USS South Dakota BB 57
The USS South Dakota BB 57 was a South Dakota-class battleship that operated between the years of 1942 until 1947. The ship was launched on June 7th, 1941 from, New York Shipbuilding Corporation and commissioned March 20th, 1942 under the command of Captain Thomas L. Gatch. During its first tour in the Pacific, the ship struck a uncharted coral shelf en route to the Tonga Islands on September 4th and caused severe damage to its hull and had to stop at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for extensive repairs.
On October 12th it set out to the war zone and joined forces with Task Force 16 which was built around the aircraft carrier Enterprise. They left the next day to join with Task Force 17 which was focused around the carrier Hornet, and together the massive battle group set out for the Santa Cruz Islands meeting combining forces along the way with Task Force 61 led by Admiral T. C. Kinkaid. A large Japanese carrier group was also heading to the Santa Cruz Islands and on October 25th 1942, both of the massive naval fleets exploded against each other head on in what later became known as The Battle of Santa Cruz. After the fierce fire fight, the South Dakota was responsible for shooting down 26 Japanese attack fighters.
The South Dakota returned back to New York on December 18th, 1942 for a complete overhaul and major repairs to her battle damage. Afterwards, she set out to meet the British Home Fleet operating out of Scapa Flow until she received her new orders to quickly report to Fiji on November 7th, 1943 to join with the Pacific fleet once again. She provided fire support for the assaults on the Gilbert, Marshall, and Mariana Island campaigns as well as participating in the Battle of the Philippines Sea.
The South Dakota also screened carriers during their strikes on Tokyo and Iwo Jima where she bombarded the shore line in accordance with pre-invasion operational procedure. After the war she returned to Philadelphia for a yard overhaul, and was decommissioned on January 31st, 1947. The USS South Dakota BB 57 earned thirteen battle stars for service in World War II.
The USS South Dakota BB 57 and her crewmembers were at major risk from many different threats during its powerful career, but the perils from violent weather or enemy attacks weren’t the only dangers that the crew faced. Asbestos fibers were widely utilized within ships and submarines during this period in industrial history and the crews of these ships were at serious risk of inhaling these deadly airborne asbestos particles. Asbestos was used at the time in the construction of insulation, more accurately the insulation of piping. Any crewmembers of the USS South Dakota BB 57 that may be concerned they may have been exposed to these dangerous fibers should carefully monitor their respiratory health. The development of mesothelioma, also known as asbestos cancer, has been directly linked to asbestos exposure.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
