The Calm Before the Storm
Four of the US Navy’s interwar heavy cruisers are seen above at anchor in Mare Island Navy Yard in November of 1936. All of the cruisers are wearing the Navy’s splendid interwar overall white paint scheme. The cruiser closest to the camera is the Tuscaloosa (CA-37) of the New Orleans class. Moored on her starboard side, is the Northampton class cruiser, Chicago (CA-29). The Tuscaloosa’s sister ship, San Francisco (CA-38) is moored just forward alongside the Northampton class cruiser, Houston (CA-30). During the war, there would be 29 battle stars and two Presidential Unit Citations awarded to the four cruisers above. The Houston would be lost during the Battle of Sunda Strait on 1 March 1942, while the Chicago would be sunk at the Battle of Rennell Island on 30 January 1943. The San Francisco would end up as the second most decorated US Navy warship of the conflict, behind only the Enterprise (CV-6). The Tuscaloosa would serve admirably in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters.
