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| USN South Dakota-class Battleship 35,000 Tons 680' x 108.2' x 36.3' 9 × 16 in 45 cal Mark 6 guns 16 × 5" 38 cal guns 68 × 40 mm guns 76 × 20 mm guns  USN May 24, 1943 |
Ship History Built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey. Laid down July 5, 1939 as the lead ship of South Dakota-class battleship. Launched June 7, 1941 as USS South Dakota named for the state of South Dakota and was the second ship in the Navy named South Dakota. Commissioned March 20, 1942 in the U.S. Navy (USN) with Captain Thomas L. Gatch in command. Afterwards, underwent fitting out in Philadelphia. On June 3, 1942 departs on a shakedown cruise then returns on July 26, 1942. Wartime History On August 21, 1942 transits the Panama Canal bound for the South Pacific. On September 4, 1942 arrives at Nukualofa. On September 6, 1942 hit an uncharted corral pinnacle in Lahai Passage and suffered extensive hull damage. Afterwards, initial repairs were made by USS Vestal AR-4 with divers commencing work at 4:00pm to check the seams. The next day the divers reported a series of splits extending along 150' of the ship's bottom. On September 8, 1942 repair crews from Vetal and the battleship managed to make temporary repairs that allowed the battleship to return to Pearl Harbor for repairs. On October 12, 1942 began operating with Task Force 16 (TF-16) with USS Enterprise (CV-6) and departs Pearl Harbor. On October 24, 1942 joins Task Force 17 (TF-17) with USS Hornet (CV-8) and together were ordered to sweep of the Santa Cruz Islands then move southwest to block any Japanese forces approaching Guadalcanal. On October 25, 1942 a PBY Catalina spotted a Japanese carrier force at noon and TF 61 steamed northwest to intercept it. Early the next morning, when all carrier forces were within striking range, a Japanese snooper spotted the American force starting the Battle of Santa Cruz. When the air battle began, South Dakota and the Enterprise group were approximately 10 miles from the Hornet group. The first enemy attack was concentrated against USS Hornet (CV-8). At 10:45am, South Dakota was operating near Enterprise to provide protective fire from her numerous antiaircraft guns when their group was attacked by dive bombers. Approximately an hour later, about 40 torpedo planes struck at the two ships. A third aerial assault, made by dive bombers and torpedo planes; came in at 1230. South Dakota sustained a 250 kg bomb hit on top of her number one turret. When the action was broken off that evening, the American forces retired toward Noumea on New Caledonia. During the battle, South Dakota was credited with downing 26 enemy planes. At 0414 on 30 October, while avoiding a submarine contact, USS South Dakota and USS Mahan (DD-364) collided, causing damage to both ships. Mahan's bow was turned to port and crumpled to frame 14, and a fire, soon brought under control, started in her forward hold. Both ships continued to Noumea where Vestal (AR-4) repaired South Dakota's collision and battle damage. On November 11, 1942 South Dakota departs Nouméa assigned to Task Force 16 (TF-16) bound for Guadalcanal. On November 13, 1942 joins battleship USS Washington (BB-56) and destroyers USS Preston (DD-379), USS Walke (DD-418), USS Benham (DD-397) and USS Gwin (DD-433) to form Task Force 64 (TF-64) under command of Admiral Willis A. "Ching" Lee. On November 14, 1942 at 11:30pm with a quarter moon and good visibility, the force was operating 50 miles southwest of Guadalcanal when Lee learned an enemy convoy was scheduled to pass through Savo Strait sometime overnight in the early morning. This was the Japanese bombardment group under the command of Admiral Nobutake Kondo including battleship Kirishima, heavy cruisers Takao and Atago plus screening destroyers divided into three section: the bombardment group; a close screen of the cruiser Nagara and six destroyers; and a distant screen of the cruiser Sendai and three destroyers in the van of the other forces. At 11:00pm radar aboard USS Washington (BB-56) spots the Japanese force including Sendai, but did not detect the other groups of Japanese ships. At 11:17pm the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal commences. From the bridge of South Dakota, three ships were visually spotted at a range of 18,100 yards and Washington opened fire on the lead ship believed to be a battleship or heavy cruiser and a minute later South Dakota commenced main battery fire on the nearest ship. Both initial salvos caused fires on the targets. Next, South Dakota fired on another target and continued firing until it disappeared off radar. While firing, the vibrations from turret no. 3 firing demolished her own floatplanes. Next, South Dakota engaged another target and continued firing until it was believed to be sunk. Meanwhile, her secondary batteries fired at eight destroyers near Savo Island. A short lull followed then radar plots showed four enemy ships, just clear of the left tangent of Savo Island, approaching from the starboard bow at a range 5,800 yards. Searchlights from the second ship in the enemy column illuminated South Dakota. At that same moment, Washington's main battery engaged the leading and largest Japanese warship. South Dakota's secondary batteries knocked out the searchlights then shifted all batteries to bear on a third warship, believed to be a cruiser, which soon began to smoke. South Dakota, which had been under fire from at least three of Japanese warships and sustained 42 hits which caused considerable damage. Her radio communications failed; radar plot was demolished; three fire control radars were damaged; there was a fire in her foremast and lost track of Washington. As she was no longer receiving enemy fire and there were no remaining targets, withdraws to a prearranged rendezvous point meeting USS Washington (BB-56) then departs for Nouméa. Early in the engagement. USS Preston (DD-379) and USS Walke (DD-416) were sunk. USS Benham (DD-397) had part of her bow blown off by a torpedo and, while en route to Nouméa with damaged USS Gwin (DD-433) as her escort, had to be abandoned then scuttled by gunfire. On the Japanese side, hits had were scored on Takao and Atago. Kirishima and Ayanami, severely damaged by gunfire, were abandoned and scuttled. Afterwards, USS Prometheus (AR-3) repaired some of the damage inflicted on South Dakota at Nouméa, enabling the battleship to sail on November 25 for Tongatabu and thence for home. On December 18, 1942 South Dakota arrived at New York for an overhaul and to complete battle damage repairs. On February 25, 1943 repairs were completed and conducted sea trials then operated with USS Ranger (CV-4) in the North Atlantic until the middle of April 1943. Second Tour in the Pacific On 21 August, South Dakota stood out of Norfolk en route to Efate Island, arriving at Havannah Harbor on 14 September. She moved to Fiji on 7 November and sortied from there four days later with Battleship Divisions (BatDiv) 8 and 9 in support of Task Group (TG) 50.1, the Carrier Interceptor Group. for Operation Galvanic, the Gilbert Islands assault. The carriers launched attacks against Jaluit and Mili atolls, Marshall Islands, on 19 November, to neutralize enemy airfields there. The force then provided air support for the amphibious landings on Makin and Tarawa, Gilbert Islands. South Dakota, with five other battleships, formed another task group on 8 December to bombard Nauru Island. A joint aerial attack and shore bombardment severely damaged enemy shore installations and airfields there. South Dakota retired to Efate on 12 December 1943 for upkeep and rearming. Her next action occurred on 29 January 1944 when the carriers launched attacks against Roi and Namur, Marshall Islands. The next day, the battleship moved in to shell enemy positions on Roi and Namur and then rejoined the carriers as they provided air support for the amphibious landings on Kwajalein, Majuro, Roi, and Namur. South Dakota departed the Marshall Islands on 12 February with the Truk striking force which launched attacks against that Japanese stronghold on 17 February and 18 February. Six days later, she was in the screen for the carriers which launched the first air attacks against the Mariana Islands. The force was under constant enemy air attack, and South Dakota splashed four Japanese planes. She returned to Majuro from 26 February until 22 March when she sailed with the fast carrier forces of the Fifth Fleet. Air strikes were delivered from 30 March until 1 April against Palau, Yap, Woleai, and Ulithi in the Western Caroline Islands. South Dakota returned to Majuro on 6 April and sailed the following week, again accompanying the fast carriers. On 21 April, strikes were launched against Hollandia, New Guinea, and the following day against Aitape Bay, Tanahmerah Bay, and Humboldt Bay to support the Army landings. On 29 April and 30 April, the carriers, with South Dakota still in the screen, returned to Truk and bombed that base. The next day, the battleship was part of a surface bombardment group that shelled Ponape Island in the Carolines. She returned to Majuro for upkeep from 4 May to 5 June when she got underway with TF 58 to participate in Operation "Forager," the landings on Saipan and Tinian. The carriers began launching attacks on 11 June against enemy installations throughout the islands. On 13 June, South Dakota and six other battleships were detached from the fast carrier groups to bombard Saipan and Tinian, South Dakota shelled the northwest coast of Tanapag Harbor, Saipan, for over six hours with both her primary and secondary batteries. On the evening of 15 June, eight to 12 enemy fighters and bombers broke through the combat air patrol and attacked the task group. South Dakota fired at four bringing down one; the remaining 11 were shot down by fire from other ships. On 19 June, the battleship was again operating with the fast carriers. It was known that a major Japanese force was approaching from the west, and the American capital ships were placed so that they could continue to support the ground forces on Saipan and also intercept this enemy force. At 1012, a large group of bogies was reported coming in from the west. At 1049, a D4Y Judy dropped a 250 kg bomb on South Dakota's main deck where it blew a large hole, cut wiring and piping, but inflicted no other serious material damage. However, personnel losses were heavy: 24 killed and 27 wounded. The ship continued to fight throughout the day as air attacks were continuous. This was the first day of the Battle of the Philippine Sea (Great Marianas Turkey Shoot) as the Japanese lost over 300 aircraft. The air battle continued throughout 20 June. When it ended, the badly mauled Japanese fleet no longer posed a threat to the American conquest of the Marianas. The task group returned to Ulithi on 27 June, and South Dakota sailed via Pearl Harbor to the west coast, arriving at Puget Sound on 10 July. The battleship was overhauled at the navy yard there; and, after sea trials, sailed on 26 August for Pearl Harbor. South Dakota was routed to Ulithi and, upon her arrival, was attached to TG 38.3; one of four task groups of formed Task Force 38, the Fast Carrier Task Force. The task force sortied on 6 October and, four days later, launched air attacks against Okinawa. On 12 October and 13 October, attacks were flown against shipping and installations in Formosa. Three of the groups, including South Dakota's, retired and operated east of the Philippine Islands until 24 December. During the operation, carriers of the group flew strikes against targets on Manila and Luzon to support the landings on Mindoro. From 30 December 1944 through 26 January 1945, the fast carriers alternated strikes between Formosa on January 3, January 4, January 9, January 15, and 21 January January; Luzon on 6 January and 7 January; Cape San Jacques and Camranh Bay on 12 January; Hong Kong and Hainan on 16 January; and against Okinawa on 22 January. South Dakota operated with the fast carriers in their strikes against the Tokyo area on 17 February and against Iwo Jima on 19 February and 20 February in support of amphibious landings there. Tokyo again was the target on 25 February, and Okinawa's turn came on 1 March. After rearming at Ulithi, the task groups sailed toward Japan again and pounded targets in the Kobe, Kure, and Ky?sh? areas on 18 March and 19 March. They launched strikes against Okinawa on 23 March; and, on 24 March, the battleship joined a bombardment group which shelled southeastern Okinawa. She rejoined her task group which, after bombing Okinawa, struck enemy airfields in southern Ky?sh? on 29 March and then, from 31 March through 3 April, again pounded targets on Okinawa. On 7 April, all fast carriers launched attacks against an enemy fleet off southwest Ky?sh?, sinking Japan's fast super battleship Yamato, two cruisers, and four destroyers. South Dakota once more participated in shore bombardment on southeastern Okinawa on 19 April in support of an all-out offensive by the XXIV Army Corps against enemy lines. While rearming from Wrangell (AE-12) on 6 May, a tank of high capacity powder for the 16 inch (406 mm) guns exploded, causing a fire and exploding four more tanks. Turret No. 2 magazines were flooded and the fires put out. The ship lost three men killed instantly; eight more died of injuries; and 24 others suffered non-fatal wounds. The ship retired to Guam from 11 May to 29 May when she sailed for Leyte, arriving on 1 June. July 1, 1944. South Dakota departed Leyte on 1 July, supporting the carriers of TG 38.1 which attacked the Tokyo area on 10 July. On 14 July, as part of a bombardment group, she participated in the shelling of the Kamaishi Steel Works, Kamaishi, Honsh?, Japan. This was the first gunfire attack on the Japanese home islands by heavy warships. From 15 March through 28 March, South Dakota again supported the carriers as they launched strikes against Honsh? and Hokkaid?. On the night of 29 July and 30 July, she participated in the shore bombardment of Hamamatsu, Honsh?, and, on 9 August, again shelled Kamaishi. The battleship supported the carriers in strikes against northern Honshu on 10 August, and in the Tokyo area on 13 August and 15 August. The latter was the last strike of the war for, later that day, Japan capitulated. She anchored in Sagami Wan, Honshu, on 27 August and entered Tokyo Bay on 29 August. South Dakota steamed out of Tokyo Bay on 20 September and proceeded, via Okinawa and Pearl Harbor, to the west coast of the United States. Awards South Dakota earn 13 battle stars for World War II service. Postwar She sailed from the west coast on 8 January 1946 for Philadelphia and a yard overhaul. In June, she was attached to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. On 31 January 1947, she was placed in reserve, out of commission. The battleship remained in that status until she was struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on 1 June 1962. On October 25, 1962 sold for scrap to Lipsett Division, Luria Brothers and Company, Incorporated and broken up. Memorials The ship is memorialized at Sioux Falls, South Dakota. References Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - USS South Dakota BB57 Gunfire Damage Battle of Guadalcanal 14-15 November, 1942 War Damage Report No. 57 Contribute
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