USS south dakota

The USS South Dakota (BB-57): A Battleship’s Mighty Legacy in World War II

Even as the Second World War transformed naval battleship dominance to aircraft carriers the USS South Dakota (BB-57) proved the lasting significance of the fast battleship. The lead ship of the South Dakota-class was commissioned in 1942 and earned the nicknames “Battleship X” and “SoDak” due to its crew because its innovative design delivered powerful battle capabilities. The battleship that represented the 40th state secured 13 battle stars through her participation in essential Pacific Theater battles including Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal, and Okinawa while she protected carriers engaged enemy battleships and endured kamikaze attacks. The South Dakota earned her role as a strategic naval cornerstone through her compact hull design which provided both powerful armament and strong protection and her advanced radar and anti-aircraft capabilities together with her crew’s determined efforts.

Design and Construction: A Compact Powerhouse

The USS South Dakota (BB-57) emerged under naval treaty constraints as a maximally lethal design within the 35,000-ton limit set by the 1936 Second London Naval Treaty. The USS South Dakota (BB-57) began construction on July 5, 1939, at New York Shipbuilding in Camden, New Jersey and was launched on June 7, 1941, with Mrs. Harlan J. Bushfield as the sponsor and finally commissioned on March 20, 1942, under Capt. Thomas L. Gatch. Thomas L. Gatch. She stretched 680 feet long with a beam of 108 feet 2 inches displacing 37,970 tons standard and 44,519 tons full load—40 feet shorter than North Carolina-class vessels yet maintaining equal power. The ship possessed nine 16-inch/45-caliber Mark 6 guns located in three triple turrets and sixteen 5-inch/38-caliber dual-purpose guns in twin mounts while its anti-aircraft defenses expanded to include 68 40mm Bofors and 76 20mm Oerlikons by 1945. Four General Electric turbines and eight Babcock & Wilcox boilers generated 130,000 shaft horsepower allowing her to reach 28 knots and maintain a 15,000 nautical mile range at 15 knots.

The design displayed remarkable engineering creativity through its innovative solutions. The ship's hull was shortened to comply with treaty restrictions while its 12.2-inch belt armor was inclined inward at 19 degrees to achieve the effect of 17 inches of vertical armor thereby reducing weight and improving protection. The battleship's deck armor reached thicknesses between 5.75 and 6 inches while her turrets possessed 18-inch faces that contributed to her status as one of America's most heavily armored battleships. The combination of sophisticated radar systems SG for surface search and SK for air search together with the Mark 38 fire-control system enabled exceptional targeting precision. The ship's compact design led to cramped living conditions for her crew members while initial stability problems needed corrective ballast adjustments during her Casco Bay shakedown cruise in mid-1942. Through combat her combination of speed and firepower together with resilience demonstrated the value of these trade-offs.

The defining quality that set her apart from the beginning was her compact power. Norman Friedman refers to the South Dakota-class as the ultimate achievement in treaty battleship design because its balanced features enabled South Dakota to perform effectively in the complex battle scenarios of WWII.

Early War: Santa Cruz and the Solomons

The war saw the South Dakota join in August 1942 when she departed Philadelphia for the Pacific under Gatch’s leadership. The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands from October 25–27, 1942 near the Solomon Islands marked South Dakota’s first significant engagement to protect Guadalcanal through a crucial carrier battle. The South Dakota served as a protective screen for Enterprise (CV-6) and Hornet (CV-8) alongside their escorts in Task Force 16 while confronting Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo's carrier group that included Shokaku, Zuikaku, and Zuiho. The AA guns on South Dakota consisting of 16 5-inch, 36 40mm, and 36 20mm weapons fired upon Japanese planes during the attack that resulted in sinking Hornet and damaging Enterprise, claiming 26 planes according to the crew but historians estimate only 10–15 planes due to overlap with other ships. Her radar system monitored approaching enemy waves and guided defensive fire to shield Enterprise until 1102 when a 500-pound bomb destroyed her No. 1 turret. Gatch sustained injuries along with 49 other crew members while one fatality occurred when a 500-pound bomb hit her No. 1 turret. The ship received repairs at Nouméa after the October 27 collision with Mahan (DD-364) and still received early recognition for her anti-aircraft performance.

Her first appearance at Santa Cruz demonstrated her anti-aircraft capabilities which stood out as a departure from normal battleship functions to protect carriers. Her first combat assignment prepared the way for Guadalcanal operations where she would directly engage enemy battleships.

Guadalcanal Campaign: The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal

On November 14–15, 1942, the South Dakota earned its defining moment during the brutal night action of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal off Savo Island. Under Rear Adm. Willis A. “Ching” Lee’s Task Force 64 engaged Vice Adm. Nobutake Kondo’s force which included battleships Kirishima and Hiei along with heavy cruisers Atago and Takao and their escorts while protecting Washington (BB-56) and four destroyers on a mission to shell Henderson Field. At 2317 on November 14 South Dakota began firing at 18,500 yards when Kondo’s ships appeared from a squall. A power surge knocked out her radar and fire control capabilities at 2325 which made her unable to see anything while Washington fought Kirishima. Japanese searchlights and gunfire struck her ship with 42 hits which included 26 large-caliber shells by 2340 hours resulting in 38 fatalities and 60 injuries with significant damage to her superstructure and turrets. Her crew managed to restore power at 2355 and she retreated behind Washington’s protection which resulted in Kirishima sinking.

South Dakota endured heavy damage during the clash while Washington achieved victory but ultimately succeeded strategically by stopping Japan's attack and keeping Guadalcanal secure. The nickname “Battleship X” emerged from reports that broke radio silence about her exceptional endurance under attack which transformed her into a crucial shield that allowed the decisive strike. The New York underwent repairs until February 1943 which helped to strengthen her durability.

Island-Hopping: Philippines and Beyond

After receiving upgrades with additional AA guns South Dakota rejoined the Pacific Fleet in April 1943 under Task Force 16 led by Rear Adm. Charles A. Pownall. She escorted carriers throughout the Gilbert Islands campaign in November 1943 which included safeguarding Enterprise and Lexington at Tarawa before she joined six battleships to attack Nauru on December 8 with 810 16-inch rounds. She aided the Marshall Islands invasion in February 1944 by shelling Roi-Namur and participated in strikes against Truk and Saipan in June while her guns and radar protected against air attacks.

She took on increased responsibilities during the Battle of the Philippine Sea on June 19–20, 1944 also known as the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot” as part of Task Force 58 commanded by Vice Adm. Marc Mitscher where she protected seven carriers and her AA guns shot down 10–12 planes from 373 Japanese losses while radar tracked aircraft from Zuikaku and Junyo. Her 16-inch guns attacked the crippled Japanese cruisers Chikuma and Chokai during the Battle off Cape Engaño while supporting Enterprise and Essex (CV-9) in the October 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf which led to the destruction of Ozawa’s decoy force.

Her ability to switch between bombardment and AA defense made her unique because she adapted to the aircraft carrier-focused conflict while maintaining battleship strength.

Iwo Jima and Okinawa: The Final Campaigns

Task Force 58 included South Dakota in its final war invasions during 1945. During February to March at Iwo Jima her guns attacked Mount Suribachi between February 17 and March 11 with 982 16-inch rounds to help Marines fight against enemy defenses. A 6-inch shell from a shore battery impacted her on February 19 which injured 11 crew members which she effectively shrugged off. She started shelling targets at Okinawa on March 24 and had fired 2,316 rounds by May 29 while her AA guns destroyed eight kamikazes. A powder explosion inside turret number two destroyed three sailors and injured eleven on May 6. Despite her No. 2 turret explosion which killed three crew members and wounded 11 others she continued to operate and later managed to avoid sinking Charles S. Sperry (DD-697) after an accidental collision demonstrating her sturdy construction.

Her extraordinary performance in the later stages of the war involved taking hits while continuing to fire back which made her stand out as a veteran battleship that pressed on toward Japan. She wrapped up combat operations in August 1945 when she anchored in Tokyo Bay as Japan surrendered on September 2.

What Made the South Dakota Special?

Three key elements formed the foundation of South Dakota's distinctiveness. Her design condensed battleship power into a small hull—housing 16-inch guns and thick armor with 28-knot speed in 680 feet long hull—resulting in what historian Robert J. Cressman calls a “pocket dreadnought.” The South Dakota’s radar and AA technology transformed her role into an effective carrier protector and night fighter which diverged from Mahan's focus on battleships. Her crew demonstrated remarkable resilience which transformed setbacks into victories through power restoration at Guadalcanal and kamikaze defenses at Okinawa which resulted in 13 battle stars that rival Enterprise's 20.

Her service ended in 1947 and she was scrapped in 1962 while her turret remains preserved at Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The ship achieved iconic status through her capability of surviving 42 enemy attacks at Guadalcanal and kamikaze assaults while providing essential support on the battlefield.

Legacy and Reflection

The South Dakota remains historically significant through her achievements in combat and the tactical knowledge she provided including radar superiority and anti-aircraft defense coupled with crew determination. The battleship maintains WWII's forgotten naval power legacy on March 24, 2025 by connecting the dreadnought period to the carrier age. Her specialness lies in this: This smaller battleship displayed superior intelligence and resilience to secure victories between the Solomons and Tokyo Bay.