Back in Time, May 17: The USS South Dakota
May 17—"South Dakota saw extensive action during World War II; immediately upon entering service in mid-1942. ... she was sent to the south Pacific to reinforce Allied forces waging the Guadalcanal campaign. ... taking part in the Battle of Santa Cruz in October and the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November. During the latter action, electrical failures hampered the ability of the ship to engage Japanese warships and she became the target of numerous Japanese vessels, sustaining over two-dozen hits that significantly damaged her superstructure but did not seriously threaten her buoyancy. South Dakota returned to the United States for repairs that lasted into 1943, after which she was briefly deployed to strengthen the British Home Fleet, tasked with protecting convoys to the Soviet Union.
In mid-1943, the ship was transferred back to the Pacific, where she primarily operated with the fast carrier task force, contributing her heavy anti-aircraft armament to its defense. In this capacity, she took part in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign in late 1943 and early 1944, the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign in mid-1944, and the Philippines campaign later that year. In 1945, she participated in the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and bombarded Japan three times. Following the end of the war in August 1945, she took part in the initial occupation of the country before returning to the United States in September. She later moved to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, where she was laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until 1962, when she was sold for scrap."
The South Dakota, built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, was 680 feet in length, had a beam (width) of 108 feet, and could reach a speed of 27.5 knots (31.6 mph). She had a crew of 1,793 officers and enlisted men during peacetime and 2,500 officers and enlisted men during war time. She carried 3 x "Kingfisher" floatplanes. South Dakota's crew suffered heavy casualties, with 40 killed and 180 wounded.
The USS South Dakota (BB 57) is honored with a museum and mock-up of the ship in Sioux Falls, located on Kiwanis Avenue and West 12th Street. The mission of Battleship South Dakota Memorial is to preserve the history of USS South Dakota (BB 57) and its crew. The museum's goal is to educate current and future generations on the most decorated battleship of World War II.
— Linda Oster, Researcher
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