
Named for the city of Houston, the heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) was launched in 1929. On March 1, 1942, following the Allied defeat in the Battle of the Java Sea, she was sunk by the Japanese in the Battle of Sunda Strait. Her surviving crew members became prisoners of war for three and a half years. The collection includes letters, diaries, photographs, artwork, and memorabilia related to the history of the ship and her crew.