USS Houston (CL-81)

USS Houston (January 1944)
History
United States
NamesakeCity of Houston, Texas
BuilderNewport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia
Launched19 June 1943
Commissioned20 December 1943
Decommissioned15 December 1947
Stricken1 March 1959
FateSold for scrap on 1 June 1961
General characteristics
Class and typeCleveland-class light cruiser
Displacement
Length610 ft 1 in (185.95 m)
Beam66 ft 4 in (20.22 m)
Draft24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph)
Range11,000 nmi (20,000 km; 13,000 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement1,285 officers and enlisted
Armament
Armor
Aircraft carried4 × floatplanes
Aviation facilities2 × stern catapults

USS Houston (CL-81) was a Cleveland-class light cruiser of the United States Navy, which were built during World War II. The class was designed as a development of the earlier Brooklyn-class cruisers, the size of which had been limited by the First London Naval Treaty. The start of the war led to the dissolution of the treaty system, but the dramatic need for new vessels precluded a new design, so the Clevelands used the same hull as their predecessors, but were significantly heavier. The Clevelands carried a main battery of twelve 6-inch (152 mm) guns in four three-gun turrets, along with a secondary armament of twelve 5 in (127 mm) dual-purpose guns. They had a top speed of 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph).

She was active in the Pacific War and survived two separate aerial torpedo hits in October 1944.