USS Astoria (CA-34) – Too Stubborn To Sink, Until The Last Moment

There are few stories as terrible for the USN as the Battle of Savo Island. One cruiser damaged, and three- of the same class, no less -sunk in one battle. This video will look at the oldest of the three, USS Astoria. Sometimes called the nameship of the Astoria-class, sometimes not. No matter what you call the class, this was one of the most advanced cruisers of the 1930s. And certainly one of the most capable. Unfortunately, her service career would not give the cruiser the chance to show this. Failed escort missions, leading into a nighttime ambush that few ships could hope to survive. Yet, Astoria gave it a good shot. She might even have survived, if the fires could have been contained. That's nothing to sneeze at. Further Reading: www.amazon.com/U-S-Cruisers-Illustrated-Design-His… www.amazon.com/Neptunes-Inferno-Publisher-James-Ho… www.amazon.com/Pacific-Crucible-War-Sea-1941-1942/… www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histo…

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