Namesake:

Legacy name, Chicago, IL

The attack submarine CHICAGO (SSN 721) is the fourth U.S. Navy ship to be named after "The Windy City."

The first CHICAGO, a cruiser, was commissioned in 1889 and was classified as CA 14 in 1920. The ship was one of the Navy's first warships to be built of steel. She served in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. Two notable naval figures, Alfred Thayer Mahan, author of The Influence of Sea Power, and Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz served on CHICAGO as Commanding Officer. CHICAGO served as the Submarine Force flag ship prior to being decommissioned in 1923.

The second CHICAGO (CA 29) also a cruiser, was commissioned in 1931. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 CHICAGO was at sea with Task Force 12. CHICAGO participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. (Supporting initial landings on Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands.) On August 9, while the cruiser engaged the enemy in the Battle of Savo Island and was hit by a Japanese destroyer's torpedo. After repairs, CHICAGO participated in the Battle of Rennell Island where she was hit twice by torpedoes, causing severe flooding and loss of power. While under tow, CHICAGO was hit by four more torpedoes and sank on January 30, 1943. CA 29 earned three battle stars for her action in World War II.

The third CHICAGO (CA 136) was commissioned as a cruiser in 1945. As a member of the Third Fleet, CHICAGO supported carrier air strikes and furnished shore bombardment in the final attacks against Japanese home islands until the cease fire in August 15, 1945. The ship participated in the demilitarization of Japanese bases and became the flagship of the Naval Support Forces, Japanese Empire Waters in 1946. CHICAGO was placed out of commission in 1947 after earning one battle star for her service during World War II.

In 1958 CA 136 was reclassified as CG 11 and in 1964 was rechristened as the "Most Powerful Guided Missile Cruiser in the World". CG 11's primary mission was to operate independently or to provide defense for a task force against air, surface, and submerged threats. She saw extensive action during Vietnam and established a record by receiving 12 consecutive "E" awards for excellence in missilery. She also was awarded 11 Battle Stars, a Navy Unit Commendation and three Meritorious Unit Commendations for her Vietnam Service prior to being decommissioned in 1980. A committee has been established to have CG 11 donated to the city and serve as a museum.

Historical Notes:

Ship's Crest:

Description of Coat of Arms:The positioning of the "Chicago" in submarine lettering is under the waves to emphasize that the boat is a submarine. The "Chicago" font lettering depicts obviously the shape of the submarine itself. The 4 stars surrounding "USS Chicago" on the top of the logo represent the 4 previous ships to bear the name USS Chicago. SSN 721 on the bottom of the logo is the boats hull number. The 4 stars surrounding "SSN 721" represent the 4 Admirals letters the ship has received during it's numerous deployments. Windy City is the nickname of the ships namesake city.

PHOTOS