USS
Chicago CA-29, she the
Northampton Class Heavy Cruiser, who was not quite built for the job, she was actually intended as light cruiser. Due to the Washington treaty, and her 8 inch guns, she was rated as Heavy, but has the thin armor of a light.
She had rough career, she spent most her time in the Pacific. In 1932, her thin armor became apparent when in heavy for she collided with the British freighter
Silver Palm off coast of Point Sur, California. Big gap pretty telling for what was to come for her. The freighter plowed in 18 feet (5.5 m) into the cruiser's port bow, forward of the Number 1 gun mount. You can see from the pictures, you had virtually all her decks, I'm surprised she stayed afloat.
In the battle of Battle of Savo Island, she got torpedoed, but she managed to get back to Australia to get the damaged repaired.
She finally was lost in 1943, in Battle of Rennell Island. She was sunk by a four torpedoes, along with a destroyer. It was fortunate that only 62 people were killed, while 1049 her crew were rescued. She was only major loss for the US in the fight, while Japanese was falsely reporting pair of battleships and cruisers were lost. Nimitz was so keen keep her lost out the press, he shoot anyone leaking the report to the press.
