USS Washington (BB-56)

USS "Washington" (BB-56), the second of just two , the light cruisers , the "Washington" continued to engage the Japanese force. Between 00:25 and 00:34 hours, she engaged targets at 10,000 yards range with her five-inch battery.

, the "Washington" fired 75 rounds of 16 inch and 107 rounds of five-inch shells at ranges from 8,400 to 12,650 yards, scoring at least nine hits with her main 16" battery, and about 40 with her five-inchers, silencing the IJN battleship "Kirishima" in short order, and setting her on fire. Subsequently, the "Washington"'s five-inch batteries went to work firing on other targets spotted by her radar sets.

This naval battle off Guadalcanal, however, was not all one-sided. Japanese gunfire proved devastating to the four destroyers of TF 64, as did the powerful Japanese Long Lance torpedoes. "Walke" and "Preston" both took numerous hits of all calibers and sank; "Benham" sustained heavy damage to her bow, and "Gwin" sustained shell hits aft.

The "South Dakota" had maneuvered to avoid the burning "Walke" and "Preston" but soon found herself to be the target of the entire Japanese bombardment group. Skewered by searchlight beams, the "South Dakota" boomed out salvoes at the IJN force, as did the "Washington" which was proceeding, at that point, to deal out severe punishment upon the "Kirishima", one of the "South Dakota"'s assailants.

The "South Dakota", the recipient of numerous hits, retired as the "Washington" steamed north to draw fire away from her crippled battleship comrade, and from the two crippled destroyers "Benham" and "Gwin". Initially, the remaining ships of the Japanese bombardment group gave chase to the "Washington" but they broke off action when discouraged by the battleship's heavy guns. Afterwards, they withdrew under cover of a smokescreen.

After the "Washington" evaded torpedoes fired by the Japanese destroyers in the van of the enemy force, having several detonate in her wake as she retired, she joined the "South Dakota" later in the morning, shaping course for Nouméa. In the battleship action, the "Washington" had done well and had emerged undamaged, except for one non-exploding 5 inch shell through one of her radar antennas. The "South Dakota" had not emerged unscathed, however, sustaining heavy damage to her superstructure; 38 fatalities; and 60 wounded. The Japanese had lost the battleship "Kirishima". Left burning and exploding, she later was abandoned and was scuttled by the her crew. The other enemy casualty was the destroyer also sighted Ozawa's force as it entered the Philippine Sea. was sunk by "Cavalla". His flagship "Taihō" sunk out from under him, Admiral Ozawa transferred his flag to , and a destroyer screen, was detached from the screen of TG 58.4, forming TG 58.7, under Vice Admiral Lee. That group arrived at Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshall Islands to refuel and replenish on 11 August and remained there for almost the balance of the month. On 30 August, that group departed, headed for, first, the Admiralty Islands, and ultimately, the Palaus.

Western Pacific, October 1944 – June 1945

"Washington"'s heavy guns supported the taking of Peleliu and Angaur in the Palaus and supported the carrier strikes on Okinawa on 10 October, on northern Luzon and Formosa from 11 October to 14 October, as well as the Visayan air strikes on 21 October. From
5 November 1944 to 17 February 1945, "Washington", as a vital unit of the fast carrier striking forces, supported raids on Okinawa, in the Ryukyu Islands; Formosa; Luzon; Camranh Bay and Saigon in French Indochina; Hong Kong; Canton; Hainan Island; Nansei Shoto; and the heart of the enemy homeland, Tokyo itself.

From 19 February to 22 February 1945, "Washington's" heavy rifles hurled 16 inch shells shoreward in support of the landings on Iwo Jima. In preparation for the assault "Washington's" main and secondary batteries destroyed gun positions, troop concentrations, and other ground installations. From 23 February to 16 March, the fast battleship supported the unfolding invasion of Iwo Jima, including a carrier raid upon Tokyo on 25 February. On 18 March, 19 March, and 29 March, "Washington" screened the Fleet's carriers as they launched airstrikes against Japanese airfields and other installations on the island of Kyūshū. On 24 March, and again on 19 April, "Washington" lent her support to the shellings of Japanese positions on the island of Okinawa.

Anchoring at San Pedro Bay, Leyte, on 1 June 1945 after an almost ceaseless slate of operations, "Washington" steamed for the west coast of the United States on 6 June, making stops at Guam and Pearl Harbor before reaching the Puget Sound Navy Yard on 28 June.

As it turned out, "Washington" would not participate in active combat in the Pacific theater again. Her final wartime refit carried on through V-J Day in mid-August 1945 and the formal Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay on 2 September. She completed her post-repair trials and conducted underway training out of San Pedro, California, before she headed for the Panama Canal returning to the Atlantic Ocean. Joining TG 11.6 on 6 October, with Vice Admiral Frederick C. Sherman in overall command, she soon transited the Panama Canal and headed for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the place where she had been "born". Arriving at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 17 October, she participated in Navy Day ceremonies there on 27 October.

Post-war service

Assigned to troop transport duty on 2 November 1945 as part of Operation Magic Carpet, "Washington" went into dockyard hands on that day, emerging on 15 November with additional bunking facilities below and a crew that now consisted of only 84 officers and 835 men. Steaming on 16 November for the British Isles, "Washington" reached Southampton, England, on 22 November.

After embarking 185 Army officers and 1,479 enlisted men, "Washington" steamed for New York City. She completed that voyage and, after that brief stint as a transport, was placed out of commission, in reserve, on 27 June 1947. Assigned to the New York group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, "Washington" remained inactive through the late 1950s, ultimately being struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on 1 June 1960. The vessel was sold on 24 May 1961, and was scrapped soon thereafter.

"Washington" earned 13 battle stars during World War II in operations that had carried her from the Arctic Circle off Norway, to the southern and western Pacific.

Notes

References

*DANFS
* Ivan Musicant, "Battleship at War"

External links

* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/uss_washington_bb56.htm Maritimequest.com: USS "Washington" photo gallery]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w3/washington-viii.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Washington"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/56a.htm navsource.org: USS "Washington"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/battlesh/bb56.htm hazegray.org: USS "Washington"]
* [http://www.usswashington.com/index.htm USS "Washington" BB56 Home Port]