USS Helena CL 50 - The Machine Gun Cruiser

Warship Guide - USS Helena CL-50

USS Helena, the 2nd member of the St. Louis class of light cruisers, is quite possibly the most famous cruiser to ever serve in the United States Navy. During night engagements in the waters off Guadalcanal, she blasted away at elements of the Imperial Japanese Navy with such ferociousness and pace that the American press dubbed her “The Machine Gun Cruiser”, as did the Japanese that lived to tell of her exploits. She helped to make the surface fleet relevant again in the new age of the aircraft carrier, and, while doing so, helped give the US Navy the victories it needed in a campaign that was still very much in doubt. She was tragically lost during the battle of Kula Gulf in July 1943.


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