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HISTORY
 USS
California (BB-44), one of two Tennessee-class battleships completed
shortly after World War I, was the fifth ship of the United States
Navy named in honor of the 31st state. She was the last American
battleship built on the West Coast, and the only one to be a
dreadnought type. She served in the Pacific her entire career, and
for twenty years was the flagship of the Pacific Fleet. She was sunk
in the attack on Pearl Harbor at her moorings in Battleship Row, but
was salvaged and reconstructed. She served again for the remainder
of World War II before being decommissioned in 1947. She was sold
for scrap in 1959.
Construction and early service years
Her keel was laid down on 25 October 1916 by the Mare Island Naval
Shipyard at Vallejo, California. She was launched 20 November 1919
sponsored by Mrs. R.T. (Barbara Stephens) Zane, daughter of
California governor William D. Stephens; and commissioned on 10
August 1921, Captain Henry Joseph Ziegemeier in command. She
immediately reported to the Pacific Fleet as flagship.
For 20 years, from 1921 to 1941, California served first as flagship
of the Pacific Fleet, then as flagship of the Battle Fleet (Battle
Force), US Fleet. Her annual activities included joint Army-Navy
exercises, tactical and organizational development problems, and
fleet concentrations for various purposes. Intensive training and
superior performance won her the Battle Efficiency Pennant for 1921
and 1922, and the Gunnery "E" for 1925 and 1926.
In the summer of 1925, California led the Battle Fleet and a
division of cruisers from the Scouting Fleet on a good-will cruise
to Australia and New Zealand. She took part in the Presidential
reviews of 1927, 1930, and 1934. She was modernized in late 1929 and
early 1930 and equipped with an improved anti-aircraft battery of
eight 5 in (130 mm)/25 cal guns replacing the earlier 3 in (76 mm)
guns. Also, the elevation of the ship's 14-inch guns was increased
for improved range.
In the mid-to-late-1930s, California and the 14 battleships of the
United States Fleet were stationed in San Pedro, California. During
that time, they participated in numerous fleet exercises taking them
up and down the West Coast, to Hawaii, and in 1939 through the
Panama Canal, to Cuba, to New York City for the 1939 World's Fair.
California was also active in sports competitions. Along with other
Pacific Fleet battleships, her crew competed for the Navy Department
General Excellency Trophy for Capital Ships of the Pacific Fleet –
which because of its design quickly became known as the "Iron Man
Trophy". Since 1919, the capital ships competed for this coveted
award, which was awarded by COMSERVPAC on a system of points figured
on the basis of participation and standings of athletic teams of
ships of the Fleet. California was first awarded the "Iron Man" in
1924 and held it for three years. In 1939, California won the "Iron
Man" for the last time with a total score of .733 to beat out New
Mexico. During those years the competition for the "Iron Man" was
fierce among the capital ships of the Pacific Fleet, until most of
them were re-assigned to Hawaii in May 1940 after Fleet Problem XXI
due to the growing concerns with relations with Japan. Competition
for the trophy was suspended during the war, and was not revived
until 1948, after California was out of commission.
California was one of six ships to receive the new RCA CXAM radar in
1940.
World War II
On 7 December 1941, California was moored at the southernmost berth
of Battleship Row and was with other dreadnoughts of the Battle
Force when the Japanese launched their aerial attack. Watertight
integrity had been impaired by preparations for a material
inspection; and the ship suffered extensive flooding damage when
hit. One torpedo detonated below the armor belt between Frames 46
and 60, and a second detonated below the armor belt between Frames
95 and 100. At 0845, a 551 lb (250 kg) bomb entered the starboard
upper deck level at Frame 60, passed through the main deck, and
exploded on the armored second deck, setting off an anti-aircraft
ammunition magazine and killing about 50 men. A second near miss
bomb ruptured her bow plates. Smoke from fires started by the bomb
hit caused evacuation of the forward engine-room at 1000 and ended
pumping efforts to keep California afloat. After three days of
progressive flooding, California settled into the mud with only her
superstructure remaining above the surface. When the action ended,
100 of her crew were lost and 62 wounded. Machinist's Mate 1st Class
Robert R. Scott was one of the sailors who lost his life on 7
December, refusing to leave his battle station, even as it flooded,
"as long as the guns keep firing". Also killed was Chief Radioman
Thomas Reeves who organized hand delivery of anti-aircraft
ammunition when the equipment to lift it to the guns was knocked
out. He was overcome by smoke and fire below decks while leading
this effort. Both men were awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously
for their heroism and Destroyer Escorts USS Reeves (DE-156) and USS
Scott (DE-214) were named in their honor.
On 25 March 1942, California was refloated and dry-docked at Pearl
Harbor for repairs. On 7 June, she departed under her own power for
Puget Sound Navy Yard where a major reconstruction job was
accomplished, including improved protection, watertight
compartmenting, stability, antiaircraft battery, and fire control
system. Her original twin funnels were combined into a single funnel
faired into the superstructure tower as with the newer South Dakota
class. The original 5 in (130 mm)/51 cal guns of the secondary
battery and the 5 in (130 mm)/25 cal guns of the anti-aircraft
battery were replaced by 16 5 in (130 mm)/38 cal guns in new twin
mountings. Her appearance was nearly identical to that of Tennessee
and West Virginia, which were rebuilt after the Pearl Harbor attack
to resemble South Dakota-class battleships. Like her sisters, she
was a virtually new ship built on the bones of the old.
As part of the two ocean navy policy, U.S. battleships had been
designed within a beam constraint of 108 feet (33 m) in order to
transit the Panama Canal; after their similar rebuilds, Tennessee,
California and West Virginia were widened to 114 feet (35 m) feet,
in effect limiting deployment to the Pacific theater.
California departed Bremerton, Washington on 31 January 1944 for
shakedown at San Pedro, California, and sailed from San Francisco,
California, on 5 May for the invasion of the Marianas. Off Saipan in
June, she conducted effective shore bombardment and call fire
missions. On 14 June, she was hit by a shell from an enemy shore
battery which killed one man and wounded nine. Following Saipan, her
heavy guns helped blast the way for the assault force in the Guam
and Tinian operations from 18 July to 9 August. On 24 August she
arrived at Espiritu Santo for repairs to her port bow damaged in a
collision with her sister ship that was also present at Pearl Harbor
with California, Tennessee.
On 17 September, California sailed to Manus to ready for the
invasion of the Philippines. From 17 October to 20 November, she
played a key role in the Leyte operation, including the destruction
of the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Surigao Strait on 25 October.
On 1 January 1945, she departed the Palaus for the Luzon landings.
Her powerful batteries were an important factor in the success of
these dangerous operations driven home into the heart of enemy-held
territory under heavy air attack. On 6 January, while providing
shore bombardment at Lingayen Gulf, she was hit by a kamikaze; 44 of
her crew were killed and 155 were wounded. Undeterred she made
temporary repairs on the spot and remained carrying out her critical
mission of shore bombardment until the job was done. She departed on
23 January for Puget Sound Navy Yard, arriving on 15 February for
permanent repairs.
California returned to action at Okinawa on 15 June, and remained in
that embattled area until 21 July. Two days later, she joined Task
Force 95 (TF 95) to cover the East China Sea minesweeping
operations. After a short voyage to San Pedro Bay (Philippines) in
August, the ship departed Okinawa on 20 September to cover the
landing of the Sixth Army occupation force at Wakanoura Wan, Honshū.
She remained supporting the occupation until 15 October, then sailed
via Singapore, Colombo, Ceylon, and Cape Town, South Africa, to
Philadelphia, arriving on 7 December. She was placed in commission
in reserve there on 7 August 1946, out of commission in reserve on
14 February 1947, stricken on 1 March 1959, and sold for scrapping
on 10 July 1959 to Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Sparrows
Point, Maryland.
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