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8 May 1918

United States
  • Joseph Rochefort was activated by the United States Navy with the rating of Electrician 3rd Class at San Pedro, California, United States. ww2dbase [Joseph Rochefort | San Pedro, California | CPC]
9 Jun 1919

United States
  • USS S-38 departed waters near San Pedro, California, United States for the Territory of Alaska. ww2dbase [S-38 | San Pedro, California | CPC]
9 Aug 1919

United States
19 May 1921

United States
  • Joseph Rochefort was assigned to minesweeper Cardinal based at San Pedro, California, United States as the ship's chief engineer. ww2dbase [Joseph Rochefort | San Pedro, California | CPC]
30 Jun 1921

United States
17 Jul 1923

United States
9 Dec 1924

United States
  • Joseph Rochefort was assigned to battleship USS Arizona based at San Pedro, California, United States as the ship's assistant engineering officer. ww2dbase [Joseph Rochefort | San Pedro, California | CPC]
22 Apr 1935

Photo(s) dated 22 Apr 1935
USS San Francisco at anchor, off San Pedro, California, United States, 22 Apr 1935
14 Jun 1939

United States
30 Sep 1939

United States
23 Mar 1940

Photo(s) dated 23 Mar 1940
Officers and crew of USS Louisville, San Pedro, California, United States, 23 Mar 1940
2 Apr 1940

United States
5 Nov 1940

United States
21 Dec 1941

United States
  • The 4,200-ton Norwegian stores ship SS Panama Express left San Pedro, California bound for Manzanillo, Mexico. Shortly after reaching the San Pedro Channel, she was spotted by the Japanese submarine I-19. The submarine fired two torpedoes but both missed. I-19 gave chase briefly but could not overtake the ship. ww2dbase [Japanese Attacks on the Continental United States | San Pedro, California | DS]
24 Dec 1941

United States
  • Japanese submarine I-19 lurked nearly at the very entrance of San Pedro harbor, California. Just after dawn, I-19 fired one torpedo at the 2,000-ton freighter SS Barbara Olson carrying a load of lumber but the torpedo passed underneath the ship. The torpedo exploded 100 feet beyond Barbara Olson and caused no damage. The exploding torpedo also caught the attention of the nearby Navy patrol craft USS Amethyst, which made a search for the submarine without success. Later, within a mile of the earlier attack, I-19 attacked the 6,000-ton freighter SS Absaroka, also with a load of lumber. I-19 fired two torpedoes; one torpedo ran astern of the ship but the other struck the ship in the starboard quarter. The explosion threw tons of lumber into the air like matchsticks and one sailor was crushed under tons of shifting lumber. Absaroka began settling quickly and soon her main deck was awash. The crew abandoned ship but Absaroka was kept afloat by her cargo. She could not make way, however, and was taken in tow by a Navy tug. The ship was beached just north of Point Fermin below Fort MacArthur. Absaroka was later repaired and returned to service. ww2dbase [San Pedro, California | DS]
  • Japanese submarine I-19 lurked nearly at the very entrance of San Pedro harbor, California. Just after dawn, I-19 fired one torpedo at the 2,000-ton freighter SS Barbara Olson carrying a load of lumber but the torpedo passed underneath the ship. The torpedo exploded 100 feet beyond Barbara Olson and caused no damage. The exploding torpedo also caught the attention of the nearby Navy patrol craft USS Amethyst, which made a search for the submarine without success. Later, within a mile of the earlier attack, I-19 attacked the 6,000-ton freighter SS Absaroka, also with a load of lumber. I-19 fired two torpedoes; one torpedo ran astern of the ship but the other struck the ship in the starboard quarter. The explosion threw tons of lumber into the air like matchsticks and one sailor was crushed under tons of shifting lumber. Absaroka began settling quickly and soon her main deck was awash. The crew abandoned ship but Absaroka was kept afloat by her cargo. She could not make way, however, and was taken in tow by a Navy tug. The ship was beached just north of Point Fermin below Fort MacArthur. Absaroka was later repaired and returned to service. ww2dbase [Japanese Attacks on the Continental United States | San Pedro, California | DS]
10 May 1942

United States
13 May 1942

United States
19 Jun 1942

United States
22 Jun 1942

United States
18 Mar 1943

United States Photo(s) dated 18 Mar 1943
Keel of USS Cassin Young at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard, San Pedro, California, United States, 18 Mar 1943
13 Jun 1943

United States
12 Sep 1943

Photo(s) dated 12 Sep 1943
Launching of USS Cassin Young, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard, San Pedro, California, United States, 12 Sep 1943
12 Oct 1943

United States
12 Dec 1943

United States
31 Dec 1943

Photo(s) dated 31 Dec 1943
Commissioning ceremony of USS Cassin Young, San Pedro, California, United States, 31 Dec 1943; note USS Preston at left and USS Comfort at right
6 May 1944

United States
30 May 1944

Photo(s) dated 30 May 1944
Casablanca-class escort carrier USS Sargent Bay at San Pedro, California, United States, 30 May 1944 in her new Measure 32, Design 15A paint scheme.
21 Jun 1944

United States
  • Casablanca-class escort carrier USS Steamer Bay shifted from San Diego, California to the US Naval Drydocks at Terminal Island, San Pedro, California. ww2dbase [Steamer Bay | San Pedro, California | DS]
16 Aug 1944

United States
  • USS St. Louis arrived at San Pedro, California and entered Terminal Island drydocks for battle damage repairs and general overhaul. ww2dbase [St. Louis | San Pedro, California | DS]
24 Sep 1944

United States
5 Oct 1944

United States Photo(s) dated 5 Oct 1944
Light cruiser USS St. Louis at San Pedro, California at the conclusion of drydock repairs, 5 Oct 1944. Note Measure 32, Design 2C paint and all main batteries trained to starboard.
10 Oct 1944

United States
11 Oct 1944

United States
5 Dec 1944

United States
7 Dec 1944

United States
26 Dec 1944

United States
30 Dec 1944

United States
31 Dec 1944

United States
  • USS St. Louis entered Drydock #1 at the Naval Drydocks in San Pedro, California along with seaplane tender USS Norton Sound. ww2dbase [St. Louis | San Pedro, California | DS]
3 Jan 1945

United States
  • At San Pedro, California, Captain John Griggs relieved Captain Ralph Roberts as commanding officer of cruiser USS St. Louis. ww2dbase [St. Louis | San Pedro, California | DS]
6 Feb 1945

United States
  • USS St. Louis was floated out of Drydock #1 at the Naval Drydocks in San Pedro, California and shifted to Pier #1. ww2dbase [St. Louis | San Pedro, California | DS]
16 Feb 1945

United States
22 Feb 1945

United States
23 Feb 1945

United States
14 Jun 1945

Photo(s) dated 14 Jun 1945
Drydock No. 1 at San Pedro, California, United States, one of the largest drydocks on the west coast, full of ships for upkeep, repair, and conversion, about 14 Jun 1945.
23 Jun 1945

United States
  • USS Tamalpais departed San Pedro, California unescorted bound for Eniwetok, Marshall Islands with a load of fresh water. ww2dbase [Tamalpais | San Pedro, California | DS]
24 Sep 1945

United States
1 Oct 1945

United States
  • After the installation of bunks throughout the hangar deck, Casablanca-class escort carrier USS Sargent Bay departed San Pedro, California bound for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii as part of Operation Magic Carpet. ww2dbase [Sargent Bay | San Pedro, California | DS]
1 Nov 1945

United States
3 Dec 1945

United States
14 Dec 1945

United States
  • USS St. Louis arrived at San Pedro, California and disembarked 850 US servicemen brought home from Guadalcanal, Espiritu Santo, and Samoa. ww2dbase [St. Louis | San Pedro, California | DS]
27 Feb 1946

United States
  • USS Alabama departed San Pedro, California, United States for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, United States. ww2dbase [Alabama | San Pedro, California | CPC]

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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Profile of MacArthur shortly after fulfilling his promise to return, Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines, 23 Oct 1944. Note Sergio Osmeña behind MacArthur.


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