"The USS Houston"
This painting is in the archived collection. Please contact the artist with any questions you may have.
The Houston was a US cruiser stationed in the far east at the outbreak of World War II. The Houston and a smattering of other allied ships were all that could be mustered against the powerful Japanese naval forces sweeping through southeast Asia and into the Dutch East Indies. Facing a number of defeats, the surviving allied ships decided to abandon the East Indies and make their escape before the Japanese cut them off. The USS Houston together with the Australian HMAS Perth decided to steam through the night time waters of the Sunda Strait, but ran into superior enemy forces. Both ships put up gallant fights against overwhelming odds and were eventually both sunk.