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USS San Diego (CL-53)
Encyclopedia
The second USS San Diego (CL-53) was an Atlanta-class
light cruiser
of the United States Navy
, commissioned just after the US entry into World War II
, and active throughout the Pacific theater
. Armed with 16 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal DP
anti-aircraft
guns and 16 Bofors 40 mm AA guns, the Atlanta-class cruisers had the heaviest anti-aircraft broadside of any warship of World War II.
San Diego was the second most decorated US ship of WWII
, being awarded 18 battle stars, and was the first major Allied warship to enter Tokyo Bay
after the surrender of Japan
. Decommissioned in 1946, the ship was sold for scrapping in December 1960.
,_26_july_1941.jpg)
San Diego was laid down on 27 March 1940 by Bethlehem Steel
in Quincy, Massachusetts
, sponsored by Grace Legler Benbough (wife of Percy J. Benbough
, then-mayor of San Diego
), launched on 26 July 1941, and acquired by the Navy and commissioned on 10 January 1942, Captain
Benjamin F. Perry in command.
, San Diego sailed via the Panama Canal
to the west coast, arriving at her namesake city on 16 May 1942. Escorting at best speed, San Diego barely missed the Battle of Midway
. On 15 June, she began escort duty for in operations in the South Pacific. Early in August, she supported the first American offensive of the war, the invasion of the Solomons at Guadalcanal
. With powerful air and naval forces, the Japanese fiercely contested the American thrust and inflicted heavy damage; San Diego witnessed the sinking of on 15 September and of Hornet on 26 October.
San Diego gave antiaircraft protection for as part of the decisive three-day Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
from 12-15 November 1942. After several months of service in the dangerous waters surrounding the Solomon Islands
, San Diego sailed via Espiritu Santo
, New Hebrides
, to Auckland
New Zealand
, for replenishment.
At Noumea
, New Caledonia
, the light cruiser joined Saratoga, the only American carrier available in the South Pacific, and in support of the invasion of Munda
, New Georgia
, and of Bougainville
. On 5 November and 11 November 1943, she joined Saratoga and in highly successful raids against Rabaul. San Diego served as part of Operation Galvanic, the capture of Tarawa
in the Gilbert Islands
. She escorted , damaged by a torpedo, to Pearl Harbor for repairs on 9 December. San Diego continued on to San Francisco for installation of modern radar
equipment, a Combat Information Center
and 40 mm antiaircraft guns to replace her obsolete 1.1 in (27 mm) batteries.
's Fast Carrier Task Force
at Pearl Harbor in January 1944 and served as an important part of that mighty force for the remainder of the war. Her rapid-fire guns protected the carriers against aerial attack. San Diego participated in "Operation Flintlock", the capture of Majuro
and Kwajalein
, and "Catchpole", the invasion of Eniwetok
, in the Marshall Islands
from 31 January to 4 March. During this period, Task Force 58
(TF 58) delivered a devastating attack against Truk, the Japanese naval base known as the "Gibraltar of the Pacific."
San Diego steamed back to San Francisco for more additions to her radar and then rejoined the carrier force at Majuro
in time to join in raids against Wake
and Marcus Islands in June. She was part of the carrier force covering the invasion of Saipan
, participated in strikes against the Bonin Islands, and shared in the victory of the First Battle of the Philippine Sea
on 19-20 June. After a brief replenishment stop at Eniwetok, San Diego and her carriers supported the invasion of Guam
and Tinian
, struck at Palau, and conducted the first carrier raids against the Philippines
. On 6 and 8 August, she stood by as the carriers gave close air support to Marines landing on Peleliu
, Palau Islands.
On 21 September, the Task Force struck at the Manila Bay
area. After replenishing at Saipan and Ulithi
, she sailed with TF 38
in its first strike against Okinawa. From 12-15 October, the carriers pounded the airfields of Formosa while San Diegos guns shot down two of the nine Japanese attackers in her sector and drove the others away; however, some enemy planes got through and damaged and . San Diego helped escort the two crippled cruisers out of danger to Ulithi. After rejoining the fast carrier force, she successfully rode out the typhoon of 17-18 December, despite heavy rolling of the ship.
for attacks against Formosa
, Luzon
, Indochina
, and southern China
. The force struck Okinawa before returning to Ulithi for replenishment.
San Diego next participated in carrier operations against the home islands of Japan
, the first since the Doolittle Raid
of 1942. The carrier force finished the month of February with strikes against Iwo Jima
.
On 1 March, San Diego and other cruisers were detached from the carrier force to bombard Okino Daijo Island in support of the landings on Okinawa. After another visit to Ulithi, she joined in carrier strikes against Kyūshū
, again shooting down or driving away enemy planes attacking the carriers. On the night of 27-28 March, San Diego participated in the shelling of Minami Daito Jima; on 11 April, and again on 16 April, her guns shot down two attackers. She helped furnish anti-aircraft protection for ships damaged by suicide attacks and escorted them to safety. After a stop at Ulithi, she continued as part of the carrier force supporting the invasion of Okinawa, until she entered an advanced base drydock at Guiuan
, Samar Island
, Philippines, for repairs and maintenance.
_arrives_at_yokosuka,_30_august_1945.jpg)
She then served once more with the carrier force operating off the coast of Japan from 10 July until hostilities ceased. On 27 August, San Diego was the first major Allied warship to enter Tokyo Bay
since the beginning of the war, and she helped in the occupation of the Yokosuka Naval Base
and the surrender of the Japanese battleship . After having steamed over 300,000 mi (480000 km) in the Pacific, she returned to San Francisco on 14 September 1945. San Diego gave further service as part of "Operation Magic Carpet" in bringing American troops home.
. She was redesignated CLAA-53 on 18 March 1949. 10 years later, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
, on 1 March 1959. Sold in December 1960 to Todd Shipyards, Seattle, WA.
Atlanta class cruiser
The Atlanta-class cruisers were United States Navy light cruisers originally designed as fast scout cruisers or flotilla leaders, but later proved to be effective anti-aircraft cruisers during World War II. They were also known as the Atlanta-Oakland class. The lead ship Atlanta was sunk in action...
light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, commissioned just after the US entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and active throughout the Pacific theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
. Armed with 16 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal DP
Dual purpose gun
A dual purpose gun is a naval artillery mounting designed to engage both surface and air targets.-Description:Second World War-era capital ships had four classes of artillery: the heavy main battery, intended to engage opposing battleships and cruisers ; a secondary battery for use against enemy...
anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
guns and 16 Bofors 40 mm AA guns, the Atlanta-class cruisers had the heaviest anti-aircraft broadside of any warship of World War II.
San Diego was the second most decorated US ship of WWII
Most decorated US ships of WWII
-USN: - 20 Battle Stars, Presidential Unit Citation - 18 Battle Stars - 17 Battle Stars - 17 Battle Stars - 17 Battle Stars, Presidential Unit Citation - 17 Battle Stars, Presidential Unit Citation - 16 Battle Stars, Presidential Unit Citation - 16 Battle Stars, Presidential Unit Citation - 16...
, being awarded 18 battle stars, and was the first major Allied warship to enter Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
after the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
. Decommissioned in 1946, the ship was sold for scrapping in December 1960.
Construction
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
in Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
, sponsored by Grace Legler Benbough (wife of Percy J. Benbough
Percy J. Benbough
Percival "Percy" James Benbough was an American Republican politician from California.Percy Benbough was born 1884 near London, England and came to San Diego when he was four. At first he ran a grocery store and men's clothing store...
, then-mayor of San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
), launched on 26 July 1941, and acquired by the Navy and commissioned on 10 January 1942, Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Benjamin F. Perry in command.
1942-1943
After shakedown training in Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
, San Diego sailed via the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
to the west coast, arriving at her namesake city on 16 May 1942. Escorting at best speed, San Diego barely missed the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
. On 15 June, she began escort duty for in operations in the South Pacific. Early in August, she supported the first American offensive of the war, the invasion of the Solomons at Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
. With powerful air and naval forces, the Japanese fiercely contested the American thrust and inflicted heavy damage; San Diego witnessed the sinking of on 15 September and of Hornet on 26 October.
San Diego gave antiaircraft protection for as part of the decisive three-day Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sometimes referred to as the Third and Fourth Battles of Savo Island, the Battle of the Solomons, The Battle of Friday the 13th, or, in Japanese sources, as the , took place from 12–15 November 1942, and was the decisive engagement in a series of naval battles...
from 12-15 November 1942. After several months of service in the dangerous waters surrounding the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, San Diego sailed via Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
, New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
, to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, for replenishment.
At Noumea
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, the light cruiser joined Saratoga, the only American carrier available in the South Pacific, and in support of the invasion of Munda
Munda (Solomon Islands)
Munda is the largest settlement on the island of New Georgia in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, and consists of a number of villages...
, New Georgia
New Georgia
New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.-Geography:This island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province...
, and of Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
. On 5 November and 11 November 1943, she joined Saratoga and in highly successful raids against Rabaul. San Diego served as part of Operation Galvanic, the capture of Tarawa
Tarawa Atoll
Tarawa is an atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. It is the location of the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, South Tarawa...
in the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
. She escorted , damaged by a torpedo, to Pearl Harbor for repairs on 9 December. San Diego continued on to San Francisco for installation of modern radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
equipment, a Combat Information Center
Combat Information Center
The Operations Room is the tactical center of a warship or AWAC aircraft providing processed information for command and control of the near battle space or 'area of operations'...
and 40 mm antiaircraft guns to replace her obsolete 1.1 in (27 mm) batteries.
1944
She joined Vice Admiral Marc MitscherMarc Mitscher
Admiral Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific in the latter half of World War II.-Early life and career:...
's Fast Carrier Task Force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
at Pearl Harbor in January 1944 and served as an important part of that mighty force for the remainder of the war. Her rapid-fire guns protected the carriers against aerial attack. San Diego participated in "Operation Flintlock", the capture of Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
and Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
, and "Catchpole", the invasion of Eniwetok
Battle of Eniwetok
-External links:* *...
, in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
from 31 January to 4 March. During this period, Task Force 58
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
(TF 58) delivered a devastating attack against Truk, the Japanese naval base known as the "Gibraltar of the Pacific."
San Diego steamed back to San Francisco for more additions to her radar and then rejoined the carrier force at Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
in time to join in raids against Wake
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
and Marcus Islands in June. She was part of the carrier force covering the invasion of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, participated in strikes against the Bonin Islands, and shared in the victory of the First Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
on 19-20 June. After a brief replenishment stop at Eniwetok, San Diego and her carriers supported the invasion of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, struck at Palau, and conducted the first carrier raids against the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. On 6 and 8 August, she stood by as the carriers gave close air support to Marines landing on Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
, Palau Islands.
On 21 September, the Task Force struck at the Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
area. After replenishing at Saipan and Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
, she sailed with TF 38
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
in its first strike against Okinawa. From 12-15 October, the carriers pounded the airfields of Formosa while San Diegos guns shot down two of the nine Japanese attackers in her sector and drove the others away; however, some enemy planes got through and damaged and . San Diego helped escort the two crippled cruisers out of danger to Ulithi. After rejoining the fast carrier force, she successfully rode out the typhoon of 17-18 December, despite heavy rolling of the ship.
1945
In January 1945, TF 38 entered the South China SeaSouth China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
for attacks against Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
, and southern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The force struck Okinawa before returning to Ulithi for replenishment.
San Diego next participated in carrier operations against the home islands of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the first since the Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
of 1942. The carrier force finished the month of February with strikes against Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
.
On 1 March, San Diego and other cruisers were detached from the carrier force to bombard Okino Daijo Island in support of the landings on Okinawa. After another visit to Ulithi, she joined in carrier strikes against Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, again shooting down or driving away enemy planes attacking the carriers. On the night of 27-28 March, San Diego participated in the shelling of Minami Daito Jima; on 11 April, and again on 16 April, her guns shot down two attackers. She helped furnish anti-aircraft protection for ships damaged by suicide attacks and escorted them to safety. After a stop at Ulithi, she continued as part of the carrier force supporting the invasion of Okinawa, until she entered an advanced base drydock at Guiuan
Guiuan, Eastern Samar
Guiuan is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines. As of year 2004, it has a population of 43,647 people in 7,618 households....
, Samar Island
Samar Island
Samar is an island in the Visayas, within the central Philippines. The island is divided into three provinces: Samar province, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar. These three provinces, along with the provinces on the nearby islands of Leyte and Biliran are part of the Eastern Visayas region...
, Philippines, for repairs and maintenance.
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
since the beginning of the war, and she helped in the occupation of the Yokosuka Naval Base
United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka
U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, or Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka is a United States Navy base, in Yokosuka, Japan. Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. 7th Fleet and...
and the surrender of the Japanese battleship . After having steamed over 300,000 mi (480000 km) in the Pacific, she returned to San Francisco on 14 September 1945. San Diego gave further service as part of "Operation Magic Carpet" in bringing American troops home.
Decommissioning and sale
San Diego was decommissioned and placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet on 4 November 1946, berthed at Bremerton, WashingtonBremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
. She was redesignated CLAA-53 on 18 March 1949. 10 years later, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
, on 1 March 1959. Sold in December 1960 to Todd Shipyards, Seattle, WA.