USS Honolulu ( CL - 48 ) USS " Honolulu " ( CL - 48 ) of the United States Navy was a " Brooklyn " - class light cruiser active in the Pacific War ( World War II ) 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 . Inter - war period . 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 on 5 November for duty from Pearl Harbor . She operated there through 1941 , and she was moored at the Naval Station when the Japan ese launched their attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 . " Honolulu " suffered only minor hull damage from a near miss . 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 . 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 Noumea 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 . One Japanese destroyer was sunk by American cruiser gunfire , but four cruisers were hit by Japanese torpedoes , with one of the cruisers , , sinking . " Honolulu " escaped serious damage in this , one of the worst defeats suffered by the US Navy during World War II . " Honolulu " operated out of Espiritu Santo in early 1943 with Task Force 67 ( TF 67 ) in an attempt to engage the " Tokyo Express " . During May , she engaged in bombardments of New Georgia in the Solomons . " Honolulu " departed from Espiritu Santo on 28 June for more bombardments in the Solomons . After supporting the landings on New Georgia Island on 4 July , she opened fire on enemy ships in the Battle of Kula Gulf , knocking out one destroyer and assisting in the destruction of others . 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 " Sendai " - class light 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 a hole in her hull . 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 . 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 . " Honolulu " took part in bombardments of the southeastern part of Saipan Island in early June as the Navy and Marines leaped across the Pacific . While bombarding Guam in mid - June , " Honolulu " was deployed northwest to intercept the Japanese fleet . She returned to Eniwetok Atoll on 28 June for replenishments , before providing support for the invasion of Guam . She remained on station for three weeks , performing great service with her accurate gunfire , before returning to Purvis Bay on Florida Island in the Solomons on 18 August . " Honolulu " steamed out on 6 September to provide fire support for the landings in the Palau Islands , such as at Peleliu Island and Anguar , remaining in this area during September unopposed by the Japanese fleet . America now had decisive command of the sea , and therefore nearly full freedom of operations . Battle of Leyte . " Honolulu " departed from the staging area at Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands on 12 October , and steamed towards the Philippines for the invasion of Leyte . She began a bombardment from Leyte Gulf on 19 October , and the next day she began screening the landings . At 1600 , on 20 October an enemy torpedo plane was sighted as it aimed its torpedo at the " Honolulu " . Despite the skillful maneuvering of Captain Thurber to evade , the torpedo found its mark on her port side . " Honolulu " sailed out the next day , arriving at Manus on 29 October for temporary repairs , and then steamed for Norfolk , Virginia on 19 November , arriving on 20 December via Pearl Harbor , San Diego , California , and the Panama Canal . " Honolulu " remained at Norfolk for the duration of the war , undergoing repairs and modernization , and after a shakedown cruise in October 1945 , she steamed to Newport , Rhode Island , for duty as a training ship . " Honolulu " arrived at Philadelphia on 8 January 1946 and was decommissioned there on 3 February 1947 , and joined the Reserve Fleet at Philadelphia . As one of two " Brooklyn " class cruisers to be modernized with twin 5in / 38 guns and Mark 37 directors , " Honolulu " was retained by the USN when most of her surviving sister ships were sold to South American navies . Stricken on 1 March 1959 , " Honolulu " was sold for scrapping on 17 November 1959 . Awards . " Honolulu " received eight battle star s for World War II service .