Moored next to USS Honolulu, St. Louis was the first cruiser to get underway, backing from her berth at 0931. Steaming through oil fires, snapping a steel cable that linked a dredge to shore and almost hitting Ford Island, she rushed down the outer channel of Pearl Harbor at 22 knots. Almost at sea, two torpedoes were spotted to starboard, heading directly toward St. Louis. Increasing speed to 25 knots, she maneuvered as best she could within the confines of the channel and primarily hoped to outrun the torpedoes. Fortunately, both torpedoes exploded on coral near Buoy No. 1. Spotting what was believed to be the conning tower of the midget submarine that had attacked her, St. Louis opened fire with her five inch battery; gunners claimed they hit the top of the periscope fairwater and observed the object plunge underwater. In actuality, St. Louis had fired upon Crossbill's Oropesa minesweeping float. Unable to avoid the minesweepers due to her speed, St. Louis roared between the two ships--"probably scaring the hell out of both of them", as her skipper later recounted--severing Cockatoo's starboard minesweeping gear. Undaunted, St. Louis reached the open seas.

SHIPS DATA

NAME: St. Louis

HULL NUMBER: CL-49

DIMENSIONS:

Displacement: 9,700 tons (design), 13,000 tons (full load)
Waterline Length: 600'
Length Overall: 608'
Maximum Beam: 61' 5"
Maximum Draft: 20'

ARMAMENT:

15x6"/47 cal (triple mountings)
8x5"/38 cal (dual mountings)
8 .50cal Machine Guns (single mountings)

MACHINERY:

Engines: Westinghouse geared turbines
Boilers: 8 Babcock & Wilcox
Horsepower: 100,000 SHP
Speed: 32.5 knots

PROTECTION:

Side Belt: 1.5"-5"
Decks: 3"
Turrets: 3"-5"
Conning Tower: 8"

AIRCRAFT:

4

COMPLEMENT:

868 (normal)
1,200 (wartime)

PHOTO GALLERY

AERIAL VIEW
AERIAL VIEW, STARBOARD-QUARTER
AERIAL VIEW, PORT-QUARTER
AERIAL VIEW, PORT AFT