USS Northampton ( CA - 26 ) USS " Northampton " ( CA - 26 ) was a heavy cruiser in service with the United States Navy . She was the lead ship of her class and commissioned in 1930 . During World War II she served in the Pacific and was sunk by Japanese torpedoes during the Battle of Tassafaronga on 30 November 1942 . Construction . " Northampton " was laid down on 12 April 1928 by Bethlehem Steel Corp . ' s Fore River Shipyard , Quincy , Mass . ; launched on 5 September 1929 ; sponsored by Grace Coolidge ( wife of the ex - President ) ; and commissioned on 17 May 1930 , Captain Walter N . Vernou in command . Inter - war period . Joining the Atlantic Fleet , " Northampton " made a shakedown cruise to the Mediterranean during the summer of 1930 , then participated in the fleet training schedule which took her to the Caribbean , the Panama Canal Zone , and , occasionally , into the Pacific for exercises with other cruisers and ships of all types . Redesignated CA - 26 in 1931 in accordance with the London Naval Treaty , she operated primarily in the Pacific from 1932 , homeported at San Pedro , and later at Pearl Harbor . " Northampton " was one of six ships to receive the new RCA CXAM RADAR in 1940 . World War II . " Northampton " was at sea with Admiral William Halsey , Jr . in during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 , returning to port the next day . On 9 December , the force sortied to search northeast of Oahu , then swept south to Johnston Island , then north again to hunt the enemy west of Lisianski Island and Midway Atoll . On 11 December , was damaged when it collided with " Northampton " during underway refueling . Through January 1942 , " Northampton " joined in such searches until detached with to bombard Wotje on 1 February . The bombardment not only demolished buildings and fuel dumps on the island , but also sank two Japanese ships . A similar assault was fired against Wake Island on 24 February when , despite serious enemy counterfire , the guns of " Northampton " and her force started large fires on the island and sank a dredge in the lagoon . As " Northampton " retired from the island , enemy seaplane s , landbased planes , and patrol craft attacked , but all were destroyed or repulsed . On 4 March , the force launched aircraft for a strike on Marcus Island , then turned east for Pearl Harbor . Early in April , " Enterprise " s task force , including " Northampton " , sortied once again , and joined force for the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo 18 April . Once again the ships replenished at Pearl Harbor , then sailed for the Southwest Pacific , arriving just after the battle of the Coral Sea . Returning to Pearl Harbor , " Northampton " prepared for the action soon to come at the battle of Midway , when she screened " Enterprise " . On 4 – 5 June , the American carriers launched their planes to win a great victory , turning the Japanese back in mid - Pacific , and dealing them a tremendous blow by sinking four carriers . Throughout the Battle of Midway , " Northampton " protected her carrier and with her returned undamaged to Pearl Harbor on 13 June . In mid - August , " Northampton " sailed for the Southwest Pacific to join in the Guadalcanal operation . She patrolled southeast of San Cristobal , where on 15 September her force was attacked by submarines , which damaged and , and struck only off " Northampton " s port beam . Now sailing with " Hornet " , " Northampton " screened the carrier during attacks on Bougainville Island on 5 October . During the battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October , which took place without surface contact with the enemy , " Northampton " went to the aid of " Hornet " , mortally wounded by enemy aircraft , and provided antiaircraft cover while attempting to take the stricken carrier in tow . Obviously doomed , the carrier was later sunk by destroyer torpedo and gunfire , and the American force retired to the southwest . Loss at the Battle of Tassafaronga . " Northampton " next operated with a cruiser - destroyer force , to prevent the Japanese from reinforcing their troops on Guadalcanal . The Battle of Tassafaronga began 40 minutes before midnight on 30 November , when three American destroyers made a surprise torpedo attack on the Japanese . All American ships then opened fire , which the startled enemy did not return for seven minutes . Two of the American cruisers took torpedo hits within the space of a minute , and 10 minutes later , another was hit , all being forced to retire from the action . " Northampton " and , with six destroyers , continued the fierce action . Close to the end of the engagement , " Northampton " was struck by two torpedoes , which tore a huge hole in her port side , ripping away decks and bulkheads . Flaming oil sprayed over the ship ; she took on water rapidly and began to list . Three hours later , as she began to sink stern - first , she had to be abandoned . So orderly and controlled was the process that loss of life was surprisingly light , and the survivors were all picked up within an hour by destroyers . While a tactical defeat , as three cruisers had been severely damaged and " Northampton " lost in exchange for the loss of only one Japanese destroyer , the Japanese had been denied a major reinforcement , turning the action into an American strategic victory . The senior officer killed on " Northampton " during the battle of Tassafaronga was Chief Engineer , Commander ( select ) Hilan Ebert of Alliance , Ohio . In honor of Commander Ebert , the was launched 11 May 1944 by Tampa Shipbuilding Co . , Inc . , Tampa , Florida ; sponsored the widow of Commander Ebert ; Mrs . Hilan Ebert . At the time of Commander Ebert ’ s untimely death he was survived by his wife ; his mother ; and two his sons , Scott and David . Awards . " Northampton " received six battle star s for World War II service . In fiction . " Northampton " plays a prominent role in Herman Wouk ' s novel " War and Remembrance " as Victor Henry ' s first seagoing command . The ship ' s operations in the book are identical to those in its real life . The novel includes a discussion of the design compromises imposed on the " Northampton " - class by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1920 . " Northampton " was also used as a reference in the 1937 film " Navy Blue and Gold " , in which James Stewart played a seaman who was stationed on " Northampton " before being awarded an appointment to the U . S . Naval Academy at Annapolis . Stewart ' s character mentioned that he played football for the " Northampton " , and that it was the fleet football champion .