USS Dayton, a 10,000-ton Cleveland class light cruiser built at Camden, New Jersey, was commissioned in early January 1945. She reached the western Pacific in June 1945, in time to participate in surface gunfire and carrier air strikes against the Japanese home islands. After Japan's mid-August capitulation, Dayton operated in the Far East supporting occupation efforts. She went to the U.S. West Coast in November 1945 and headed back toward Japan in late January 1946. However, before she arrived the cruiser was instead transferred to the Atlantic Fleet, her home for the remainder of her active service. During February-November 1947 Dayton deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, where she served as a flagship. She made a second MedCruise in February-June 1948. Decommissioned at Boston, Massachusetts, in March 1949, USS Dayton was part of the Reserve Fleet there and at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the next dozen years. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in September 1961 and sold for scrapping in April 1962.