Resource Room & Exhibit Gallery
USS Houston (CA-30)
In service September 7, 1929 - March 1, 1942
This is a model of the USS Houston CA-30, known as the Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast. The real ship, crewed by a brave team of nearly 1,100 mariners, sunk during World War II. The classification CA stands for a heavy cruiser, which is a type of warship armed with eight inch guns. The USS Houston served as the flagship of the Asiatic Fleet, fighting along the Java Coast in Indonesia. After a fierce battle against Japanese bombshells and torpedoes, the cruiser sank, taking over 700 men down with her, or losing them in the water. Despite being outgunned and running low on ammunition, Houston and the Australian Allied vessel Perth fought valiantly. Almost 400 men survived the sinking, but became prisoners of war POWs. 77 of those later died in captivity. After the war, Captain Albert H. Rooks was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions. The ship's sacrifice was honored by the commissioning of the light cruiser, the USS Houston CL-81, funded by war bonds sold in Houston, Texas.
James "Jim" Manzolillo, Founder of the Houston Maritime Center & Museum
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