Honolulu's night-fighting force and repeated torpedo survival

Honolulu operated with other Brooklyn-class cruisers and Fletcher-class destroyers in a force built to intercept the Tokyo Express. At Kolombangara, her first three salvos set a Japanese cruiser ablaze before a Long Lance torpedo tore away Honolulu's bow. She continued fighting, reached Tulagi for temporary work, and then crossed the Pacific for a replacement bow. A second aerial torpedo struck during the Leyte landings, again demonstrating the class's ability to survive severe damage as well as its persistent vulnerability below the waterline.