USS Wichita ( CA - 45 ) USS " Wichita " ( CA - 45 ) was a unique heavy cruiser of the United States Navy built in the 1930s . She was authorized by the 1929 Cruiser Act , laid down at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in October 1935 , launched in November 1937 , and commissioned into the US Navy in February 1939 . The last American cruiser built under the terms of the London Naval Treaty , " Wichita " was a heavy cruiser variant of the of light cruisers , and formed the basis for the later s . She was armed with a main battery of nine guns in three triple turrets . Following her commissioning , " Wichita " was assigned to neutrality patrols in the Atlantic . After the United States entered World War II , the ship saw heavy service throughout the conflict . She was first assigned to convoy escort duty on the Murmansk Run in early 1942 , and supported amphibious landings during Operation Torch in November 1942 . During the Naval Battle of Casablanca , " Wichita " engaged several French coastal batteries and warships , including the battleship " Jean Bart " . In 1943 , " Wichita " was transferred to the Pacific Theater , where she remained for the duration of the war . She frequently provided antiaircraft defense for the Fast Carrier Task Force during operations in the central Pacific , including the Battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf in 1944 . During the latter engagement , " Wichita " assisted in the sinking of the Japanese aircraft carrier " Chiyoda " . " Wichita " was heavily engaged during the invasion of Okinawa , where she provided heavy gunfire support to ground troops ashore . After the Japanese surrender , the ship served as part of the occupation force in Japan and assisted in the repatriation of American military personnel under Operation Magic Carpet . After returning to the United States , she was decommissioned and placed in the mothball fleet in 1946 . She remained in reserve until 1959 , when she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and sold for scrapping in August 1959 . Design . In the early 1930s , the Secretary of the Navy , Curtis D . Wilbur , pushed for a new construction program for light and heavy cruisers . Wilbur succeeded in passing the Cruiser Act in 1929 , which authorized several new cruisers . Five heavy cruisers , the last of which was " Wichita " , were ordered between 1931 and 1934 . " Wichita " was the last heavy cruiser permitted under the terms of the London Naval Treaty in 1930 , which limited the US to 18 heavy cruisers with a maximum standard displacement of . The ship was originally intended to be built to the design of the , but the design was reworked before construction began . Instead , the design for " Wichita " was based on the of light cruisers . The " Brooklyn " design was modified heavily , to give the new ship higher freeboard and better stability , and an increased cruising radius . The secondary battery of eight guns was identical in number to the light cruisers , but was arranged to give better fields of fire . The main battery of nine guns was mounted in a new gun turret design that rectified problems discovered in earlier cruisers . " Wichita " was laid down at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 28 October 1935 , and launched on 16 November 1937 . By the time she was completed , in February 1938 , " Wichita " was nearly over the 10 , 000 - ton limit ; as a result , she was completed with only two of the eight 5 - inch guns to keep her under the displacement restriction . When the rest of the 5 - inch guns were installed , it was found that the ship was too top - heavy , and so of pig iron had to be added to her bottom to balance the cruiser . " Wichita " was commissioned into the US Navy on 16 February 1939 . Her first commander was Captain Thaddeus A . Thomson . General characteristics . " Wichita " was long at the waterline and long overall . She had a beam of and a draft of . She displaced at standard displacement and at full combat load . The ship had a crew of 929 officers and enlisted men . She was equipped with four seaplane s and a pair of aircraft catapult s and a crane for handling the aircraft were mounted on the stern . " Wichita " was powered by four Parsons steam turbines and eight Babcock & Wilcox oil - fired water - tube boilers . The propulsion system was rated at and a top speed of . She carried of fuel oil , which gave her a maximum cruising range of at . The hull was protected by a waterline armored belt composed of Class A armor that was thick amidships . It was reduced to thick on either end . The belt was backed with of special treatment steel . The Class A steel was significantly more effective than the Class B armor used in earlier cruisers ; 8 - inch guns had to be within to penetrate the belt , as opposed to for the earlier armor . " Wichita " had a thick deck , which was immune to 8 - inch fire inside . The conning tower had thick sides and a 2 . 25 in thick roof . The ship ' s main battery turrets had thick faces , thick sides , thick rears , and thick roofs . The turrets were mounted on armored barbette s protected with of armor plating . Armament . " Wichita " was armed with a main battery of nine 8 - inch / 55 Mark 12 guns mounted in three 3 - gun turrets . The guns fired a projectile s at a muzzle velocity of . Maximum elevation of the guns was 41 degrees ; this provided a maximum range of . Rate of fire was approximately one shot every fifteen seconds . The turrets allowed each gun to elevate and fire individually . Her secondary battery consisted of eight 5 - inch / 38 Mark 12 dual - purpose gun s , four in single , enclosed Mark 30 high - angle mounts , and four in open mounts . These guns fired projectiles at a rate of 20 rounds per minute . Muzzle velocity was ; against aerial targets , the guns had a ceiling of at 85 degrees . At 45 degrees , the guns could engage surface targets at a range of . " Wichita " was the first ship in the US Navy to be equipped with the new 5 - inch / 38 gun . By August 1945 , the ship had been equipped with numerous smaller guns for close - range anti - aircraft defense . Sixteen Bofors 40 mm guns were placed in quadruple mounts , and another eight were in dual mounts . She also carried eighteen Oerlikon 20 mm guns in single mountings . The 40 mm guns had a ceiling of at 90 degrees elevation and a maximum rate of fire of 160 rounds per minute . The 20 mm gun had a rate of fire of 465 – 480 rounds per minute ; they had a ceiling of . By the end of the war , the ship was armed with a variety of fire control systems for her guns , including Mark 34 fire control gear and Mark 13 and Mark 28 fire control radars . Service history . " Wichita " departed Philadelphia after her commissioning , bound for Houston , Texas . She arrived on 20 April 1939 and took part in the dedicatory and memorial service at the San Jacinto Battle Monument and War Relic Museum . The ship left Houston on 1 May for her shakedown cruise , during which she visited the Virgin Islands , Cuba , and the Bahamas before she returned to Philadelphia for post - shakedown repairs . On 25 September , a few weeks after the outbreak of World War II in Europe , " Wichita " was assigned to Cruiser Division 7 in the Atlantic Squadron , based in the Hampton Roads . She conducted her first neutrality patrol on 4 – 9 October . After returning to port , she went into dock at the Norfolk Navy Yard for maintenance , which lasted until 1 December . On 4 December , " Wichita " steamed to Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , arriving on the 8th . There , Thomson assumed command of the newly formed Caribbean Patrol , which included " Wichita " and the cruiser , and the destroyers , , , , and , and Navy patrol squadrons VP - 33 and VP - 51 . Over the course of the next three months , the force conducted a series of training maneuvers in the Caribbean . At the end of February , " Wichita " returned to Norfolk via Philadelphia , where she participated in further training through May . Starting in June , " Wichita " and conducted a goodwill cruise to South America ; " Wichita " carried Rear Admiral Andrew C . Pickens , the commander of Cruiser Division 7 . Included in the ports of call were Rio de Janeiro and Santos in Brazil , Buenos Aires , Argentina , and Montevideo , Uruguay . The cruise ended in late September ; the two cruisers arrived in Norfolk on the 24th . Over the next three months , " Wichita " served as a training ship for Naval Reserve midshipmen and conducted gunnery practices off the Virginia capes . On 7 January 1941 , " Wichita " departed Hampton Roads for Guantanamo , arriving four days later . She participated in fleet maneuvers in the Caribbean through March and took part in practice amphibious landings at Puerto Rico . She returned to the United States , docking at the New York Navy Yard , on 23 March . " Wichita " went to sea again on 6 April , bound for Bermuda ; she reached her destination two days later . She then joined the aircraft carrier and the heavy cruiser for a patrol in the North Atlantic , during which the ships sailed to within of Ireland . " Wichita " then returned to the New York Navy Yard on 17 May and went into drydock on 21 June . Repairs were completed on 2 July , after which " Wichita " was transferred to Newport , Rhode Island . She sortied again on 27 July bound for Iceland as part of Task Force 16 under Operation Indigo II , the occupation of Iceland . " Wichita " arrived in Reykjavík on 6 August , along with the carrier and the battleship . The task force landed a contingent of US Army troops and fighter aircraft to provide air support . The cruiser returned to the United States by 20 August . " Wichita " returned to Iceland in September , arriving in Reykjavík on 28 September . Two days prior to " Wichita " s arrival , the US Navy ordered the units of the Atlantic Fleet to protect all ships engaged in commerce in United States defensive waters . The orders authorized the Navy to patrol , escort merchantmen , and attack any German or Italian naval forces encountered . " Wichita " was assigned to Task Group 7 . 5 , which was engaged in patrolling Icelandic waters through the end 1941 . On 7 December 1941 , the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor , bringing the United States into World War II ; on the day of the attack , " Wichita " lay at anchor at Hvalfjörður , Iceland . Atlantic theater . " Wichita " left port on 5 January 1942 for training and a patrol in the Denmark Strait ; she returned to Hvalfjörður on 10 January . On the 15th , a powerful storm , with sustained winds of and gusts up to , hit Iceland . " Wichita " was damaged by the storm , including a collision with the freighter and the British trawler . She then ran aground off Hrafneyri Light . The following day , the ship ' s crew evaluated her condition ; she had suffered minor damage from the collisions , including some leaks , and damage to the hull from the grounding . Temporary repairs were effected in Iceland to allow " Wichita " to return to the New York Navy Yard for more thorough repairs . She arrived on 9 February , and repairs lasted until 26 February , when she left port for training maneuvers off Maine in early March . On 26 March , " Wichita " , assigned to Task Force 39 , departed the United States to reinforce the British Home Fleet based in Scapa Flow . Task Force 39 , commanded by Rear Admiral John W . Wilcox , Jr . , included " Wasp " , the battleship , the cruiser " Tuscaloosa " , and eight destroyers . While en route , Wilcox was swept overboard in a heavy sea and lost . Rear Admiral Robert C . Giffen , who flew his flag in " Wichita " , took command of the task force . After arriving in Scapa Flow , " Wichita " and the other American ships spent several weeks training with their British counterparts . On 28 April , " Wichita " departed on her first major operation with the British . She was assigned to the Allied escort for the Arctic convoy s QP 11 and PQ 15 . The American component , organized as Task Force 99 , comprised " Washington " , " Wichita " , " Tuscaloosa " , and four destroyers . The British assigned the carrier , the battleship , a light cruiser , and five destroyers . After successfully escorting the convoys , " Wichita " returned to Hvalfjörður , arriving on 6 May . " Wichita " sortied on 12 May to relieve " Tuscaloosa " , which was patrolling the Denmark Strait . " Wichita " returned to Hvalfjörður a week later , before putting to sea as part of another Allied convoy escort protecting one leg of the movement of Murmansk - bound convoy PQ 16 and eastbound QP 12 . She put in to Scapa Flow on 29 May after completing the mission . While in Scapa Flow , King George VI inspected " Wichita " on 7 June . " Wichita " left Scapa Flow on 12 June , bound for Hvalfjörður , and arrived 14 June . She then relieved the British cruiser on patrol in the Denmark Strait . While on patrol on 17 June , " Wichita " spotted a German Focke - Wulf Fw 200 reconnaissance bomber and opened fire , though without result . Three days later , she engaged another Fw 200 , again without success . After returning to Hvalfjörður , " Wichita " steamed to Seidisfjord at the end of June , where she joined " Tuscaloosa " and three destroyers . They were assigned to the escort for the convoy PQ 17 . The convoy escort also included " Washington " , " Victorious " , and the battleship . The Germans organized a powerful task force , centered on the battleship " Tirpitz " and three heavy cruisers , to attack the convoy ; the operation was codenamed " Rösselsprung " ( Knight ' s Move ) . Swedish intelligence had meanwhile reported the German departures to the British Admiralty , which ordered the convoy to disperse . Aware that they had been detected , the Germans aborted the operation and turned over the attack to U - boat s and the Luftwaffe . The scattered vessels could no longer be protected by the convoy escorts , and the Germans sank 21 of the 34 isolated transports . The next day , while south of Spitzbergen , the ships were spotted and shadowed by a pair of Fw 200s . Both " Wichita " and " Tuscaloosa " opened fire with their antiaircraft guns , but the Fw 200s escaped without damage . In late July , " Wichita " went into drydock at the Royal Navy base in Rosyth , Scotland . Repairs , which included correcting a propeller shaft vibration , lasted from 24 July until 9 August . The repairs to the propeller shaft were ineffective , however , which necessitated a return to the United States . She reached the New York Navy Yard on 22 August for repairs , which lasted until 5 September . She completed a round of post - repair sea trials before conducting gunnery exercises in the Chesapeake Bay . " Wichita " conducted training off the Virginia Capes for the rest of the month , after which she steamed to Casco Bay in Maine for further maneuvers . Operation Torch . At the end of October , " Wichita " was assigned to Task Group 34 . 1 , under the command of Rear Admiral H . Kent Hewitt , who flew his flag in . The Task Group also included the battleship and " Tuscaloosa " . The ships were assigned to provide gunfire support for Operation Torch , the invasion of French North Africa . " Wichita " participated in the Naval Battle of Casablanca , which began early on the morning of 8 November . The ships were tasked with neutralizing the primary French defenses , which included coastal guns on El Hank , several submarines , and the incomplete battleship " Jean Bart " which lay at anchor in the harbor . " Wichita " and " Tuscaloosa " initially engaged the French batteries on El Hank and the French submarine pens , while " Massachusetts " attacked " Jean Bart " . French naval forces , led by the cruiser " Primauguet " , put up a stubborn defense . In response , the French launched a pair of attacks to break up the American landings . During the first French attack , either " Wichita " or " Tuscaloosa " damaged the French destroyer " Milan " and forced it aground . A second French attack was also defeated ; one of the two cruisers sank the destroyer " Fougueux " and damaged " Frondeur " . " Wichita " , " Tuscaloosa " , and " Massachusetts " also engaged " Jean Bart " . At 11 : 28 , " Wichita " was hit by a shell , fired by a gun on El Hank . The shell penetrated her deck and exploded below , injuring fourteen men . Hewitt broke off the attack temporarily , but by 13 : 12 , several American warships began firing on French vessels exiting the harbor . " Wichita " and " Tuscaloosa " closed on the port to engage the cruisers " Primauguet " and " Gloire " , still in the harbor . Heavy fire from El Hank forced the American cruisers to retreat shortly after 15 : 00 . For the remainder of the operations off North Africa , " Wichita " patrolled between Casablanca and Fedhala . Her part in the amphibious assault complete , " Wichita " departed the area on 12 November , bound for New York for repairs ; she arrived on 19 November . Pacific theater . Shortly after repairs were completed , " Wichita " was transferred to the Pacific theater . She was assigned to Task Force 18 , commanded by Rear Admiral Giffen , and tasked with operations off Guadalcanal . She was joined by the heavy cruisers and , the light cruiser s , , the escort carrier s and , and , and eight destroyers . On the night of 29 January , the Task Force was steaming off Rennell Island ; wary of the threat from Japanese submarines , which Allied intelligence indicated were likely in the area , Giffen arranged his cruisers and destroyers for anti - submarine defense , not expecting an air attack . The cruisers were aligned in two columns , spaced apart . " Wichita " , " Chicago " , and " Louisville " , in that order , were to starboard , and " Montpelier " , " Cleveland " , and " Columbia " were to port . The six destroyers were in a semicircle ahead of the cruiser columns . That evening , the ships came under attack from Japanese torpedo bombers . In the ensuing Battle of Rennell Island , " Chicago " was hit by several torpedoes and sunk ; " Wichita " was hit by one torpedo , though it failed to explode . " Wichita " then steamed to Efate in the New Hebrides for a training period . She then departed on 7 April , bound for Pearl Harbor and arriving there a week later . On 18 April , she steamed out of Pearl Harbor for Adak , Alaska , again flying Giffen ' s flag , for Task Group 52 . 10 . In early May , " Wichita " was assigned to the amphibious force tasked with liberating the Aleutian Islands from Japanese control . She served as the flagship of the northern covering force , along with the cruisers and and four destroyers . On 6 July , " Wichita " , three other cruisers , and four destroyers bombarded Japanese positions on the island of Kiska . The bombardment convinced the Japanese that the Americans intended to invade the island in the near future ; they therefore planned an evacuation by July . On 19 July , a powerful American fleet , including the battleships , , and joined " Wichita " to conduct another attack on Kiska three days later . Five days later , malfunctioning radar equipment led to a battle with radar phantoms ( the " Battle of the Pips " ) ; " Wichita " , two battleships , and two other cruisers expended over a thousand rounds of ammunition from their main batteries on the empty sea . That same day , the Japanese successfully evacuated the island , which was invaded by American troops two weeks later . The morning after the assumed engagement , " Wichita " launched a seaplane to reconnoiter the area , but found no evidence of Japanese forces . " Wichita " participated in exercises off Hawaii for the remainder of the year . On 16 January 1944 , she departed to take part in the invasion of the Marshall Islands . She was assigned to Task Group 58 . 3 , under the command of Rear Admiral Frederick C . Sherman . The Task Group included the fleet carrier , the light carrier s and , the fast battleships , , , and , and several destroyers . " Wichita " provided anti - aircraft support for the carriers while they conducted air strikes on Kwajalein and Eniwetok on 29 – 31 January . On 4 February , " Wichita " arrived at Majuro ; she was transferred to Task Group 58 . 2 . The force departed Majuro on 12 February and conducted Operation Hailstone , a major air strike on the Japanese base at Truk , four days later . On the night of 16 February , Japanese aircraft launched an attack on the Task Group and torpedoed the carrier . Task Unit 58 . 2 . 4 , which included " Wichita " , was detached to escort " Intrepid " back to safety and repairs . The ships reached Majuro on 20 February , and departed for Hawaii eight days later . The ships arrived in port on 4 March , and on the 9th , " Wichita " became the flagship of Cruiser Division 6 . On 15 March , Cruiser Division 6 departed Hawaii to return to Majuro , arriving on 20 March . After arriving , she joined the screen for the Fast Carrier Task Force , which struck Japanese bases on Yap , Woleali , and in the Palaus . " Wichita " supported strikes on Hollandia in New Guinea on 13 – 22 April . The task force returned to the seas off Truk on 29 April for a second round of airstrikes on the port . While the carriers were striking Truk , " Wichita " and several cruisers and destroyers shelled Japanese targets on Satawan Island in the Nomol group of the Caroline Islands . On 4 May , " Wichita " returned to Majuro for a month of training . In June , she returned to the fleet , which was gathering at Kwajalein in preparations for operations against the Mariana Islands . " Wichita " was assigned to Task Unit 53 . 10 . 8 , which shelled Saipan on 13 June . The next day , " Wichita " bombarded Japanese gun positions on Guam , before returning to Saipan later that day . On 17 June , she joined Task Group 58 . 7 ; the force patrolled to the west of the Marianas over the next three days in an attempt to intercept the large Japanese carrier force known to be approaching . On 19 June , the Japanese carriers struck at the American fleet , starting the Battle of the Philippine Sea . " Wichita " contributed to the antiaircraft screen ; her gunners claimed to have assisted in the destruction of two Nakajima B5N torpedo bombers . The ship was detached to cover troop transports and escort carriers off Saipan on 25 June . This duty lasted through the first week of July . Now part of Task Unit 53 . 18 . 1 , " Wichita " bombarded Japanese positions on Guam on 8 – 12 July , and again starting on 18 July . " Wichita " departed Guam on 10 August , bound for Eniwetok . She arrived three days later and remained there until 29 July , when she put to sea to join Task Group 38 . 1 . She screened for the fast carrier task group while they launched airstrikes on Japanese targets in Palau , the Carolines , the Philippines , and Dutch East Indies . On 28 August , TG 38 . 1 raided targets in Palau and Morotai . By mid - September , TG 38 . 1 provided air support for the assault on Morotai ; the operation lasted until 21 September . The following day , the carriers launched an airstrike on Manila in the Philippines . Early on 22 September , Japanese aircraft launched a counterattack . At 07 : 34 , " Wichita " shot down a bomber approximately 50 yards from her . She shot down another bomber at 07 : 45 . She continued to provide antiaircraft defense for the carriers while they struck Japanese installations on Cebu , Negros , and Coron . Operations off the Philippines . " Wichita " got underway to support a raid on Okinawa on 2 October . On 10 October , the fleet reached the waters off Okinawa and launched the strike . The following day , the fleet struck Aparri on Luzon . The fleet then raided Formosa , where they targeted Japanese airfields to prepare for the upcoming assault against the Philippines . On 13 October , Japanese bombers attacked the fleet and badly damaged the cruiser . " Wichita " took " Canberra " under tow , though she was relieved by the ocean - going tug on 15 October . " Wichita " joined the screen for " Canberra " ; the squadron was joined by the badly damaged cruiser . The ships were attacked again the following day , and " Houston " was torpedoed again . " Wichita " left the damaged ships on 21 October , after they had successfully reached safer waters . " Wichita " then rejoined the fleet off Luzon , assigned to Task Force 34 under Vice Admiral Willis A . Lee . " Wichita " was present during the Battle of Leyte Gulf , which started on 23 October . On 25 October , the Fast Carrier Strike Force had steamed north , to attack the Northern Force commanded by Jisaburō Ozawa . " Wichita " again screened for the carriers , which sank or damaged several Japanese carriers . Task Force 34 was detached to finish off several of the crippled Japanese ships with gunfire ; " Wichita " and three other cruisers sank the light carrier " Chiyoda " and the destroyer " Hatsuzuki " . " Wichita " expended twenty - two percent of her armor - piercing rounds at the two ships , which amounted to 148 rounds at " Chiyoda " and 173 against " Hatsuzuki " . In the aftermath of the battle , " Wichita " returned to screening for the carriers off Samar . On 28 October , she provided gunfire support to troops ashore on Leyte . Two days later , she defended against a Japanese airstrike on the fleet . On 31 October , " Wichita " left the area , bound for Ulithi , reaching her destination on 2 November . After replenishing her ammunition and stores , she returned to Leyte for several days , until the middle of November . Her crew detected severe vibrations in her No . 4 engine ; the propeller shaft had broken and the propeller was trailing . She was therefore detached on 18 November for repairs in California , via Ulithi . While in Ulithi , divers discovered cracks in a strut for No . 3 propeller shaft ; now only two screws were operational . She reached San Pedro in California on 15 December . She entered the Terminal Island Navy Yard shortly after reaching port . Repairs lasted until 8 February 1945 , and by 28 February , she departed for Pearl Harbor . " Wichita " arrived in Hawaii on 6 March , before departing five days later for Ulithi . Invasion of Okinawa . " Wichita " arrived in Ulithi on 20 March , and was assigned to Task Force 54 the next day . She put to sea to take part in the invasion of Okinawa . The ship was placed in Task Unit 54 . 2 . 3 to cover minesweepers off Okinawa on 25 March . On the afternoon of the following day , " Wichita " bombarded Japanese positions on the island , from 13 : 50 to 16 : 30 . Japanese aircraft attacked the ships early the next morning ; " Wichita " s gunners shot down one of the aircraft . Later that day , the ship resumed bombardment duties in preparation for the amphibious invasion . She continued to shell the island through 28 March . The next day , she retired to Kerama Retto to replenish her ammunition . The ship then returned to Okinawa later that day to cover underwater demolition team s as they cleared beach obstacles . " Wichita " continued to support the demolition teams the next day , as well as shelling targets ashore . On 31 March , " Wichita " bombarded the sea wall to create a breach in preparation for the landings . The invasion began on 1 April , and " Wichita " provided gunfire support to the landing troops on the southern beaches . At around 12 : 00 , she left the firing line to replenish her ammunition . She resumed bombardment the following day and resupplied again on 3 April before covering minesweepers on 4 April . During the night of 4 – 5 April , " Wichita " shelled the Japanese defenders on Okinawa . The ship was assigned to join Task Group 51 . 19 the next day to bombard Tsugen Shima in company with " Tuscaloosa " and the battleships and . Japanese aircraft appeared , which forced the cancellation of the mission . Nevertheless , " Wichita " shelled Japanese shore batteries at Chiyama Shima that evening . Late on 6 April , an A6M Zero attempted to attack " Wichita " . The fighter came down through a break in the clouds on " Wichita " s port side . The ship ' s anti - aircraft gunners immediately opened fire ; a burst from one of the 20 mm guns shot away the Zero ' s tail . The plane veered away , out of control , and dropped its bomb , which fell approximately from the ship . The Zero ' s wing clipped the deck before the plane crashed into the sea . Eleven men were wounded in the attack , though the ship remained undamaged . The following day , " Wichita " steamed into Nakagusuku Bay to shell a coastal battery . Shells from the Japanese guns landed close to the ship , but no hits were scored before " Wichita " neutralized the battery . Over the next two days , the ship continued to bombard Japanese defenses on the island , until she retired to replenish ammunition on 10 April . " Wichita " continued to provide gunfire support throughout the rest of the month . On 27 April , a small caliber shell penetrated a fuel oil tank five feet below the waterline . After temporary repairs while still off Okinawa proved unsuccessful , " Wichita " returned to Kerama Retto where the damage was repaired on 29 – 30 April . " Wichita " then returned to the gun line . On 12 May , the ship was damaged by friendly fire . A 5 inch round struck the port aircraft catapult ; shell fragments hit the shield of an antiaircraft director , killing one man and injuring eleven others . She departed the area to rest and refit at Leyte , returning to Okinawa on 18 June . " Wichita " continued to provide gunfire support to the troops on Okinawa through July , as part of Task Unit 2 . On 15 August , the ship ' s crew received word that the war with Japan was over . " Wichita " was awarded 13 battle star s for her service during World War II . Post - War . " Wichita " was assigned to the occupying force shortly after the end of the war . She departed Okinawa on 10 September for Nagasaki , arriving the following day as part of Task Group 55 . 7 . " Wichita " was one of the first major warships to reach Japan ; she was escorted by a destroyer , a pair of destroyer escort s , two minesweepers , and the hospital ship . " Wichita " was transferred to Sasebo on 25 September for four days before she returned to Nagasaki on 29 September . She returned to Sasebo shortly thereafter , and while she was there , a severe typhoon struck the area on 9 – 11 October . " Wichita " was not damaged during the storms . While at Sasebo , " Wichita " s crew inspected the Japanese ships and harbor installations to ensure Japanese compliance with the terms of surrender . On 5 November , " Wichita " was assigned to Operation Magic Carpet , the repatriation of American military personnel . She refueled in Tokyo before departing for San Francisco . The ship reached San Francisco on 24 November , where she went into drydock at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard two days later . Repairs and modifications for further Magic Carpet duty were completed by 1 December . " Wichita " departed for Hawaii on 6 December , reaching Pearl Harbor on 12 December before proceeding to the Marianas . There , the ship loaded servicemen from Saipan and steamed back to San Francisco , arriving on 12 January 1946 . She left port on 27 January bound for the east coast of the United States ; she transited the Panama Canal on 5 – 9 February and reached Philadelphia on 14 February . There , she was assigned to the Sixteenth Fleet and was placed in reserve on 15 July . " Wichita " was decommissioned on 3 February 1947 and laid up at Philadelphia . In the late 1940s , the Navy considered converting " Wichita " into a guided - missile cruiser , but and were chosen instead . On 1 March 1959 , the ship was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and sold on 14 August to the Union Minerals and Alloys Corp .