Launched on 24 December 1943, the USS Wilkes-Barre (CL-103) was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 1 July 1944 with Captain Robert Porter, Jr. in Command. Following shakedown training, the Wilkes-Barre sailed for San Diego, where she loaded provisions and ammunition before arriving in Pearl Harbor on 17 November 1944. The Wilkes-Barre left Pearl Harbor for the Caroline Islands where she joined Cruiser Division 17 and in support of Admiral John S. McCain’s Task Force 38. In January 1945, Task Force 38 was redesignated Task Force 58, under command of Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher.
The Wilkes-Barre arrived off the coast of Honshu, Japan on 16 February 1945 and screened American carriers while their aircraft attacked Tokyo. The Wilkes-Barre again screened carriers while their aircraft attacked targets in Tokyo on 25 February, and Okinawa on 1 March. After refueling at Ulithi, the Wilkes-Barre returned to Japanese waters. On the transit from Ulithi to Honshu, the Wilkes-Barre downed her first enemy aircraft, a “Judy” dive bomber, on 19 March off Okinawa.
Beginning on 1 April 1945, the Wilkes-Barre operated in support of the U.S. invasion of Okinawa where, among other activities, she provided valuable antiaircraft fire support. On 10 May 1945, the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) was severely damaged in a kamikaze attack. The Wilkes-Barre played an essential role in saving the vessel and her sailors, by providing firefighting assistance and evacuating the injured. Much of the remainder of her war operations were spent actively supporting Allied operations against Japanese forces.
Following the end of hostilities, the Wilkes-Barre formed part of the Third Fleet, which traveled triumphantly through the entrance to Tokyo Bay. She eventually would take part in several missions in the demilitarization of Japanese forces. Following refresher training and a goodwill cruise to Europe, the Wilkes-Barre was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 9 October 1947. She was stricken from the Navy list on 15 January 1971 and was sunk during underwater explosive tests in May 1972.