Montpelier was named for the city in Vermont. She was a Cleveland-class light cruiser, CL-57, not a later ship of that name. New York Shipbuilding at Camden laid her keel on 2 December 1940, launched her on 12 February 1942, and commissioned her on 9 September 1942. Twelve 6-inch guns stood in four triple turrets.
On the night of 1–2 November 1943 she was Rear Admiral Aaron S. Merrill's flagship off Empress Augusta Bay, on Bougainville. Cleveland, Columbia, and Denver were in the cruiser line with her. Captain Arleigh A. Burke had the van destroyers, his flag in Charles Ausburne. Commander Bernard L. Austin had the rear division. The cruisers sank the light cruiser Sendai. That fire is not credited to one of them.
Myoko collided with the destroyer Hatsukaze and cut off her bow. American destroyers then finished Hatsukaze. Claxton, Spence, Stanly, and Thatcher were in that fire. It is not credited to one of them. Montpelier was not the ship that sank her.
Daylight brought an air attack. Two bombs hit Montpelier's catapult. She was not sunk.
She stayed with the squadron through the Solomons and went on to the Philippines. On 1 July 1945 she bombarded Balikpapan. She came home. She was decommissioned on 24 January 1947, struck on 1 March 1959, and sold for scrap on 22 January 1960. Thirteen battle stars, and the Navy Unit Commendation.