USS Atlanta was a Cleveland-class light cruiser of the United States Navy, which were built during World War II.

The start of the war led to the dissolution of the treaty system, but the dramatic need for new vessels precluded a new design, so the Clevelands used the same hull as their predecessors, but were significantly heavier.

Following the start of World War II in September 1939, Britain announced it would suspend the treaty for the duration of the conflict, a decision the US Navy quickly followed.

Though still neutral, the United States recognized that war was likely and the urgent need for additional ships ruled out an entirely new design, so the Clevelands were a close development of the earlier Brooklyn-class cruisers, the chief difference being the substitution of a two-gun 5 in (127 mm) dual-purpose gun mount for one of the main battery 6 in (152 mm) gun turrets.

Rated at 100,000 shaft horsepower (75,000 kW), the turbines were intended to give a top speed of 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph).

[2] The ship's belt armor ranged in thickness from 3.5 to 5 in (89 to 127 mm), with the thicker section amidships where it protected the ammunition magazines and propulsion machinery spaces.

Atlanta passed through Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, while en route, transited the Panama Canal, and arrived in Pearl Harbor on 18 April.

[6] The carriers conducted a series of strikes on the Japanese Home Islands over the following weeks, and Atlanta took part in several shore bombardments during this period.

[4] On 18 July, Atlanta was temporarily transferred to Task Group 35.4, along with the cruisers Topeka, Dayton, and Duluth and eight destroyers.

[4] Atlanta entered Sagami Bay on 27 August with the rest of TF 38 to begin preparations for the formal surrender of Japan, which took place aboard the battleship Missouri on 2 September.

Over the following six months, she toured the Far East, visiting a number of ports including Manila, Philippines; Qingdao and Shanghai, China; Okinawa, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, and Yokosuka, Japan; and Saipan in the Mariana Islands.

She departed the Far East on 27 April 1948, stopping in Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands and Pearl Harbor on the way back to San Diego, arriving on 19 May.

Atlanta thereafter resumed training maneuvers off San Diego, which included a cruise north to Juneau, Alaska, which lasted from 29 June to 6 July.

On 1 March, the ship moved to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard to be readied for transfer to the reserve fleet.

Her upper deck and existing superstructure were removed and several experimental structures were installed; these were intended to be fitted to the next generation of guided-missile destroyers and frigates.