So, there I was, rummaging through the boxes of pictures at NARA in College Park, MD, when I found a treasure trove of shipyard facility construction pictures (I have a thing for Graving Docks, you see).
One of the pictures of the brand-new drydock at San Juan Naval Air Station in Puerto Rico was documenting a crane-tipping incident at the brand-new dock.
Within the picture is a mighty-fine looking four-piper, which seems to me an Omaha-class CL.
The picture is dated 17 November 1941.
Any guesses who the ship in the background might be? I have my guess, and if I'm right, you're seeing the culmination of a pretty interesting nautical tale of adventure at sea.
Here's a blow-up of the ship in question:
Any correct reply earns the inquisitor a free beer or fruity soft drink...
Any takers?
Taking a look at the above photo, it is a very interesting one indeed. It is without a doubt not Omaha. Notice the ribbing around the fighting top and birdbath. Omaha did not have these ribs. Given this info and the style of windows on the fighting top, the only ship that this could be is Milwaukee. The REALLY interesting thing about this photo given the date is the Paint scheme! Not MS-1 with 5-L on the fighting top, but it definitely looks like the ship was painted in 5-D. What is going on with that fighting top?
Here is a photo of Omaha in '41 for comparison. Notice her 5-L top and no ribs on that top.