USS Birmingham ( CL - 62 ) USS " Birmingham " ( CL - 62 ) , a light cruiser named for the city of Birmingham , Alabama , the " Steel City " , was a Cleveland class light cruiser laid down at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Newport News , Virginia on 17 February 1941 and launched on 20 March 1942 by Mrs . Cooper Green , wife of the president of the Birmingham City Commission . She was commissioned on 29 January 1943 . " Birmingham " was one of the " fightingest " ships of the Navy and suffered heavy damage on at least three occasions . Service history . World War II . 1943 . Following her shakedown cruise , " Birmingham " was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet . Departing Norfolk , Virginia on 2 June , she steamed to the Mediterranean and gave gunfire support during the invasion of Sicily ( 10 – 26 July 1943 ) . Returning to the United States on 8 August , she was reassigned to the Pacific Fleet and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 6 September . Joining the fast carrier task force screen , she took part in the raids on Tarawa ( 18 September 1943 ) and Wake Island ( 5 – 6 October ) . At the Solomons , she took part in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay ( 8 – 9 November ) , along with her sister ships , , , and . This was the first major action by the new " Cleveland " - class light cruisers that were entering the fleet . During the daytime , Japanese planes hit " Birmingham " with two bombs and a torpedo , which kept her out of the night surface battle with the IJN fleet that followed . " Birmingham " retired to Mare Island Navy Yard for repairs which lasted until 18 February 1944 , and then she rejoined the Pacific Fleet . 1944 . Assigned to Task Force 57 ( TF 57 ) , she took part in the battle of Saipan ( 14 June – 4 August ) ; the Battle of the Philippine Sea ( 19 – 20 June ) ; battle of Tinian ( 20 July – 1 August ) ; battle of Guam ( 21 July ) ; and Philippine Islands raids ( 9 – 24 September ) . She then served with TF 38 during the Okinawa raid ( 10 October ) , northern Luzon and Formosa raids ( 15 October and 18 – 19 October ) , and the Battle of Leyte Gulf ( 24 October ) . During the latter , she suffered great topside damage from explosions on board the carrier while courageously attempting to aid that stricken vessel . " Birmingham " retired to Mare Island Navy Yard for repairs which lasted from November 1944 to January 1945 . 1945 . Rejoining the Pacific Fleet , the cruiser supported the battle of Iwo Jima ( 4 – 5 March 1945 ) and battle of Okinawa ( 25 March – 5 May ) . On 4 May , after fighting off three attacks , she was damaged for a third time when a Japanese " kamikaze " plane hit her forward . Returning to Pearl Harbor , she underwent repairs from 28 May to 1 August . " Birmingham " rejoined the 5th Fleet at Okinawa on 26 August , and then in November steamed to Brisbane , Australia . She returned to San Francisco on 22 March 1946 and was taken out of commission and placed in reserve there on 2 January 1947 . She was then stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 March 1959 and then scrapped at Long Beach , California . Awards and legacy . " Birmingham " earned nine battle star s during her World War II service . An 8 - foot ( 2 . 44 M ) long waterline model of the " USS Birmingham " , owned by the U . S . Navy , has been loaned for display at Birmingham City Hall , at the Southern Museum of Flight , and currently , at the Birmingham History Center .