California (BB 44) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS C.-11.11-'aR,v1A CBB-441 1921-1941 QINCLUDING PEARL H,ARBORl The LSS Califim11'a tBB--1-ll after her conirnissioning at Mare lsland on August 10. 1921 with Captain H.J. Ziegenreier. United States Nay y. in cornmand with her shakedown cruise and official trials successfully completed was their assigned as the flagship ofthe United States Pacific Fleet. From 1922 until 1931 the Ctrlirorrria was the flagship ofthe Battle Fleet ofthe United States Fleet, participating in Joint Arrny-Navy exercises. battle and fleet exer- cises. and tactical exercises. Tlre California Cub, Weekly Newspaper af rlre L'.S.S. Califirrrria, Volume IV Number 7, reported on March 2, 1923, 'fThe Cruise of 1923: These notes are a little cold now but when you send the CUB home as you should do this article will be very interesting to the folks back home. Nine battleships and part of a train left San Pedro the eighth of February and a couple of days later were joined by thirty-seven de- stroyers and seven submarines from Magadalena Bay. Maneuvers were immediately begun. The various units took up their respective po- sitions as though cruising in time of war. ln fact. this is what this cruise is for- training for war. During the morning, battleships separate about ten miles, four in one column and five in the other. and theoretically. pound each other to pieces with fourteen inch shells while the five and three inch guns bend all their efforts on the destroyers. submarines. and train ships. Torpedoes are ruthlessly launched at any ship that comes within range. No more ideal con- ditions for gunnery training can be found than this since these are the exact conditions of a major engagement. By the afternoon the battle- ships are brought together again for maneu- vers. This is when experience in ship control, and tactics and signal is developed. Also, it is a pretty sight to see all the ships swing into position at the same time. Everyone who is not busy below decks seems to be interested in watching the afternoon maneuvers. Not only are the battleships busy at train- ing all day but are also the destroyers, subma- rines, and train ships. Part of the time the de- stroyers and submarines take up positions of protection to the battleships. At other times they must make targets of the battleships and approach unawares and launch phantom tor- pedoes. The train ships have practices of their own in keeping distance and maneuvering to avoid imaginary torpedoes. 'fAt night time the fleet is gathered to- gether in night cruising formation. The entire fleet is darkened and a little later there is search- light drill. At one minute the fleet is in utter darkness not even the lighted end of a ciga- rette can be seen. The next instant a blazing mass of searchlight beams burst into the air- two hundred rays at least. It beats a fourth of July celebration to see all these beams playing about. Few people will ever witness a scene like this. Aerial View of fill' balllzfship USS Cvllllfllflllll. fCi0lll'll'.S'-V ofHurnlrl Bearrl All these maneuvers and drill offer a world ofexperience to the officer and men. Of course, only real training can be accomplished at sea, ln port many conditions have to be as- sumed which make the drill monotonous and mechanical. But now we have opportunity for practical training. The necessity for these long cruises is shown in the number of minor mishaps that, though slight in nature, cause ships to tempo- rarily lose position in formation, which must be exact. ln reviewing these various mishaps it is seen that lack of long cruises and training at sea are the causes of most. A long trip like this from San Pedro to Panama is rare and it is no wonder some were not prepared for the strain of continuous steaming. A man on board the Nicholas was sick with the flue and had a temperature of 104.6 degrees. He was transferred by boat to the Mercy. lsnlt it convenient to have a first class hospital along with us? The dope from the C in C U.S. Fleet is that all ships except the Calyfomia, Camden, and submarines will be assigned outside an- chorage at Panama. HURRAH for the FLAG- SHIP. The C in C U.S. Fleet is Admiral H.P. Jones. The California Cub from which the pre- vious article is quoted was published by the Crew ofthe USS Calijirrnia. In 1923, Captain L.A. Bostwick was commanding. Lieutenant N.C. Gillette served as editor of the Cub. As- sistant Editors included Lt. Qj.g.J Kelley, En- sign Moore. Ensign Ashley, Ensign Jasperson, Ensign Howell, Ensign Leppert with art pro- vided by Y. Murphy. The paper varied in length usually approximately four to eight pages which were eight and one-half by eleven inches in size and printed by the Star dia Herald in Panama. Republic of Panama. lt is certain that these issues were hungrily read far and wide, especially by family members. friends and fi- ancees of crew members eager to learn oftheir loved one's adventures on the high seas aboard the California. All crew were encouraged to participate by submitting ideas and material for publication. Boldly printed on the bottom of the page was: Ifit interests you it will interest the crew drop it in the boxf, Some articles had practical value as this one titled, 'fAmusc-:ments in Panama : 'Drinking booze and kindred vices are not amusements. They are vices. Don't say that there is nothing else to do. Listed below are a few places you can visit that will give you more enjoyment than lapping up poisonous bever- ages at fancy prices. uCaptain Dickes has secured the informa- tion below and has made arrangements so that this trip can be carried out. A vote of thanks for our chaplain. All Hands!!! Hear This!!! 'fThis is additional information for you to tuck away and use as needed. After practically a full days work the information has shaped up in this manner: At present. liberty is not allowed after 1:00 P.1VI. With liberty this late.

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aboard while four FD instruments were ar- ranged around the superstructure for the five- inchers. In addition, a type SK-2 radar aerial was mounted on the forward pole mast while an SP antenna was attached to the tall main mast. These mechanical eyes of the Calgfor- nia gave her scanning capability to 60,000 yards, precision ranging to 44,000 yards, and the ability to Hshoot at night almost as well as by day. Finally, the prewar catapults on Turret III, or the high catapult and the fantail, which were removed at Pearl Harbor, were replaced by a single catapult on the fantail, serviced by a crane. The Calqfornianreceived four new Vought OS2U Kingfisher observation air- craft, sometimes affectionately known as the ship's Quarter-deck Messerschmidtsf' Re- built, reconditioned, and bearing no resem- blance to her former self, the battleship stood out of the yard at the end of January, 1944. 'GON THE AIR,, FROM THE C UB, WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE USS CALIFORNIA IBB-442: The familiar announcement, 'This is the RBO Network and your station aboard the USS Calafornia CBB-445, which you hear daily over your favorite RBO outlet, has a story behind it. With the arrival of the ship in Philadelphia, the RBO Network will conclude almost two years of continuous operation. It has been a source of pleasure and entertainment for ev- ery man aboard, since the early days of its in- ception in January of 1944. At that time, Chet Smith of the Band, the man behind the voice and the man most re- sponsible for the existence and development of the network, used his own turntable and microphone to broadcast records, a few hours a day, from the Warrant Officers' Mess. Chet has since expanded the service into a full-time radio program. Through the efforts of Chaplain Kenealy, a complete studio was constructed on the sec- ond deck near the library and chaplain's of- fice, a large and varied selection of record- ings were purchased, introduced to the RBO Network. As a result the crew could listen to the popular programs heard regularly over the air back in the United States. Bob Hope, Fred Allen, Jack Benny, the Great Gildersleeve, Edgar Bergen, and Charlie McCarthy have give us all many a laugh, -and at times when a laugh was priceless. All kinds of music, clas- sical, semi-classical, and popularg long-hair, swing, and jazzg military bands, dance bands, and name bands, -all have contributed via the RBO to make life more livable aboard the Prune Barge. Several home-talent programs, originated by members of the crew, have proved to be very successful. One of the most popular is Bob Norman's Ranch Rhythms request pro- gram. Another is Dick Cunningham's Latin American Quarter Hour, in which he broad- cast for a different Cfictitiousj sponsor each week. Mickey Pallamary conducts another program entitled, News of Your Name Bandsf, And there are two request programs daily. Each Saturday night the Prune Barge Hit Parade presents the most popular requests of the previous weekg and the 'fPrune Barge Command Performancen brings back the high- lights of several weeks' programs. During war days, when direct radio news was difficult or impossible to get, a popular program was Fa- ther Kenealy's newscast and commentary each night before taps. The most recent addition to the schedule is the broadcasting of the USS Calzfornia Dance Band Concerts from the quarter-deck. The RBO Bulletin Board, in the starboard mess hall, carries pictures of the stars featured each day on the Armed Forces Radio Service programs. This is handled by Ed Bitting of the band, who also assists Chet in tabulating the requests for records, planning the programs and announcing. Chet Smith's initiative and industry and his contribution to morale were not overlooked by Captain Brewer who, be- fore leaving the ship, wrote a letter of com- mendation Cpublished in the last issue of The Cubj for insertion in Chet's service record. f'There was the night at Espiritu Santo when they were to play for the U.S. Army's 27th Division. The transportation arrived too late, so they played for a nearbyOCB battalion, and the following night, escorted by an apolo- getic 27th Division corporal, they made the camp and entertained eight thousand wildly cheering GIs. No one has kept an account of the total number of soldiers, sailors, and Marines our band has entertained. They have played as many as three engagements in one day, and to groups ranging from a few hundred to six, seven, and eight thousand. And they have played in the desolate places where relaxation was most needed. It was grand work. And, as any man in the band will tell you, it was grander fun. The host outfit would usually provide sandwiches, beer, cokes, of gedunks of some kind after the show. But the greatest thrill was the sheer joy of sharing, with great numbers of swell GI guys, the music and fun of the United States of America which we were lucky to have aboard the USS Calyfornia CBB-445. Below is a partial list of engagements played during the past two years by your Prune Barge Boilermakers: Bremerton: Craven Center Receiving Station Port Orchard Center USO Bremerton USO Seattle USO Tacoma Servicemen's Center Melody Lane Club Long Beach: YMCA San Francisco: Old Saint Mary's USO Oak Street Stage Door Canteen Palace Hotel Dance Pearl Harbor: Navy Yard Workers Recreation Center LST 227 Engebi Island USS Hector USS Jacob Land USS Castor USS McKee USS Harrison Eni wetok: Espiritu Santo: USN Base Hospital tt 3 USN Base Hospital 4? 6 USA Evac. Hospital it 22 USA Evac. Hospital 14 25 Recreation Center CB Theatre CPO Club Main Red Cross Center Aessi Island Theatre Two Bottle Tavern USS Briareus Naval Advanced Base Naval Repair Base United State Army Theatre USA 27th Division AES Radio Station Espiritu: USS Custer USS Sierra USS Hogan Bay USS Salamana Bay USN Base Hospital if 15 USN Main Base USN Seaplane Base CB Number ll CPO Club Manus: Palau: USS Prometheus Ulithi: APA 104 APA 226 Leyte: CPO Club Okinawa: USS Arkansas USS Leon Tsuken Shima Island Wakayama: USS Makin Island Singapore: British General Hospital Padang Field Concert USA Signal HQ Dance Colombo: ComSec Hall Dance. The band looks forward to playing its last out-of-the-United-States engagements in Capetown, South Africa. But O.I. LOld Inde- fatigableb Hartman is slaving away. night and day, preparing new arrangements and new numbers for the last leg of our trip to the United States. Following a series of in and out sea tri- als and exercises off San Pedro and a final Bremerton check of her machinery. the USSCa1ifornia CBB-445 arrived in Hawaii in mid-May, ready to go to war.

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it makes it impossible for anyone to make the sight-seeing trip across the Isthmus, but the permission of the Commander-in-Chief U.S. Fleet has been granted- later a Fleet Order will be published and in the possession of all ships, stating that trips for the full day may be ar- ranged for- allowing ships to send these par- ties, with the understanding that the number leaving in the party cannot number more than the regular allowance for the day and is NOT in excess of the daily allowance, that is, if the ship's allowed liberty is 300, and 300 desire to make the Colon trip, then there will be no fur- ther liberty granted from the ship that day. A special train can be arranged for, from Balboa station for 5100.00 The regular fare of men in uniform, from Balboa to Colon is 51.40 each way, 52.80 round trip, thus if in a ship's party there are 100 men, the cost would be for each man: 53.80, if 200 men went the price would 'be for each man: 33.30. The special train is about the only way the trip can be made by the men in the fleet, for the reason that it would be impossible to get the men in from the outer anchorage in time for the regular train leaving at 7:05 a.m., and the extra cost for the special train, divided among so many amounts to so little. It takes about one and one-half hours to make the trip across. By special train, a stop can be made at Gatun Dam for two hours, giv- ing you all a chance to see the wonderful locks and the great spillway. Leaving Balboa by 8:15 a.m., and stopping Gatun, would bring you into Colon by 11:45 a.m., just in time for lunch. Starting out on your si ght-seeing journey there about 1:00 p.m., this would give you three hours in Colon, your train leaving at 4:00 p.m., getting back to Balboa at 5:30 p.m. Pay day will be here in a few days, so get your party up, say of a hundred or more, and get your money in the hands of the Chaplain, or whoever the Commander may select, and make the trip. You will never regret it. Another One!!! In the Chaplain's office you will find a circular for distribution which will give you a lot of information in regard to what to see. Maps will be found there also. GO GET 'EMI ll Another One!!! The big Y.M.C.A. is not more than ten minutes walk from where we are tied up, where a great welcome awaits you. Across the street from the f'Y,' is the Knights of Columbus Building, where a similar welcome awaits. Just this side of these is the fine Balboa Restau- rant, and O' Boy!!! I sure did get a good feed there last night, and this side of that is the Ca- nal Zone Club House. Look up the jitney fares in the information list to be found in the Chaplain's office. There are a lot of other things but space won't allow. What about Panama City? See the folder in the Chaplain's officef' During this period she underwent several Navy Yard overhauls. From July through Sep- tember, 1925, the Battle Fleet with one divi- sion of light cruisers from the Scouting Fleet, made a very successful cruise to Australia and New Zealand, via Samoa. This visit did much to cement the friendly relations existing be- tween the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Subsequent to commissioning, official tri- als, and shakedown training, the California CBB-443 was made the Battleship Force, Pa- cific Fleet. In 1922 the Pacific Fleet was re- designated the Battle Fleet C renamed the Battle Force in 19315, United States Fleet. For the next two decades, the battleship divisions of the Battle F1eet!Battle Force were to include the preponderance of the Navy's strength and for most of those years, the Calgfornia contin- ued her flagship duty and a magnificent flag- ship she was, the pride of the fleet with her spit, polish, and fearsome armament. Peacetime service involved an annual cycle of maintenance, training, and readiness exercises. Each year, the great gray vessels took part in competitions in engineering per- formance and gunnery as well as an annual fleet problem which was a war gamef, Begin- ning with Fleet Problem I in 1923 and con- tinuing through Fleet Problem XXI in April, 1940, the flagship, naturally, held a prominent position in these battle exercises. Meanwhile, her individual proficiency was immediately shown. The prized Battle Efficiency Pennant, the 'fMeatball, hoisted aboard in 1921 through 1922 in recognition of the ship's having the highest combined total score in gunnery and engineering competition. During the competi- tive year 1925 through 1926, the Calyfornia had the highest aggregate score in the list of record practices fired by her guns of various caliber and won the Gunnery NE, for excel- lence. From July to September 1925, she led the Battle Fleet and a squadron of light cruis- ers on a successful good will tour to fm -.train and New Zealand. ln 1927, 1930 and 1,115- 1 the Golden State namesake partif..pate'.i rr: Presidential fleet revievvs. Throughout the 1930-,, in the Pacific and occasionally the Atlantic, the California LUVJ' tinued her training and flagship rhissioh Fx- ercises were met and dignitaries were reeei ed on board, including adrnirals changing their commands. Cities along the American coast celebrating centennials or other festi H2112 often found the great dreadnought holding open house in their ports. Somewhere along the line in those years, fleet bluejackets came to nick- name her the HPrune Bargefl because, ff. rote Admiral Wallin years later, Hthat state produced a large quantity of prunes for export' Com- plimentary or not, suitable or not, the sobri- quet would stick throughout the remainder of the Caliornia lr career. Fleet Problem XXI was conducted in Ha- waiian waters during the spring of 1940. At the end of the exercise, the Battle Force did not, as was its practice, return to San Pedro. In hopes that a strong signal might deter Japa- nese Far Eastern expansion. President Roosevelt, over the objections of CINCLS Admiral James O. Richardson tshortly there- after relieved by Admiral Husband E. Kimmel i. ordered his battleships to remain based at Pearl Harbor that summer. The following spring. the Calyfornia was overhauled at Puget Sound and after a week of liberty for the crew in San Fran- cisco, departed the West Coast once again on April 15, 1941. From late 1940 to December 7. 1941. the f'Prune Barge, with time out for two trips to 3.1. fl s 'Rf - .. . ...as -5 .- XS' ,ws in . s ..........-'i-'-' 1939-19-10 USS Chliforriiti iiwxrlirzxc mini. lflU1l!'It'.YY Qfl Uzfmi Hiii'r.'r'ti.w, i