The Honolulu rakatangwa musi wa26 Nyamavhuvhu 1937 paNew York Navy Yard, inotsigirwa naHelen Poindexter (mwanasikana waJoseph B. Poindexter, Gavhuna weHawaii), uye yakagadzwa musi wa15 Chikumi 1938, naKaputeni Oscar Smith achitungamirira. Mushure mekukwira kwechikepe kuenda kuEngland, Honolulu yakaita matambudziko echikepe uye kudzidzira muGungwa reCaribbean. Akabva kuNew York musi wa24 Chivabvu 1939 kuti ajoine Pacific Fleet, achisvika kuSan Pedro, California musi wa14 Chikumi.
Muna 1939