Nuclear propulsion in naval vessels was a quantum leap from the other forms of naval warfare with unprecedented endurance and operating radius. Nuclear power for ships was first conceived after the end of World War II, spurred by the dream of Navy Captain Hyman Rickover, an electrical engineer who had a deep conviction for nuclear reactors as a means of propulsion. This led to the commissioning of the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus (SSN-571), on January 17, 1955. The Nautilus later completed the first fully submerged transit beneath the North Pole during “Operation Sunshine.”
With the success of the Nautilus, the U.S. Navy then expanded its research of nuclear propulsion into surface vessels. Commissioned on November 25, 1961, the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) served as the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy, serving 25 deployments before its inactivation after a 51-year service life. Nuclear propulsion today is standardized across all U.S. Navy submarines and aircraft carriers, with the training provided by Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Goose Creek, South Carolina.
Among the more notable nuclear-powered surface ships was the USS Long Beach (CGN-9), the world’s first nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser. Launched on 14 July 1959 and commissioned on 9 September 1961, Long Beach was a ship of many firsts. She was the first cruiser designed and built from the keel up since World War II and the first U.S. Navy ship equipped with guided missiles as its main armament. The ship also featured the world’s tallest bridge, and it was to be the last warship to carry teakwood decks.
The USS Long Beach was one of the prime participants in 1964’s Operation “Sea Orbit” as a member of the world’s first nuclear task group, which also included the USS Enterprise and the USS Bainbridge (DLGN-25). During that mission, Long Beach steamed over 30,000 nautical miles in 58 days without refueling or resupply, demonstrating the strategic advantages of nuclear propulsion.
Although a trailblazer, during its years of service, the USS Long Beach faced her share of challenges and changes. Initially equipped with two twin Mk 10 Terrier launchers, an ASROC launcher, two five-inch 38 caliber guns, and two triple Mk 32 torpedo tubes, throughout its service career the vessel underwent various changes. By 1976 the Mark 12 Talos GMLS were deactivated and removed leaving the Tartar as the only operational SAM system. Plans to modernize her with Standard MR were finally shelved, and the ship was ultimately decommissioned on May 1, 1995. She is currently being scrapped at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
The legacy of USS Long Beach lives on too- in quite remarkable detail scale models built with infectious passion by its aficionados. Those models, such as those produced by Cyber-Hobby, can detail intricately the armament and some unique features of the design of the ship. Of course, building these models had their problems, with one modeler noting small and fragile parts, and how one needed to be very accurate in the building process.
The USS Long Beach thus stands as a testament to the innovative spirit of the U.S. Navy and to the transformative impact nuclear propulsion had on the conception and execution of naval warfare. Its rich history and the technological advancements that it brought into being continue to inspire both naval engineers and military historians alike.