Houston (Kantai Collection)

USS Houston was a Northampton-class cruiser of the United States Navy. She was launched by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia on 7 September 1929, sponsored by Elizabeth Holcombe (daughter of Oscar Holcombe, then-mayor of Houston, Texas), and commissioned on 17 June 1930, Captain Jesse Bishop Gay commanding.

The ship was originally classified as a light cruiser (hull number CL-30) because of her thin armor. Houston was redesignated a heavy cruiser (CA-30) on 1 July 1931, as the provisions of the 1930 London Naval Treaty considered ships with 8-inch main guns to be heavy cruisers.

Her last action was the Battle of Java Sea. Houston scored no known hits and was forced to retreat with the rest of the remaining allies. Following this disaster she and Perth attempted to flee to the safety of Australia but stumbled into the Japanese invasion force in the Sunda Strait and both ships were overwhelmed and lost. Houston managed to sink a minesweeper in the battle, but unfortunately as she was sinking fired continued to be directed at her, killing men as they abandoned ship.

Appearance

 * Her base CG colors represent her prewar light gray (almost white) paint scheme. Her kai CG colors consisted of light gray and an improvised ocean gray (cavite gray), the one she had during her final days.
 * In her damaged CG, her number 3 turret is damaged in reference to the damage she sustained from a Japanese kamikaze air attack that disabled her number 3 turret.
 * The thing on the front of her USN officer cap is a gun director that sits on top of her fire control platform on her foremast.
 * The ribbon around her collar is a Presidential Unit Citation that was awarded to her.