USS "Atlanta" (CL-51) of the United States Navy was the lead ship of the of eight light cruisers. She was the third Navy ship named after the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Designed to provide anti-aircraft protection for US naval task groups, "Atlanta" served in this capacity in the naval battles Midway and the Eastern Solomons. "Atlanta" was heavily damaged by Japanese and friendly gunfire in a night surface action on 13 November 1942 during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. The cruiser was sunk on her captain's orders in the afternoon of the same day.