South Dakota started work at New York shipyard of New Jersey Camden on July 5, 1939 and named it it by Harlan J Bush Mrs. Field on June 7, 1941, and the conduct bottom of the first captain Thomas L ギャッチ colonel was placed on duty on launching, March 20, 1942. There are fewer 4 gates than a warship of the same type, and, in South Dakota, the number of 38-caliber of 12.7cm guns is equipped with for flagship facilities. After equipment of a ship completion in Philadelphia, South Dakota performed stroke of a rowing crew training from June 3 to July 26. It left the Philadelphia naval shipyard on August 16 and went to Panama. I passed Panama Canal on August 21 and arrived at Nuku'alofa, Tonga on September 4. Two days later, collide to the wall fence which a chart does not have with lah high water supply; big on the hull; was injured. I received repair toward Pearl Harbor on September 12.
When repair was completed, South Dakota departed on October 12 and trained you with the 16th duty corps mainly on USS Enterprise (USS Enterprise, CV-6). The military unit was reorganized in Pearl Harbor on October 16 and became the 17th duty corps mainly on the carrier Hornet (USS Hornet, CV-8) and gathered in the northeast of the エスピリトゥサント island on October 24.
South Pacific sea fight
The 61st duty corps and the 17th duty corps that joined removed the base of the conduct lower Santa Cruz Islands of the Thomas C Kyn Quaid major general of Japan and were ordered the blockade of the Guadalcanal Island sea area. PBY Catalina flying boat discovered a Japanese carrier task force at the midday of October 25, and the 61st duty corps left for the northwest for an attack. The Japanese military unit discovered U.S. forces fleet early in the morning on the next morning, and the South Pacific sea fight was started. When an air battle began, there were South Dakota and the military unit of the enterprise in the sea area of approximately 20km from the Hornet corps.
The Japanese attack first group concentrated on a Hornet. At 10:45, South Dakota performed the anticraft bombardment for the dive-bomber near enterprise. Approximately one hour later, approximately 40 torpedo bombers attack it to two ships. A dive-bomber and the Japanese attack third wave consisting of torpedo bombers hit it at 12:30, and South Dakota received the direct hit of 250 kg of bombs most on the main gun turret, and 49 got injured [2]. Though there was hardly the damage, a chastity warship became impossible, and result South Dakota rushed for USS Enterprise for several minutes because an upset officer changed steerage system to the second battle command post without permission [2]. Enterprise evaded a battleship of 40,000 tons then and avoided a catastrophe. The attack of the Japanese military was finished in the evening, and the American fleet withdrew to Noumea of New Caledonia. South Dakota shot down 26 Japanese planes. However, the Pete public of South Dakota vs. the empty shooting commander confides it to Scottie Campbell of battleship Washington vs. an empty shooting commander at "I added up individual shooting down reports" and two places [3].
At 04:14 of October 30, South Dakota collided with destroyer マハン (USS Mahan, DD-364). The bow turned at マハン, and structure materials were completely demolished. In addition, as for the fire, it was died down promptly. Both warships returned to Noumea, and South Dakota received repair from work warship ヴェスタル (USS Vestal, AR-4).
The third Solomon sea fight
South Dakota was changed placement of from Noumea to Guadalcanal Island as some the 16th duty corpses on November 11. South Dakota joined the 64th Major General Willis A Lee duty corps to lead on November 13. The military unit consisted of battleship Washington (USS Washington, BB-56), destroyer Preston (USS Preston, DD-379), walk (USS Walke, DD-418), Ben ham (USS Benham, DD-397), Gwynne (USS Gwin, DD-433). The military unit waited for a Japanese fleet to pass the sabot island offing at area of the sea of southwest 90km from Guadalcanal Island from 00:30 to 02:30 at 23:30 of the next evening (the third Solomon sea fight). This fleet was a General Nobutake Kondo battleship Kirishima, 重巡洋艦高雄, Atago and fleet consisting of the destroyers of the guards to lead.
The military unit of the Admiral Kondo was divided into destroyer group, light cruiser Sendai and three destroyer groups, remaining war vessel of light cruiser Nagara and six and three. The sea level lighted up on 7th by the moon was good view. Three ships were viewed by a bridge deck of South Dakota, and the distance was approximately 18,100 yards (16.6km). Washington was a battleship or started bombardment for the guidance warship (light cruiser "Sendai") thought to be the cruiser [4], and South Dakota bombarded the wave with destroyer floor by the main battery one minute later, too. The shooting of both warships hit a sign and continued bombarding South Dakota until a luminous point became extinct from radar screen with one aim. Sendai and the wave with floor really evacuated unhurt [5]. The secondary gun performed the bombardment for the Japanese destroyer of eight ships which closed the sabot island.
There was the short calm, and the radar showed four hostile crafts. 5,800 yards of Japanese warships came close at distance of (5.3km) from the starboard direction. The fight between destroyers begins and the United States Armed Forces destroyer corps leaves Gwynne and cannot fight. In the Japanese side, Ayanami sank [6]. In addition, South Dakota gave Ayanami 致命打 in a secondary gun, but all power supplies are intercepted by a hit by the bombardment of Ayanami and seaside waves adversely [7]. The irradiation of the searchlight with the Japanese war vessel picked up a navigating warship of South Dakota just after that. Light cruiser Nagara was South Dakota that was at war with a destroyer fleet to lead, and, at 23:12, a carrier-based plane was burnt down, but this was put out in the bomb blast of the main battery [8]. At 23:40, Washington caught a navigating warship of battleship Kirishima, but the gunnery head does not permit firing in consideration of being South Dakota that was not able to communicate [9]. South Dakota received 砲雷撃 from Kirishima, Atago, Takao at 0:00 a.m. on 15th when a date was replaced, but I counterattacked it with the main battery and insisted on sinking of one cruiser [10]. South Dakota was hit with 36cm gun and 20cm cannonball 42 to exchange it for misconception military gains. With 27, five 14 inches of cannonballs of Kirishima hit it, but the hard and strong cannonball was only one, and, according to the survey by U.S. forces, as for the number of the hits, as for other four, three sets of bullets and 0 sets were usually bullets including a small diameter bullet [11]. 14 inches of hard and strong cannonballs which it hit alone penetrated the township under the third main battery and collided to the barbet of the third main battery and exploded and broke armor of the barbet [12]. In addition, is serious to a right gun of the third main battery; damaged it, and resulted in nonuse [12]. The piece blew up a deck and destroyed a backward kitchen [12]. However, most cannonballs hit a structure in a central warship in a deck, and there were many cannonballs which penetrated without exploding. The officer township and the shooting device of the structure were destroyed in a warship, but there was not the big damage because it was only a small diameter cannonball other than the third gun turret gun barrel to have hit the hull. It was only one place of 20cm hard and strong cannonball which it hit near the only hull central part draft line that armor was penetrated and produced the some inundation [13]. The navigation did not have the trouble without the damage in an engine and steerage system either. The human damage remained for 38 death, 60 injuries [14]. Three fire control radars and optics shooting device of the secondary gun were destroyed, too [15]. The fire occurred on the former hull of the main battery other than a structure in a warship most. This fire depended on the hit of 0 sets of normal bullets of Kirishima [16]. The 1-2 turn main battery was flawless, but only individual shooting (Local Fire Control) was possible, and shooting included limitation because shooting system was destroyed. South Dakota lost sight of Washington and began retreat without being able to cause the further damage.
On the other hand, the difficult situation of South Dakota was a chance for Washington. Because Kirishima soaked a searchlight, the U.S. battleship is convinced that an aim is a Japanese battleship [17]. Washington who got rid of worry of the fellow assailing struck Kirishima in the 40cm main battery and 5 inches of secondary guns and I could not navigate the warship and did it (sinking). Washington left a battlefield only by a hit of one destroyer main battery bullet avoiding the falling of a thunderbolt of the Japanese military destroyer fleet. South Dakota and Washington joined at setting area of the sea and returned to Noumea. Only Gwynne returned among American fleets. Walk, Preston were attacked and sunk, and I went to Noumea while greatly damaging a bow part, and receiving the guards of Gwynne, but the Ben ham was abandoned on the way, and it was sunk by bombardment of Gwynne by a torpedo. As for the damage of the Japanese side, Takao, a dead shot to Atago were recorded, and Kirishima sank itself, and Ayanami was attacked and sunk.
Repair and activity in the Atlantic
After having received repair by work warship Prometheus (USS Prometheus, AR-3) in Noumea, South Dakota left for the トンガタプ island on November 25 and returned to the own country afterwards. In Noumea, the rumor "that Washington got rid of South Dakota and evaded" spread out, and both warships crew developed a large-scale quarrel at an entertainment district so that a detention center became full [18]. It was about December 18, 1942 that South Dakota arrived at New York. Because the ギャッチ captain advertised it for the coverage of "the sundae evening post" saying "battleship X (South Dakota) attacked and sank Kirishima, and Washington and the Admiral Lee escaped", it ticked away grudge not to disappear to the South Dakota crew after war [19]. South Dakota finished overhaul and complete repair backed by such a trifling case and sailed on February 25, 1943, and a strategy was active with a carrier Ranger (USS Ranger, CV-4) after a Prince sea trial in the Atlantic in the middle of April. South Dakota worked on the strategy with the own country fleet of British troops based in スカパ flow successively.
A fight of Tarawa and the post
I returned to Virginia Norfolk on August 1 and it sailed on 21st and arrived at the Havana Port via エファテ island on September 14. I moved to Fiji on November 7 and supported the start on a voyage, 第 50.1 duty group, carrier interception corps with an eighth and the ninth battleship corps four days later. On an attack for the Gilbert Islands, Operation ガルヴァニック the carrier corps November 19 performed the attack to ジャルート atoll, the millimeters atoll, and neutralized an airport of Japan. The military unit performed the aviation support for the landing party to Makin and Tarawa successively. South Dakota constituted duty group with five battleships on December 8 and performed bombardment from a warship to Nauru. The enemy facilities along the shore and the airport were greatly destroyed by bombardment from a warship and an aviation attack. I retreated, and South Dakota supplied the エファテ Island with maintenance and ammunition on December 12. I participated in a battle again on January 29, 1944, and the carrier corps attacked it in the Roy = namul island of Marshall Islands. South Dakota moved the next day and bombarded it in the base of the Roy = namul island of Japan and joined the carrier corps which supported aviation afterwards in クェゼリン atoll, Majuro atoll, the landing party to the Roy = namul island.
South Dakota that left Marshall Islands on February 12 started the attack for the Japanese base of Truk Islands on February 17 and 18th. Six days later, I was in charge of the guards of the carrier military unit which attacked the beginning in Mariana Islands. The military unit received an aviation attack of several degrees, and South Dakota shot down four Japanese planes. It anchored in the Majuro atoll until return, March 22 on February 26 and made a sortie afterwards with a high-speed carrier corps of the fifth fleet. The military unit performed an air raid for Palau, Yap, ウォレアイ of west Caroline Islands and Woolsey atoll from March 30 through April 1.
South Dakota returned to the Majuro atoll on April 6 and sailed with a carrier corps in the next week. I struck Horan Deer on April 21 and struck Gulf of アイタペ, Gulf of shelf Mera, the Gulf of Humboldt for landing party support on the next day. I guard a carrier corps on April 29 and 30th and I come back to Truk Islands afterwards and bombard it. The bombardment corps to the ポナペ island increased South Dakota the next day and attacked this. After returning to the Majuro atoll, and having worked on maintenance from May 4 to June 5, the 58th duty corps increased it and supported the landing operation to Saipan and the Tinian island. The carrier corps separated the battleship of South Dakota and six for bombardment from a warship including the attack to enemy facilities from the carrier corps on June 13 on June 11. I struck South Dakota for a shelf pug gulf of Saipan and performed bombardment more than six hours in the main battery and a secondary gun. On the night of June 15, the Japanese fighter from eight to 12 and a bomber attacked it through the battle with the spy plane corps for duty group. I bombarded South Dakota to four planes and shot down one plane. 11 planes which stayed were shot down by the bombardment with other warships.
Mariana Islands offing sea fight
On June 19, South Dakota works on a carrier corps and a strategy. The west came close, and the main force of the Japanese fleet was placed that the main force of U.S. forces met an enemy and supported a ground troop of Saipan. At 10:12, the approach of the Japanese military unit was reported from the west. A comet bombed 250 kg in a main deck of South Dakota at 10:49, and 24 people died of an explosion, and 27 people got injured, and the warship did not produce the serious damage although wiring was cut and was greatly damaged. South Dakota continued a battle. Japan lost more than 300 planes at the first day of this Mariana Islands offing sea fight, and the state was talked about later with "turkey shoot The Marianas Turkey Shoot. of Mariana Islands". The game with airline continued on June 20, and the Japanese fleet was not able to become with the menace to U.S. forces after a battle anymore in Mariana Islands. The duty group returned to the Woolsey atoll on June 27, and South Dakota left for the West Coast via Pearl Harbor and came for jet sound with a zing on July 10.
South Dakota was inspected in a jet sound naval shipyard with a zing and sailed after a public trial for Pearl Harbor on August 26. I joined the 第 38.3 duty group to constitute the 38th duty corps when I arrived at Pearl Harbor via Woolsey atoll. The duty corps made a sortie on October 6 and performed an air raid for Okinawa four days later. I performed an air raid for a Taiwanese Japanese war vessel and facilities on October 12 and 13th. Three military units including South Dakota retreated in the eastern part of Philippines and carried out strategy activity until December 24. The carrier corps struck Manila, Luzon to support the Mindoro island landing the other day. The carrier corps attacked Okinawa in Cape sun Jack and Gulf of Cam Ranh in Luzon in Taiwan on Hong Kong, Hainan Island, 22nd on 16th on 12th on 7th on January 6 on 21st on 15th for nine days for four days on January 3 from December 30, 1944 to January 26, 1945.
Military manoeuvre in the Japanese sea near the shore
The high speed carrier military unit where South Dakota belonged to attacked it for Tokyo on February 17 and supported the landing party to Iwo-To on February 19 and 20th. I performed an attack to Tokyo again on February 25 and performed an attack in Okinawa on March 1. After having supplied it with ammunition in Woolsey atoll, the duty group left for Japanese soil and performed Kobe, Kure, an attack to Kyushu District on on March 18 and 19th. On March 23, I attacked it for Okinawa on 24th and I joined the bombardment from a warship group and bombarded South Dakota to the Okinawa southeast. I joined the duty group again and performed bombardment to Okinawa, the attack to the airport of South Kyushu afterwards from 31st to April 3 on March 29. The carrier corps (the 58th duty corps) performed the attack to a Japanese fleet in Southwest Kyushu on April 7 and attacked and sank the destroyer of light cruiser making an arrow and four including battleship Yamato.
South Dakota participated in bombardment from a warship for the Okinawa southeast again on April 19 and supported the XXIV forces which confronted Japan.
On May 6, I produced an explosion accident of the storage of 16 inches of main battery charge of gunpowder during supply from orchid gel (USS Wrangell, AE-12), and four storage of charge of gunpowder exploded with a fire. The second for two uses gun overflowed, and the fire died down. Three people died instantly, and eight people died because of an injury, and 24 people got injured. South Dakota retreated in Guam from May 11 to 29th and arrived at Leyte afterwards on June 1.
Worship for the crew killed in action in the battle of the Guam offing. July 1, 1945
South Dakota left Leyte on July 1, 1945 and guarded the 第 38.1 duty group to perform Tokyo air raid on July 10. On July 14, I carried out the bombardment for Kamaishi ironworks of Kamaishi-shi, Iwate. This was the first bombardment for Japanese soil with the American battleship. I perform bombardment to Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka on July 29 and the night of 30th and bombard Kamaishi again on August 9. By the guards of the carrier military unit performing an air raid to the northern part of Honshu on August 10, I guard the Tokyo air raid corps on August 13 and 15th. An attack of 15th was the last attack in World War II, and Japan surrendered on the same day.
South Dakota anchored in the Gulf of Sagami on August 27 and entered Tokyo Bay on August 29. It left Tokyo Bay on September 20 and returned to the American West Coast via Okinawa, Pearl Harbor. I moved from San Francisco to the Gulf of San Pedro on October 29. It left the West Coast on January 8, 1946 and went to Philadelphia for overhaul. Atlantic reserve duty fleet entered it in June and became the reserve duty on January 31, 1947. I am kept in the same state until it is removed from a register on June 1, 1962. South Dakota was sold to ルリア brothers and company Ltd. as a scrap on October 25, 1962.
South Dakota was presented with 13 war stars by meritorious services in war of World War II.
