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NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive

BB-57 USS SOUTH DAKOTA
September 1943 - August 1944
War in the Pacific - Refit at Puget Sound

Radio Call Sign: November - Echo - Bravo - Charlie
To Additional Pages

July 1937 - July 1942 / Construction - Shakedown
August - October 1942 / Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
November 1942 / Guadalcanal & Fourth Battle of Savo Island
December 1942 - July 1943 / War in the Atlantic
August 1943 / Second Refit & Return to the Pacific
September 1944 - September 1945 / Victory in the Pacific
Post WW II - Scrapping

South Dakota Class Battleship: Displacement 35,000 Tons, Dimensions, 680' 4" (oa) x 108' 2" x 36' 2" (Max). Armament 9 x 16"/45 16 x 5"/38AA, 12 x 1.1" 12 x 0.5", 3 AC. Armor, 12 1/4" Belt, 18" Turrets, 1 1/2" +6" +1/3" Decks, 15" Conning Tower. Machinery, 130,000 SHP; G.E. Geared Turbines, 4 screws. Speed, 27 Knots, Crew 1793.

Operational and Building Data: Laid down by New York, Shipbuilding, Camden NJ., July 5 1939. Launched June 7 1941. Commissioned March 20 1942. Decommissioned January 31 1947. Stricken June 1 1962.
Fate: Sold, October 25 1962 and broken up for scrap.
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BB-57 South Dakota 171k 29 September 1943: A Vought OS2U Kingfisher being recovered by South Dakota (BB-57). USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-60 Alabama 466k The Alabama (BB-60) firing as viewed from the South Dakota (BB-57) on 29 October 1943. Note South Dakota's 5-Inch battery in the foreground. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 209k The battleships South Dakota (BB-57), Alabama (BB-60) and North Carolina (BB-55) as seen from the Essex class carrier Intrepid CV-11 on 25 January, 1944. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 431k The South Dakota (BB-57) operated with the fast carriers in their strikes against the Tokyo area on 17 February 1944 and against Iwo Jima on the 19th and 20th in support of amphibious landings there. Tokyo again was the target on the 25th, and Okinawa's turn came on 1 March. After rearming at Ulithi, the task groups sailed toward Japan again and pounded targets in the Kobe, Kure, and Kyushu areas on 18 and 19 March. Text courtesy of DANFS. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 403k Taken on South Dakota's (BB-57) fantail probably at Ulithi fleet anchorage. Note the #3 16in turret swung to port for the ship's band to perform an informal concert. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 423k South Dakota (BB-57) followed by Alabama (BB-60) on their way to the Marshalls to shell Roi and Namur islands on 1 February 1944. U.S. Navy Photograph submitted by Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 321k 16-inch Projectile loading. U.S. Navy Photograph submitted by Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 55k Boxing team training in 1944 on South Dakota's (BB-57) fantail. U.S. Navy Photograph submitted by Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 80k Various scenes of destruction are shown here and in the next 4 photos following a bomb hit on the South Dakota (BB-57) on the 01 deck by a 500-pound bomb dropped from a Japanese plane at about 1049 on the morning of 19 June 1944.
The bomb hit the main deck where it blew a large hole, cut wiring and piping, but inflicted no other serious material damage. However, personnel losses were heavy: 24 killed and 27 wounded.
Pictured here is the point of impact, looking forward to starboard from frame # 74. 		Photo courtesy of Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
BB-57 South Dakota 1.10k One guy to far right looks like dad since his damage control repair party near that 40mm on port side were all killed. The number of bodies would be right with the number killed 19 June 1944. It appeared that the picture had a July 1944 date, so I think it was really 20 June 1944. Dad mentioned that it was so hot on board that the dead usually had to be buried at sea almost immediately.
My father's battle station was below in the main damage control and it was his turn to go topside and report when the bomb hit. He told me that he went out the forward hatch on the starboard side. he had to open and close behind him watertight doors on the way up. Right before he went to that last hatch that opened to the main deck he heard the bomb hit, and said it sounded muffled and like a great big bag of sand being dropped (probably shrapnel hitting everywhere) and as he went to the area on the portside and saw bodies and parts all over, and one guy hanging over the tub of the 40mm upside down with blood gushing out of his helmet. The damage control party near the hit were all killed, and the other damage control parties were on the scene already. 		USN photo courtesy of Joseph Sandling via Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 765k Last rites being administered to Joseph Cavaliere S2c by Chaplin Cunningham. USN photo courtesy of Joseph Sandling via Pieter Bakels.
Photo added 12/09/11.
BB-57 South Dakota 52k Damage to the Captain's cabin, looking forward from starboard from frame # 75. Photo courtesy of Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
BB-57 South Dakota 64k Damage to the Admiral's cabin, looking forward to port from frame # 76. Photo courtesy of Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
BB-57 South Dakota 65k Looking forward to port from frame # 76. Photo courtesy of Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
BB-57 South Dakota 45k Damage to the splinter shields of a 20mm gun, looking forward to starboard. Photo courtesy of Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
BB-57 South Dakota 464k The crew of the South Dakota (BB-57) stands with bowed heads, while Chaplain N.D. Lindner reads the benediction held in honor of fellow shipmates killed in the air action of Guam on 19 June 1944. NARA FILE #: 026-G-4677. USN photo # HD-SN-99-02591 from the Defense Visual Information Center, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil.
BB-57 South Dakota 65k Underside of the main deck. The temporary patch installed over the hole appears here, looking forward to starboard from frame # 72.5 at Puget Sound Navy Yard on 11 July 1944. Photo courtesy of Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
BB-57 South Dakota 58k Damage to the South Dakota (BB-57) as she appeared at Puget Sound Navy Yard on 11 July 1944. Looking forward to port from frame # 76. Photo courtesy of Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
BB-57 South Dakota 367k View looking fwd after a refit at Puget Sound Navy Yard on 11 July 1944. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 144k Engineering Spaces aboard the South Dakota (BB-57). USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 169k Engineering Spaces aboard the South Dakota (BB-57). USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 288k Model of the South Dakota (BB-57) engineering spaces. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 53k Model of the South Dakota (BB-57) engineering spaces. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 35k Model of the South Dakota (BB-57) engineering spaces. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 356k Puget Sound Navy Yard photo of the South Dakota (BB-57) as seen in Puget Sound on 21 August 1944 after refit. The photo is taken off the port beam and shows her at 19 knots speed. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 377k Starboard broadside view of the South Dakota (BB-57) as seen in Puget Sound on 21 August 1944 after refit. USN photo # 2862-44, courtesy of David Buell.
BB-57 South Dakota 294k Portside view of the South Dakota (BB-57) as seen in Puget Sound on 21 August 1944 after refit. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 417k Stern view of the South Dakota (BB-57) as seen in Puget Sound on 21 August 1944 after refit. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-57 South Dakota 572k Bow view while underway in Puget Sound after her refit in 1944. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
SOUTH DAKOTA BB-57 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The Hazegray & Underway Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Contact Name: Cathy Verschelden
E-mail: ussdakota@aol.com

Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.
Additional Resources
Hazegray & Underway Battleship Pages By Andrew Toppan.
U.S.S. SOUTH DAKOTA (BB-57)WAR DAMAGE REPORT By Tracy White @ at the Researcher @ Large Website
Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Battleship Photo Index Page

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