California (CGN 36) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS CALirORTilA CGn-36 CALirORPilA ' s heel was laid on January 23, 1970. The ship s sponsor was Mrs. Rich- ard N. rii on. the former first lady. Mrs. Fiixon christened the ship on 5eptember22, 1971. On February 16, 1974, CALIFORPilA was commissioned forsenice in the Atlantic Fleet. For ten years, CALlFORPilA steamed the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian oceans from the port of Fiorfolk, Virginia, sening three times as a unit of the Sixth Fleet and twice with the Seventh Fleet. In 1981, upon returning to Piorfolk from her second Indian Ocean cruise via the Pana- ma Canal, the Golden Grizzly became the first nuclear-powered surface ship to cir- cumnavigate the earth since the USS EPiTERPRISE Task Force completed Operation Sea ' Orbit in 1964. In September 1983, four months after completing an extensive 16 month overhaul, CALIFORniA left norfolk for the last time as she steamed via the Panama Canal to her new homeport, Alameda, California. In February 1985 CALlFORPilA left Alameda to join USS COnSTELLATIOn (CV 64) and eight other ships for the Golden Grizzly ' s first Western Pacific Indian Ocean cruise. During the spring of 1986 CALlFORPilA conducted six weeks of operations in the Bering Sea and was the First cruiser to visit Adah, Alaska since World War II. From January through July 1987, she conducted her second Western PaciFic Indian Ocean deployment with contingency operations in the northern Arabian Sea. In July of that year, she com- pleted her second ' around the world cruise, steaming west via the Suez Canal, the Med- iterranean Sea and the Panama Canal on her return to Alameda. Golden Grizzly commenced her most recent deployivent in September 1988 with the USS PilNITZ (CVPi 68). Following a 25 knot transit of the Piorth PaciFic. CALlFORPilA conducted Olympic Presence operations in the Sea of Japan during the 1988 Summer Olympics in the Republic of Korea. She then operated in the Indian Ocean and north Arabian Sea in support of the Battle Group, followed by Strait of flormuz and Arabian Gulf patrol and comoy escort duties. CALIFORniA participated in the US navy ' s final Earnest Will convoy accompany mission through the Strait of llormuz, in December 1988. Upon completion of the deployment, in Februan, 1989, CALIFORniA joined the Third Fleet, where she will continue to operate until commencing a refueling overhaul in Bremerton, Washington in 1990. Photo By: ICS flealy

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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.

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COMMAPiDirfG OFFICER U