South Dakota-class Battleship

South Dakota-class Battleship

Country

United States

Contributor:

This article refers to the entire South Dakota-class; it is not about an individual vessel.

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South Dakota-class Battleship Interactive Map

Photographs

Hull test model for South Dakota-class battleships at the Experimental Model Basin, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC, United States, 1938

Diagram of a main battery 16-inch gun turret for the South Dakota-class of US battleships

See all 7 photographs of South Dakota-class Battleship

South Dakota-class Battleship Operational Timeline

1 Apr 1939	The order for the future battleship Alabama was issued.
5 Jul 1939	The keel of the battleship USS South Dakota (BB-57) was laid down at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard in Camden, New Jersey, United States.
20 Jul 1939	The keel of battleship Massachusetts was laid down by the Bethlehem Steel Company in Quincy, Massachusetts, United States.
1 Feb 1940	The keel of battleship Alabama was laid down at Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, United States.
16 Feb 1942	Battleship Alabama was launched at Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, United States, sponsored by Henrietta McCormick Hill, the wife of US Senator J. Lister Hill.
20 Mar 1942	South Dakota was commissioned into service.
30 Apr 1942	Indiana was commissioned into service.
12 May 1942	Massachusetts was commissioned into service.
25 Jul 1942	As USS Nicholas escorted USS South Dakota from Casco Bay, Maine to the Delaware Capes, she made a sound contact and dropped 5 depth charges with no observable results. These were Nicholas’s first shots of the war.
16 Aug 1942	USS Alabama was commissioned into service with Captain George B. Wilson in command.
17 Aug 1942	USS Nicholas and USS Savannah arrived at Norfolk, Virginia. Nicholas departed the same day as an escort to USS Massachusetts bound for Casco Bay, Maine.
18 Aug 1942	USS Massachusetts, with USS Nicholas as an escort, arrived at Casco Bay, Maine. Nicholas continued to escort Massachusetts for several days as the battleship conducted training exercises in Casco Bay.
26 Oct 1942	At the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands, US forces achieved victory but saw USS Enterprise, USS South Dakota, and USS San Juan damaged. Aircraft carrier USS Hornet (Yorktown-class) was badly damaged from aerial bombs and torpedoes and then finally hit by three Type 93 torpedoes launched from Japanese destroyers Akigumo and Makigumo which caused her to sink 30 minutes later. On the Japanese side, carriers Shokaku and Zuiho were damaged by dive bombers from USS Hornet and USS Enterprise, respectively.
28 Oct 1942	Destroyer USS Shaw transferred survivors of USS Porter to battleship USS South Dakota while en route Efate in the New Hebrides.
11 Nov 1942	USS Alabama began her shakedown cruise in the Chesapeake Bay on the east coast of the United States.
16 Dec 1942	Battleships USS Washington, USS North Carolina, and USS Indiana escorted by destroyers USS Nicholas, USS Farragut, and USS Clarke departed Nouméa, New Caledonia on a patrol cruise around the Coral Sea.
23 Dec 1942	Battleships USS Washington, USS North Carolina, and USS Indiana escorted by destroyers USS Nicholas, USS Farragut, and USS Clarke, joined by USS Fanning and Maury, returned to Nouméa, New Caledonia.
11 Jan 1943	USS Alabama arrived at Chesapeake Bay on the east coast of the United States from Casco Bay, Maine, United States.
13 Feb 1943	USS Alabama arrived at Casco Bay, Maine, United States.
2 Apr 1943	USS Alabama departed the United States for Britain.
19 May 1943	USS Alabama arrived at Scapa Flow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
1 Aug 1943	USS Alabama was detached from the British Royal Navy Home Fleet and departed Scapa Flow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
9 Aug 1943	USS Alabama arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, United States.
19 Aug 1943	USS Alabama completed a scheduled overhaul at Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, United States.
20 Aug 1943	USS Alabama departed Norfolk, Virginia, United States.
25 Aug 1943	USS Alabama transited the Panama Canal.
31 Aug 1943	USS Yorktown (Essex-class) and TF 15 arrived at the launching point about 128 miles from Marcus Island in the early morning, spent most of that day launching fighter and bomber strikes on Marcus Island before beginning the retirement to Hawaii that evening.
14 Sep 1943	USS Alabama arrived at Havannah Harbor, Efate Island, New Hebrides Islands.
31 Oct 1943	Battleships USS Washington, USS Massachusetts, and USS South Dakota escorted by destroyers USS Nicholas, USS Fletcher, USS LaVallette, USS Jenkins, and USS Taylor departed Efate New Hebrides to rendezvous with a carrier task group.
2 Nov 1943	Battleships USS Washington, USS Massachusetts, and USS South Dakota escorted by destroyers USS Nicholas, USS Fletcher, USS LaVallette, USS Jenkins, and USS Taylor rendezvoused and joined with carriers USS Essex, USS Bunker Hill, and USS Independence with battleships USS Alabama, USS Indiana, USS Tennessee, USS Maryland, and USS Colorado and cruisers USS Portland, USS Mobile, USS Santa Fe, and USS Birmingham with destroyers USS Taylor and USS Radford. Together, this task group steamed toward Nandi Bay, Fiji.
7 Nov 1943	USS Alabama arrived at Fiji.
7 Nov 1943	Carriers USS Essex, USS Bunker Hill, and USS Independence with battleships USS Washington, USS Massachusetts, USS South Dakota, USS Alabama, USS Indiana, USS Tennessee, USS Maryland, and USS Colorado with cruisers USS Portland, USS Mobile, USS Santa Fe, and USS Birmingham escorted by destroyers USS Nicholas, USS Fletcher, USS LaVallette, USS Jenkins, USS Taylor, and USS Radford arrived at Nandi Bay, Fiji.
11 Nov 1943	USS Alabama departed Fiji in support of the Gilbert Islands operation.
11 Nov 1943	Battleships USS Washington, USS Indiana, USS South Dakota, and USS Massachusetts escorted by destroyers USS Nicholas, USS Fletcher, USS LaVallette, USS Jenkins, USS Taylor, and USS Radford departed Nandi Bay, Fiji bound for the Marshall Islands.
20 Nov 1943	USS Alabama provided naval gunfire support for the US landing at Betio, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands.
26 Nov 1943	During the night, USS Alabama fired anti-aircraft guns against incoming Japanese raids.
8 Dec 1943	USS Alabama bombarded Nauru, expending 535 406-millimeter rounds. During the bombardment, destroyer USS Boyd received a hit from a Japanese coastal gun; the medical staff aboard USS Alabama treated three wounded sailors from USS Boyd.
12 Dec 1943	USS Alabama arrived at Efate Island, New Hebrides Islands.
5 Jan 1944	USS Alabama departed Efate Island, New Hebrides Islands.
12 Jan 1944	USS Alabama arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
21 Jan 1944	USS Alabama arrived at Funafuti, Ellice Islands.
25 Jan 1944	USS Alabama departed Funafuti, Ellice Islands.
29 Jan 1944	USS Alabama bombarded Japanese positions on Roi, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands.
30 Jan 1944	USS Alabama bombarded Japanese positions on Namur, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands.
12 Feb 1944	USS Alabama departed to escort US carriers for the raid on Truk, Caroline Islands.
16 Feb 1944	USS Alabama escorted carriers while carrier aircraft attacked Truk, Caroline Islands.
17 Feb 1944	USS Alabama escorted carriers while carrier aircraft attacked Truk, Caroline Islands.
21 Feb 1944	While at sea, USS Alabama's secondary gun mount No. 9 accidentally fired into secondary gun mount No. 5, killing 5 and wounding 11.
22 Feb 1944	USS Alabama patrolled in waters southeast of Saipan, Mariana Islands.
26 Feb 1944	USS Alabama arrived at Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands.
3 Mar 1944	USS Alabama became the flagship of Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher of the US Navy Fast Carrier Task Force at Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands.
8 Mar 1944	USS Alabama was relieved as the flagship of Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher of the US Navy Fast Carrier Task Force at Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands.
22 Mar 1944	USS Alabama departed Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands.
29 Mar 1944	USS Alabama shared the credit in the downing of at least one Japanese aircraft which were attempting to attack US carriers.
30 Mar 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers as carrier aircraft attacked Japanese positions at Palau, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai in the Caroline Islands.
13 Apr 1944	USS Alabama departed Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands.
4 May 1944	USS Alabama arrived at Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands.
12 Jun 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers as carrier aircraft attacked Japanese positions on Saipan, Mariana Islands.
13 Jun 1944	USS Alabama bombarded Japanese positions on Saipan, Mariana Islands.
14 Jul 1944	USS Alabama, flagship of Rear Admiral E. W. Hanson, departed Eniwetok, Marshall Islands.
21 Jul 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers as carrier aircraft attacked Japanese positions on Guam, Mariana Islands.
11 Aug 1944	USS Alabama arrived at Eniwetok, Marshall Islands.
30 Aug 1944	USS Alabama departed Eniwetok, Marshall Islands.
6 Sep 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers as carrier aircraft attacked Japanese positions in the Caroline Islands.
7 Sep 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers as carrier aircraft attacked Japanese positions in the Caroline Islands.
8 Sep 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers as carrier aircraft attacked Japanese positions in the Caroline Islands.
12 Sep 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers as carrier aircraft began attacking Japanese positions in the Philippine Islands.
13 Sep 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers as carrier aircraft began attacking Japanese positions in the Philippine Islands.
14 Sep 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers as carrier aircraft began attacking Japanese positions in the Philippine Islands.
21 Sep 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers as carrier aircraft began attacking Japanese positions in the Manila Bay area in the Philippine Islands.
22 Sep 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers as carrier aircraft began attacking Japanese positions in the Manila Bay area in the Philippine Islands.
24 Sep 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers as carrier aircraft began attacking Japanese positions in the central area of the Philippine Islands.
28 Sep 1944	USS Alabama arrived in Saipan, Mariana Islands.
1 Oct 1944	USS Alabama arrived at Ulithi, Caroline Islands.
6 Oct 1944	USS Alabama departed Ulithi, Caroline Islands.
14 Oct 1944	USS Alabama shot down three attacking Japanese aircraft while operating south of Taiwan.
22 Oct 1944	USS Indiana arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for an overhaul.
25 Oct 1944	USS Alabama supported landing operations on Leyte, Philippine Islands.
30 Oct 1944	USS Alabama arrived at Ulithi, Caroline Islands.
3 Nov 1944	USS Alabama departed Ulithi, Caroline Islands.
24 Nov 1944	USS Alabama arrived at Ulithi, Caroline Islands.
6 Dec 1944	USS Indiana departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
10 Dec 1944	USS Alabama departed Ulithi, Caroline Islands.
14 Dec 1944	USS Alabama escorted US carriers off Luzon, Philippine Islands as carrier aircraft began attacking Japanese positions in the area.
17 Dec 1944	USS Alabama departed waters off Luzon, Philippine Islands.
18 Dec 1944	Heavy seas caused by Typhoon Cobra damaged the two OS2U Kingfisher floatplanes aboard USS Alabama.
18 Dec 1944	Many ships from the United States Third Fleet, Task Force 38 sailed into Typhoon Cobra in the Philippine Sea. Three destroyers and 790 men were lost.
24 Dec 1944	USS Alabama arrived at Ulithi, Caroline Islands.
18 Jan 1945	USS Alabama entered a drydock at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, United States.
25 Feb 1945	USS Alabama exited a drydock at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, United States.
17 Mar 1945	USS Alabama departed Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, United States.
4 Apr 1945	USS Alabama departed California, United States.
10 Apr 1945	USS Alabama arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
28 Apr 1945	USS Alabama arrived at Ulithi, Caroline Islands.
9 May 1945	USS Alabama departed Ulithi, Caroline Islands.
14 May 1945	USS Alabama shot down two of the several Japanese aircraft that attempted to attack US warships; she also shared credit with anti-aircraft crews of other ships for the downing two other aircraft during the attack.
4 Jun 1945	Many ships from the United States Third Fleet, primarily Task Groups 38.1 and 30.8 sailed into Typhoon Connie south of Japan. No ships were lost but 7 men lost their lives.
5 Jun 1945	USS Alabama suffered minor damage from a typhoon.
1 Jul 1945	USS Alabama set sail for the Japanese Home Islands.
14 Jul 1945	American battleships USS South Dakota, USS Indiana, and USS Massachusetts and escorting destroyers bombarded Kamaishi, Honshu, Japan; the primary target was the Kamaishi Works of the Japan Iron Company, but several destroyers shells overshot the target and hit the town, killing many civilians; battleship shells were more accurate, destroying about 65% of the industrial complex, but they also killed many civilians; this was the first time the Japanese home islands were subjected to naval bombardment. To the north, the sinking of 6 warships and 37 steamers on the ferry route between Honshu and Hokkaido islands effectively cut off the latter from the rest of the home islands. At Kure in southern Japan, aircraft of US Navy TF 38 damaged carrier Amagi, carrier Katsuragi, and battleship Haruna; at Misawa in northern Japan, G4M bombers that were assigned to partake the planned Operation Ken, which sought to deliver 300 suicide commandos to the Mariana Islands, were destroyed (the American would not know of Operation Ken until after the war). The carriers were escorted by a large naval force that included battleship USS Missouri. Far to the south, the USAAF XXI Bomber Command canceled a long-range P-51 raid from Iwo Jima to attack Meiji and Kagamigahara near Nagoya due to poor weather.
18 Jul 1945	American battleships USS North Carolina, USS Alabama, USS Iowa, USS Missouri, and USS Wisconsin and British battleship HMS King George V bombarded Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan with 2,000 shells; the Taga Works and Mito Works of Hitachi Manufacturing Company were moderately damaged, and the Yamate Plant and the copper refining plants of Hitachi Mine were lightly damaged; civilian housing areas were also attacked, causing many deaths. Japanese battleship Nagato was damaged in port at Yokosuka, Japan by aircraft from carrier USS Shangri-La; a Japanese destroyer, a submarine, and three smaller vessels were sunk during the attack on Yokosuka. Aircraft from USS Yorktown struck the Tokyo area. P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang aircraft of US Far East Air Forces attacked various targets on Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, focusing largely on communications lines, bridges, shipping, and population centers.
9 Aug 1945	Medical staff aboard USS Alabama visited destroyers USS Ault and USS Borie to provide medical assistance.
5 Sep 1945	USS Alabama entered Tokyo Bay, Japan.
20 Sep 1945	USS Alabama departed Japan.
15 Oct 1945	USS Alabama arrived at San Francisco, California, United States at about 1200 hours.
27 Oct 1945	USS Alabama hosted 9,000 civilian visitors at San Francisco, California, United States.
29 Oct 1945	USS Alabama departed San Francisco, California, United States and arrived at San Pedro, which was also in California.
27 Feb 1946	USS Alabama departed San Pedro, California, United States for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, United States.
9 Jan 1947	USS Alabama was decommissioned from service at Naval Station Puget Sound, Seattle, Washington, United States.
31 Jan 1947	South Dakota was decommissioned from service.
27 Mar 1947	Massachusetts was decommissioned from service.
11 Sep 1947	Indiana was decommissioned from service.
1 Jun 1962	Battleship Alabama was struck from the US Naval Register while at Seattle, Washington, United States.
11 Jun 1964	Battleship Alabama was named a museum ship while at Seattle, Washington, United States
16 Jun 1964	Battleship Alabama was turned over to the government of the state of Alabama, United States while at Seattle, Washington, United States.
7 Jul 1964	The government of the state of Alabama, United States ceremonially took over ownership of battleship Alabama at Seattle, Washington, United States.
14 Sep 1964	Battleship Alabama arrived, by tow, at Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile, Alabama, United States.
9 Jan 1965	Battleship Alabama was open to visitors as a museum ship.
14 Jan 1986	Battleship Alabama was entered into the US National Register of Historic Places.
9 Jan 2006	Battleship Alabama, having been closed due to storm damage, re-opened as a museum ship.

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South Dakota-class Battleship