USS Houston (CL-81)

USS Houston (CL-81), off Norfolk, Virginia, 12 January 1944. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 32, Design 1d.
History
United States
Name:	USS Houston (CL-81)
Namesake:	City of Houston, Texas
Builder:	Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia
Launched:	19 June 1943
Sponsored by:	Mrs. C. B. Hamill
Commissioned:	20 December 1943
Decommissioned:	15 December 1947
Struck:	1 March 1959
Identification:	Hull symbol:CL-81 Code letters:NULD
Honors and awards:	3 × battle stars
Fate:	Sold for scrap on 1 June 1961
General characteristics
Class and type:	Cleveland-class Light cruiser
Displacement:	11,744 long tons (11,932 t) (standard) 14,131 long tons (14,358 t) (max)
Length:	610 ft 1 in (185.95 m) oa 608 ft (185 m)pp
Beam:	66 ft 4 in (20.22 m)
Draft:	25 ft 6 in (7.77 m) (mean) 25 ft (7.6 m) (max)
Installed power:	4 × 634 psi Steam boilers 100,000 shp (75,000 kW)
Propulsion:	4 × geared turbines 4 × screws
Speed:	32.5 kn (37.4 mph; 60.2 km/h)
Range:	11,000 nmi (20,000 km) @ 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h)
Complement:	1,255 officers and enlisted
Armament:	4 × triple 6 in (150 mm)/47 caliber Mark 16 guns 6 × dual 5 in (130 mm)/38 caliber anti-aircraft guns 4 × quad 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns 6 × dual 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns 21 × single 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons
Armor:	Belt: 3 1⁄2–5 in (89–127 mm) Deck: 2 in (51 mm) Barbettes: 6 in (150 mm) Turrets: 1 1⁄2–6 in (38–152 mm) Conning tower: 2 1⁄4–5 in (57–127 mm)
Aircraft carried:	4 × floatplanes
Aviation facilities:	2 × stern catapults

USS Houston (CL-81), a Cleveland-class light cruiser, was the third vessel in the United States Navy named after the city of Houston, Texas. She was active in the Pacific War for several months, then crippled in an attack in October 1944.

She was launched by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia on 19 June 1943, sponsored by Mrs. C. B. Hamill. Originally named Vicksburg, her name had been changed on 12 October 1942 in honor of her fallen predecessor USS Houston. The ship was commissioned on 20 December 1943, with Captain William W. Behrens, USN, in command.

Houston departed Norfolk on 1 February 1944 for her shakedown cruise in the Caribbean Sea, and after a period of training out of Boston, she steamed for the Pacific on 16 April.

Houston arrived at Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal and San Diego on 6 May, and after more training exercises arrived Majuro Atoll on 31 May to join Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher's huge Fast Carrier Task Force. Houston was to take part in the invasion of the Mariana and Palau Islands, a spectacular amphibious operation and another important step in the drive across the Pacific Islands to Japan. Departing on 5 June 1944, Houston screened carrier strike units which pounded the Mariana Islands on 12–13 June and the Bonin Islands on 15–16 June.