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Service history World War II After fitting out at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a force flagship, South Dakota held shakedown training from 3 June through 26 July 1942. She stood out of Philadelphia Navy Yard and sailed for the Panama Canal on 16 August. South Dakota served two tours in the Pacific Theater, with one tour with the British Home Fleet in between. First Tour in the Pacific The battleship transited the Panama Canal on 21 August 1942, and headed for the Tonga Islands, arriving at Nukuʻalofa, Tonga on 4 September; two days later, she struck an uncharted coral pinnacle in Lahai Passage and suffered extensive damage to her hull. On 12 September, the ship set sail for the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard to receive repairs.[2] South Dakota was ready for sea again on 12 October, and began training with Task Force 16 (TF 16), built around the aircraft carrier Enterprise. The task force left Pearl Harbor on 16 October, to join TF 17, centered on the Hornet, northeast of Espiritu Santo; the rendezvous was made on 24 October. The combined force, operating as TF 61 under Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid, was ordered to make a sweep of the Santa Cruz Islands and then move southwest to block any Japanese forces that may be approaching Guadalcanal. PBY Catalina patrol bombers sighted a Japanese carrier force at noon on 25 October, and TF 16 steamed northwest to intercept it. Early the next morning, when all carrier forces were within striking range, a Japanese scout plane spotted the American force, triggering the Battle of Santa Cruz. South Dakota and the Enterprise group were approximately 10 mi (16 km) from the Hornet group when the air battle began.
South Dakota fires at a Japanese torpedo bomber (right) during the Battle of Santa Cruz. The smoke around the battleship is from the ship's anti-aircraft guns. The first enemy attack was concentrated against the Hornet. South Dakota operated near Enterprise to provide her protective fire against the attacking aircraft. At 1045 Task Force 16 was attacked by a group of dive bombers. Approximately an hour later the task force was again attacked, this time by some 40 torpedo bombers. A third aerial assault was made with both dive bombers and torpedo bombers, coming in at 1230. South Dakota suffered a 550 lb (250 kg) bomb hit on top of her number one turret. When the action was broken off that evening, the American forces retired toward Nouméa, New Caledonia. South Dakota was credited with downing 26 enemy planes. She had fired 890 rounds of 5 inch, 4,000 rounds of 40mm, 3,000 rounds of 1.1 inch and 52,000 rounds of 20mm ammunition during the action. Captain Gatch made the following assessment of the relative effectiveness of each weapon type in bringing down enemy aircraft during the action: 5 inch: 5%, 40mm and 1.1 inch: 30% and 20mm: 65%.[3] While attempting to avoid a submarine contact on the return trip to Nouméa, South Dakota collided with the destroyer Mahan on 30 October. Both South Dakota and Mahan suffered significant damage, with Mahan's bow deflected to port and crumpled back to Frame 14.[4] A fire erupted in Mahan's forward hold, but which was soon brought under control. Both ships continued to Nouméa, where Vestal repaired South Dakota's collision and battle damage. On 11 November, South Dakota and TF 16 sortied from Nouméa for Guadalcanal. Two days later she joined the battleship Washington and destroyers Preston, Walke, Benham, and Gwin to form TF 64 under command of Rear Admiral Willis A. Lee. By the next evening, the force was operating 50 mi (90 km) southwest of Guadalcanal when Lee learned that a Japanese naval force was coming through the passage off Savo Island. This was Admiral Nobutake Kondō's bombardment group consisting of the battleship Kirishima, the heavy cruisers Takao and Atago, and a destroyer screen.[5] On 14 November, Admiral Kondo's forces were divided into three sections: the bombardment group, a close screen of the cruiser Nagara and six destroyers, and in the van a distant screen composed of the cruiser Sendai and three destroyers. A quarter moon assured good visibility. At a range of 18,100 yd (16,600 m) three of the leading Japanese ships were visually sighted from the bridge of South Dakota. Washington fired on the lead ship, thought to be a battleship or heavy cruiser. A minute later, South Dakota's main battery opened fire on the ship nearest to her. Both initial salvos struck and started fires on the respective targets. South Dakota then fired on a second target, continuing firing until it disappeared from her radar. Turret No. 3 then began firing over her stern on another target, demolishing her own aircraft in the process. Firing continued until the target was thought to be sunk. Meanwhile, South Dakotas secondary 5" batteries were engaged firing upon some eight destroyers that lay close to the shore of Savo Island. A short lull followed after the radar plot showed four enemy ships, just clear of the left tangent of Savo, approaching from the starboard bow, range 5,800 yd (5,300 m). Searchlights from the second ship in the enemy column illuminated South Dakota. Washington opened with her main battery on the leading, and largest, Japanese ship. South Dakota's secondary batteries put out the lights, and she shifted all batteries to bear on the third ship, believed to be a cruiser, which soon gushed smoke. That night, an error in engine room switchboards left South Dakota powerless: without her radars, she no longer had a grasp on the complicated tactical situation.[6] South Dakota, under fire from at least three ships, took 42 hits, causing considerable damage.[7] Her radio communications failed, radar plot was demolished, three fire control radars were damaged, there was a fire in her foremast, and she had lost track of Washington. As she was no longer receiving enemy fire and there were no remaining targets, she withdrew, met Washington at a prearranged rendezvous, and proceeded to Nouméa. Of the American destroyers, only Gwin returned to port; the other three had been severely damaged early in the engagement: Walke and Preston were sunk, and Benham had part of her bow blown off by a torpedo, and, while en route to Nouméa with the damaged Gwin as her escort, had to be abandoned. Gwin then sank her by gunfire. On the Japanese side, hits had been scored on Takao and Atago (both survived); Kirishima and the destroyer Ayanami were both severely damaged by gunfire, and were abandoned and scuttled.
