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| USN New Orleans-class Heavy Cruiser 9,950 Tons 588' x 61' 9" x 19' 5" 9 x (3 x 3) 8" guns 8 x 5" AA guns 2 x 3 pounder 47mm guns 6 x quad 40mm Bofors guns 26 x 20mm AA guns 1 x aircraft catapult   USN November 12, 1942  USN October 13, 1944 |
Ship History Built by Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo, California. Laid down September 9, 1931 as a New Orleans-class Heavy Cruiser. Launched March 9, 1933 as USS San Francisco (CA-38) named for San Francisco. Commissioned February 10, 1934 in the U.S. Navy (USN) under the command of Captain Royal E. Ingersoll. On October 11, 1941 San Francisco entered the Pearl Harbor for overhaul that was scheduled to be completed by December 25, 1941. By early December 1941, she was awaiting repairs and keel cleaning with her power plant largely broken down for overhaul. Ammunition for her 5" guns and 8" guns were in storage and her 3" guns were removed for the installation of quad 1.1" guns. Her .50 caliber machine guns were being overhauled, leaving only two .30 caliber machine guns and small arms aboard. Wartime History On December 7, 1941 during the Japanese attack against Pearl Harbor the crew of San Francisco secured the ship for watertight integrity. Some of her crew moved to USS New Orleans (CA-32) to man her anti-aircraft guns while others transfered .50 caliber ammunition to USS Tracy (DM-19). During the attacks, San Francisco was not bombed or damaged. Afterwards, her overhaul was rushed and her keel cleaning postponed. She departed the overhaul yard on December 14, 1941. On December 16, 1941 departs Pearl Harbor with Task Force 14 (TF 14) bound for Wake Island but after it was captured by the Japanese diverted to Midway Atoll. On December 29, 1941 returns to Pearl Harbor. On January 8, 1942 departs Pearl Harbor with Task Force 8 (TF-8) and rendezvous with transports and covers their unloading at Tutuila in American Samoa. Next, assigned to Task Force 17 (TF-17) to provide cover for the carrier strikes against the Gilbert Islands and Marshall Islands. On January 18, 1943 returns to Samoa and six days later was detached to cover transports. On February 8, 1942 departs Tutuila and two days later rejoins Cruiser Division 6 (CruDiv 6) in Task Force 11 (TF-11) with USS Lexington (CV-2) for a planned carrier plane strike against Rabaul. When spotted, the warships are targeted by G4M1 Betty bombers and although sixteen were destroyed, the element of surprise was lost and the strike was canceled and the force withdraws eastward. Next, links with Task Force 17 (TF-17) bound for New Guinea. On March 7, 1941 lost is SOC-2 0394 piloted by Lieutenant J. A. Thomas, and the radioman, O. J. Gannan. On March 9, 1942 during the night enters the Gulf of Papua. On March 10, 1942 the carriers planes launch for a strike against Lae and Salamaua. On March 11, 1942 the missing scout plane was found and crew rescued. Afterwards, returns to Pearl Harbor on March 26, 1942. PARTIAL HISTORY On October 21, 1942 during the night arrives Espiritu Santo and departs the next day bound for Guadalcanal to intercept an expected force of Japanese Navy warships and cover the arrival of U.S. reinforcements. On October 28, 1942 in the morning Rear Admiral Norman Scott transfered to USS Atlanta (CL-51) that became the flagship of Task Group 64.2 (TG 64.2) and the next day returned to Espiritu Santo. On October 30, 1942 embarked Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan as the flagship of Task Group 64.4 (TG 64.4) and prospective Task Force 65 (TF 65). On October 31, 1942 departs Espiritu Santo bound for Guadalcanal to cover the unloading reinforcements until they they withdraw on November 6, 1942 and return to Espiritu Santo two days later. On November 10, 1942 departs Espiritu Santo bound for Guadalcanal and before noon was shadowed by a Japanese E13A Jake that reported their position and movement. On November 12, 1942 off Lunga Point on Guadalcanal screens the transports as they unload. At 9:05am notified of an incoming Japanese air raid and fifteen minutes later is underway moving the transport northward in column formation with the destroyers in a circle. At 9:35am opens fire on nine D3A Val dive bombers from Hiyō and the U.S. ships claims several shot down with only minor damage from near misses. At 10:50am notified of a second air raid and assumed the same defensive formation when targeted by 27 G4M1 Bettys and the destroyers opened fire but they were out of range and instead bombed Henderson Field and when they withdrew resumed screening for the transports as they resumed unloading. At 1:18pm notified of third air raid and formed a screen around the transports. At 2:10pm spotted 25 G4M1 Bettys each armed with a torpedo escorted by A6M2 Zeros split into two formations and approached at low level for torpedo runs against U.S. warships and transports in Iron Bottom Sound off Guadalcanal. At 2:16pm a G4M1 Betty released a torpedo aimed at San Francisco that missed and the bobmer was hit by anti-aircraft fire, then deliberately crashed into the after control station, swung around the fell into the sea off the port side. The damage resulted in the loss of control aft, the secondary command post, Battle Two was burned out, aft anti-aircraft detector and radar were disabled and three 20mm canon mounts were destroyed. In total, 24 crew were killed, 45 wounded, and one missing including the Executive Officer (XO) Commander Mark H. Crouter, O-055937. Also Seaman 2nd Class Frank O. Slater, 6042657 (KIA) who later earned the Navy Cross. This was the only damage inflicted on the American vessels by the Bettys. Also damaged was USS Buchanan (DD-484) that was accidentally hit by friendly gunfire that killed five aboard and forced it to be withdrawn for repairs. The attack ended by 2:18pm and the transports resumed unloaded Afterwards, some of the wounded were transfered aboard USS President Jackson (APA-18). Later in the afternoon, notified of the approach of Japanese Navy warships steaming southward to bombard Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. The warships of Task Group 67.4 was ordered to escort the transports as they withdrew eastward via Sealark Channel. At 11:00pm with the transports out of harm's way, the warships reversed course and return to Guadalcanal. On November 13, 1942 at 1:25am at the start of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (Third Battle of the Solomon Sea) The American force was in a single column formation with the destroyers in the lead with the cruisers in the center. San Francisco was at the center of the column with USS Atlanta (CL-51) ahead and USS Portland to stern. When searchlights from from Hiei and Akatsuki, at 1:48am San Francisco opened fire at an enemy cruiser 3,700 yards off her starboard beam. At 1:51am fired on another cruiser or destroyer 3,000 yards off her starboard bow then in the confusion of battle accidentally fired at USS Atlanta (CL-51) hitting the bridge until the warship was identified as friendly and ceased fire and resumed firing at Hiei now at a range of 2,000 yards. At 2:00am fired at Kirishima and was targeted by Nagara off her starboard bow and an enemy destroyer that passed down her port side. Next, Japanese battleships joined the cruisers and destroyers already firing at San Francisco and disabled her port and starboard 5" guns while the main guns swung to engage the battleships when a shell scored a direct hit on the navigation bridge that killed or wounded everyone including Callaghan Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan. The only survivor was LtCdr Bruce McCandless. Command fell to the damage control officer, LtCdr Herbert E. Schonland, but he thought his own efforts were needed to keep the ship "afloat and right-side up", so he ordered McCandless to stay at the conn. During the engagement, San Francisco sustained 45 hits with extensive structural damage and 22 fires that were extinguished. Aboard, 86 were killed, 7 missing and 85 wounded. At the end of the battle, her compasses were disabled and followed USS Helena and Juneau eastward via Sealark Channel then onward to Espiritu Santo for repairs. PARTIAL HISTORY On August 16, 1944 arrives in California and undergoes an overhaul at Mare Island with camouflage Measure 33, Design 13d. On October 31, 1944 departed bound for Ulithi arriving November 21, 1944 and resumes as flagship for CruDiv 6. On December 10, 1944 departs with Task Group 38.1 (TG-38.1) bound for the Philippines. On December 14, 1944 and December 15, 1944 her scout planes perform anti-submarine patrols and rescue work supporting the carrier plane strikes against Luzon. On December 16, 1944 departs for a rendezvous with Task Group 30.17 (TG 30.17) for refueling and replenishment but a typhoon interrupts the operation and rides out the storm at sea for two days then searches for sailors that went missing from three destroyers that sank during the storm. On December 20, 1944 departs westward bound for Luzon but rough seas mean carrier plane strikes are canceled and four days later the force returns to Ulithi. PARTIAL HISTORY Awards For her World War II service, San Francisco earned 17 battle stars during World War II and was the 3rd most decorated U.S. Navy vessel in World War II. Postwar On August 28 1945 departed Subic Bay for China as part of a show of force in the Yellow Sea and Gulf of Pohai areas and to cover mine sweeping operations. On October 8, 1945 anchored at Inchon, Korea. During October 13–16, 1945 she participated in another show of force operation in the Gulf of Pohai area, then returned to Inchon, where Rear Admiral Jerauld Wright, Commander, CruDiv 6, acted as senior member of the committee to accept the surrender of Japanese Naval forces in Korea. On November 27, 1945, San Francisco departed for San Francisco arriving in the middle of December 1945 then continued on to the east coast on January 5, 1946, and arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for inactivation on January 19, 1946. Decommissioned on February 10, 1946 and berthed with the Philadelphia Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until March 1, 1959, when struck from the Naval Vessel Register. Scrapping On September 9, 1959 sold to the Union Mineral and Alloys Corp. in New York and moved to Panama City, Florida. In May 1961 broken up for scrap in Panama City, Florida. Memorials The crew members killed on November 12-13, 1942 were buried at sea. They are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. References Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - USS San Francisco (CA-38) USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List March 1942 SOC-2 0394 March 11, 1942 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Mark H. Crouter FindAGrave - Cdr Mark H Crouter (photos) FindAGrave - Mark H Crouter (memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Frank Olga Slater FindAGrave - S2 Frank Olga Slater (photos tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SMN Frank O. Slater (photo, memorial marker photo) Contribute
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