The second USS Honolulu (CL-48) was a United States Navy Brooklyn class light cruiser. She was launched on August 20, 1937 by the New York Navy Yard; sponsored by Miss Helen Poindexter, daughter of the Governor of Hawaii; and commissioned on June 15, 1938.

Honolulu made her shakedown cruise to England, then operated in the Atlantic and Caribbean for nearly a year. She was transferred to the Pacific in May 1939 and engaged in exercises along the West Coast for the remainder of the year. After overhaul at Puget Sound, she sailed on November 5, 1940 for duty out of Pearl Harbor. She operated there through 1941 and was moored at the Naval Station when the Japanese launched their sneak attack on December 7, 1941. The cruiser suffered only minor hull damage from a near miss.

Following repairs, Honolulu sailed on January 12, 1942 to escort a convoy to San Francisco, arriving there on January 21. She continued convoy escort duties to Australia, Samoa, and the United States until late May, when she was sent to the Aleutians to counter enemy advances into that area. During August, she bombarded Kiska and supported the occupation of Adak. Following an overhaul, she returned to the south Pacific, where she participated in the final months of the Guadalcanal Campaign. In the Battle of Tassafaronga at the end of November 1942, she was the only US cruiser present that was not torpedoed. In May 1943 she bombarded the Japanese bases at Munda and Vila, and in July she assisted in the Rendova-New Georgia invasion.

After repairs for damage received during the Battle of Kolombangara on July 13, 1943, Honolulu was back in the south Pacific by early December. In June 1944, she steamed northwards to participate in the Marianas invasion, during which she bombarded Saipan and Guam. She also covered the landings in the Palaus in September and at Leyte in October. While off Leyte on October 20, 1944, she was the victim of a aerial torpedo attack, requiring repairs in the United States. After brief duty as a training ship, Honolulu was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in February 1947. She remained in the Reserve Fleet there before she was sold for scrapping in late 1959.

With the USS Honolulu wooden ship model, one can almost hear the roar of the ocean waves. It is an exact replica of the original, handmade with vigilance, from the very first to the last step. Master craftsmen diligently carve high quality mahogany to create the ship's form. After it is sanded and puttied, skilled artists paint on the intricate details. Hand-casted resin and handmade metal parts also constitute the model. Clear lacquer provides the finishing touch and long-lasting protection. Each ship comes on a a display base with brass pedestals and a brass name plate. All items then undergo quality control and are delivered to eagerly waiting customers in professionally-packaged wood crates via FedEx Next Day Air. More than just a display piece, the Honolulu ship model is a work of art.