USS Houston (CL 30) Probably photographed in 1930, at the time of her completion.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph - NH 53586.

Undated photo of Houston at anchor, rigged for Dress Ship.

Photo is by George Winstead

Port bow view while underway, date and location unknown.

U.S. Navy photo.

Houston at sea February 1931. From the collection of Texas Commandery, US Naval Order.

USS Jason is off in the left distance as a Vought O2U-3 or O2U-4 Corsair float plane of Scouting Squadron Eleven is catapulted from USS Houston (CA 30), in Far Eastern waters, circa 1931-1932.

US Navy photo # NH 94188 from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command, collection of Lieutenant Oscar W. Levy, USN (Supply Corps), (Retired).

USS Houston (CA 30) Photographed during the early or middle 1930s.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph - NH 53588.

USS Houston (CA 30) The ship's starboard 5"/25 guns in action, during anti-aircraft battle practice off Chefoo, China, 1932-33.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph - NH 53590.

USS Houston (CA 30) At Tsingtao, China, on 4 July 1933, "dressed overall" for the holiday. She is flying the four-star flag of Admiral Montgomery M. Taylor, Commander in Chief Asiatic Fleet, at her forepeak. Courtesy of Chief Radioman W.R. Lucas, USN (Retired), 1973.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph - NH 78368.

11 July 1934, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was aboard the U.S. cruiser Houston as it transited the Panama Canal en route from Annapolis, Maryland, to Portland, Oregon.  This was the first passage through the canal by a president of the United States while in office.  Military honors were rendered at Miraflores as the warship paused before locking down to the Pacific.  The Houston had embarked Roosevelt and his party at Annapolis on July 1st, proceeding to the canal via Cape Haitien, Mayaguez, San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Croix, and Cartagena.  After a day tour at Balboa on the 12th, the president re-embarked the Houston, and the cruiser got under way at 5:30 p.m. for Portland via Cocos Island and Honolulu.  While in office, President Roosevelt was to make four more visits to Panama, two aboard the Houston in 1935 and 1938 and two aboard the cruiser Tuscaloosa in 1940.  The Houston, launched by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. in 1929, made her final transit of the canal in 1939.  A year later the ship was posted to the Philippines as flagship of the Asiatic Fleet.  Following several combat actions against the Japanese during the first few weeks of World War II, the Houston was lost in the Battle of the Java Sea in late February 1942.  Having battles against far superior forces, the heavy cruiser became one of the most honored ships of the war, winning two battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation.

Photo and narration from the book Ships of The Panama Canal, by James L. Shaw

USS Houston (CA 30) transits the Panama Canal with Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidential party on 11 July 1934 en route from Annapolis, Maryland to Portland, Oregon. This was the first passage through the canal by a president of the United States while in office.

U.S. Navy photo. This Image was released by the United States Navy with the ID 140609-N-ZZ999-004

Off Cocoanut Island, Hilo, T.H., 25 July 1934.

Photo by Tai Sing Loo.

Turning in Pearl Harbor, 1934.

Photo by Tai Sing Loo.

USS Houston (CA 30) At anchor off San Pedro, California, 18 April 1935. A New Orleans class heavy cruiser is in the right background.

Photograph from Department of the Navy collections in the U.S. National Archives - 80-CF-21337-1.

USS Houston (CA 30) off San Diego, California, in October 1935, with President Franklin D. Roosevelt on board. She is flying an admiral's four-star flag at her foremast peak, and the Presidential flag at her mainmast peak.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

USS Houston (CA 30) off San Diego, California, in October 1935, with President Franklin D. Roosevelt on board. She is flying an admiral's four-star flag at her foremast peak, and the Presidential flag at her mainmast peak.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

The USS San Francisco (CA 38) is forward of the USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) on the left and the USS Houston (CA 30) is forward of the USS Chicago (CA 29) at Mare Island Navy Yard between the 3rd and 5th of November 1936.

U.S. Navy Photo.

USS Houston (CA 30) in the Gatun Locks, Panama Canal, 5 August 1938, with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt bidding farewell to Panama's President F. H. Arosemena before sailing on the cruiser. Roosevelt is in the automobile just to the left of the catapult. The destroyer USS McDougal (DD 358) is in the right background. Panoramic photograph by H. L. Brazeal, FT. Davis, CZ. Donation of Captain J. A. Barker, USN (Ret), 1983.

The USS Houston (CA 30) is forward of USS Chicago (CA 29) on 10 September 1940 at Mare Island Navy Yard. USS Ramapo (AO 12) is berthed alongside of USS Houston and the USS William Ward Burrows (AP 6) and the YD 33 (150 ton crane) are alongside of USS Chicago.

NARA San Francisco, Mare Island Navy Shipyard Ship Files

A view of the Mast in the Wardroom.

National Archives, Seattle Branch, Record Group 181.

The USS Houston (CA 30) is forward of USS Chicago (CA 29) on 10 September 1940 at Mare Island Navy Yard. USS Ramapo (AO 12) is berthed alongside of USS Houston and the USS William Ward Burrows (AP 6) and theYD 33 (150 ton crane) are alongside of USS Chicago. In this picture there is a good view of the AA guns added to the Chicago's aft deck house.

U.S. Navy Photo.

USS Houston (CA 30) In Manila Bay, Philippine Islands, in 1940-41, after her final modifications. Courtesy of Robert I. Martin, 1975.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph - NH 81592.

"USS HOUSTON (CA 30) at Tjilatjap, Java, February 1942, as seen from USS MARBLEHEAD (CL 12). The damage to HOUSTON's aft gunhouse may not appear dramatic, but almost six dozen men were killed & wounded. The armored cover to her turret rangefinder has been blown off in the blast along with the outer doors. Outlines of life-rafts that were destroyed are evident in the paint atop the turret. Over 200 small fragments perforated the side of the gunhouse itself, which led to the fires which gutted the interior and killed most of the turret's gun crew. The turret was already trained out at 30 degrees when the bomb struck, and the damage froze it temporarily in that position."

NARA II photo from Marblehead's Action Reports

USS Houston (CA 30) (right center) at Darwin, Australia, probably on 15 or 18 February 1942. The destroyer astern of Houston is the USS Peary (DD 226). Among the ships in the background, to the left, are HMAS Terka and the SS Zealandia. The donor was on board HMAS Tolga, then used as a water carrier for ships in Darwin harbor. Courtesy of Arthur W. Thomas.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph - NH 43649.

Looking from the Australian Corvette, HMAS Warrnambool (J 202), towards the USS Houston (CA 30) (right), with the USS Peary (DD 226) along side in early February, 1942.

Australian War Memorial, Photo #P05303.011