Curtiss SOC-3 scout-observation floatplanes from USS Honolulu (CL 48) Fly in a formation, circa 1938-39. They are part of Cruiser Scouting Squadron 9 (VCS-9). These planes' Bureau #s are (from left to right): unidentified; 1073; 1175 (a SON-1 variant of the SOC-3); and 1087. Collection of Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph #NH 82466.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 53562.

In Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii, 14 July 1939. The Aloha Tower is in the right background.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives #80-G-451205.

USS Honolulu (CL 48) operating off Hawaii on 5 November 1941, with her aircraft recovery mat draped over her stern. The ship is painted in dark Measure 1 camouflage, but her boats are still in peacetime light grey.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives #80-G-279383.

USS Honolulu (CL 48) damage diagram from 250 kg bomb near miss on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, Hawaii.

Bureau of Ships, Navy Department, USS Honolulu Bomb Damage Dec. 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor.

USS Honolulu (CL 48) flooding damage symbol diagram from bomb hit on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, Hawaii.

Bureau of Ships, Navy Department, USS Honolulu Bomb Damage Dec. 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor.

Dock damage from 250 kg Japanese bomb that near missed the USS Honolulu (CL 48). The actual bomb hole is to the right of the mooring bits. Oil and water piping, not visible here, was bent and ruptured.

Bureau of Ships, Navy Department, USS Honolulu Bomb Damage Dec. 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor.

A 250 kg Japanese bomb hit in dock in 6” thick reinforced concrete near missing the USS Honolulu (CL 48). The actual hole measures 17” x 15”.

Bureau of Ships, Navy Department, USS Honolulu Bomb Damage Dec. 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor.

Damaged area on the port side hull of the USS Honolulu (CL 48). This photo is looking aft from the bow.

Bureau of Ships, Navy Department, USS Honolulu Bomb Damage Dec. 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Historical Center (NH 64478).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Historical Center (NH 83060).

Plan view aft, Mare Island, CA, 24 October 1942.

Mare Island Navy Yard Photo #6602-42

Plan view forward, Mare Island CA, 24 October 1942

Mare Island Navy Yard Photo #6599-42

Starboard bow view while off Mare Island Navy Yard, 26 October 1942.

Photograph from the collections of NARA San Francisco, Mare Island Naval Shipyard Ships Files

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives #19-N-36362.

Starboard quarter view while off Mare Island Navy Yard, 26 October 1942.

Photograph from the collections of NARA San Francisco, Mare Island Naval Shipyard Ships Files

U.S. Navy ships of Task Force 18 in Tulagi Harbour, Solomon Islands, shortly before departing hurriedly to avoid the large-scale Japanese air attack that marked the beginning of the "I" Operation, 7 April 1943. USS Aaron Ward (DD 483) is partially visible at left. She was fatally damaged in this air attack and sank near Tulagi during salvage attempts. The light cruiser in the center is USS Honolulu (CL 48). USS Saint Louis (CL 49) is behind her, to the right, with a Fletcher-class destroyer beyond. Photographed from USS Fletcher (DD 445).

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 97810.

USS Honolulu (CL 48), at left Returning from the Battle of Kula Gulf, at 0810 hrs on 6 July 1943. Also visible are USS St. Louis (CL 49), at right, and a Fletcher class destroyer. Photographed from USS Nicholas (DD 449). The original photograph came from Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison's World War II history project working files.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center #NH 83012.

Dawn, 13 July 1943 - En route Tulagi Harbor - View of forecastle from the Navigation Bridge. At this time the ship was making turns for 22 knots, using boiler power for 29 knots, and making 16 knots through the water.

Photograph from NARA San Francisco, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard General Correspondence, 1941-45

Dawn, 13 July 1943 - En route Tulagi Harbor - View of the stern showing 21" by 21" hole on centerline above the waterline left by the dud torpedo. Initial reports on this torpedo protruding from the stern were doubted as investigators sent aft after the stern was evacuated found no torpedo - it having fallen out. Sounding in the vicinity were dry. D-415-A, spare parts had no sounding tube. Subsequent investigation disclosed the hole and about
3 feet of water in D-415-A, spare parts.

Photograph from NARA San Francisco, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard General Correspondence, 1941-45

13 July 1943 - Tulagi Harbor - View of dud torpedo hole in stern. At this time a patch was welded over the hole.

Photograph from NARA San Francisco, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard General Correspondence, 1941-45

Battle of Kolombangara, 13 July 1943 - USS Honolulu (CL 48) in Tulagi Harbor, Solomon Islands, for temporary repair of damage received when she was torpedoed in the bow during the Battle of Kolombangara. USS Vireo (AT 144) is assisting the damaged cruiser. Note billboard on the hillside beyond Honolulu's collapsed bow. See Photo # 80-G-259446 (cropped) for a close-up view of this sign.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives #NH 83012.

Battle of Kolombangara, 13 July 1943 - Collapsed bow of USS Honolulu (CL 48), after she was torpedoed in the Battle of Kolombangara. Photographed while she was under repair at Tulagi on 20 July 1943. Note anchor chain and other foredeck details.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives #80-G-259422.

View of crane taking underwater section of bow to the beach. The bow was finally landed on the beach by 2 cranes and bulldozers, where it was cut up; the structure, fittings, and miscellaneous equipment contained therein salvaged.

Photograph from NARA San Francisco, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard General Correspondence, 1941-45

View of the hull after the the damaged bow had been removed.

Photograph from NARA San Francisco, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard General Correspondence, 1941-45

View of first deck stringer in place on the third deck. Most of the cutting away of scrap metal has been accomplished. At this time the draft forward was about 19 feet, ammunition, fuel oil, and the damaged bow having been removed.

Photograph from NARA San Francisco, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard General Correspondence, 1941-45

Construction of a temporary bow is underway.

Photograph from NARA San Francisco, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard General Correspondence, 1941-45

USS Honolulu (CL 48) underway near Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, on 7 August 1943, en route to Pearl Harbor for battle damage repairs. She has been fitted with a short false bow as a temporary replacement for that lost in the Battle of Kolombangara, 13 July 1943.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives #80-G-259466.

Port bow view while moored in Pearl Harbor before entering Drydock to replace the damaged bow. Photo taken 16 August 1943.

NARA San Francisco, Mare Island Naval Shipyard General Correspondence Files, 1939-47

Bow area after temporary bow and forward area to frame 21 has been removed from the main deck to deck 3.

National Archives, San Francisco Branch, Mare Island Naval Shipyard General Correspondence files, 1941-47

Drydocked at Pearl Harbor Navy Shipyard on 20 August 1943

National Archives, San Francisco Branch, Mare Island Naval Shipyard General Correspondence files, 1941-47

Drydocked at Pearl Harbor Navy Shipyard on 23 August 1943. The damaged bow is being inspected prior to removal prior to installation of the replacement bow.

Photograph from NARA San Francisco, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard General Correspondence, 1941-45

Damaged lower bow, 3rd deck down from Frame 21 forward, after having been removed while in drydock at Pearl Harbor. Note the ripples in the deck from the explosion.

National Archives, San Francisco Branch, Mare Island Naval Shipyard General Correspondence files, 1941-47

Port bow view of the USS Honolulu (CL 48) off Mare Island on 12 November 1943.

Photograph from the collections of NARA San Francisco, Mare Island Naval Shipyard Ships Files

Stern view of the USS Honolulu (CL 48) off Mare Island on 12 November 1943.

U.S. Navy Photo #7618-43.

Broadside view of the USS Honolulu (CL 48) off Mare Island on 12 November 1943 near the conclusion of her overhaul at the yard. She was under repairs from 6 September to 16 November 1943.

U.S. Navy Photo #7620-43.

Bow view of the USS Honolulu (CL 48) off Mare Island on 12 November 1943.

U.S. Navy Photo #7622-43.

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. 2012.055.012

USS Honolulu (CL 48) anchored at an unknown location in 1944. The ship is painted with the MS32/2C camouflage scheme.

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. 2012.055.010

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. 2012.055.009

USS Honolulu (CL 48) in a south Pacific port, probably during the spring of 1944. Her camouflage is Measure 32, Design 2c. This image was received by the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory on 10 July 1944.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives #80-G-K-1637.

Port bow view of USS Honolulu (CL 48) in Purvis Bay between 23-30 April 1944 wearing measure 32/2C camouflage. Photo taken from USS Halford (DD 480).

United States National Archives, Photo #80-G-253269, courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, (usndazzle.com).

USS Honolulu (CL 48) on 15 September 1944, bombarding Peleliu.

United States National Archives, Photo #80-G-287127, courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, (usndazzle.com).

USS Honolulu is beached with torpedo damage off the Leyte beaches 20 October 1944. USS Richard P Leary (DD 664) is alongside.

From NA SC255837

Invasion of Leyte, October 1944 - USS Honolulu (CL 48) beached off Leyte on 21 October 1944, after she had been torpedoed. Fleet tug USS Potawatomi (ATF 109) lies alongside Honolulu's port bow, USS Menominee (ATF 73) is alongside to starboard.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives #80-G-289685.

Water drains from the wound in Honolulu's hull caused by a Japanese air-dropped torpedo after she was lifted out of the water by ABSD-2 in Seeadler Harbor on Manus Island, 30 October 1944. Honolulu had received the torpedo hit ten days earlier while providing gunnery support for the Philippine invasion in Leyte Gulf.

U.S. National Archives #80-G-289557

Reference markers for Honolulu's internal structure has been painted on the outside of her hull as work to remove wreckage from inside continues.

U.S. Navy photo #80-G-289583 from the National Archives

Work underway to temporarily repair Honolulu the early morning or night of 2 November 1944. Wreckage is being cut away and removed from the hull at this stage.

U.S. Navy Photo #80-G-289576 from the National Archives