USS Chicago ( CA - 29 ) USS " Chicago " ( CA - 29 ) was a " Northampton " - class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy that served in the Pacific Theater in the early years of World War II . She was the second US Navy ship to be named after the city of Chicago , Illinois . After surviving a midget submarine attack at Sydney Harbour and serving in battle at the Coral Sea and Savo Island in 1942 , she was sunk by Japanese aerial torpedo es in the Battle of Rennell Island , in the Solomon Islands , on 30 January 1943 . Construction . " Chicago " was launched on 10 April 1930 by Mare Island Naval Shipyard , sponsored by Miss E . Britten ; and commissioned on 9 March 1931 , Captain Manley Hale Simons in command . Originally CL - 29 , effective 1 July 1931 , " Chicago " was redesignated CA - 29 in accordance with the provisions of the London Naval Treaty of 1930 . Service history . Inter - War Period . After a shakedown cruise to Honolulu , Tahiti and American Samoa , " Chicago " departed Mare Island on 27 July 1931 and sailed to the east coast , arriving at Fort Pond Bay , New York , on 16 August . There , she became flagship of Commander , Cruisers , Scouting Force , and operated with that force until 1940 . In February 1932 , " Chicago " conducted gunnery exercises with other ships of the Scouting Force preliminary to Fleet Problem XIII off the California coast . The Fleet was based on the West Coast thereafter and , until 1934 , operated in the Pacific , from Alaska to the Panama Canal Zone and the Hawaiian Islands . In 1934 , the annual fleet exercises were held in the Caribbean , followed in May 1934 by the Presidential Fleet Review in New York Harbor . The Scouting Force operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean until October and then returned to base at San Pedro , California . " Chicago " was one of six ships to receive the new RCA CXAM RADAR in 1940 . " Chicago " continued to operate out of San Pedro until 29 September 1940 , when she sailed to Pearl Harbor . During the next 14 months , " Chicago " operated out of Pearl Harbor , exercising with various task forces to develop tactics and cruising formations , and cruising to Australia and to the west coast . World War II . When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 , " Chicago " was at sea with TF 12 and the Force immediately began a five - day sweep in the Oahu - Johnston - Palmyra triangle in an effort to intercept the enemy . The Force returned to Pearl Harbor on 12 December ; from 14 – 27 December , " Chicago " operated with TF 11 on patrol and search missions . On 2 February 1942 , " Chicago " departed Pearl Harbor for Suva Bay where she joined the newly formed ANZAC Squadron , later redesignated as Task Force 44 . During March and April , the cruiser operated off the Louisiade Archipelago , covering the attacks on Lae and Salamaua , New Guinea . In a position to intercept enemy surface units which attempted to attack Port Moresby , " Chicago " also provided cover for the arrival of American troops on New Caledonia . On 1 May , " Chicago " was ordered from Nouméa to join Commander , Southwest Pacific , and on the 4th she supported in her strike against the Japanese on Tulagi , Solomon Islands during the Battle of the Coral Sea . On 7 May , she proceeded , with the Support Group , to intercept and attack the Japanese Port Moresby invasion group . The following day , the group underwent several Japanese air attacks , during which " Chicago " suffered several casualties from strafing , but drove off the planes and proceeded ahead until it was clear that the Japanese force had been turned back . On the night of 31 May – 1 June , while in port in Sydney Harbour , Australia , " Chicago " fired on an attacking Japanese midget submarine . " Chicago ' s " captain , Howard D . Bode , was ashore when his ship opened fire . After coming back aboard on his gig , he initially accused all the officers of being drunk . Shortly afterwards , the presence of the submarine was confirmed . Three Japanese midget submarines had attempted to enter Sydney Harbour . One became entangled in an anti - submarine boom net , while the other two submarines made it through . One was then disabled by depth charges , but the other managed to fire two torpedoes at " Chicago . " One torpedo passed near " Chicago " and destroyed another vessel nearby , while the second torpedo failed to detonate , and skidded ashore onto Garden Island . The crews of the Japanese midget submarines were unsuccessful in their primary mission , which was to sink " Chicago " . During June and July 1942 , " Chicago " continued to operate in the Southwest Pacific . From 7 – 9 August , she supported the initial landings on Guadalcanal and others of the Solomon Islands , beginning the US counter - offensive against Japan . On 9 August , she engaged in the Battle of Savo Island . Early in the engagement a hit from a Japanese cruiser ' s torpedo caused minor damage to the ship ' s bow . " Chicago " rapidly lost contact with the enemy and played no further part in the battle . Capt . Bode ' s actions during the engagement were questioned in a subsequent inquiry headed by Admiral Hepburn . Though the report was not intended to be made public , Bode himself learned of its implications and shot himself on 19 April 1943 , dying the following day . After Savo Island , " Chicago " was repaired at Nouméa , Sydney , and San Francisco , where she arrived 13 October . Loss at the Battle of Rennell Island . Early in January 1943 , " Chicago " departed San Francisco , action - bound once more . On 27 January , she sailed from Nouméa to escort a Guadalcanal convoy . On the night of the 29th , as the ships approached that bitterly contested island , Japanese aircraft attacked the force and the Battle of Rennell Island was underway . During the attacks , two burning Japanese planes silhouetted " Chicago " , providing light for torpedo attacks ; two hits caused severe flooding and loss of power . By the time the attack ended , fine work on board had checked " Chicago ' s " list . took the disabled ship in tow , and was relieved by the the following morning . During the afternoon , the Japanese attacked again and , despite heavy losses , managed to hit the disabled cruiser with four more torpedoes which sank her , stern first , at . The U . S . tried to conceal the loss of Chicago from the public for some time , with Admiral Chester Nimitz — commander in chief of Allied Pacific forces — threatening to " shoot " any of his staff who leaked the loss of " Chicago " to the press . Awards . " Chicago " received three battle star s for World War II service .