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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — This story started with a question. And the question is, what happened to the giant anchor that sits in the middle of the sidewalk near the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh?
As it turns out, this anchor has a great story to tell.
It belonged to the USS Pittsburgh (CA-72), which was launched by the United States Navy in February 1944 during World War II.
Michael Kraus, a curator and historian at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial and Museum in Pittsburgh, said the ship was classified as a heavy cruiser with some significant firepower.
“He had a big gun,” Krause said. “In addition to nine 8-inch guns, it was equipped with a number of smaller guns. It also supported landings and invasions from a distance. It also had a catapult on the rear with several planes that could be launched. I did.”
Shortly after her launch, the USS Pittsburgh entered the Pacific Theater and fought against the Japanese at Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and other locations. When the aircraft carrier USS Franklin came under attack, this ship bravely came to the rescue and she rescued many of her crew members who were in the water.
But while Pittsburgh was known for fighting many different battles, it was the battle against Mother Nature that made it famous.
“In June 1945, it was on the scene of operations during a typhoon,” Kraus said. “During that typhoon, the bow broke off, 103 feet of the bow broke off, and it sank. So that piece is over there in the Pacific Ocean. Then the Pittsburgh was towed away for repairs. And they… They said it was the longest ship in the world,” because the bow was in the Pacific Ocean and the stern was in Washington state. ”
Kraus also said the bow was eventually recovered, but because it was separated from the ship, the sailors joked that it was a suburb and named it “McKeesport.”
Pittsburgh was repaired, renovated, and returned to combat during the Korean War. And although the ship was officially retired in the 1970s, Krause says her memory and her name live on.
“I think the people of Pittsburgh have always been really proud to have the USS Pittsburgh somewhere,” Kraus said. “It doesn’t mean our people are on board the ship, but our name is carried symbolically as part of the military, protecting the world.”
This is the story of the USS Pittsburgh. By the way, she has four naval vessels named after this city, with a fifth in the pipeline. But that’s a story for another time.
But at least now we know a little more about that giant anchor near the museum on the Northside.
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