USS Chicago (CA-29)

USS Chicago (CA-29), underway off New York City, during the fleet review on 31 May 1934.
History
United States
Name:	Chicago
Namesake:	City of Chicago, Illinois
Ordered:	18 December 1924
Awarded:	19 April 1927 13 June 1927 (supplementary contract)
Builder:	Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California
Cost:	$11,100,000 (limit of cost)
Laid down:	10 September 1928
Launched:	10 April 1930
Sponsored by:	Miss. E Britten
Commissioned:	9 March 1931
Reclassified:	CA-29, 1 July 1931
Identification:	Hull symbol:CL-29 Hull symbol:CA-29
Honors and awards:	3 × battle stars
Fate:	Sunk by air attack during the Battle of Rennell Island, 30 January 1943
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type:	Northampton-class cruiser
Displacement:	9,300 long tons (9,400 t) (standard)
Length:	600 ft 3 in (182.96 m) oa 572 ft (174 m) pp
Beam:	66 ft 1 in (20.14 m)
Draft:	16 ft 8 in (5.08 m) (mean) 23 ft (7.0 m) (max)
Installed power:	8 × White-Forster boilers 107,000 shp (80,000 kW)
Propulsion:	4 × Parsons reduction steam turbines, Curtis cruising gears 4 × screws
Speed:	32.7 kn (37.6 mph; 60.6 km/h)
Range:	10,000 nmi (12,000 mi; 19,000 km) at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h)
Capacity:	1,500 short tons (1,400 t) fuel oil
Complement:	90 officers 601 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	CXAM radar from 1940
Armament:	9 × 8 in (203 mm)/55 caliber guns (3x3) 4 × 5 in (127 mm)/25 caliber anti-aircraft guns 2 × 3-pounder 47 mm (1.9 in) saluting guns 6 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Armor:	Belt: 3–3 3⁄4 in (76–95 mm) Deck: 1–2 in (25–51 mm) Barbettes: 1 1⁄2 in (38 mm) Turrets: 3⁄4–2 1⁄2 in (19–64 mm) Conning Tower: 1 1⁄4 in (32 mm)
Aircraft carried:	4 × SOC Seagull scout-observation floatplanes
Aviation facilities:	2 × Amidship catapults
General characteristics (1942)
Armament:	9 × 8 in (203 mm)/55 caliber guns (3x3) 8 × 5 in (127 mm)/25 caliber anti-aircraft guns 2 × 3-pounder 47 mm (1.9 in) saluting guns 16 × 1.1 in (27.9 mm)/75 anti-aircraft guns 28 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons

USS Chicago (CL/CA-29) was a Northampton-class 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. 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 torpedoes in the Battle of Rennell Island, in the Solomon Islands, on 30 January 1943.

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 classified as a light cruiser, CL-29, because of her thin armor. Effective 1 July 1931, Chicago was redesignated a heavy cruiser, CA-29, because of her 8-inch guns in accordance with the provisions of the London Naval Treaty of 1930.

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.