California (CGN 36) - Naval Cruise Book

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: fiflirirf u nil riraaijr: r 7C third ship to bear the name CAL- irORniA was a 1 79- foot yacht. The craft, SP-249, was commissioned in 1917. Designed for a speed of 12 linots, SF-249. was armed with two six-pounders and two Colt machine guns. In 1918. the ships name was changed to its original name: flAUOLI. The ship was used for local patrols out of San Diego. In 1920, the ship was sold to a lumber com- pany in Florida. The fourth CALirORniA, SP-647, was a 58-foot yacht built in 1910, comnvss.oned m 191. and owned by the San Francisco Bar Pilot s Association. The vessel registered 34 oris. ' d attained a maximum speed of 9.2 knots. The vessel patrolled the coast around the San F,an- Cisco Bay area.

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USS CALIFORTilA HISTORY u ■ ' ' , The first naval ship named for the state ofCALIFOFiPilA was a 3 13-foot screw sloop launched in 1867 as t he MinriETOriKA. The ship was renamed CALITORPilA in 1869 and decommis- sioned in 1873 at Mare Island Shipyard, Vallejo, California. ?v»n The second CALITOKniA, a 503-loot armored cruiser was launched in San fiancisco in 1904. In 1914, she was renamed SAPI DIEGO so that the name CALirORPilA could be assigned to a newly authorized battleship. i?7!: T3 rs933 sara;»

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USS CALirORTilA BB-44 • V, S »- : BB-44 PRIOR TO FEARL HARBOR BB-44 AFTER FEARL HARBOR The largest ship to bear the state name was the battleship CALirORPilA, BB-44. The ship was commissioned on 10 August 1921 and for 20 years ser ed as flagship of the Pacific Fleet (1931-1941). Its character- istics were: length, 624 feet; dis- placement, 52,500 tons; speed, 21 knots; and complement, 57 officers and 1026 enlisted men. The ship was armed with 12- 14 inch 50 guns. 14-5 inch 51 guns, and 2-21 inch submerged totpedo tubes. On Sunday, December 7, 1941, CALirokniA was berthed in Battleship Row at Fearl har- bor. During the Japanese aerial attach., the CALIFORniA took three torpedo hits, causing the ship to list 8 degrees to port. By Thursday, 11 December, the CALIFORniA was sitting on the harbors floor with only its su- perstructure above the surface. In 1942, the CALIFORniA was refloated. After repairs, the ship departed for Puget Sound navy Shipyard, Washington, for major reconstruction. The CALI- FORniA returned to active ser- vice in 1944. During WWII, the CALIFOR- niA earned seven battle stars. It participated in shore bombard- ments during the Saipan, Guam, Tinian Operations, and in the Battle of Surigao Strait. While providing gunfire support at Lin- gayen Gulf the CALIFORniA was struck by a kamikaze plane. After repairs, the ship setred off Okinawa, in the East China Sea, and in support of the landing of the occupational forces in Ja- pan. The CALIFORniA was placed in commission reserve in 1946, decommissioned in 1947, and sold for scrap in 1959.