Tennessee (BB 43) - Naval Cruise Book

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Al lhis lime Admiral William F. lBulll Halsey look command of lhe naval forces in lhe area and lhe slage was sel for a show down engagemenl. On November I3, I4 and l5 lhe decisive ballle, known as lhe ballle of Guadal- canal, look place. ll was lhe grealesl surface aclion, al lhal lime, since lhe ballle of Julland in lhe Eirsl World War. The Japanese senl lhree forces of warships and lransporls, wilh a spear- head of al leasl lwo ballleships and I6 cruisers and deslroyers in one column. This vanguard was almosl deslroyed al nighl by a cruiser lask force led by Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan. Callaghan, malching his cruiser San Francisco againsl one of lhe ballleships, boldly lhrusl his lillle column in lhe midsl of lhe Japanese. Callaghan losl his life bul lhe Japanese were rouled in lhe confusion. Eilher unaware of lhe disasler lhal had overlaken lheir vanguard or unable lo arresl lheir ballle plans, lhe olher lwo Japanese forces came on lhe nexl day and ran inlo a similar massacre. The final counl was al leasl 28 Japanese ships sunk, including one ballle- ship and I2 lransporls loaded wilh lroops. Two American cruisers and six deslroyers were sunk: lhal made a serious sublraclion from lhe meager naval power we had al lhal lime. Refilling of lhe TENNESSEE wenl forward al a furious pace as growing American mighl was unleashed on slill anolher fronl. Moving wilh lhe grealesl secrecy Gen. Dwighl D. Eisenhower's greal expedilion sailed from England and America and slormed lhe Norlh African shore November 7. For lhe firsl lime lhe Axis parlners were informed lhal America's induslrial power had slarled lo roll as lhey saw increasing forces appearing in lhe Pacific and lhe greal armada lhal supplied lhe Norlh African forces. The workmen of lhe Pugel Sound Navy Yard ballled againsl lime in rebuilding lhis old ballleship. ll was nol long unlil lhe new design of lhe superslruclure was apparenl. There was a modern foremasl, a new mainmasl. and a new slack. When finally compleled, only a lrained eye could dis- linguish lhe superslruclure from lhal of lhe newesl of ballleships. A ballleship's reason for being is lo deslroy lhe enemy wilh her big guns. The finesl in eguipmenl was inslalled lo conlrol and aim lhose guns. Technicians inslalled rangekeepers lo follow enemy movemenls unerringly and make compensalions for everylhing from lhe speed of lhe wind lo lhe wear of lhe guns. There were new inslrumenls lo permil accurale fire no maller how badly lhe ship rolled and pilched. Olher experls came aboard lhe TENNESSEE lo inslall Eyes and Ears -- lhe grealesl secrel of lhe war al lhal lime-Radar. Wilh lhis equipmenl gunners of lhe TENNESSEE would know al all limes, whelher nighl or day. visibilily zero or clear, lhe exacl localion of lhe enemy in lhe clouds, on or under lhe sea. As lhe modernizalion neared lhe final slage, guns began lo slick oul from every vanlage poinl. There were sixleen five-inch guns wilh lhe finesl of modern conlrolling equipmenl and forly and lwenly millimeler guns on lhe lopside decks in every available spol. Meanwhile lhe officers and men lo fighl lhe ship were coming in. Old hands lhal had been senl away lo schools lo learn all aboul lhe new equipmenl relurned lo find a ship lhal was huslling and buslling and nearly ready lo carry lhe lighl lo lhe enemy. Old hands and new hands plunged inlo lhe work, learning lhe characlerislics of lhe new equipmenl, evolving lhe proper procedures. They were ready as lhe ship was ready when lhe TENNESSEE pul lo sea again in May of i943 lo cul a swalh lhrough lhe far norlh and lhe Pacific lhal ended in Tokyo. i' 'A' i'

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.J 1284-ng 4' 7. Sfeamy, bloody, hearf breaking Guadalcanal held fhe affenfion of 'rhe world as Allied forces sfruck fhe firsf blow fo sfop fhe sfeam-rolling Jap War Machine. ln flue dirfy, sfinking iungles of fhis lifnlle-known island American marines added one of fhe mosf glorious chapfers in fheir his'l'ory. Affer fhe landings had been successfully effecfed fhe TENNESSEE re- furned fo fhe Sfafes and in Sepfember of l942 al Pugel Sound Navy Yard began fhe maior modernizafion which fiffed her for fhe operafions which secured fhe final surrender of Japan. This was nof a mere beaufy parlor freafmenf wifh fouches of refinemenf being added here and fhere. This was maior surgery and fhe resulf was a rebirfh for Baffleship 43, for virfually a new ship emerged. Old hands who leff fhe ship when she enfered drydock could nof recognize fhe Rebel when fhey refurned a few monfhs lafer. Navy Yard workmen swarmed over 'lhe decks and 'lhe din of air hammers and cuffing forches was so ferrific fhaf communicafion was only possible in sign language. Working wifh amazing speed, off came fhe old cage masfs and double sfacks. The supersfrucfure was cul' away unlil 'lhe main lurrels and vasf holes yawned in 'lhe deck where workmen lowered new equipmenl for fhe engineering planf many decks below. While fhe workmen were making a clean sweep of fhe TENNESSEE preparafory fo sfarling new consfrucfion, newspaper headlines, day afler day, fold fhe sfory of fhe grim baffle being foughf on Guadalcanal. There were fhose uncerfain days in Ocfober when fhe J reinforcemenfs and our own Army reinforcemenfs arrived al fhe crisis. Head- lines also fold fhe sfory of fhe many naval engagemeni-5 gf H15 Eagfem Solomons, fhe baffle of Cape Esperance and 'lhe balnlle of 'lhe Sanla Cruz Islands in which we losf fhe veferan carrier HORNET apanese succeeded in landing and a desfroyer. webinar is as M 19,1

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