USS Biloxi Collection

The CL-80 U.S.S. Biloxi, the only United States Navy ship named for a Mississippi City, was present during every major military operation in the Pacific during World War II, from January 1944 to May 1945, and was awarded nine battle stars for her service.

The Biloxi was a Cleveland Class Light Cruiser, built by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia. The ship, which was sponsored by Mrs. Louis Braun, was launched on February 23, 1943 and commissioned on August 31, 1943. The Biloxi's captain was Daniel M. McGurl, and the vessel reported to Cruiser Division 13, Pacific Fleet.

During her tenure, the ship screened fast carrier task forces, bombarded shore installations, and covered amphibious landings, seeing action in battles at Iwo Jima, Formosa, Leyte Gulf, Saipan and the Philippines. On April 27, 1945, the Biloxi withdrew from the fighting area for overhaul, returning in time to participate in the attack on Wake Island on July 18. When the war was over, the Biloxi was one of the first ships dispatched to Nagasaki (Japan) to evacuate allied prisoners of war.

Despite being constantly placed in harm's way, the ship made it through World War II without losing a single man, although it incurred slight damage on March 27, 1945, from a kamikaze plane. On that day, the vessel encountered four of the Japanese suicide bombers, shooting down three and disabling the fourth to the point that it crashed into the ship. Fortunately, the bomb it was carrying did not explode. The crew later retrieved the bomb, disarmed it, resealed its head, and placed it on the quarter deck as a souvenir.

In addition to its military prowess, the ship survived three typhoons, one of which sank three destroyers. Because of her heavy involvement in battle and her uncanny ability to dodge disaster, the Biloxi's crew gave the ship two nicknames -- "The Busy Bee" and "The Double Lucky."

The U.S.S. Biloxi was decommissioned in 1946, and as of 1999, her metal superstructure resided in Guice Park at the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor, Biloxi, Mississippi.