1. Inter-war period

2. World War II
     Battle of Leyte  

3. Awards

4. See also

5. References

6. External links

USS Honolulu (CL-48) of the United States Navy was a {{sclass-|Brooklyn|cruiser|0}} light cruiser active in the Pacific War (World War II). Honolulu was launched in 1937 and commissioned in 1938. The ship served in the Battle of Tassafaronga, the Battle of Kula Gulf, the Battle of Kolombangara and the Battle of Peleliu. She was taken out of action by serious torpedo damage just before the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She was repaired, but not in time to rejoin the war. She was decommissioned in 1947 and was held in reserve until she was scrapped in 1959.

Inter-war period

The second Navy ship named for the city of Honolulu, Hawaii, she 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 in command.^[4]

After a shakedown cruise to England, 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, Honolulu continued operations out of Long Beach, California and after an overhaul at the Puget Sound shipyard, she steamed out of Long Beach Naval Shipyard 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. Honolulu suffered only minor hull damage from a near miss.^[4]

World War II

Following repairs, she sailed on 12 January 1942 to escort a convoy to San Francisco, California, arriving on 21 January. The cruiser continued convoy escort duty to Australia, Samoa, and the United States until late May.^[4]

With the Japanese pushing north towards Alaska, Honolulu departed on 29 May to strengthen forces in that area. After two months of continuous operations out of Kodiak, Alaska, she proceeded to Kiska 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. After shipyard work at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Honolulu departed from San Francisco on 3 November 1942, escorting a convoy to Nouméa in the South Pacific. Later that month, 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.^[4] One Japanese destroyer was sunk by American cruiser gunfire, but four cruisers were hit by Japanese torpedoes, with one of the cruisers, {{USS|Northampton|CA-26|2}}, sinking. Honolulu escaped serious damage in this notable Japanese victory that had very little impact on the fighting on Guadalcanal.^[5]

The battle-proven 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 0110, Honolulu opened fire on a {{sclass-|Sendai|cruiser}}. After three salvos, the target burst into flame and was soon dead in the water. Honolulu shifted fire to an enemy destroyer, which was immediately hit and disappeared. At 0211, a torpedo struck the starboard side of Honolulu, blowing off her bow. The task force then retired to Tulagi for temporary repairs, and then departed for the large naval base at Pearl Harbor. On 16 August, Honolulu arrived at Pearl Harbor for major repairs.^[4] She then proceeded to the shipyard at Mare Island, near San Francisco, for more work.

After the additional repairs at Mare Island, Honolulu departed from San Francisco on 17 November 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, 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 Mariana Islands.^[4]

Battle of Leyte

Awards

• Navy Unit Commendation, for 5-Jul-1943 to 14-Jul-1943 around the time of the Battle of Kula Gulf and the Battle of Kolombangara, 12-Sep-1944 to 20-Oct-1944 around the time of the Battle of Peleliu and Battle of Leyte and 30-Nov-1942, the Battle of Tassafaronga.^[6][7]

See also

• Vice Admiral Robert W. Hayler, commanding officer of Honolulu, August 1942 – March 1944^[8]

References

• {{cite book| title=The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, Two-Ocean Fleet Edition|author=Fahey, James C.|authorlink=James Charles Fahey|publisher=Ships and Aircraft|year=1941}}

External links

• {{navsource|04/048/04048|USS Honolulu}}

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