Year 1956

In 1956, in the picture below, concerning the Oberdan Gardens with the statue of the "Ondina" in the foreground, you can see a warship in the background.

After careful research, we were able to identify the ship as the Heavy Cruiser Salem (CA 139) which, with the Des Moines, Newport News and Dallas (whose construction was later cancelled in 1946) were part of the US Navy's Des Moines Class.

It was launched in 1947 and entered into service on 14 May 1949. 

It was part of the Sixth Mediterranean Fleet as a flagship from May to September 1950 and then after 1951 to 1956 (when it was based in Villafranca on the Côte d'Azur for 20 months), then in 1957 and 1958 when, to celebrate the birth of Albert of Monaco (son of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly) was visiting the Principality.

Retired from service on 30th January 1959 from October 1994 he was in Quincy, Massachusetts as a Museum Ship, part of the United States Naval Museum.

(Ship characteristics: Standard displacement 17,000 tons, full load displacement 21,500 tons. speed 33 knots, crew 1799; Armament 9 203 mm. guns, 12 127 mm. guns, 23 76 mm. guns, 12 20 mm. machine guns; It was disarmed in 1959 and was the last Heavy Cruiser in the world to enter service and the only one still existing as a Museum Ship).

Between November 1955 and August 1956, the US Navy aircraft carrier Ticonderoga (CVA 14) visited San Remo.

It was of the Essex Class, had a displacement of 40,000 tons and embarked 91 aircraft.
At the time of the visit she was part of the US Sixth Mediterranean Fleet based in Naples.

She had entered service in 1944 and participated in some naval operations of World War II. Modernised in 1950, she participated in the Vietnam War.
She was decommissioned in 1973 and sold for scrapping in 1975.

Her initial designation was CV 14 but after modernisation she became CVA 14 (attack aircraft carrier) and later CVS 14, that is an aircraft carrier with Anti-Submarine duties.

This ship is named after the eponymous Fort Ticonderoga (1755 - 1759), built on a star-shaped plan in the 18th century in the southern part of Lake Champlain in New York State.
It became famous in the history of the United States for the battles fought there in 1759, 1775 and 1777 between British and French troops, then a commando of US colonists and British soldiers, and finally US and British troops.

Personal testimony of Gian Franco Bianchi (member of our FB Group):
« The aircraft carrier remained in the roadstead together with other military units of various nationalities for a few days, to participate in a NATO manoeuvre that was taking place off the coast, from land you could hear the cannon blasts in the distance. She was equipped with the first embarked jet planes, the hissing of the reactors could be heard during the launch trials.
Fun fact: While the ship was at anchor, a group of ten- to eleven-year-old children accompanied by the Jesuit Fathers of St Stephen's were invited on board. Once visited the huge ship above and below deck, were taken to the mess hall and to our amazement were offered steaming hot chocolate in beautiful white ceramic cups. For all of us it was the first time we had tasted such a marvel and we repeatedly had seconds. Unforgettable! ».

(by Dino Taulaigo)