Wichita entered service in 1939 and moved through shakedown work, Neutrality Patrols, Caribbean duties, and a South American goodwill cruise. The ship also trained reserve midshipmen and conducted gunnery practice before joining Ranger and Tuscaloosa for a deep North Atlantic patrol in 1941. During Operation Indigo II, Wichita accompanied Wasp and Mississippi as American troops and fighter aircraft took over Iceland's defense. The island's position in the Battle of the Atlantic justified forces disproportionate to its physical size. Wichita was already tied to Atlantic sea-control problems when Pearl Harbor was attacked.
Chapter · 24:12-31:28
Neutrality Patrols and Iceland before Pearl Harbor
The service history follows Wichita from commissioning through Caribbean and Atlantic patrols to Iceland's strategic role in the Battle of the Atlantic.