California (BB 44) - Naval Cruise Book

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F .E .1 fi-'ia Wai QE. EQ Quai -siltlhtw R. Qi? -N -..'.g Einar ur. ng. 'SWG ir arf ,X :Erlang 543' It Trim. 4135175 N 1 MD H 1-F61 1 fiilf .3135 'F 35122. K '9f f W'E. Mg .K,-a - -f 'wr . ...- .. ?'f i't T5 Wy: fx W... Z 'aiilllrfi If 2 USS CALIFORNIA ROSTER OF COMMANDING OFFICERS 1. Captain Henry J. Ziegemeier, USN- August 10, 1921 - August 4, 1922 2. Captain Lucius A. Bostwick, USN- August 4, 1922 - June 20, 1923 3. Captain Harley H. Christy, USN- June 20, 1923 - July 15, 1924 4. Captain Raymond D. Hasbrouck, USN- July 15, 1924 - January 22, 1926 5. Commander Charles S. Joyce, USN- January 22, 1926 - February 16, 1926 6. Captain William H. Standley, USN- February 16, 1926 - October 11, 1927 7. Captain Claude C. Block, USN- October ll, 1927 - June 8, 1929 8. Captain Edward C. Kalbfus, USN- June 8, 1929 - May 22, 1930 9. Captain Henry E. Lackey, USN- May 22, 1930 - January 16, 1932 10. Captain Wilson Brown, USN- January 16, 1932 - July 31, 1933 ll. Captain Stephen C. Rowan, USN- July 31, 1933 - April 1, 1935 12. Captain Paul P. Blackbum, USN- April 1, 1935 - April 4, 1936 13. Captain Roscoe C. MacFall, USN- April 4, 1936 - June 5, 1937 14. Captain William L. Calhoun, USN- June 5, 1937 - January 27, 1938 15. Captain Edward D. Washbum, USN- January 27, 1938 - June 15, 1939 16. Captain Harold M. Bemis, USN- June 15, 1939 - December 19, 1940 17. Commander Robert B. Carney, USN- December 19, 1940 - December 31, 1940 18. Captain Joel W. Bunkley, USN- December 31, 1940 - February 19, 1942 19. Lieutenant Commander Charles A. Peterson, USN- Feb. 19, 1942 - March 20, 1942 20. Commander John F. Warris, USN- March 20, 1942 - April 20, 1943 21. Commander Robert P. Wadell, USN- April 20, 1943 - November 1, 1943 22. Captain Henry P. Burnett, USN- November 1, 1943 - November 28, 1944 23. Captain Samuel B. Brewer, USN- November 28, 1944 - October 1, 1945 24. Captain Lunsford Y. Mason, Jr., USN- October 1, 1945 - March 28, 1946 25. Commander Forrest M. Price, USN- March 28, 1946 - October 17, 1946 26. Commander Philip F. Lindner, USNR- October 17, 1946 - February 14, 1947. USS CALIFORNIA AWARDS The USS Calnfornia CBB-441 earned six battle stars during her wartime career for participation in the following operations: 1. Pearl Harbor Midway December 7, 1941 2. Marianas Operation Capture and occupation of Saipan June 14, 1944 through June 20, 1944 Capture and occupation of Tinian July 21, 1944 through August 2, 1944 Capture and occupation of Guam August 2, 1944 through August 9, 1944 3. Leyte Operation Leyte Landings November 21, 1944 4. Luzon Operation Lingayen Gulf Landing January 4, 1945 through January 18, 1945 5. Okinawa-Gunto Operation Assault and occupation of June 17, 1945 through June 30, 1945 Okinawa-Gunto 6. Third FleetO erations P Against Japan July 10, 1945 through August 7, 1945. USS Caljornia CCGN-361. Developed from the USS Bainbridge CDLGN-255, the new ship, originally classified as a nuclear-powered guided missile frigate, would prove to be a larger and more sophisticated warship, distin- guishable from the earlier DLGN by her flush deck and enclosed masts. Indeed, without big- gun turrets or stacks, but possessed of pylon mast supports, a box-like superstructure, and tall, enclosed towers supporting radar anten- nae, the USS Caljornia CCGN-361 can be said to typify the new U.S. N avy', which emerged in the years after World War II. In recognition of these differences, the Golden State name- sake was reclassified as a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser on June 30, 1975. The contract for the sixth and most pow- erful USS California was awarded to the New- port News Shipbuilding and Drydock Com- pany in June, 1968 and her keel laid on Janu- ary 23, 1970. Twenty-two months later on September 22, 1971, she was launched, spon- sored by First Lady Patricia Nixon. Outfitting lagged, but the new Golden State representa- tive was finally commissioned on February 16, 1974, Captain Floyd H. Miller, Jr. was the new appointed commanding officer. The cost for the USS Calnfornia CCGN- 361 has been estimated as being between S200 ,million and S5220 million- more than the total cost of her five predecessors combined. This tremendous figure, when coupled with the to- tal cost of her five predecessors combined. This tremendous figure, when coupled with the development of the even more advanced CGN- 38 Cwrginiaj class, caused a third ship of this THE SISTER SHIPS BB-BATTLESHIPS - TENNESSEE CLASS USS Tennessee CBB-431 Completed: June, 1920 Modemized: 1942 USS Calqfornia CBB-445 Completed: August, 1921 Modemized: 1943 Dimensions Displacement: 32,300 tons Cstandj CUSS Tennesseej 32,600 tons Cstandj CUSS Calyforniaj 40,400 tons CMean War Servicej Armament 12 14 inches!50 16 5 inches!38 DP 10 40 mm quads 43-60 20 mm Propulsion Speed: 19 knots Cmaximumj Maximum cruising radius: 6,400 miles at 19 knots 9,200 miles at 15 knots Horsepower: 29,000 Cshaftj Aircraft 2 SC-1 group to be canceled. The USS Calnfornia CCGN-361 and the USS South Carolina CCGN- 373 would be one of the smallest purpose-built classes of warships built for the U.S. Navy af- ter the Second World War. The Golden State cruiser's principal func- tion is that of carrier escort. Consequently, her design and armament are primarily those as- sociated with task force ASW and anti-aircraft work, although she can function in more spe- cialized groups even tothe point of shore bom- bardment. Her aluminum and metal hull is painted gray and displays her hull numbers prominently on the bow, with smaller numbers and her name in painted raised letters at the stern. This advanced combatant displaces 9,561 tons Cnormal and 11,100 tons Cfull loadj. She is 596 feet long Conly four feet short of the waterline length of the USS Caliornia CBB- 44J with a beam of 61 feet and a draft of 31 feet six inches. Berths are provided for 28 of- ficers and 512 enlisted personnel. A pair of pressurized, water-cooled D2G General Electric nuclear reactors, each with 5511.5 million cores, provide the steam to power two geared turbines and other machin- ery infinitely more sophisticated than that aboard the electric drive battleship which was her state predecessor. A decade of nor- mal ship operations Cor 700,000 milesl was estimated before refueling would be necessary.

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after the first salvo, Captain Burnett ceased fir- ing. Surigao Straight did much to avenge his ship's loss at Pearl Harbor, of all Nishimurais ships committed to the charge, only the de- stroyer Shigure escaped. Following several weeks off Leyte, the USS Calgfornia CBB-441 was released to the New Hebrides. There, in late November, 1944, Captain Samuel B. Brewer succeeded Captain Bumett as the skipper of the USS Caljornia CBB-441. Captain Burnett, having commanded the proud vessel, the 'fPrune Bargej' through challenging and dangerous times, successfully completed his duties and relinquished the com- mand to Captain Brewer who took up the charge. 1 On December 19, 1944, Captain Brewer took his new command into Kossol Passage, the Palaus, there to celebrate Christmas and prepare for yet another campaign. The Hreturnn to the Philippines continued apace into the new year of 1945. On New Yearis Day and with Admiral Oldendorf em- barked the USS Calyfornia CBB-44jquit the Palaus and, as flagship of TG 77.2, led an ar- mada of vessels through Leyte Gulf and the Sulu Sea to the northwest coast of Luzon. Resistance was stiff from enemy warplanes along the route, especially from a new band of suicide flyers known as Kamikazes. On Janu- ary 5, 1945 , Admiral O1dendorf's ships reached Lingayen Gulf and early the next morning, preliminary minesweeping was completed. As gunners watched the skies, the Prime Barge, keeping fresh, pounded targets on Santiago Island on the western side of Lingayen's en- trance. After lunch, the flagship led a great gray column of fire support vessels into Lingayen Gulf to attack targets in and around the designated invasion area. Admiral O1dendorf's fleet met determined opposition from J apanis air arm and soon most of his ships' gunners were in action. As the flagship was gliding toward her assigned bom- bardment position, she, too, became the target of a Kamikaze. Coming in low over the bow of a nearby destroyer, a Japanese Zero fighter sped toward the USS Calhfornia CBB-44J's bridge. Smoke from anti-aircraft guns blan- keted the battleship's starboard side as gunners and loaders swung with the plane. The bliz- zard of fire was, however, to no avail, the pi- lot flipped his plane into a vertical bank and ripped into the after fire control tower. Vio- lent yellow flames billowed as the ship rocked with the explosion. Meteoric shell fragments tore chunks out of the deck 35 feet below, de- molished gun stations, smashed splinter shields, and even bit into the ship's bell. Dam- age control parties worked quickly and me- thodically and within 12 minutes, all fires were extinguished. Of the 203 casualties incurred in the disaster, six officers and 26 men were killed outright with 13 later succumbing to in- juriesg 155 officers and hands were wounded while three crewmen were reported missing. Temporarily repaired while under way, the USS Calwrnia CBB-441 hammered Luzon positions on January 7, 1945, through January 9, 1945, as troops went ashore on January 9th. She re- mained on station providing call fire support until January 22, 1945, when she departed for Bremerton, via Ulithi and Pearl Harbor. Workmen at the Puget Sound Navy Yard repaired the USS California CBB-44j's dam- age and after training exercises for the many new men, the OBB returned to the fray, an- choring at Hagushi Bay, Okinawa, on June 15, 1945. By now, the worst was over in the great final land-sea-air battle. Ashore, U.S. Army troops made a finishing drive to clear the is- landg gunfire from the USS Caljornia CBB- 44J helped snuff out a few remaining pockets of resistance. With the other old dreadnoughts, she remained ready in support until the cam- paign was declared over on June 21, 1945. On July 22, 1945, the USS Caljornia CBB-441 joined Task Force Number 95 3 with Admiral Oldendorf's group, the old lady, the Prune Barge covered minesweeping opera- tions in the East China Sea and patrolled the waters off Shanghai for Japanese shipping as escort carriers sent strikes against the China coast. Aside from an August visit to the Phil- ippine Islands, this was the ship's duty until V- J Day which brought the end to the war in the Pacific Theatre. The batt1ewagon's final assignment of World War II was to cover the landing of the 6th Army occupation troops at Wakanoura Wan, on the island of Honshu. With the USS Tennessee, she arrived in Japan on September 23, 1945 3 then, on October 3, 1945, the tow sisters moved to Yokosuka, where the USS Calyfornia CBB-441 berthed near the wreckage of the once-proud dreadnought Negato. Crew- men had the chance to look over the erst-while Imperial Navyis big base and do some sightseeing before their group got under way for Singapore a dozen days later. During the Japanese lull, Captain Brewer was succeeded by Captain Lunsford Y. Mason, Jr. From Singapore, the USS Calyfornia CBB-445 and here sister, the USS Tennessee, continued their long voyage, via Columbo and Capetown. Fi- 3. ,ff nally, after 15,000 miles, they rnoored sr. 'he Q i Q. Philadelphia Navy Yard on llecernher 7 if- 47 the fourth anniversary of the Pearl Harbor tack. The process of trirnrning the 1,5 Na: If down to postwar size required that wider. ,et useful, ships be assigned to Hrnothballsf' B, the summer of 1946, the USS California fBB- 441's last skipper, Commander Forrest N1 Price, who had succeeded Captain Mason ir, March, 1946, had preservation work well .ri hand. On August 7, 1946, the ship was placed in commisssion in reserve. Seven months later. on February 14, 1947, after guns and rnachinerj. were rust-proofed and water-proofed. the ensi gn of the 'fPr11ne Bargei' was hauled down for the last time as she was placed out of commission. The USS Calyfarnia CBB-441 remained the inactive reserve fleet for another tvvelue years. By then, time and technology had passed her by and, on March 1, 1959, her name was stricked from the Naval Vessel Register. On March 1 of that year, she was sold for scrap to the Boston Metal Company of Baltimore, Mary - land for S860,000. The veteran battlewagon ar- rived at the head of Chesapeake Bay the follow- ing March, 1960, under tow. There. after a few memontos were saved, she was completely bro- ken up by the end of summer, 1960. THE NUCLEAR GUIDED MISSILE CRUISER USS CALIFORNIA KCGN-36,1 The advantages of an all-nuclear carrier task force were demonstrated in 196-1 when. in '4Operation Sea Orbit, the USS Enterprise CCVAN-65J, USS Long Beach QCGN-91. and the USS Bainbridge CDLGN-251 circled the globe at full speed and without replenishment in FY 1967, two nuclear-povvered escorts were also approved, the lead ship to be named the USS Califimriu fCGN-36.1 fCl7Ill'fc'A1'Y QfHr1rnld Ruin. 1 I 'r cw sit.-j xlllx- 5

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