WLB119 SOUTH DAKOTA

USS South Dakota (BB-57) was an American battleship laid down in 1939, launched in June 1941, and commissioned with the US Navy in March 1942. The ship was 210 m long, 33 m wide, and her full displacement - at the time of launching - 44,500 tons. The top speed of the USS South Dakota battleship was up to 27 knots. The main armament was 9 406 mm guns in three turrets of three cannons each, and the secondary armament was mainly 16 127 mm guns. The USS South Dakota was the first of four battleships of the type to bear the same name. This type of ships was one of the first modern US Navy ships of the World War II period. During their construction, emphasis was placed on better armor compared to the North Carolina-class battleships, but with the same main armament and maximum speed. The power of the engine room has also been significantly increased and the anti-torpedo protection of the hull has been improved. It is worth noting that the first ship of the series (BB-57) was intended from the very beginning as a flagship, which led to the creation of an additional room for the work of the staff, as well as having only 16 127 mm guns, compared to the 20 guns installed on later ships. of this type. USS South Dakota (BB-57) joined Task Force 17 in October 1942 and fought in the Battle of Santa Cruz Island (October 26, 1942). Despite the damage sustained there, shortly thereafter, he successfully participated in the so-called II Battle of Gudalcanal, on the night of November 14/15 of the same year. After these battles, the ship was overhauled until February 1943. This year, the ship served in the Atlantic for a short period of time, in liaison with the British Home Fleet. But in August / September 1943, the USS South Dakota returned to the Pacific, participating in supporting operations in the Gilbert Islands area. In 1944, the ship took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and - later - supported ground operations in the Philippines. In April 1945, the ship took part in operations in the Okinawa region. The USS South Dakota was decommissioned in 1947 and was sold for scrap in 1962.