Daisy Mae had a varied operating schedule designed to maintain the readiness of the Navy to meet the "24 hour, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year" demands of defense. Her job was to remain ready for the next conflict to come, cruising from her home port at Newport, and after 1950, from Norfolk, she was part of all types of exercises in the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, and in the East coast waters serving as flagship for the 6th Fleet.
On 18 February 1958, she left Norfolk for the Mediterranean once more, this time to remain as flagship for the 6th Fleet until July 1961 when she was placed out of commission in reserve. In her day she served as a lady of diplomacy hosting many dignitaries including, President Dwight Eisenhower, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth of England, King Paul and Queen Fredrika of Greece, Ali Kahn, Prince Albert of Belgium, and many more.
Her class was completed too late for service in World War II, but they were employed extensively as fleet flagships during their active careers. The Des Moines was completed with two stern catapults and had capacity for 4 floatplanes; the catapults were not completed. Instead she operated utility helicopters on the stern with a hanger plus an elevator. Her weapons were massive her main 8 inch/55 caliber guns in three triple turrets had a muzzle velocity of 2,800 ft per second with a range of 30,100 yards. Each shell weighted 260 lbs with armor piercing being 335 lbs. Each 451 ton turret had a crew of 45 men and the guns had the rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute. The ammo resembled the 5 inch having the projectile incased in a brass cartridge. Not having the silk power bag as the propellant increased the rate of fire and the safety for the crew.
After decommissioning in 1961 she was mothballed in the South Boston Naval Annex and eventually at Philadelphia, where she remained until 2006. After an attempt failed to turn her into a museum ship she was towed to Brownsville, Texas, for scrapping, and by July 2007, Daisy Mae was razor blades.
Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.