for the Canal Zone on 20 November . Passing through the Panama Canal on 24 November , " Biloxi " arrived in San Francisco on 4 December . There , the crew loaded provisions and , in the words of the war diary , exchanged four SO3C ' s and spare parts for two Vought OS2U Kingfisher s and no spare parts , before getting underway for Hawaii on the 7th . She arrived at Oahu on 11 December and conducted her first fire support exercise at Kahoolawe Island in company with the heavy cruiser between 15 and 19 December . The light cruiser sailed back to San Francisco the next day , arriving on the 24th . After moving to San Pedro for blower repairs , she reported for duty with the Fifth Fleet . On 1 January 1944 , " Biloxi " joined the battleship , the cruisers and , and two destroyers , for shore bombardment and amphibious landing exercises at San Clemente Island . Return to San Pedro , she refueled and provisioned in preparation for " Operation Flintlock " . Marshall Islands , January – February 1944 . " Biloxi " put to sea on 13 January and , after joining Task Group ( TG ) 53 . 5 in Hawaii , sailed for the Marshall Islands . In company with " Louisville " , " Mobile " , , and six destroyers , the light cruiser approached Wotje early in the morning on 30 January . After launching her Kingfisher spotter aircraft , she carried out a neutralizing bombardment of the Japanese air base on Wotje from dawn until noon . Enemy shore batteries fired back intermittently , one of which straddled " Biloxi " . A later ricochet hit the superstructure above the signal bridge but fortunately did not explode . Over the next two days , the light cruiser participated in several more shore bombardment missions against Roi Island in support of amphibious landings made by the Northern Attack Force . She then screened three escort carriers for five days before entering Majuro lagoon on the 7th to refuel . On 12 January , " Biloxi " joined TG 58 . 1 , built around the carriers , , and , and sailed west for a carrier raid against the Japanese base at Truk Lagoon in the central Pacific . Intended to cover the landings on Eniwetok and to distract the Japanese from Allied operations in New Guinea , " Operation Hailstone " began on 16 February when the carriers struck enemy airfields on Truk . After a second strike during the morning of the 17th , the task group retired east to refuel . Following the departure of " Enterprise " later that day , the remaining warships were shifted into TG 58 . 2 and steamed northwest for a strike against Saipan . Marianas , February – June 1944 . On 19 February , a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft closed the task group and was shot down by anti - aircraft fire . During this action , a salvo of anti - aircraft shells landed 500 yards off " Biloxi " s starboard bow . Although the task group hoped they had avoided enemy detection , it was clear by the evening of the 21st that the Japanese were tracking them . Starting at 23 : 00 that evening , and continuing until 10 : 00 the following morning , the task group was attacked by three waves of Mitsubishi G4M " Betty " land - attack bombers . A total of nineteen bombers attacked at night and another five closed the task group in the morning . None penetrated the surface ship screen and eleven were shot down by anti - aircraft fire . Following air strikes against Saipan , the task group returned to Majuro on the 26th . " Biloxi " rearmed and replenished and got underway on 7 March in company with " Enterprise " , " Belleau Wood " , two other light cruisers and eight destroyers . Heading south , the task group crossed the equator , at which time Neptune ceremonies were held and " Biloxi " made loyal shellbacks out of some 1 , 139 polywogs , and arrived at Espiritu Santo on the 11th . There , the warships loaded supplies and provisions before proceeding to Emirau in the Bismarck Archipelago . The light cruiser then covered the Marine landings on the 20th and again on the 25th . Returning north the next day , the task group was joined by , a fourth light cruiser , and nine more destroyers before conducting a raid against Japanese forces in the western Carolines . On 30 March , " Biloxi " covered the carriers during strikes on Palau . One " Betty " was shot down as it tried to close the formation that morning . Later that night , gun crews spotted a single Aichi D3A " Val " carrier bomber flying overhead and fired several 5 inch batteries in a vain attempt to shoot it down . After observing the destruction of three Japanese patrol craft by two destroyers off Woleai the next day , the light cruiser steamed back to Majuro , arriving there on 6 April . Following a week of upkeep , " Biloxi " sortied on 13 April with TG 58 . 1 for the Hollandia operation . On 21 April , she covered the carriers as they launched strikes against enemy aircraft and installations at Sawar , Wakde , and Sarmi in New Guinea . At 14 : 56 that afternoon , the light cruiser launched two Kingfishers to rescue the crew of a ditched Grumman TBF Avenger . Neither floatplane found the aircraft crew , however , and one of the floatplanes later ran out of fuel . Lt . ( jg ) H . Jolly landed the aircraft on the water and the crew was rescued by . That evening , " Biloxi " , two other light cruisers and five destroyers closed Wakde and Sawar . Fire was opened at 01 : 15 on the 22nd against aircraft on Wakde and ceased at 02 : 25 after firing at the airfield and supply dumps on Sawar . Rejoining the carriers later that morning , " Biloxi " helped screen them until returning to Manus on 28 April . The task group headed north and struck the Japanese base at Truk on 29 April . " Biloxi " covered the carriers during these strikes and those launched against Ponape in the Caroline Islands the next day . She also observed battleships bombarding Ponape on 1 May . The warships steamed to the Marshalls , arriving in Kwajalein lagoon on the 4th . The light cruiser then loaded fuel , ammunition and supplies in preparation for " Operation Forager " , the planned liberation of the Mariana Islands . Tasked with eliminating Japanese air power in the Marianas , the 15 fleet carriers of Task Force 58 planned to attack airfields on Saipan , Tinian , and Guam . They also prepared for a major fleet battle if the Japanese carriers attempted to interfere with the American transports . " Biloxi " joined TG 58 . 2 , which was built around the carriers , , , and and covered the carriers during air strikes against Saipan and Tinian on the 12th . Several enemy raids were driven off by aircraft or shot down by anti - aircraft fire , including one Japanese aircraft shot down " in brilliant flames " by the destroyer . The light cruiser screened the carriers during the landing operations on Saipan beginning on the 15th . The next day , the task group heard reports that a large Japanese force was closing the Marianas from the Philippines . After rendezvous with the other three carrier groups about noon on 18 June , the warships took up a patrol station some west of Saipan . From that position , on the southern flank of the carrier forces , " Biloxi " participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea . Battle of the Philippine Sea , 19 – 20 June 1944 . Although American search aircraft could not find the approaching enemy carriers , the presence of reconnaissance aircraft near the American carriers indicated the Japanese had found them . Late in the morning of 19 June , the first of 14 enemy raids registered on radar and began closing the task force . Most of these raids were destroyed or broken up by American fighters , severely disrupting the ensuing Japanese attacks , but several raids did get through . Around noon , six Yokosuka D4Y " Judy " dive bombers evaded the American fighters and closed TG 58 . 2 . " Biloxi " , along with several other escorts , fired on the two attacking " Bunker Hill " and both were shot down . At least four more Judys pounced on the task group later that afternoon but all were shot down by anti - aircraft fire without inflicting any damage . These were but a small portion of the 300 or so Japanese aircraft lost in the battle dubbed the " Great Marianas Turkey Shoot . " The next day , the American task force discovered the Japanese carrier force had retired west during the night . Late in the day , a sighting report at 16 : 13 led to a last - ditch 206 - aircraft strike . These aircraft caught the retreating Japanese at dusk and sank the light carrier and damaged another . The American aircraft then flew east for a difficult night landing . Many were later ditched owing to darkness or lack of fuel and " Biloxi " joined other warships in recovering crews from the water . After a futile stern chase of the Japanese on the 21st , the American warships gave up the pursuit and retired , arriving at Eniwetok on 27 June . Marianas , June – July 1944 . The light cruiser stayed in the Marshalls only briefly , sailing west with TG 58 . 1 to the Bonin Islands on 30 June . She screened the carriers , and while they launched fighter sweeps and other strikes against Iwo Jima on 3 July . " Biloxi " then joined a bombardment group of four light cruisers and seven destroyers and closed Iwo Jima the following day . Just as firing began at 14 : 45 , three Japanese fighters took off from Iwo Jima and closed the American Kingfisher spotter aircraft . Although " Biloxi " s Kingfisher safely retreated under the protection of friendly anti - aircraft fire , " Santa Fe ' s " spotter aircraft was heavily damaged by enemy fire and forced to make an emergency landing . The crew was later rescued by . After the warships drove off the attacking Japanese fighters , the bombardment resumed and the observation aircraft reported target areas well covered , with many fires burning when the bombardment group retired . After refueling at sea , the light cruiser spent the next two weeks screening the carriers during air strikes against Guam and Rota in the Marianas . On 24 July , the task group sailed south for strikes against Palau , Yap , and Ulithi . Japanese air operations during both these operations were limited and no enemy aircraft closed the task group . On the morning of 27 July , " Biloxi " catapulted two Kingfishers to rescue a pilot sighted in the water just off the southwest tip of Yap Island . One Kingfisher , flown by Lt ( jg ) . R . Dana , spotted the pilot at 09 : 05 and was able to land just outside the reef line surrounding the island . A Japanese anti - aircraft gun began firing at the Kingfisher , but was soon silenced by four circling American fighters . The downed flier managed to paddle his raft through the breaking swells and across the reef where he collapsed from exhaustion . Lt ( jg ) . Dana taxied between the raft and the reef and managed to pull the pilot in with a line . He took off at 09 : 40 and successfully returned to the task group later that morning . Volcano and Ryukyu Islands , July – October 1944 . Following one more air strike on 28 July , heavy rain squalls and poor weather canceled further strikes and the task group turned for the Mariana Islands . After a quick replenishment stop at Saipan on 2 August , the task group steamed west for a strike against the Bonin and Volcano Islands . During a fighter sweep on 4 August , friendly aircraft reported a small enemy task group in the area . Late that afternoon , " Biloxi " , three other cruisers and seven destroyers closed the Bonins for an anti - shipping sweep . After the destroyers and destroyed a small sampan , the cruisers picked up a Japanese convoy on radar north of Muko Jima . Owing to the danger of enemy torpedo attack , the cruisers kept their distance and fired at long range . Their accurate gunfire quickly damaged and eventually sank escort destroyer and collier " Ryuko Maru " . At 04 : 00 the following morning , while preparing for a bombardment mission against Ani and Chichi Jima , a Japanese " Betty " closed from the stern and passed over the light cruiser . Shortly thereafter a heavy underwater explosion , probably a torpedo , detonated in " Biloxi " s wake . The blast severely shook the warship but did no damage . The bombardment mission was carried out as planned later that morning and the cruisers rejoined the carriers that afternoon . The task group then sailed east and arrived at Eniwetok on 9 August . After " Biloxi " refueled alongside the oiler , she moved to a berth in the lagoon to take on stores and provisions . The crew also received three weeks of rest and recreation . Assigned to TG 38 . 4 , the light cruiser got underway on 28 August in company with the carriers , and , the cruiser , and 12 destroyers . Steaming west , the task group closed the Bonins to neutralize Japanese installations there in advance of upcoming operations against Palau and the Philippines . After " Franklin " and " Enterprise " launched a fighter sweep on the 31st , the cruisers closed and bombarded Chichi Jima . During that evolution , the warships were approached by a Japanese " Betty " but they drove the bomber off with anti - aircraft fire . The next day , the warships closed Iwo Jima and fired at targets ashore . During this operation , " Biloxi " s crew saw friendly aircraft strafing an enemy patrol craft . The destroyer then closed the target and sank it with gunfire . At 15 : 00 that afternoon , a damaged Army B - 24D Liberator four - engined bomber appeared over the task group and eleven crew members bailed out . Ten were rescued in the water and , despite extensive searches , the warships did not find the eleventh man . The task group then sailed east and moored at Saipan anchorage on 4 September . The warships continued a fast pace of operations by sailing south to Yap the next day . " Biloxi " conducted an especially good bombardment mission during the morning of 7 September , starting numerous fires in a vehicle depot and an oil storage building . The light cruiser then took up a position to cover the carriers and screened them during air strikes against Palau between 10 and 15 September . During this time , " Biloxi " also launched Kingfishers to fly close in anti - submarine patrol . Following the amphibious landings on Palau on the 15th , the light cruiser headed to the Admiralty Islands for upkeep . While en route , " Biloxi " crossed the equator on 20 September . According to the war diarist , " King Neptune , Davy Jones , and all the Royal Court were received aboard and dispensed justice with their customary ruthless and bloodthirsty manner . Among the initiates was the XO , Commander E . F . McDaniel , who until today had evaded His Majesty during 21 years of naval service . He was punished accordingly . " The warship arrived at Manus the next day . After taking on supplies and ammunition , " Biloxi " sailed to Kossol Passage on 24 September and joined TG 38 . 1 . Once joined there by the other fast carriers of Task Force 38 , the force proceeded west to Okinawa on 8 October . Arriving off the Ryukyu Islands two days later , " Biloxi " screened the carriers as they struck airfields and other installations ashore . That morning , two Kingfishers catapulted off the light cruiser to search for a downed pilot from " Franklin " . One aircraft landed and recovered the pilot but , owing to rough seas , the OS2U capsized during takeoff . Rather than risk the second floatplane — her last working aircraft — " Biloxi " allowed the two pilots to be rescued by the submarine . The carriers then shifted to Formosa on 12 October for two days of heavy attacks against Japanese airfields . Just before sunset on the 13th , seven " Betty " bombers appeared out of a rain squall and rapidly closed the carriers . " Biloxi " s forward 6 - inch turrets as well as her 5 - inch and 40 - mm batteries took five of these aircraft under fire as they passed down her port side . One aircraft broke into flames and , after " Biloxi " checked fire to avoid hitting two nearby destroyers , all five were shot down by other warships in the formation . Philippines , October 1944 – January 1945 . Between 14 and 19 October , the light cruiser covered the carriers as they struck airfields on Luzon in preparation for the Leyte landings on 20th . Numerous small enemy raids plagued the task group but they inflicted no damage . On the 19th , " Biloxi " s remaining OS2U , accompanied by a seaplane from " New Orleans " , successfully picked up the crew of a crashed dive bomber and returned them to " Franklin " . After covering Leyte strikes between 20 and 22 October , " Biloxi " detached and joined TG 38 . 2 built around , " Bunker Hill " , " Cabot " , and . Upon word that three groups of Japanese warships were closing the Philippines , this force concentrated east of Samar . On 24 October , during the second day of the Battle of Leyte Gulf , aircraft from " Intrepid " and " Cabot " took part in attacks that sank the south of Luzon . Other air attacks damage two other battleships . That night , the task group steamed north off Cape Engano to hunt for fleeing enemy carriers , five of which are disposed of by air strikes the following day . Later that evening the American warships turned south in an attempt to catch a second group of retiring Japanese warships . Just after midnight on the 26th , " Biloxi " and four other cruisers and destroyers picked up a surface contact near San Bernardino Strait . The three cruisers quickly opened fire , destroying the in a blinding explosion shortly thereafter . The Nowaki had aboard her all of the survivors from the Tone - class heavy cruiser Chikuma , which had been sunk at the end of the Battle off Samar . As a result , a total of approximately 1 , 400 officers and men went down with her in this one action On 28 October , TG 38 . 2 returned to launching air strikes against Luzon airfields and Japanese shipping in Manila Bay . Poor weather hampered aircraft recovery on the 29th , and the evening was spent rescuing ditched airmen . Following a withdrawal to refuel and receive replacement aircraft , the task group carried out two more rounds of Luzon strikes in the first weeks of November . These attacks pounded Japanese shipping and port facilities at Manila and central Luzon , sinking half a dozen light warships and over a dozen cargo ships and auxiliaries . On the 15th , " Biloxi " departed the Philippines and steamed east to Ulithi . Arriving there two days later , she received much needed repairs and replenishment . " Biloxi " also recovered pilot Lt . ( jg ) Dana , who related an exciting cruise in " Sterlet " during which time the submarine sank at least two enemy cargo ships . While at Ulithi on 20 November , " Biloxi " s crew experienced the Japanese kaiten attack on the anchorage . All five midget submarine s were lost in the attack , though not before the Japanese torpedoes damaged and eventually sank the tanker . On 22 November , " Biloxi " joined TG 38 . 3 for another set of air strikes against Luzon . While carrier aircraft attacked enemy coastal shipping on the 25th , the light cruiser helped the task group fight off Japanese kamikaze s . Numerous raids breached friendly fighter defenses that day and five American carriers were damaged , forcing the task group to retire from the area . The carriers returned to the Philippines on 13 December and , in addition to air strikes in support of the Mindoro landings , they also launched special night raids against Japanese airfields . These attacks prevented enemy kamikaze dive bombers ( called " green hornets " ) from launching the coordinated attacks that had plagued the American task groups in late November . On 18 December , " Biloxi " s task force encountered a typhoon northeast of Samar and suffered heavy damage . In addition to the loss of three destroyers , many other warships were damaged and " Biloxi " herself lost an OS2U washed overboard . After spending the next few days searching for survivors , the light cruiser steamed to Ulithi on the 24th and remained there for the next week . " Biloxi " put to sea with TG 38 . 3 on 30 December , intending to strike Formosa , Nansei Shoto , and northern Luzon . The task group , built around the carriers , and launched the first strike against Formosa on 3 January 1945 . The weather quickly worsened , however , and many of the planned attacks were canceled . The carriers steamed back south and , when the weather cleared on the 6th , blanketed Luzon with aircraft in support of bombardment and amphibious operations in Lingayen Gulf . These attacks did not achieve a lot of success , as enemy aircraft were carefully hidden and camouflaged , and the task group shifted strikes to airfields on Formosa , in the Ryukyus , and the Pescadores . During the evening of 9 January , the task group passed through Bashi Channel of Luzon Strait and began a high speed run south . Two days later , carrier aviators struck targets between Cam Rahn Bay and Cape Varella , hitting many ground installations and virtually annihilating a coastal convoy north of Qui Nhơn . Nine Japanese ships were sunk in that attack , and another 13 were damaged . After retired to refuel , a task made more difficult owing to typhoon passing through area , the carriers shifted north to attack Hainan and Hong Kong . The following day , S1c Daniel A . Little was swept overboard by a wave and drowned . This was the first loss of life suffered by " Biloxi " s crew . After refueling , the task group passed through Balintang Channel and conducted strikes against airfields on Formosa on 21 January . Around midday , Japanese kamikazes began attacking in increasing numbers and , in successive waves , two aircraft crashed into the carrier " Ticonderoga " and another damaged the destroyer . That evening , " Biloxi " detached to escort the two damaged warships to Ulithi , arriving there on the 26th . Iwo Jima , February – March 1945 . On 10 February , " Biloxi " joined TG 58 . 4 and sailed for operations against Iwo Jima . Following carrier - launched fighter sweeps against Japanese airfields in the Tokyo area , the task group closed Iwo Jima to support landing operations . During the morning of 19 February , " Biloxi " provided naval gunfire support for the troops ashore . She then shifted to harassing fire that evening . This pattern of operations continued until the 21st when 5 inch mount # 6 fired into the barrels of gun mount # 5 , slightly injuring several sailors and destroying the latter mount . Despite the damage , " Biloxi " then rejoined TG 58 . 4 and returned to the Tokyo area to attack aircraft factories and airfields starting on the 25th . Increasingly heavy weather limited and then canceled strikes that afternoon and the force retired south . After hitting ground installations , airfields and shipping at Okinawa , the task group split up and " Biloxi " steamed to Ulithi , arriving there on 1 March . She replenished , loaded ammunition and repaired mount # 5 . Okinawa , March – April 1945 . On 21 March , " Biloxi " sailed with a fire support group for operations in the Ryukyus . Assigned to TG 54 . 1 , she helped cover mine clearing sweeps , Underwater Demolition Team ( UDT ) operations , and the amphibious landings on Kerama Retto on the 26th . Moving to Okinawa later that morning , she launched seaplanes for spotting and reconnaissance missions and fired on targets west of Zanpa Misaki point . Just after dawn , a wave of kamikazes broke through friendly fighter cover and closed to attack the task group . Although two " Vals " were quickly shot down , a third crashed into the battleship and a fourth , taken under fire and burning , crashed into " Biloxi " amidships . The light cruiser ' s luck continued when the aircraft ' s bomb did not explode and she suffered only minor damage to a storeroom . " Biloxi " spent the next three weeks conducting shore bombardment missions , including closing to within 3 , 000 yards of the beach and using 40 mm guns to support UDT operations . Starting on 1 April , she fired on enemy targets north of the main amphibious landings and then continued these bombardment missions in support of advancing troops ashore . During these weeks , the task group was repeatedly attacked by kamikazes , one of whom just missed " Biloxi " on 3 April . In addition to fending off these aerial attacks , the light cruiser also fired on enemy suicide boat concentrations . Return to the United States , April – July 1945 . " Biloxi " departed Okinawa on 20 April and steamed east to Ulithi , where she arrived on the 24th . After receiving battle repairs alongside , the light cruiser continued east , arriving at San Francisco via Pearl Harbor on 11 May . Moving into the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation yard the warship received three weeks of long overdue repairs and machinery maintenance . Following completion of this work on 6 July , " Biloxi " conducted two weeks of post overhaul checks and refresher training out of San Diego and San Clemente . These evolutions were disrupted on 14 July when a water feed line ruptured in the aft fire room , flashed into steam and burned eight men , none seriously . The end of the war , July – August 1945 . Returning west on 19 July , " Biloxi " practiced shore bombardment exercises in Hawaii before departing Pearl Harbor on 2 August . While en route to Ulithi , the warship conducted a long range shore bombardment of Wake on 8 August , primarily to train her gunners for upcoming operations against Japan . After a stop at Ulithi on 12 August , she refueled and headed for Leyte , arriving in San Pedro Bay on 14th . While anchored there , the crew heard the Japanese surrender announcement at 08 : 15 the following morning . Post - war , August – November 1945 . Departing the Philippines for Okinawa on 20 August , the light cruiser arrived there three days later and spent the next three weeks awaiting orders . Putting to sea on 16 September , " Biloxi " proceeded to Nagasaki , Japan , to evacuate POWs . Arriving there on the 18th , her crew saw the damage caused by the atomic bomb and took on 11 U . S . , 17 British , one Australian , one Canadian , and 187 Dutch " recovered Allied military personnel . " These men were delivered to Okinawa on 21 September . Steaming back to Japan , the warship made stops at Nagasaki , Wakayama , and Hiro Wan as the American Occupation Forces consolidated their positions ashore . During October , some officers from ships ' company took part in inspections of surviving Japanese shipping at Kure . Underway on 9 November , " Biloxi " picked up passengers at Okinawa on the 11th , before sailing to Pearl Harbor and then San Francisco , arriving at the latter port on 27 November . In reserve , decommissioning and sale , 1946 – 1962 . The warship moved to Port Angeles , Washington , on 15 January 1946 and reported for inactivation . On 18 May 1946 she was placed in commission in reserve at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , and on 29 October 1946 went out of commission in reserve . Her name stricken from the Navy List on 1 December 1961 , and she was sold for scrap to Puget Sound Towing & Barge Co . on 29 March 1962 . Awards . " Biloxi " received nine battle star s for her service in the Pacific during World War II . Memorials . The cruiser ' s superstructure was set aside and erected in the Guice Park near the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor , on Lameuse Street where it still stands today . The ship ' s bell is housed in the lobby of the Biloxi City Hall .