Houston to Sail on "Shakedown Cruise Washington, July 28, With the eyes of the world turned upon 10,000-ton cruisers since the London Naval Conference, the Far East will have an opportunity next year to see one of the finest United States war vessels in this category.
The 10,000-ton light cruiser Houston, commissioned at the Norfolk, Navy Yard in June, is already scheduled to relieve the U.S.S.
Pittsburgh as flagship of the commander-in-chief of the Asiatic Fleet in the early summer of 1981. Prior that time, the Houston will take 'a "shakedown cruise" for which the ner ary has not yet been announced. She is the fourth in the programme of eight light cruisers authorized by Congress December 18, 1924.
The dimensions of the Houston are: length overall, 600 feet; beam, 65 fect; _mean draft, 17 fect 7 ches; displacement, 10,000 tons. Her engines are of the Parsons turbine-reduction gear type, and she has eight oil-burning White-Forster boilers. Armament consists of nine eight-inch 55 calibre guns in three mounts; four 5-inch 25 calibre antiaircraft guns, two three-pounders saluting; and two 21-inch triple torpedo tubes above water.
The Houston will be commanded by Captain Jesse B. Gay. Her complement consists of 40 wardroom officers, 11 warrant officers, 34 chi petty officers, and 519 enlisted men, Captain Gay, born at Kankakee, Illinois, March 6, 1881, was appointed to the Naval Academy from South Dakota in 1897, He was awarded the Navy Cross for dis tinguished service during the world war for important convoy services of ships under his command, In. 1919 he served at the Naval Training Station, Hampton Roads, Vir-inia, and in 3920 was transferred to command of the Ashville. Two years later he commanded the USS, Trinity.
He was naval inspector of Ordin" ance, Chicago-Milwaukee area from 1923' to 1925 and commanded the Melville from 1925 to 1927. He was on duty in the Fourteenth Naval District, Pearl Harbour, Tervitory of Hawaii until March, 1980, when ordered to duty in connection with the fitting out of the Houston, United Press.
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