Hobby Link Japan USS California BB-44. A Visual History

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USS California BB-44. A Visual History

Ampersand Group/Hobby Link Japan

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, USN, 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 organisational 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 modernised in late 1929 and early 1930 and equipped with an improved anti-aircraft battery of eight 5-inch (127 mm)/25 cal guns replacing the earlier 3-inch (76 mm) guns. Also, the elevation of the ship's 14-inch (356 mm) 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 one of six ships to receive the new RCA CXAM radar in 1940.

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 attack. Two torpedoes struck the port side. One detonated below the armour belt at frame 52 (between number 2 turret and the bridge), creating a hole 10 feet (3.0 m) high and 24 feet (7.3 m) long, destructively deforming the first anti-torpedo bulkhead and transverse stiffeners between frames 47 and 60, and holing the second bulkhead with fragments. Watertight integrity had been impaired by preparations for a material inspection; and the ship suffered extensive flooding damage when hit.

The second torpedo detonated below the armour belt and turret 3 at frame 101, causing nearly identical damage. The third and fourth bulkheads were deformed but remained intact at both locations. The innermost fifth armoured bulkhead was deflected approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) forward and punctured by a fuel line fitting aft. This damage caused by the shifting fuel line aft allowed flooding of the centre motor room through the port thrust block room. At 08:45, a 551-pound (250 kg) bomb entered the starboard upper deck level at Frame 60, passed through the main deck, and exploded on the armoured second deck, setting off an anti-aircraft ammunition magazine and killing about 50 men. A second near miss bomb off the port bow ruptured hull plates between frames 10 and 15 causing immediate flooding of all first platform compartments forward of frame 21, and three compartments on the second platform putting California down about one meter by the bow.Smoke from fires started by the bomb hit caused evacuation of the forward engine-room at 10:00 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.

On 25 March 1942, California was re-floated and dry-docked at Pearl Harbour 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 compartmentalising, 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-inch (127 mm)/51 cal guns of the secondary battery and the 5-inch (127 mm)/25 cal guns of the anti-aircraft battery were replaced by 16 5-inch (127 mm)/38 cal guns in new twin mountings. Her appearance was nearly identical to that of USS Tennessee and USS 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, USS Tennessee, California and USS West Virginia were widened to 114 feet (35 m) feet, in effect limiting deployment to the Pacific theatre. Under the command of Captain Henry Poynter Burnett, 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. Countless more lives would have been lost had it not been for the skills of Ensign William D. Kent. 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 Tennessee (which was also present during the Pearl Harbor attack).

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. In November there was a change of command with Captain Samuel B. Brewer relieving Captain Burnett. On 1 January 1945, she departed Palau for the Luzon landings providing gunfire support while 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, temporary repairs were effected on the spot and she continued to provide shore bombardment. 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 there until 21 July. Two days later, she joined Task Force 95 (TF 95) to cover the East China Sea mine-sweeping 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 Naval Shipyard, arriving on 7 December. She was placed in commission in reserve at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 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.

 

The Book

This landscape printed hardback book charts the entire career of the California through the use of period photographs.  With a brief introduction describing the previous USS California and the order that resulted in the building BB-44 along with the costs and any amendments to the design, the rest of the one hundred and sixty eight pages are filled with photographs. Each photograph is usefully annotated with historical information on what is happening in the picture. It appears that the whole life cycle of the ship had been documented from the keel laying, through her launch, fitting out and her entire operational career.  Some of the most interesting photographs are, rather poignantly, the damage inflicted on her during the Pearl Harbour raid and her subsequent re-floating and rebuilding. Then there is the damage caused when the USS Tennessee collided with the California and one particular picture may disturb some readers, as it shows three dead crewmen who were killed, still in their bunks and were thought missing at first, only to be found when the debris was removed.

There are many photographs showing the ship in action bombarding various islands during the long island hopping campaign to Japan. For modellers these also show the variations in camouflage schemes used throughout her career, along with numerous details both internally and externally, plus the various aircraft used as spotters.  There is only one colour profile in the book but the descriptions in the photographic notes are good enough to research the colours used for the camouflage. The only colour photographs are used on the front and back covers, the front being colourised though so be aware.

 

Conclusion

This is a superbly laid out book and with a wealth of detail that the modeller can put to good use, whether building a model from the box, or backdating it to an earlier period. With two kits available in 1:700 from Trumpeter, one from 1945 the other from 1941 the modeller will have a good starting point no matter which period they choose to model. Whilst great for the modeller, this book is a must have for any maritime enthusiast.

 

Review sample courtesy of