USS Honolulu (CL-48)

USS "Honolulu" (CL-48) of the United States Navy was a "Brooklyn"-class light cruiser active in the Pacific War (World War II in the Pacific Ocean.)

The second Navy ship named for the city of Honolulu, Hawaii, the cruiser was launched on 26 August 1937 at the New York Navy Yard, sponsored by Helen Poindexter (the daughter of Joseph B. Poindexter, the Governor of Hawaii), and commissioned on 15 June 1938, with Captain Oscar Smith, USN, in command.

After a shakedown cruise to England, the "Honolulu" engaged in fleet problems and exercises in the Caribbean Sea. She steamed from New York on 24 May 1939 to join the Pacific Fleet, arriving at San Pedro, California on 14 June. For the remainder of the year she engaged in exercises along the West Coast. During the first half of 1940, the "Honolulu" continued operations out of Long Beach and after an overhaul at the Puget Sound shipyeard, she steamed out on 5 November for duty from Pearl Harbor. She operated there through 1941, and she was moored at the Naval Station when the Japanese launched their attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. The "Honolulu" suffered only minor hull damage from a near miss. Following repairs there, she sailed on 12 January 1942 to escort a convoy to San Francisco, arriving on 21 January 1942. The cruiser continued convoy escort duty to Australia, Samoa, and the United States until late May 1942.

With the Japanese pushing north towards Alaska, the "Honolulu" departed on 29 May to strengthen US forces in that area. After 2 months of continuous operations out of Kodiak, Alaska, she proceeded to Kiska Island in the Aleutian Islands on 7 August, to begin bombardment of the island. On 21 August, she screened the first American landings in the Aleutians at Adak Island (a jumping-off point for future landings in that island chain). After shipyard work at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, the "Honolulu" departed from San Francisco on 3 November 1942, escorting a convoy to Noumea in the South Pacific. Later that month the "Honolulu" sailed from Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands to intercept a Japanese Navy convoy attempting to reinforce their positions on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. The Battle of Tassafaronga began shortly before midnight on 30 November, continuing through the night. One Japanese destroyer was sunk by American cruiser gunfire, but four US cruisers were hit by Japanese torpedoes, with one of the cruisers sinking. "Honolulu" escaped serious damage in this, one of the worst defeats suffered by the US Navy during World War II.

The "Honolulu" operated out of Espiritu Santo in early 1943 with Task Force 67 in an attempt to engage the "Tokyo Express". During May, she engaged in bombardments of New Georgia Island in the Solomons. The "Honolulu" departed from Espiritu Santo on 28 June for more bombardments in the Solomons. After supporting the landings on New Georgia Island on 4 July, she opened fire on enemy ships in the Battle of Kula Gulf, knocking out one destroyer and assisting in the destruction of others.

The battle-proved cruiser had another opportunity to confront the Japanese fleet on 13 July in the Battle of Kolombangara. Shortly after midnight contact was made with an enemy cruiser-destroyer force in "The Slot." At 01:10, the "Honolulu" opened fire on a Sendai-class cruiser; after three salvos the target burst into flame and was soon dead in the water. The "Honolulu" then shifted fire to an enemy destroyer, which was immediately hit and disappeared. At 02:11, a torpedo very near the surface struck the starboard side of the "Honolulu", blowing a hole in her hull. The task force then retired to Tulagi Island for temporary repairs, and then departed for the large naval base at Pearl Harbor. On 16 August, the USS "Honolulu" arrived at Pearl Harbor for major repairs. She then proceeded to the shipyard at Mare Island, near San Francisco, for more work.

After the additional repairs at Mare Island, the "Honolulu" departed from San Francisco on 17 November 1943 to continue her role in the struggle against Japan. She arrived at Espiritu Santo on 11 December, and then resumed operations in the Solomons later that month. On 27 December 1943 she engaged in the bombardment of an enemy barge, troop, and supply concentration on Bougainville Island. In the early months of 1944 the cruiser continued bombardments and patrols in the Solomon Islands. She screened the landings on Green Island on 13 February, before retiring from the Solomons to begin preparations for the Saipan and Guam operations in the Marianas Islands.

The USS "Honolulu" took part in bombardments of the southeastern part of Saipan Island in early June as the Navy and Marines leaped across the Pacific. While bombarding Guam in mid-June, the "Honolulu" was deployed northwest to intercept the Japanese fleet. She returned to Eniwetok Atoll on 28 June 1944 for replenishments, before providing support for the invasion of Guam. She remained on station for 3 weeks performing great service with her accurate gunfire before returning to Purvis Bay on Florida Island in the Solomons, on 18 August. The "Honolulu" steamed out on 6 September to provide fire support for the landings in the Palau Islands, such as at Peleliu Island and Anguar, remaining in this area during September unopposed by the Japanese fleet. America now had decisive command of the sea, and therefore nearly full freedom of operations.

The "Honolulu" departed from the staging area at Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands on 12 October 1944 and steamed towards the Philippines for the invasion of Leyte. She began a bombardment 19 October from Leyte Gulf, and the next day she began screening the landings. At 16:00 hours, on 20 October an enemy torpedo plane was sighted as it aimed its torpedo at the "Honolulu". Despite the skillful maneuvering of Captain Thurber, USN, to evade, the torpedo found its mark on her port side.

The "Honolulu" sailed out the next day, arriving at Manus on 29 October for temporary repairs, and then steamed for Norfolk, Virginia on 19 November, arriving on 20 December 1944 via Pearl Harbor, San Diego, California, and the Panama Canal. The USS "Honolulu" remained at Norfolk for the duration of the war, undergoing repairs, and after a shakedown cruise in October 1945, she steamed to Newport, Rhode Island, for duty as a training ship. The "Honolulu" arrived at Philadelphia on 8 January 1946 and was decommissioned there on 3 February 1947, and joined the Reserve Fleet at Philadelphia. On 17 November 1949 the USS "Honolulu" was sold for scrapping.

The USS "Honolulu" received eight battle stars for World War II service.

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