USS Chester ( CA - 27 ) USS " Chester " ( CA - 27 ) , a " Northampton " - class heavy cruiser , was the second ship of the United States Navy named after the city of Chester , Pennsylvania . " Chester " was launched on 3 July 1929 by New York Shipbuilding Company , Camden , New Jersey ; sponsored by Miss J . T . Blain ; commissioned on 24 June 1930 , Captain Arthur Fairfield in command ; and reported to the Atlantic Fleet . Inter - war period . " Chester " cleared Newport , Rhode Island on 13 August 1930 for an extensive European cruise . She visited Barcelona , Naples , Constantinople , Phaleron Bay , and Gibraltar before returning to Chester , Pennsylvania , for voyage repairs on 13 October . She joined the Scouting Fleet as flagship for Commander , Light Cruiser Divisions , and on 6 March 1931 , embarked the Secretary of the Navy for the Canal Zone where he observed the annual fleet problem from . " Chester " carried the secretary back to Miami , Fla . , arriving on 22 March , then sailed to Narragansett Bay for exercises and duty escorting two visiting French cruisers . Originally CL - 27 , effective 1 July 1931 , " Chester " was redesignated CA - 27 in accordance with the provisions of the London Naval Treaty of 1930 . Following an overhaul at New York Navy Yard during which she was equipped with two catapults amidships , " Chester " stood out of Hampton Roads on 31 July 1932 with planes and ammunition for the West Coast . She arrived at San Pedro , California on 14 August and joined in the regular activities of the fleet . Departing San Pedro on 9 April 1934 as flagship of Commander , Special Service Squadron , she arrived in New York on 31 May for that day ' s Presidential Naval Review , returning to San Pedro on 9 November . Ensign Richard O ' Kane , who would win the Medal of Honor as the most successful United States submarine officer of World War II , served aboard " Chester " for one year as a junior gun division officer and then as signal officer following graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1934 . On 25 September 1935 , " Chester " embarked the Secretary of War and his party for a voyage to the Philippines in connection with the inauguration of the president of the Philippines Commonwealth on 15 November . Returning to San Francisco on 14 December 1935 , she resumed operations with Cruiser Division 4 . Sailing from San Francisco on 28 October 1936 , " Chester " arrived at Charleston , South Carolina on 13 November and departed five days later to escort with President Franklin Roosevelt embarked for a good - will visit to Buenos Aires , Argentina , and Montevideo , Uruguay . " Chester " returned to San Pedro on 24 December . " Chester " remained on the West Coast for fleet exercises and training cruises to Hawaiian and Alaskan waters from 1937 except for a cruise to the East Coast for exercises and overhaul ( 23 September 1940 – 21 January 1941 ) . " Chester " was one of six ships to receive the new RCA CXAM RADAR in 1940 . Homeported at Pearl Harbor from 3 February , the cruiser exercised in Hawaiian waters , and made one voyage to the West Coast with Commander , Scouting Force embarked ( 14 May 1941 – 18 June 1941 ) . From 10 October to 13 November , she escorted two army transports carrying reinforcements to Manila , Philippines Islands Upon her return , she joined and and was at sea returning from Wake Island when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor . " Chester " remained on patrol with Task Force 8 ( TF 8 ) in Hawaiian waters . On 12 December , her planes bombed a submarine , then guided to a depth charge attack which continued until contact was lost . World War II . 1942 . " Chester " supported the reinforcement landing on Samoa ( 18 – 24 January 1942 ) , then joined Task Group 8 . 3 ( TG 8 . 3 ) for the successful raid on Taroa ( 1 February ) . Retiring under heavy air attack , she received a bomb hit in the well deck which killed eight and injured 38 . She returned to Pearl Harbor on 3 February for repairs . Following an escort voyage to San Francisco , " Chester " joined TF 17 for the Guadalcanal - Tulagi raid ( 4 May ) ; the attack on Misima Island , Louisiade Archipelago ( 7 May ) ; and the Battle of the Coral Sea ( 8 May ) during which her steady antiaircraft fire protected the carriers providing the air strikes which stopped the invasion force heading for Port Moresby , New Guinea . Five of " Chester " s crew were wounded in this encounter . On 10 May , she received 478 survivors of from , whom she transferred to Tonga Island on 15 May . After a West Coast overhaul , " Chester " arrived at Nouméa on 21 September 1942 , to join TF 62 for the landings on Funafuti , Ellice Islands ( 2 – 4 October ) . She then proceeded south and while cruising in support of the operations in the Solomons , " Chester " was hit by a torpedo from on the starboard side , amidships on 20 October which killed 11 and wounded 12 . She returned to Espiritu Santo under her own power for emergency repairs on 23 October . Three days later , struck a mine , and " Chester " sent fire and rescue parties to her aid as well as taking on the 440 survivors for transfer to Espiritu Santo . She steamed to Sydney , Australia on 29 October for further repairs and on Christmas Day , departed for Norfolk and a complete overhaul . 1943 . Returning to San Francisco on 13 September 1943 , " Chester " operated on escort duty between that port and Pearl Harbor until 20 October . On 8 November , she cleared Pearl Harbor for the invasion of the Marshalls . She covered the landings on Abemama Island and bombarded Taroa , Wotje , and Maloelap . 1944 . " Chester " assumed antisubmarine and antiaircraft patrol off Majuro until 25 April 1944 , when she sailed for San Francisco and brief overhaul ( 6 – 22 May ) . She joined TF 94 at Adak Island , Alaska on 27 May for the bombardments of Matsuwa and Paramushiru in the Kuriles on 13 June and 26 June , then sailed to Pearl Harbor , arriving on 13 August . " Chester " sortied on 29 August with TG 12 . 5 for the bombardment of Wake Island ( 3 September ) , then arrived at Eniwetok on 6 September . She cruised off Saipan and participated in the bombardment of Marcus Island on 9 October , before joining TG 38 . 1 for the carrier strikes on Luzon and Samar in support of the Leyte operations , as well as searching for enemy forces after the Battle for Leyte Gulf ( 25 – 26 October ) . 1945 . From 8 November 1944 to 21 February 1945 , " Chester " operated from Ulithi and Saipan in bombardment of Iwo Jima and the Bonins , supporting the invasion landings of 19 February . After another West Coast overhaul , " Chester " returned to Ulithi on 21 June , and conducted patrols off Okinawa from 27 June , as well as covering minesweeping operations west of the island . In late July , " Chester " was assigned to the force supplying air cover for the Coast Striking Group ( TG 95 . 2 ) off the Yangtze River Delta and protecting minesweeping . In August , she made a voyage to the Aleutians , and on the last day of the month sailed to participate in the occupation landings at Ominato , Aomori , Hakodate , and Otaru in September – October . Post - war . " Chester " embarked homeward bound troops at Iwo Jima , and sailed on 2 November for San Francisco , arriving on 18 November . She made another voyage to Guam to bring home servicemen ( 24 November – 17 December ) , then steamed on 14 January 1946 for Philadelphia , arriving on 30 January . " Chester " was placed out of commission in reserve in Philadelphia on 10 June . She was sold for scrap on 11 August 1959 . Awards . " Chester " received 11 battle star s for World War II service .