There is a large collection of model warships and historic items on display. Many of the ships featured have local significance, including; the U.S.S. Los Angeles, U.S.S. Long Beach, U.S.S. San Pedro, and the S.S. San Pedro.

The USS LOS ANGELES was a United States Navy heavy cruiser ("CA"), number 135, commissioned in 1945 and financed through the sale of war bonds purchased by the people of Los Angeles. The USS LOS ANGELES was the third Navy ship to be named after the city, and held special symbolism for the public and for the men who served aboard her. After operating with the 7th fleet off the coast of China, USS LOS ANGELES was decommissioned in 1948, but returned to service in 1951 to fight in the Korean War. As the flagship for then Rear Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, the USS LOS ANGELES received five battle stars for her Korean War service.

In 1975 she was sent to the scrap yard, but her story did not end. Officers, crew, and members of the community saved what they could from their ship. The monuments outside the museum and the artifacts in this exhibit are testiments to her career and to the dedication of those who preserve the history of the USS LOS ANGELES.

This exhibit was made possible through the generous support of the USS LOS ANGELES CA-135 Association.

This is a surviving section of a Gleason mural which hung in the Hotel Clark, in downtown Los Angeles. The ship is outside of the breakwater, with Angeles Gate light and San Pedro visible in the background. The frame was crafted from remnants of the ship's teak decks.

U.S.S. LOS ANGELES (SSN-688)
Length: 360 feet
Beam: 33 feet
1/48 scale model by Tom Hershey and John Pignatelli

Known as the "First and Finest", the LOS ANGELES is the lead ship of the largest submarine class (Los Angeles Class) in the Navy's arsenal, and the fourth US Navy vessel to bear the name LOS ANGELES.

Launched on April 6, 1974 at Newport News, Virginia, she was commissioned on November 13, 1976, and made her first operational deployment to the Mediterranean Sea in 1977. The following year, LOS ANGELES was transferred to the Pacific Fleet, where she made her first visit to the port of Los Angeles before being assigned to Submarine Squadron Seven in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

In July of 1992 LOS ANGELES arrived at her new home port at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California. At this time she was outfitted with a new sonar system, reactor core, and noise reducing equipment.

The LOS ANGELES completed an extensive 31-month overhaul in March of 1995. Reassigned to Pearl Harbor and attached to Submarine Squadron One, she now combines unmatched endurance and speed with the latest stealth technology. Her armament consists of heavyweight MK 48 torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missles, and all variants of the Tomahawk cruise missiles. With upgraded SEAL delivery capabilities, the LOS ANGELES continues to provide a 'forward presence' for the United States.

Three U.S. Ships have been named Long Beach. The first, AK-9, was a cargo ship commissioned on 20 December 1917. She was assigned to the U.S. Naval Force operating in Europe, transporting coal from England and Ireland to France for use by the U.S. Army. Following World War I, she continued operation as a transport until decommissioned on 26 April 1921 and sold to a private citizen for $20,000 on 24 May 1922.

The second, PF-34, was a patrol frigate launched on 5 May 1943 and commissioned on 8 September under the command of lieutenant Commander T. R. Midtlying, U. S. Coast Guard. The Long Beach participated in the landings on Manus in the Admiralties and in the invasion of Aitape. She also took part in numerous convoy escort missions and earned a total of four battle stars for World War II service. In June of 1945 the Long Beach was transferred to Alaska where she took part in a training exercise. In July 1945, she was decommissioned and trasferred to the Soviet Navy under the Lend-Lease Act. Returned to the United States on 17 October 1949 and lent to the Japanese government in November 1953, remaining there until she was scrapped in 1967.

The third, CGN-9, was a cruiser -- with the distinction of being the world's first nuclear-powered surface warship. Her keel was laid on 2 December 1957 by Bethlehem Steel Company in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 14 July 1959 and commissioned on 9 September 1961 under the command of Captain B. P. Wilkinson, U. S. Navy. The cruiser was home ported at Norfolk, Virginia. After many productive training exercises, the Long Beach with the carrier Enterprise (then CVAN-65) and the frigate Bainbridge (then DLGN-25) formed the first all nuclear-powered task group. These ships were assigned to Operation Sea Orbit, an around-the-world cruise that began in July of 1964 and lasted for 58 days.

Four years later, while on station in the Gulf of Tonkin, the Long Beach again made history by employing her Talos missle system to shoot down a North Vietnamese jet that was more than 70 miles away - the first time in U. S. history that a surface-to-air missle downed an enemy aircraft. By the end of U. S. involvement in Vietnam, the Long Beach was involved with downing nine enemy jets and rescuing 17 U. S. pilots.

The Long Beach was fitted with Tomahawk cruise missles in 1985 and later participated in the War on Drugs and supported UN sanctions against Iraq. Following several reprieves, the Long Beach was decommissioned on 2 July 1994.

Eric Wertheim

Note: Released from reserve status, the ship was sold for scrap in 1996.

U.S.S. SAN PEDRO (PF-37)

Although Commissioned by the Navy, this World War II Patrol Frigate was manned by 215 officers and men of the United States Coast Guard.

Armed with three inch-50's, twin 40's, 20mm machine guns, depth charges, K-guns, and hedgehog, this vessel served in the South Pacific 7th Amphibious Force, Seventh Fleet, often referred to as "MacArthur's Navy".

SAN PEDRO earned 6 battle stars and credited with downing five enemy planes in actions along the North New Guinea Coast, invasion of Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, shelled troop concentrations, supply dumps on Biak and Soepiori Island. Convoyed resupply and troops to New Britain, the Admiralties, Morotai and Palau. At Sansapor she was the first frigate to shoot down an enemy plane. During the epic of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines of October 1944, Coast Guardsmen stayed at their guns seventy-two hours shooting down some of the first Kamikaze planes seen in the war.

December 5, 1944 while escorting a convoy southeast of Leyte Gulf, the liberty ship ANTOINE SAUGRAINE carrying an entire army radar unit was torpedoed. While attempting rescue of men from the water and liferafts, the enemy bombers returned to attack. The courageous Coast Guard crews of the SAN PEDRO and a sister frigate fought them off, shooting down one plane and despite being under fire, completed the rescue of 413 men. On December 15, 1944 the SAN PEDRO departed Boston and was subsequently loaned to the Russian Navy. After the war the ship was transferred to the Japanese Coastal Security Force.

Her meritorious service at an end, the USS San Pedro ended ignominiously as a target ship.

Another area of the museum contains a display of modern-day merchant shipping. A variety of models are on display, including cargo ships, container ships, and tankers.

There is a large display featuring sailing ships from the age of exploration of the New World to the eclipse of commercial sailing ships at the turn of the twentieth century.

FULL-RIGGED SHIP

Distinguished by having 3 or more masts with square yards. The largest full-rigged ship ever built was the 5-mast German Preussen.

BARK

A vessel of 3 or more masts square rigged on fore and mainmasts, and fore and aft rigged on the sternmast (no yards). The French 5-mast bark France II was the largest ever built.

BARKENTIME

Similar to the brigantine but having 3 or more masts. These ships were less expensive to operate because of smaller crews.

BRIG

A fully square-rigged 2-mast vessel, usually of small proportions (under 500 tons). Richard Henry Dana's Pilgrim was a brig.

BRIGANTINE

These vessels have a square-rigged foremast, and a fore and aft rigged mainmast. They were used mostly in coastal trading.

SCHOONER

This rig had 2 or more masts, all fore and aft rigged. Dozens were built on the West Coast after 1860 to carry lumber to the ports of the world. The largest was the American 7-mast Thomas W. Lawson (1901).