USS Atlanta, a 10,000-ton Cleveland class light cruiser, was built at Camden, New Jersey, with her construction financed by War Bond sales in Atlanta, Georgia. She was commissioned in early December 1944 and passed through the Panama Canal in April 1945, en route to join the war against Japan. Atlanta first entered combat in late May, serving as an escort to aircraft carriers raiding enemy targets in the Ryukyu Islands and on Kyushu. She had a similar role during strikes on the Japanese home islands in July and during the first half of August. Following the return of peace, the cruiser remained briefly in the western Pacific before returning to the U.S. for shipyard overhaul in October 1945.

When that work was completed in early January 1946, Atlanta steamed back across the Pacific for a tour of duty in Far Eastern waters that lasted until June. She deployed again in May 1947 for a visit to Australia. That was followed in September 1947 by another Far Eastern cruise that ended in April 1948. Atlanta spent the rest of her active career operating along the U.S. West Coast. She decommissioned in July 1949 and, after over thirteen years in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, was stricken from the Naval vessel Register at the beginning of 1962. However, she was reinstated in May 1964, redesignated IX-304, and converted to a weapons effects test ship.