The early part of her career centered on training voyages and goodwill stops throughout the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. In 1948, she stood on station at Yokosuka as part of the Allied occupation force and more goodwill stops followed. From 1949 to 1950, she underwent a refurbishment and entered a period of crew training once more. She was at Long Beach, California when the Korean War broke out. Once readied, she was ordered to steam to the combat theater and prepare for war.
USS Toledo served in the conflict from 1950 until 1952 and completed three tours. One of her major participations in the war was during the amphibious assault at Inchon which helped to turn the tide of the war in favor of the United States and its UN allies during September 1950. The warship was used to pummel onshore and inland positions using her 8" and 5" gun batteries at range. Eventually, the enemy was pushed back for the time being and ultimately held in check. During the early part of 1953, the warship was given an overhaul back in U.S. waters and remained there when the armistice between North Korea and South Korea was signed (July 27th, 1953). She was still stationed in Korean waters (basing out of Japan) for the near future to serve as a deterrent against further aggression by the North.
After a period that included evacuating Chinese Nationalist forces from mainland China, the warship continued undertaking training exercises, patrols and goodwill stops, all in Pacific waters. With her services no longer needed, USS Toledo was retired from frontline, active service by May 1960. For the next fourteen years, she lay in reserve in San Diego waters until her name was struck from the Naval Register in January of 1974 and her hulk sold off for scrapping in late-October 1974.
Sadly, none of the Baltimore-class warships were preserved as floating museums.
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Operators
Global operator(s) of the USS Toledo (CA-133). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national naval warfare listing.
[ Untied States (retired) ]
