Now operating in the Mediterranean Sea, the Omaha joined the heavy cruisers USS Quincy (CA-71)and Augusta (CA-31), , the battleship Nevada (from Pearl Harbor attack) and the French battleship Lorraine in bombarding Toulon, France in Operation Dragoon (the invasion of Southern France).
In 7 August 1944, she fired 24 rounds and received return fire from an enemy shore battery. She remained on station until 27 August and returned to Palermo.
She returned to Bahia, Brazil, 9 September and continued patrolling the South Atlantic Ocean and in December, went to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, at the end of December and then to New York City for repairs and alterations.
When the Brazilian cruiser Bahia was reported sunk by a submarine on 8 July 1945, the Omaha went on a search and rescue mission. A report came in that the British steamer Balfe had picked up 33 survivors of the Bahia, the Omaha steamed to that ship to provide medical services. On all, only 44 were rescued, with seven of them dying from their injuries. That was from a crew of 346. Eight bodies were also recovered.
It was later learned that the Bahia had been firing anti-aircraft training at a large target kite and continued to fire as the kite descended. They hit a rack of live depth charges and that caused the explosion.
The Omaha continued in her area off Brazil until 12 August when she returned home after the Japanese surrender was announced. She went to the Philadelphia Navy Yard where it was decommissioned in November 1945 and scrapped in February 1946.
Quite a War Record. --GreGen
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