This image is the same as the black and white version donated by Rick.
It was colored by our good friend John Galla, USS Des Moines CA-134

The following picture donated by Rick. It belonged to his uncle James J. Ryan.
He was on the USS Helena and was aboard at the time it was in port at Pearl when it was attacked.
He and Maurice Kleckner were trapped in the boiler room and they were the two that got them operational so that the Helena could fire.
About 2 weeks before the USS Helena was sunk, he or Maurice were offered a chance to go to advanced diesel mechanics school.
So he and Maurice decided to cut cards to see who would go and who would stay and my uncle won and went to school.
He and Maurice continued to keep in contact with each other and called each other every December 7th right up to when my Uncle past away.
This painting hung above my uncles favorite recliner.

The following picture found on eBay and donated by Dave Brouchoud.
Shipmate on the USS Helena CA-75 From January 1952 - May 1955.

The following picture comes from the DeWolfe Hotchkiss, USN, Collection.
Permission to post comes from Lady Audrey's Gallery.


(Information found on the back of the picture)
AMERICANS ROUT JAPANESE IN TWO-NIGHT BATTLE OF KULA GULF, JULY 5 AND 6, 1943
WOUNDED TRANSFERRED AT SEA--A GROUP OF SURVIVORS OF THE USS HELENA, PICKED UP BY AN AMERICAN DESTROYER, ARE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER U.S. WARSHIP AT SEA.
A WOUNDED SAILOR IS BEING CARRIED ACROSS THE GANKPLANK BETWEEN THE TWO SHIPS. (The Nicholas left, to the Honolulu.)
AUGUST 14, 1943





Photo # 80-54566 Funeral services for a casualty of the USS Helena,
after the Battle of Kula Gulf, July 7, 1943.

To hear "Taps" click Here.
This is a Wav file and could take 1 minute 30 seconds to load and play. (Worth it! Ed)




Funeral services aboard Honolulu for Irwin L. Edwards F1c USNR Service # 644 09 79 who died aboard Nicholas from wounds or injuries received in action, after being picked up with other survivors.
To see a picture of the USS Honolulu CL-48, click on the photo above.

The following narrative and newspaper picture provided by Charlie McClelland.

His War Is Ended - - - Yours Is Not

Above is the picture of a sailor's funeral. He was a young member of the crew of the U.S.S. Helena and was killed two months ago fighting the Japanese in the battle of Kula Gulf. so for him the war is ended. He will sleep the long sleep far from his home in the alien waters of the South Pacific. His fighting is over; his job is done. But his shipmates, standing grim faced and bare-headed about his flag-draped coffin, will work harder, fight more savagely because he is lost to them. How about us here at home? What can we do to avenge the death of this American boy and thousands like him who are dying in battle? We too, must work harder, give more freely of our energies and all our resources else their death cannot be justified. That's why we must buy extra War Bonds-----and buy them now! Remember: He gave his life; we only lend our money.

The following pictures are from the sites listed below 








Navy Historical Center


NavSource


CL-50 Information and pictures












View of the starboard side amidships, taken
 at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 

27 June 1942, following repair of combat 

damage and an overhaul. Note the ship's 

redesigned forward superstructure, 

including an open bridge and reduced 

lower bridge wings. Mark 34 main battery 

gun director, with antenna for an FC gunfire 

control radar, is immediately in front of the 

foremast. The other director, just behind the

 open bridge, is a Mark 33, with antenna for 

an FD radar mounted on its front. Weight 

traversing gear on the main deck, between 

the forward superstructure and 6"/47 gun 

turret # 3, indicates that Helena is 

undergoing an inclining experiment to 

determine her stability. 

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships 

Collection in the U.S. National Archives 

#19-N-31213.




Central Solomons Campaign, 1943
Light cruisers maneuvering off Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides,
 during exercises on 20 June 1943, ten days before the invasion
of New Georgia. Ships are USS Saint Louis (CL-49) , at left; 
USS Helena (CL-50), at right; and USS Honolulu (CL-48)
 in the center distance. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, 
now in the collections of the National Archives #80-G-57074.




Battle of Kula Gulf, 5-6 July 1943
USS Helena (CL-50), in the center, firing during the
 Battle of Kula Gulf, just before she was
 torpedoed and sunk.
 The next ship astern is USS Saint Louis (CL-49).
 Photographed from USS Honolulu (CL-48) .
 Official U.S. Navy Photograph,
 now in the collections of the
 National Archives #80-G-54553












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