Rare WW2 Period “First Shot” U.S.S. NASHVILLE (CL-43) Commemorative Sterling Silver Dip Pen

Here on offer is an unusual and rare “FIRST SHOT” U.S.S. NASHVILLE (CL-43) commemorative sterling silver dip pen.

The sterling silver pen shaft looks a bit like one of the main 6” barrels that formed part of the ships armaments. There are some slight indentations on the thinner section as shown in my photos.

At the nib end it has a flat base so it can be rested on a flat surface without rolling off.

One the main section it is stamped with the words:

FIRST SHOT
U.S.S. “NASHVILLE”
These are highlighted with blue enamel, which shows some minor loss.

It is also stamped STERLING to denote that is is made from 925 grade silver.

It comes with a 124 M Ladies pen nib by Perry & Co of London.

It measures 7.2” (18.2cm) long (including the nib) and weighs 12g.


Here is some history about the famous U.S.S. NASHVILLE (CL-43).

CLASS - BROOKLYN
Displacement 9,475 Tons, Dimensions, 608' 4" (oa) x 61' 8" x 24' (Max)
Armament 15 x 6"/47, 8 x 5"/25, 8 x 0.5" 4 Aircraft.
Armour, 5" Belt, 6 1/2" Turrets, 2" Deck, 5" Conning Tower.
Machinery, 100,000 SHP; Geared Turbines, 4 screws
Speed, 32.5 Knots, Crew 868.
Operational and Building Data
Keel laid on 24 JAN 1935 by the New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, NJ
Launched 02 OCT 1937
Commissioned 06 JUN 1938
Decommissioned 24 JUN 1946
Stricken 9 JAN 1961
Transferred to the Chilean Navy 9 JAN 1951 and renamed CAPITAN PRAT (03)
Decommissioned 10 MAY 1982
Fate: Sold for scrap 29 APR 1983

There is an excellent book about the ship, titled; Humble Heroes, How The USS Nashville CL43 Fought in WW2.

It describes the Top Secret" mystery missions, many without other ships in support, were becoming uncomfortably familiar for the crew of the USS Nashville CL43. It started like a Hollywood thriller, secretly transporting from England $25 million in British gold bullion, delivered to the ship in unguarded bread trucks, a pre-war "Neutrality Patrol" that was really an unofficial hostile search for the far bigger and more powerful German battleship Prinz Eugen, and sneaking through the Panama Canal at night with the ship's name and hull number covered for secrecy. Now, with the ship bulging with an unusual load of fuel and supplies, in the company of a large fleet quietly passing under San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, the crew was about to learn of their latest (but not last) and most improbable adventure yet as the captain made an announcement that would change the war and their lives forever, "We are going to Tokyo!". Over three years, scores of battles and hundreds of thousands of ocean miles later, the Nashville and her crew had earned 10 Battle Stars, served from the North Atlantic to the South Pacific, from the Aleutians to the Yangtze River, as McArthur's flagship and suffered heavy casualties from a devastating kamikaze attack. Tokyo Rose reported her sunk, repeatedly. Earlier, with goodwill trips that included France, England, Scandinavia, Bermuda and Rio de Janeiro, the new, sleek Nashville built a pre-war reputation as a "glamour ship". But with war came the secret missions, capturing the second and third Japanese POWs of the war, having a torpedo pass just under the stern, being strafed and bombed by Japanese planes, losing a third of the crew in a single Kamikaze attack, swimming in shark infested waters protected by marines with machine guns, enjoying the beauty of Sydney and her people, planning a suicide mission to destroy the Japanese fishing fleet, and bombarding Japanese troops and airfields across the Pacific.

Please see my pictures for the details of the condition, which complement this description.

Please see my TERMS OF BUSINESS regarding Deliver Charges and Insurance regarding additional insurance cover, should you require it, BEFORE the item is dispatched.

The responsibility lies with the customer to check with your Customs restrictions that this item can be imported into your country.

Code: 50818