Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Boose
Well, if I had to guess, I would say it is going to be a Northampton class heavy cruiser in pre-1941 overall Standard Navy Gray.
It looks great.
Don
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Don,
You are correct as usual.
It is the USS Houston, CA30, launched in 1929 as CL30, and reclassified as CA30 in 1931. She was flagship of the US Navy Asiatic Fleet under US Adm. Thomas Hart at the outbreak of WW2. She was assigned to the American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) naval force under Dutch Admiral Karyl Doorman, along with HMS Exeter, HMNS Tromp, HMNS DeRuyter, HMNS Java, HMAS Perth and USS Marblehead and a number of destroyers and auxiiliaries. ABDA, with Houston, fought at the battles of Makassar Straight (where Houston was hit by Japanese gunfire which put Turret #3 out of commission), Java Sea, and Sunda Strait, where Houston and Perth found themselves in the midst of a Japanese invasion fleet and were sunk in a night action in the early hours of 1 March 1942.
The Northampton Class was divided into two sub-classes. Houston, Chicago and Augusta had extended focs'l decks to provide quarters for fleet command staffs. Northampton, Chester and Louisville had a shortened focs'l deck.
USS Houston is a sentimental subject for me, since Houston is my hometown.
Wayne
06-07-2020, 07:10 PM
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