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USS Tennessee (BB-43)
Encyclopedia
USS Tennessee (BB-43), the lead ship
of her class
of battleship
, was the third ship of the United States Navy
named in honor of the 16th US state
. During World War II
in the Pacific Theater
, she was damaged during the attack on Pearl Harbor
in December 1941 but was repaired and modernized. She participated in shore bombardments at the Aleutian Islands, Tarawa, the Philippine Islands, Okinawa and several other amphibious landings later in the war, and participated in the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamashiro
in the Battle of Surigao Strait. After the war, she was placed on reserve in the "mothball fleet" for several years, before being scrapped in 1959.
on 30 April 1919, sponsored by Miss Helen Lenore Roberts, daughter of Tennessee
governor Albert H. Roberts
, and commissioned
on 3 June 1920, Captain
Richard H. Leigh in command.
Tennessee and her sister ship, , were the first American battleships built to a "post-Jutland
" hull design. As a result of extensive experimentation and testing, her underwater hull protection was much greater than that of previous battleships; both her main and secondary batteries had fire-control system
s. The Tennessee-class
, and the three ships of the Colorado-class
that followed, were identified by two heavy cage masts supporting large fire-control tops. This feature was to distinguish the "Big Five" from the rest of the battleship force until World War II. Since Tennessee's 14 in (355.6 mm) turret
guns could be elevated to 30° rather than only to the 15° of earlier battleships, her heavy guns could extend an additional 10,000 yd (9,100 m). Because battleships were then beginning to carry airplanes to spot long-range gunfire, Tennessee's ability to shoot "over the horizon" had a practical value.
from 15 October to 23 October 1920. While Tennessee was at New York City
, one of her 300 kW ship's-service generators exploded on 30 October, completely destroying the turbine end of the machine and injuring two men. Undaunted, the ship's force, navy yard craftsmen, and manufacturers' representatives labored to eliminate the "teething troubles" in Tennessees engineering system, enabling the battleship to depart New York on 26 February 1921 for standardization trials at Guantanamo Bay
. She next steamed north for the Virginia Capes
and arrived at Hampton Roads
on 19 March. Tennessee carried out gunnery calibration firing at Dahlgren, Virginia
and was drydocked at Boston
before full-power trials off Rockland, Maine
. Two of the original 14 5 inch (127 mm)/51 cal guns were removed. After touching at New York
, she steamed south, transited the Panama Canal
, and on 17 June arrived at San Pedro, California, her home port
for the next 19 years.
Here, she joined the Battleship Force, Pacific Fleet
and served here until World War II.
Peacetime service with the battleship divisions involved an annual cycle of training, maintenance, and readiness exercises. Her yearly schedule included competitions in gunnery and engineering performance and an annual fleet problem, a large-scale war game in which most or all of the United States Fleet was organized into opposing forces and presented with a variety of strategic and tactical situations to resolve. Beginning with Fleet Problem I in 1923 and continuing through Fleet Problem XXI in April 1940, Tennessee had a prominent share in these battle exercises. However, her individual proficiency was not neglected. During the competitive years 1922 and 1923, she made the highest aggregate score in the list of record practices fired by her guns of various caliber and won the "E" for excellence in gunnery. In 1923 and 1924, she again won the gunnery "E" as well as the prized Battle Efficiency Pennant for the highest combined total score in gunnery and engineering competitions. In 1925, she took part in joint Army-Navy maneuvers to test the defenses of Hawaii
before visiting Australia and New Zealand
. Subsequent fleet problems and tactical exercises took Tennessee from Hawaii to the Caribbean
and Atlantic and from Alaska
n waters to Panama
. The original 3 in (76.2 mm) anti-aircraft
(AA) battery was replaced by eight 5 inch (127 mm)/25 cal guns in 1929–1930.
Fleet Problem XXI was conducted in Hawaiian waters during the spring of 1940. At the end of this problem, the battleship force did not return to San Pedro; but, at President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
's direction, its base of operations was shifted to Pearl Harbor
in the hope that this move might deter Japanese expansion in the Far East. Following an overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard after the conclusion of Fleet Problem XXI, Tennessee arrived at her new base on 12 August 1940. Due to the increasing deterioration of the world situation, Fleet Problem XXII, scheduled for the spring of 1941, was canceled. Thus, Tennessee's activities during these final months of peace were confined to smaller scale operations.
, the name given to a line of deep water berths located along the southeast side of Ford Island
, Pearl Harbor
.
During the Attack on Pearl Harbor
, Tennessee manned her anti-aircraft guns and attempted to defend the harbor as well as she could. Tennessee was struck by two armor-piercing bombs which detonated low-order. The first hit the center gun of turret 2 and made all three guns inoperable. Debris from the bomb hit on Tennessees turret 2 hit the command deck of , which mortally wounded her commanding officer, Mervyn S. Bennion
, who earned a Medal of Honor
for his brave efforts resisting the Japanese attacks. The second went through the roof of turret 3 and damaged the left gun. Tennessee was showered with debris when 's magazine exploded and the stern was engulfed in flame from Arizonas burning fuel oil.
Captain Mitsuo Fuchida who lead the attack from the flagship carrier Akagi in his words described the scene.
Wedged between the sunken West Virginia and her mooring quays, Tennessee was trapped at her berth for ten days before being freed, and four days later she set sail for the West Coast to be repaired.
with the work complete. Upon arriving at San Francisco, California
, she began a period of intensive training operations with Rear Admiral
William S. Pye
's Task Force 1 (TF 1), made up of the Pacific Fleet's available battleships and a screen of destroyer
s.
With the change of naval battles from conventional surface-ship actions to long-range duels between fast carrier striking forces, the older battleships — Tennessee and her kin — were simply too slow to keep up with the carriers. Tennessee spent some time with TF 1, which patrolled areas of the Pacific in the expectation that part of the Japanese fleet might attempt an "end run" raid on the US Pacific coast.
On 1 August, Tennessee again sailed from San Francisco with TF 1. After a week of exercises, the battleships joined on her way to the South Pacific to support the Guadalcanal operation, and escorted the carrier as far as Hawaii. Arriving at Pearl Harbor on 14 August, Tennessee returned to Puget Sound on the 27th for modernization.
_1943.jpg)
By the time Tennessee emerged from Puget Sound Navy Yard on 7 May 1943, she bore virtually no resemblance to her former self. Her appearance was nearly identical to that of and California (which were rebuilt after the Pearl Harbor Attack to resemble South Dakota-class battleships
). The work increased protection against torpedoes, internal compartmentation was rearranged and improved, a new compact superstructure designed to provide control facilities while offering less interference to anti-aircraft guns was installed and upgraded anti-aircraft guns and fire-control radars were installed. Her original twin funnels were combined into a single funnel faired into the superstructure tower as with the South Dakota class. The original secondary battery of 5 inch (127 mm)/51 cal guns and the anti-aircraft battery of 5 inch (127 mm)/25 cal guns was replaced by 16 5 inch (127 mm)/38 cal guns in eight twin mounts controlled by four Mk 37 directors.
As part of the two ocean navy policy, U.S. battleships had been designed within a beam constraint of 108 feet (32.9 m) in order to transit the Panama Canal
; after their similar rebuilds, Tennessee, and were widened to 114 feet (34.7 m) feet, in effect limiting deployment to the Pacific theater.
1943: The Aleutian Islands and Tarawa
On 31 May 1943, she headed to Alaska
and a fight in the Aleutian Islands. While providing sea protection to the landing forces was a job of major importance, the Japanese Navy did not challenge the American forces. Instead, Tennessee found her duty was to use her formidable guns to support the ground troops by bombarding enemy land positions. It was a task she would perform throughout the war. The Aleutian Islands back in American hands, she headed back home reaching San Francisco on 31 August. Tennessee then began an intensive period of training.
Tennessees next mission was to support the attack of Betio
in the Battle of Tarawa
. From 20–23 November 1943, the main fighting went on, supported by Tennessees guns. Tennessee also joined other ships in the sinking of Japanese submarine
. At dusk on 3 December, Tennessee departed the area for Pearl Harbor and then San Francisco. There she was quickly repainted in a "dazzle" camouflage
scheme.
On 29 December 1943, Tennessee began intensive bombardment practice, pounding San Clemente Island
in rehearsal for the invasion of the Marshall Islands
.
Marshall Islands
In the early morning of 13 January 1944, Tennessee set her course for Hawaii with Task Unit 58.5.1 (TU 58.5.1) and anchored in Lahaina Roads
off Maui
on 21 January. That day, the ship was inspected by a group headed by Undersecretary of the Navy James Forrestal
. On 29 January, Tennessee, with Forrestal on board, headed for the Marshalls.
Arriving 31 January 1944, Tennessee bombarded the islands, helping the ground forces and destroying numerous shore batteries and detonating a Japanese ammunition dump on Namur
. During nighttime, Army troops called several times for illumination. Destroyers played their searchlights over Japanese-held areas, while Tennessee's 5 inch (127 mm) guns fired large numbers of star shells. At times, Tennessee was firing at such a short range that, during the afternoon of 20 February, she was able to attack beach defenses with her 40 mm guns.
Bismarck Archipelago
On 23 February 1944, Tennessee sailed for Majuro. Here, she joined , , and . Under the command of Rear Admiral Robert M. Griffin, the battleships sortied from Majuro on 15 March with two escort carriers and a screen of 15 destroyers.
Their objective was the Japanese air and naval base at Kavieng
, at the northern end of New Ireland
. The Bismarck Archipelago
, the two large islands of New Britain
and New Ireland
, lie just to the east of New Guinea
. Rabaul
, the by-now legendary Japanese operating base, is at the eastern end of New Britain, just across a narrow channel from New Ireland. About 240 mi (390 km) northwest of Rabaul, across the Bismarck Sea
, is the small Admiralty Islands
group. Once again, Tennessees big guns pounded away at Japanese positions, destroying shore batteries and helping the ground forces rout the enemy as well as shelling the Japanese airfield and shore facilities.
, was planned as a two-pronged thrust. Vice Admiral
Richmond K. Turner's TF 51 was organized into a Northern Attack Force (TF 52), under his command, and a Southern Attack Force (TF 53) under Rear Admiral Richard L. Conolly
. The Northern Attack Force assembled at Hawaii
in mid-May 1944. After rehearsals off Maui
and Kahoolawe
, Fire Support Group One sailed for Kwajalein
while the transports staged at Eniwetok. On 10 June, Tennessee and her task group departed Kwajalein, bound for Saipan
.
At Saipan, in addition to providing protection for the fleet, Tennessee began a methodical bombardment of the selected landing area, the southern portion of Saipan's west coast, in support of minesweeper
s carrying out an assault sweep on the landing zone.
Underwater demolition teams (UDT) approached the beach in small craft to reconnoiter the landing beaches and to plant radar beacons which would provide reference points to the next day's landing. Tennessee closed to 3,000 yd (2,740 m) of Agingan Point and opened up with 14 in (355.6 mm), 5 inch (127 mm), and 40 mm batteries. Some smoldering powder grains from the 5 inch (127 mm) guns fell on the port side of the battleship's quarterdeck and burst into flame, but were quickly extinguished.
Japanese guns dropped shells near the UDTs as mortar
s and machine gun
s joined in and projectile splashes began to appear near the supporting ships as batteries on nearby Tinian opened fire. was straddled, and California and took hits. Tennessee aimed counterbattery fire at the defenders who were opposing the UDTs, and her turret guns fired at Tinian. Shortly before noon, she moved to the northwest to bombard Japanese fortifications on Afetna Point, near the center of the landing zone.
Tennessee's assault station was off the southern end of the landing beach. During the first wave's approach, her guns enfiladed that end of the objective to prepare the way for the right-hand elements of the 4th Division. She checked fire as the troops neared the beach, resuming it a few minutes later as the Marines
fought to establish themselves ashore. Japanese 4.7 in (119.4 mm) field guns, emplaced in a cave on Tinian, opened on Tennessee. The battleship commenced counterbattery fire, but the third enemy salvo scored three hits, all of which burst on impact. One projectile knocked out a 5 inch (127 mm) twin gun mount; the second struck the ship's side, while the third tore a hole in the after portion of main deck and sprayed fragments into the wardroom below. An intense fire inside the disabled gun mount was subdued in two minutes by repair parties and men from nearby gun crews; the hit to the hull damaged external blister plating, but was prevented from inflicting further damage by the battleship's heavy belt armor. Eight men were killed by projectile fragments, while 26 more were wounded by fragments and flash burns.
Tennessee's damages did not prevent her from delivering call fire to help break up a developing Japanese counterattack near Agingan Point before leaving the firing line to make emergency repairs. During the afternoon and night, she took station to screen assembled transports. Four Japanese dive bomber
s attacked nearby ships at 1846, and Tennessee's 5 inch (127 mm) guns briefly engaged them but claimed no hits. That evening, Tennessee buried her dead. Tokyo radio claimed victory in the battle for Saipan, stating that they had sunk a battleship which they identified as "probably the New Jersey." The "sunken" Tennessee returned to Saipan Channel early the next day. Several Japanese counterattacks had been stopped during the night, and Tennessee's supporting fire assisted the marines in organizing and consolidating their beachhead.
On the night of 22 June, Tennessee got underway for Eniwetok where repaired her battle damage as the fight for Saipan ground to its end on 9 July. Her next destination was Guam
. On 20 July, she joined in a systematic bombardment begun on 8 July, which was carefully planned to soften up the enemy's defenses while avoiding harm to the island's friendly Chamorro
population. Once again, Tennessee delivered supporting fire by day and star shell by night for the troops battling to take the island.
and at the western end of the Caroline Islands
.
The battle for Peleliu
was to be one of the most bitter of the Pacific war, and organized resistance was not eliminated until November, at a heavy cost in lives. Tennessee's target was the smaller island of Angaur
, a few miles south of Peleliu. On the morning of 12 September, Tennessee and Pennsylvania, with four light cruisers and five destroyers, began a prolonged bombardment as carrier aircraft did their share.
A prominent masonry lighthouse on the west coast of Angaur was ordered destroyed to keep the Japanese from using it as a gunfire observation point. Twelve 14 in (355.6 mm) rounds were aimed at it, scarring the area and scoring three hits, but the tower remained standing. Other targets absorbed Tennessee's attention for the next three days. Tennessee stood by off Peleliu during the morning of 15 September in case her guns should be needed to assist the assault landing. When this work was completed, she returned on the evening of 16 September to finish off the stubborn tower before the next morning's scheduled landings.
, Under the supreme command of General
MacArthur
, Vice Admiral Thomas Kinkaid
's 7th Fleet
carried two Army corps toward the invasion area.
At 0609 on the morning of 18 October, Tennessee, with her fire-support unit, entered the channel between Homonhon and Dinagat islands. Paravane
s streamed from her bows, and Marines were stationed in her upperworks to sink or explode floating mines. The minesweepers continued their work as the heavy ships moved slowly up Leyte Gulf.
The landings were scheduled for 20 October, and at 0600, Tennessee opened neutralization fire on the beaches. Tennessee continued her work off the beachhead until her fire support was no longer required and the increasing tempo of Japanese air activity in the area required her to place herself where her antiaircraft guns could assist in the defense of the assembled transports and cargo ships.
In the evening of 21 October, while lying dead in the water in a smoke screen laid to protect the shipping from attacking planes, Tennessee was rammed near the stern by the transport . No one was injured, and the battleship's tough hull was little harmed, but her orders for a night fire-support mission were canceled.
. Under the Japanese plan, dictated by a combination of geography, logistics, and the lack of adequate carrier aviation, four widely separated forces were to converge on the area of Leyte Gulf
in an effort to destroy, at whatever cost, the American invasion force. A relatively small force, commanded by Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura, turned to the south of Palawan and crossed the Sulu Sea to pass between Mindanao
and Leyte. Nishimura's force would meet a number of assorted American ships, Tennessee among them, in the Battle of Surigao Strait.
As they passed the cape of Panaon Island on the evening of 24 October and morning of the 25th, the Japanese forces ran into a deadly trap set for them by the American 7th Fleet Support Force. Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf had six battleships (Mississippi, , , Tennessee, California, and , all but Mississippi having been resurrected from Pearl Harbor), eight cruisers (heavy cruiser
s , serving as the cruisers' (flagship
), , and , and light cruiser
s , , ), 28 destroyers and 39 PT boat
s.
Onboard Tennessee, observers had seen distant flashes of gunfire, star shells and searchlights as the torpedo boats and destroyers engaged the Japanese. Soon explosions could be heard. At 0302, the battleship's radar picked up Nishimura'a approach at nearly 44000 yd (40,233.6 m) and began to track the lead ship. This was the flagship, . With the cruiser and the destroyer , she was all that remained of the first Japanese force. At 0351, Oldendorf ordered the flanking cruisers to open fire, and at 0356, the battleships let fly from 20600 yd (18,836.6 m).
Radar fire control allowed the American battleships to hit targets from a distance at which the Japanese could not reply because of their inferior fire control systems, although 6-inch shells from Yamashiro and Mogami crippled destroyer . Japanese ships Yamashiro and Mogami were crippled by a combination of 14 in (355.6 mm) and 16 in (406.4 mm) armor-piercing shells. Shigure turned and fled, but lost steering and stopped dead. Yamashiro sank at 0419. The Battle of Surigao Strait was, to date, the final line battle
in naval history. Yamashiro was the last battleship to engage another in combat, and one of very few to have been sunk by another battleship during World War II. Of Nishimura's seven ships, only Shigure survived.
The next several days were quiet ones for Tennessee, though the Japanese sent numerous land-based air strikes against Leyte Gulf. On 29 October, the battlewagon's crew was told that their next destination was to be the Puget Sound Navy Yard. This refit made no remarkable changes in Tennessee's appearance. Her main battery directors received improved models of the Mark 8 radar, and the Mark 4 radars used with the 5 inch (127 mm) gun directors were replaced by the newer combination of paired Mark 12 and Mark 22 dual-purpose equipment. Tennessee's usefulness as an anti-aircraft ship was enhanced by the addition of a model SP height-finding radar. Her pattern camouflage scheme was replaced by a dark gray finish which was calculated to provide a less conspicuous aiming point for kamikaze
planes, introduced during the recapture of the Philippines
and becoming more and more of a fact of naval life during the winter of 1944 and 1945.
bombardment force.
Iwo Jima
Early on 16 February 1945 the Tennessee's assigned firing course took her along the southeastern shore of Iwo Jima, and her 14 in (355.6 mm) guns struck the slopes of Mount Suribachi while the secondaries aimed at the high ground at the north end of the beach. While the heavier guns fired from ranges varying from 2,200–6,000 yd (2,012–5,490 m), the 40 mm battery raked other targets on cliffs at the north end of the beach and shot up the wrecks of several Japanese ships beached near the shore; these had been used as havens for snipers and machine gunners at Tarawa
and in later landings, and were always treated as potential threats. Several fires were started ashore; an ammunition dump exploded spectacularly and burned for several hours.
The next morning beginning at 0803, Tennessee, with Idaho and Nevada, closed to 3,000 yd (2,740 m) and began firing. The ships were so close to the shore that at some point the Tennessee was struck by return fire from a Japanese coastal gun on one of her 5 inch (127 mm) guns, which killed Seaman First Class Leon Andrew Giardini and wounded four others. At 1025, the battleships were ordered to the rear to make way for the invasion troops.
It had been found that single-gun salvoes at close range, using "pointer fire" (in which the gun is directly aimed by telescopic sight), were the most precise and effective. The notion of using a 14 in (355.6 mm) naval rifle for sniping was rather new, but it seemed to work very well. Ground fighting on Iwo Jima continued until 26 March, as the stubborn Japanese were slowly rooted out or the positions that they continued to defend to the last. Tennessee was a part of this struggle until 7 March, when she sailed for Ulithi
.
Tennessee left the area, having fired 1,370 rounds of main-battery fire on Iwo Jima along with 6,380 5 inch (127 mm) and 11,481 40 mm projectiles. At Ulithi, she began to prepare for the Okinawa
operation.
Okinawa
The pattern of life off Okinawa during the grueling weeks to come, as the "fleet that came to stay" battled to see the land battle through while keeping itself alive, consisted of shore bombardment and fighting off kamikaze attacks. Long hours at general quarters kept all hands tense and tired as the ships prowled off the island firing at every likely target while reports of suicide attacks piled up. The island was not secured until 21 June. In the meanwhile, the Navy battled by day and night against the unremitting kamikaze offensive.
On her second day off Okinawa Tennessee was attacked by four planes. The first plane was shot down 5,000 yards from Tennessee's stern. Two minutes later the second plane was shot down 5,500 yards from her stern. Five minutes, later a third plane was destroyed 5 miles away. The fourth plane was fired upon at 5,000 yards away and crashed 12,000 yards off Tennessee's bow.
USS Tennessee was attacked again by airplanes on 1 April and 3 April. These attacks were not suicide attacks. The first kamikaze attack came on 6 April. Tennessee fought off six kamikazees. On 7 April, a single kamikaze attacked Tennessee. Five days later, Tennessee faced the strongest kamikaze attack yet.
On the afternoon of 12 April, Tennessee, instead of taking up a fire-support station, was steaming in air-defense formation. Five kamikazes picked Tennessee and came in through puffs of shell bursts and the heavy smoke from the burning destroyer . Four were shot down, the last three only hundreds of yards from the battleship. The last diver came down on the bow at a 45° angle, was set aflame by 5 inch (127 mm) fire, and plunged into the water. At the same time, an Aichi D3A
"Val" dive bomber, flying low on the starboard bow, headed directly for Tennessee'ss bridge. Lookouts spotted the "Val" at 2,500 yd (2,290 m), and every automatic weapon that could bear opened up. One of the plane's fixed wheels was torn off, and its engine began to smoke.
Heading at first for Tennessees tower foremast, the Japanese pilot swerved slightly and crashed into the signal bridge. The burning wreck slid aft along the superstructure, crushing anti-aircraft guns and their crews, and stopped next to Turret Three. It had carried a 250 lb (110 kg) bomb which, with what was left of the plane, went through the wooden deck and exploded. Twenty-two men were killed or fatally wounded, with another 107 injured. This was not enough to put Tennessee out of action. The dead were buried at sea, and the wounded transferred the following day to the casualty-evacuation transport . The ship's company turned to on emergency repairs; and, by 14 April, the ship was back on the firing line. Tennessee remained off Okinawa for two more weeks.
On 1 May, Admiral Deyo shifted his flag to a cruiser, and Tennessee set her course for Ulithi. Here, the repair ship made repairs, cutting away damaged plating and installing new guns to replace those lost. On 3 June, the ship sailed for Okinawa, arriving on 9 June. By now, the worst was over. Army troops were making a final drive to clear the island, and Tennessee's gunfire again helped to clear the way. With the other old battlesips, she remained in support until organized resistance was declared at an end on 21 June.
The Tennessees battery, counter battery, and fire support played a major role in the success of the invasion of Okinawa as reflected by the messages passed through the chain of command from COs on the ground to Tennessee. On 18 April, Rear Admiral Reifsnider, commanding Task Group 51.12, told Captain Heffernan:
"Today our troops took the high ground prepared by the Tennessee yesterday. Seven enemy were killed on the slope and 30 on the top in huge craters caused by the Tennessee... counted 120 enemy dead and numerous demolished antiaircraft weapons and installations. C.O. Headquarters, 6th Marine Division, himself saw the Tennessees fire yesterday and wishes to express his appreciation for the Tennessee's cooperation and delivery of outstanding support. The main and secondary batteries of the Tennessee broke and drove the enemy back. Her naval gunfire on the almost impossible did the job. Congradulations to all the men of the Tennessee."
On 26 April, Rear Admiral Hall, TG 51.22 CO, informed Admiral Deyo of a message from
Headquarters, U.S. 27th Infantry Division, which read:
"Performance of all firing ships... excellent. We would like to see them have their just compensation and reward, especially the Tennessee."
Vice Admiral Oldendorf was subsequently placed in command of naval forces in the Ryukyus, and Tennessee flew his flag as she covered minesweeping operations in the East China Sea and patrolled the waters off Shanghai
for Japanese shipping as escort carriers sent strikes against the China coast. This was Tennessee's station until V-J Day brought an end to the war in the Pacific. When this glad day came, the big ship was operating out of Okinawa and preparing to take part in the planned invasion of Japan
.
on 16 October. At Singapore Oldendorf shifted his flag to the cruiser , and Tennessee continued her long voyage home by way of the Cape of Good Hope
as her rebuild had increased her beam to 114 feet, too wide to pass through the Panama Canal.
During her four year tour through the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to Victory Over Japan, the USS Tennessee compiled one of the most impressive war records of any ship in modern naval history. She suffered significant damage at Pearl Harbor, fired the largest number of shells of any ship in combat in the entire history of the United States Navy, participated in 13 major operations and was awarded 10 battle stars, she suffered damage in three operations but remained in the battle, her accuracy of fire helped defeat a Japanese naval fleet and save the Leyte landing beachhead, and after the failure of battleship fire support at Tarawa her crew developed the US Navy fire support landing doctrine that made possible the advance of United States forces through the Central Pacific without prohibitive loss of life. From the disaster at Pearl Harbor to island hopping through the Pacific and occupation of mainland Japan the U.S.S. Tennessee steamed an unbelievable total 170,073 miles.
On the fourth anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor
, Tennessee moored at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
. During those years, she had fired 9,347 14-inch rounds at the enemy, with 46,341 shells from her 5-inch guns and more than 100,000 rounds from her antiaircraft battery.
"; and, during 1946, she underwent a process of preservation and preparation for inactivation. The work went slowly; there were many ships to lay up and not enough people to do it. Finally, on 14 February 1947, Tennessees ensign was hauled down for the last time as she was placed out of commission.
Tennessee remained in the inactive fleet for another 12 years. By then, time and technology had passed her by; on 1 March 1959, her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
. On 10 July of that year, she was sold to the Bethlehem Steel Company for scrapping.
All personnel attached to the Tennessee and actually present and serving during the period of 31 January 1944 through 21 June 1945 in the Pacific, or any part thereof, earned a Navy Unit Commendation
. The commendation awarded USS Tennessee reads as follows.
Tennessee also was awarded 10 Service stars.
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of her class
Tennessee class battleship
The Tennessee class was a class of battleships of the United States Navy. The class comprised two ships: and the . They were modified versions of the featuring improved underwater armor for better torpedo protection and 30 degree elevation on their main batteries, as opposed to 15 degrees for...
of battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, was the third ship 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...
named in honor of the 16th US state
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. During 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...
in the Pacific Theater
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, she was damaged during the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
in December 1941 but was repaired and modernized. She participated in shore bombardments at the Aleutian Islands, Tarawa, the Philippine Islands, Okinawa and several other amphibious landings later in the war, and participated in the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamashiro
Japanese battleship Yamashiro
Yamashiro was the Imperial Japanese Navy's second Fusō-class battleship, and was laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on November 20, 1913, launched on November 3, 1915, and commissioned on March 31, 1917. She was the first Japanese vessel equipped with aircraft catapults...
in the Battle of Surigao Strait. After the war, she was placed on reserve in the "mothball fleet" for several years, before being scrapped in 1959.
Design and Construction
Tennessee's keel was laid down on 14 May 1917 at the New York Naval Shipyard. She was launchedShip naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 30 April 1919, sponsored by Miss Helen Lenore Roberts, daughter of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
governor Albert H. Roberts
Albert H. Roberts
Albert Houston Roberts was Governor of Tennessee from 1919 to 1921.-Biography:A native of the Alpine community in Overton County, Tennessee, Roberts was a graduate of Hiwassee College in Madisonville, Tennessee. He taught school at the Alpine Institute in the 1890s and later served as county...
, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 3 June 1920, 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....
Richard H. Leigh in command.
Tennessee and her sister ship, , were the first American battleships built to a "post-Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
" hull design. As a result of extensive experimentation and testing, her underwater hull protection was much greater than that of previous battleships; both her main and secondary batteries had fire-control system
Fire-control system
A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...
s. The Tennessee-class
Tennessee class battleship
The Tennessee class was a class of battleships of the United States Navy. The class comprised two ships: and the . They were modified versions of the featuring improved underwater armor for better torpedo protection and 30 degree elevation on their main batteries, as opposed to 15 degrees for...
, and the three ships of the Colorado-class
Colorado class battleship
The Colorado class battleships was a group of four battleships built by the United States Navy after World War I. However, only three of the ships were completed: , , and . The fourth, , was over 75% completed when she was canceled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922...
that followed, were identified by two heavy cage masts supporting large fire-control tops. This feature was to distinguish the "Big Five" from the rest of the battleship force until World War II. Since Tennessee's 14 in (355.6 mm) turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
guns could be elevated to 30° rather than only to the 15° of earlier battleships, her heavy guns could extend an additional 10,000 yd (9,100 m). Because battleships were then beginning to carry airplanes to spot long-range gunfire, Tennessee's ability to shoot "over the horizon" had a practical value.
Inter-War period
After fitting out, Tennessee conducted trials in Long Island SoundLong Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
from 15 October to 23 October 1920. While Tennessee was at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, one of her 300 kW ship's-service generators exploded on 30 October, completely destroying the turbine end of the machine and injuring two men. Undaunted, the ship's force, navy yard craftsmen, and manufacturers' representatives labored to eliminate the "teething troubles" in Tennessees engineering system, enabling the battleship to depart New York on 26 February 1921 for standardization trials at Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
. She next steamed north for the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
and arrived at Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
on 19 March. Tennessee carried out gunnery calibration firing at Dahlgren, Virginia
Dahlgren, Virginia
Dahlgren is a census-designated place in King George County, Virginia, United States. The population was 997 at the 2000 census. The community is located within the Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace American Viticultural Area winemaking appellation established by the United States...
and was drydocked at Boston
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
before full-power trials off Rockland, Maine
Rockland, Maine
Rockland is a city in Knox County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,297. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is a popular tourist destination...
. Two of the original 14 5 inch (127 mm)/51 cal guns were removed. After touching at New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, she steamed south, transited 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...
, and on 17 June arrived at San Pedro, California, her home port
Home port
A vessel's home port is the port at which it is based, which may not be the same as its port of registry shown on its registration documents and lettered on the stern of the ship's hull...
for the next 19 years.
Here, she joined the Battleship Force, Pacific Fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
and served here until World War II.
Peacetime service with the battleship divisions involved an annual cycle of training, maintenance, and readiness exercises. Her yearly schedule included competitions in gunnery and engineering performance and an annual fleet problem, a large-scale war game in which most or all of the United States Fleet was organized into opposing forces and presented with a variety of strategic and tactical situations to resolve. Beginning with Fleet Problem I in 1923 and continuing through Fleet Problem XXI in April 1940, Tennessee had a prominent share in these battle exercises. However, her individual proficiency was not neglected. During the competitive years 1922 and 1923, she made the highest aggregate score in the list of record practices fired by her guns of various caliber and won the "E" for excellence in gunnery. In 1923 and 1924, she again won the gunnery "E" as well as the prized Battle Efficiency Pennant for the highest combined total score in gunnery and engineering competitions. In 1925, she took part in joint Army-Navy maneuvers to test the defenses of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
before visiting Australia and 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...
. Subsequent fleet problems and tactical exercises took Tennessee from Hawaii to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and Atlantic and from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n waters to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. The original 3 in (76.2 mm) 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...
(AA) battery was replaced by eight 5 inch (127 mm)/25 cal guns in 1929–1930.
Fleet Problem XXI was conducted in Hawaiian waters during the spring of 1940. At the end of this problem, the battleship force did not return to San Pedro; but, at President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's direction, its base of operations was shifted to Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
in the hope that this move might deter Japanese expansion in the Far East. Following an overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard after the conclusion of Fleet Problem XXI, Tennessee arrived at her new base on 12 August 1940. Due to the increasing deterioration of the world situation, Fleet Problem XXII, scheduled for the spring of 1941, was canceled. Thus, Tennessee's activities during these final months of peace were confined to smaller scale operations.
Pearl Harbor
On the morning of 7 December 1941, Tennessee was moored starboard side to a pair of masonry "mooring quays" on Battleship RowBattleship Row
Battleship Row was the grouping of eight US battleships in port at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941. These ships bore the brunt of the Japanese assault. They were moored next to Ford Island when the attack commenced. The ships were , , , , , , , and...
, the name given to a line of deep water berths located along the southeast side of Ford Island
Ford Island
Ford Island is located in the middle of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is connected to the main island by the Ford Island Bridge. Before the bridge was built, Ford Island could only be reached by a ferry boat which ran at hourly intervals for cars and foot passengers. The island houses several naval...
, Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
.
During the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, Tennessee manned her anti-aircraft guns and attempted to defend the harbor as well as she could. Tennessee was struck by two armor-piercing bombs which detonated low-order. The first hit the center gun of turret 2 and made all three guns inoperable. Debris from the bomb hit on Tennessees turret 2 hit the command deck of , which mortally wounded her commanding officer, Mervyn S. Bennion
Mervyn S. Bennion
Mervyn Sharp Bennion was a captain in the United States Navy who died during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor...
, who earned a Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for his brave efforts resisting the Japanese attacks. The second went through the roof of turret 3 and damaged the left gun. Tennessee was showered with debris when 's magazine exploded and the stern was engulfed in flame from Arizonas burning fuel oil.
Captain Mitsuo Fuchida who lead the attack from the flagship carrier Akagi in his words described the scene.
Wedged between the sunken West Virginia and her mooring quays, Tennessee was trapped at her berth for ten days before being freed, and four days later she set sail for the West Coast to be repaired.
Repairs and modernization
After preliminary repairs at Pearl Harbor, Tennessee headed for Puget Sound Navy Yard for permanent repairs. In addition to repairing her, crews upgraded her anti-aircraft abilities and installed search and fire control radars. Other modifications improved the battleship's habitability. On 26 February 1942, Tennessee departed Puget SoundPuget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
with the work complete. Upon arriving at San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, she began a period of intensive training operations with Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
William S. Pye
William S. Pye
Vice Admiral William Satterlee Pye, United States Navy, was an Admiral in the U.S. Navy who served in World Wars I and II. His last active-duty appointment was as President of the Naval War College, 1942-1945...
's Task Force 1 (TF 1), made up of the Pacific Fleet's available battleships and a screen of destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s.
With the change of naval battles from conventional surface-ship actions to long-range duels between fast carrier striking forces, the older battleships — Tennessee and her kin — were simply too slow to keep up with the carriers. Tennessee spent some time with TF 1, which patrolled areas of the Pacific in the expectation that part of the Japanese fleet might attempt an "end run" raid on the US Pacific coast.
On 1 August, Tennessee again sailed from San Francisco with TF 1. After a week of exercises, the battleships joined on her way to the South Pacific to support the Guadalcanal operation, and escorted the carrier as far as Hawaii. Arriving at Pearl Harbor on 14 August, Tennessee returned to Puget Sound on the 27th for modernization.
South Dakota class battleship (1939)
The South Dakota-class was a group of four fast battleships built by the United States Navy. They were the second class of battleships to be named after the 40th State; the first class was designed in the 1920s and canceled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. The class comprised four...
). The work increased protection against torpedoes, internal compartmentation was rearranged and improved, a new compact superstructure designed to provide control facilities while offering less interference to anti-aircraft guns was installed and upgraded anti-aircraft guns and fire-control radars were installed. Her original twin funnels were combined into a single funnel faired into the superstructure tower as with the South Dakota class. The original secondary battery of 5 inch (127 mm)/51 cal guns and the anti-aircraft battery of 5 inch (127 mm)/25 cal guns was replaced by 16 5 inch (127 mm)/38 cal guns in eight twin mounts controlled by four Mk 37 directors.
As part of the two ocean navy policy, U.S. battleships had been designed within a beam constraint of 108 feet (32.9 m) in order to transit 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...
; after their similar rebuilds, Tennessee, and were widened to 114 feet (34.7 m) feet, in effect limiting deployment to the Pacific theater.
1943: The Aleutian Islands and TarawaBattle of TarawaThe Battle of Tarawa, code named Operation Galvanic, was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, largely fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region....
On 31 May 1943, she headed to AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and a fight in the Aleutian Islands. While providing sea protection to the landing forces was a job of major importance, the Japanese Navy did not challenge the American forces. Instead, Tennessee found her duty was to use her formidable guns to support the ground troops by bombarding enemy land positions. It was a task she would perform throughout the war. The Aleutian Islands back in American hands, she headed back home reaching San Francisco on 31 August. Tennessee then began an intensive period of training.
Tennessees next mission was to support the attack of Betio
Betio
Betio is an island and a town at the extreme southwest of South Tarawa in Kiribati. The main port of Tarawa Atoll is located there.-Overview:...
in the Battle of Tarawa
Battle of Tarawa
The Battle of Tarawa, code named Operation Galvanic, was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, largely fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region....
. From 20–23 November 1943, the main fighting went on, supported by Tennessees guns. Tennessee also joined other ships in the sinking of Japanese submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
. At dusk on 3 December, Tennessee departed the area for Pearl Harbor and then San Francisco. There she was quickly repainted in a "dazzle" camouflage
Dazzle camouflage
Dazzle camouflage, also known as Razzle Dazzle or Dazzle painting, was a camouflage paint scheme used on ships, extensively during World War I and to a lesser extent in World War II...
scheme.
On 29 December 1943, Tennessee began intensive bombardment practice, pounding San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy, and is a part of Los Angeles County. Defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 2 of Census Tract 5991 of Los Angeles County, California, it is long and...
in rehearsal for the invasion of 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...
.
1944
Marshall IslandsMarshall IslandsThe 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...
In the early morning of 13 January 1944, Tennessee set her course for Hawaii with Task Unit 58.5.1 (TU 58.5.1) and anchored in Lahaina RoadsLahaina Roads
Lahaina Roads, also called the Lahaina Roadstead is a channel of the Pacific Ocean in the Hawaiian Islands. The surrounding islands of Maui, and Lānai make it a sheltered anchorage....
off Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
on 21 January. That day, the ship was inspected by a group headed by Undersecretary of the Navy James Forrestal
James Forrestal
James Vincent Forrestal was the last Cabinet-level United States Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense....
. On 29 January, Tennessee, with Forrestal on board, headed for the Marshalls.
Arriving 31 January 1944, Tennessee bombarded the islands, helping the ground forces and destroying numerous shore batteries and detonating a Japanese ammunition dump on Namur
Roi-Namur
Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands.Occupied by Japanese forces prior to World War II, it was the target of the U.S. 4th Marine Division in the Battle of Kwajalein, in February 1944....
. During nighttime, Army troops called several times for illumination. Destroyers played their searchlights over Japanese-held areas, while Tennessee's 5 inch (127 mm) guns fired large numbers of star shells. At times, Tennessee was firing at such a short range that, during the afternoon of 20 February, she was able to attack beach defenses with her 40 mm guns.
Bismarck ArchipelagoBismarck ArchipelagoThe Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
On 23 February 1944, Tennessee sailed for Majuro. Here, she joined , , and . Under the command of Rear Admiral Robert M. Griffin, the battleships sortied from Majuro on 15 March with two escort carriers and a screen of 15 destroyers.Their objective was the Japanese air and naval base at Kavieng
Kavieng
Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600....
, at the northern end of New Ireland
New Ireland (island)
New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 7,404 km² in area. It is the largest island of the New Ireland Province, lying northeast of the island of New Britain. Both islands are part of the Bismarck Archipelago, named after Otto von Bismarck, and they are separated by...
. The Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
, the two large islands of New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
and New Ireland
New Ireland (island)
New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 7,404 km² in area. It is the largest island of the New Ireland Province, lying northeast of the island of New Britain. Both islands are part of the Bismarck Archipelago, named after Otto von Bismarck, and they are separated by...
, lie just to the east of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
, the by-now legendary Japanese operating base, is at the eastern end of New Britain, just across a narrow channel from New Ireland. About 240 mi (390 km) northwest of Rabaul, across the Bismarck Sea
Bismarck Sea
The Bismarck Sea lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean to the north of the island of Papua New Guinea and to the south of the Bismarck Archipelago and Admiralty Islands. Like the Bismarck archipelago, it is named in honour of the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck...
, is the small Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
group. Once again, Tennessees big guns pounded away at Japanese positions, destroying shore batteries and helping the ground forces rout the enemy as well as shelling the Japanese airfield and shore facilities.
| Operation | 14"/50 | 5"/38 | 40mm | 20mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiska | 111 | 590 | – | – |
| Tarawa | 584 | 1,631 | – | – |
| Kwajalein | 783 | 2,547 | – | – |
| Eniwetok | 960 | 1,577 | 3,192 | – |
| Kavieng | 252 | 1,891 | – | – |
| Saipan | 967 | 5,314 | 14,670 | 771 |
| Guam | 300 | 2,732 | 9,625 | – |
| Tinian | 822 | 3,466 | 21,437 | – |
| Anguar | 941 | 4,916 | 25,138 | – |
| Leyte | 698 | 3,412 | 1,151 | 1,701 |
| Battle of Surigao Strait | 69 | – | – | – |
| Iwo Jima | 1,370 | 6,380 | 11,481 | – |
| Okinawa | 1,490 | 12,275 | 9,300 | 3,674 |
| Total | 9,347 | 46,731 | 95,994 | 6,146 |
Mariana Islands
Operation Forager, the assault on the Mariana IslandsMariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
, was planned as a two-pronged thrust. Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Richmond K. Turner's TF 51 was organized into a Northern Attack Force (TF 52), under his command, and a Southern Attack Force (TF 53) under Rear Admiral Richard L. Conolly
Richard L. Conolly
Richard Lansing Conolly was a United States Navy Admiral, who served during World War I and World War II.-Biography:...
. The Northern Attack Force assembled at Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
in mid-May 1944. After rehearsals off Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
and Kahoolawe
Kahoolawe
Kahoolawe is the smallest of the eight main volcanic islands in the Hawaiian Islands. Kahoolawe is located about seven miles southwest of Maui and also southeast of Lanai, and it is long by wide, with a total land area of . The highest point on Kahoolawe is the crater of Lua Makika at the...
, Fire Support Group One sailed for 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...
while the transports staged at Eniwetok. On 10 June, Tennessee and her task group departed Kwajalein, bound for 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...
.
At Saipan, in addition to providing protection for the fleet, Tennessee began a methodical bombardment of the selected landing area, the southern portion of Saipan's west coast, in support of minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
s carrying out an assault sweep on the landing zone.
Underwater demolition teams (UDT) approached the beach in small craft to reconnoiter the landing beaches and to plant radar beacons which would provide reference points to the next day's landing. Tennessee closed to 3,000 yd (2,740 m) of Agingan Point and opened up with 14 in (355.6 mm), 5 inch (127 mm), and 40 mm batteries. Some smoldering powder grains from the 5 inch (127 mm) guns fell on the port side of the battleship's quarterdeck and burst into flame, but were quickly extinguished.
Japanese guns dropped shells near the UDTs as mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s and machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s joined in and projectile splashes began to appear near the supporting ships as batteries on nearby Tinian opened fire. was straddled, and California and took hits. Tennessee aimed counterbattery fire at the defenders who were opposing the UDTs, and her turret guns fired at Tinian. Shortly before noon, she moved to the northwest to bombard Japanese fortifications on Afetna Point, near the center of the landing zone.
Tennessee's assault station was off the southern end of the landing beach. During the first wave's approach, her guns enfiladed that end of the objective to prepare the way for the right-hand elements of the 4th Division. She checked fire as the troops neared the beach, resuming it a few minutes later as the Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
fought to establish themselves ashore. Japanese 4.7 in (119.4 mm) field guns, emplaced in a cave on Tinian, opened on Tennessee. The battleship commenced counterbattery fire, but the third enemy salvo scored three hits, all of which burst on impact. One projectile knocked out a 5 inch (127 mm) twin gun mount; the second struck the ship's side, while the third tore a hole in the after portion of main deck and sprayed fragments into the wardroom below. An intense fire inside the disabled gun mount was subdued in two minutes by repair parties and men from nearby gun crews; the hit to the hull damaged external blister plating, but was prevented from inflicting further damage by the battleship's heavy belt armor. Eight men were killed by projectile fragments, while 26 more were wounded by fragments and flash burns.
Tennessee's damages did not prevent her from delivering call fire to help break up a developing Japanese counterattack near Agingan Point before leaving the firing line to make emergency repairs. During the afternoon and night, she took station to screen assembled transports. Four Japanese dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s attacked nearby ships at 1846, and Tennessee's 5 inch (127 mm) guns briefly engaged them but claimed no hits. That evening, Tennessee buried her dead. Tokyo radio claimed victory in the battle for Saipan, stating that they had sunk a battleship which they identified as "probably the New Jersey." The "sunken" Tennessee returned to Saipan Channel early the next day. Several Japanese counterattacks had been stopped during the night, and Tennessee's supporting fire assisted the marines in organizing and consolidating their beachhead.
On the night of 22 June, Tennessee got underway for Eniwetok where repaired her battle damage as the fight for Saipan ground to its end on 9 July. Her next destination was 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...
. On 20 July, she joined in a systematic bombardment begun on 8 July, which was carefully planned to soften up the enemy's defenses while avoiding harm to the island's friendly Chamorro
Chamorros
The Chamorro people, or Chamoru people, are the indigenous peoples of the Mariana Islands, which include the American territory of Guam and the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Micronesia. Today, significant Chamoru populations also exist in several U.S. states...
population. Once again, Tennessee delivered supporting fire by day and star shell by night for the troops battling to take the island.
| Action No. | Action | From | To | No. of days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | Pearl Harbor | 7 December | 21 December '41 | 15 |
| (2) | Aleutians Campaign | 10 June 4 July 23 July 13 August |
21 June '43 5 July '43 2 August '43 17 August '43 |
31 |
| (3) | Tarawa | 18 November | 3 December '43 | 16 |
| (4) | Kwajalein | 26 January | 14 February '44 | 20 |
| (5) | Eniwetok | 15 February | 3 March '44 | 18 |
| (6) | Kavieng | 16 March | 22 March '44 | 7 |
| (7) | Saipan | 11 June | 24 June '44 | 14 |
| (8) | Guam | 17 July | 22 July '44 | 6 |
| (9) | Tinian | 23 July | 10 August '44 | 19 |
| (10) | Angaur | 7 September | 26 September '44 | 20 |
| (11) | Leyte | 16 October | 31 October '44 | 16 |
| (12) | Surigao Strait | 25 October '44 | 1 | |
| (13) | Iwo Jima | 15 February | 8 March '45 | 22 |
| (14) | Okinawa | 23 March 5 June 8 August |
5 May '45 3 July '45 2 September '45 |
99 |
| (15) | East China Sea Operations | 4 July | 7 August '45 | 35 |
| Total Days | 339 |
Palau Islands
The Palaus were to be Tennessee's next objective. This group was not an atoll, but an elongated cluster of islands just north of the equatorEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
and at the western end of the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
.
The battle for 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....
was to be one of the most bitter of the Pacific war, and organized resistance was not eliminated until November, at a heavy cost in lives. Tennessee's target was the smaller island of Angaur
Angaur
Angaur or Ngeaur is an island in the island nation of Palau. The island, which forms its own state, has an area of 8 km² . Its population is 188 . State capital is the village of Ngeremasch on the western side...
, a few miles south of Peleliu. On the morning of 12 September, Tennessee and Pennsylvania, with four light cruisers and five destroyers, began a prolonged bombardment as carrier aircraft did their share.
A prominent masonry lighthouse on the west coast of Angaur was ordered destroyed to keep the Japanese from using it as a gunfire observation point. Twelve 14 in (355.6 mm) rounds were aimed at it, scarring the area and scoring three hits, but the tower remained standing. Other targets absorbed Tennessee's attention for the next three days. Tennessee stood by off Peleliu during the morning of 15 September in case her guns should be needed to assist the assault landing. When this work was completed, she returned on the evening of 16 September to finish off the stubborn tower before the next morning's scheduled landings.
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Tennessee weighed anchor on 12 October and set her course for Leyte GulfLeyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
, Under the supreme command of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, Vice Admiral Thomas Kinkaid
Thomas C. Kinkaid
Thomas Cassin Kinkaid was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War II. He built a reputation as a "fighting admiral" in the aircraft carrier battles of 1942 and commanded the Allied forces in the Aleutian Islands Campaign...
's 7th Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
carried two Army corps toward the invasion area.
At 0609 on the morning of 18 October, Tennessee, with her fire-support unit, entered the channel between Homonhon and Dinagat islands. Paravane
Paravane (weapon)
The paravane is a form of towed underwater "glider". It was developed by Cdr Usborne and Lt Burney financed by Sir George White, founder of the Bristol Aeroplane Company....
s streamed from her bows, and Marines were stationed in her upperworks to sink or explode floating mines. The minesweepers continued their work as the heavy ships moved slowly up Leyte Gulf.
The landings were scheduled for 20 October, and at 0600, Tennessee opened neutralization fire on the beaches. Tennessee continued her work off the beachhead until her fire support was no longer required and the increasing tempo of Japanese air activity in the area required her to place herself where her antiaircraft guns could assist in the defense of the assembled transports and cargo ships.
In the evening of 21 October, while lying dead in the water in a smoke screen laid to protect the shipping from attacking planes, Tennessee was rammed near the stern by the transport . No one was injured, and the battleship's tough hull was little harmed, but her orders for a night fire-support mission were canceled.
Battle of Surigao Strait
While Tennessee had been working Leyte, the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters had noted the scale of the operation being mounted and had decided to make that island the focus of a decisive naval counterstroke – the Battle of Leyte GulfBattle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
. Under the Japanese plan, dictated by a combination of geography, logistics, and the lack of adequate carrier aviation, four widely separated forces were to converge on the area of Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
in an effort to destroy, at whatever cost, the American invasion force. A relatively small force, commanded by Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura, turned to the south of Palawan and crossed the Sulu Sea to pass between Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
and Leyte. Nishimura's force would meet a number of assorted American ships, Tennessee among them, in the Battle of Surigao Strait.
As they passed the cape of Panaon Island on the evening of 24 October and morning of the 25th, the Japanese forces ran into a deadly trap set for them by the American 7th Fleet Support Force. Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf had six battleships (Mississippi, , , Tennessee, California, and , all but Mississippi having been resurrected from Pearl Harbor), eight cruisers (heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
s , serving as the cruisers' (flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
), , and , and 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...
s , , ), 28 destroyers and 39 PT boat
PT boat
PT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
s.
Onboard Tennessee, observers had seen distant flashes of gunfire, star shells and searchlights as the torpedo boats and destroyers engaged the Japanese. Soon explosions could be heard. At 0302, the battleship's radar picked up Nishimura'a approach at nearly 44000 yd (40,233.6 m) and began to track the lead ship. This was the flagship, . With the cruiser and the destroyer , she was all that remained of the first Japanese force. At 0351, Oldendorf ordered the flanking cruisers to open fire, and at 0356, the battleships let fly from 20600 yd (18,836.6 m).
Radar fire control allowed the American battleships to hit targets from a distance at which the Japanese could not reply because of their inferior fire control systems, although 6-inch shells from Yamashiro and Mogami crippled destroyer . Japanese ships Yamashiro and Mogami were crippled by a combination of 14 in (355.6 mm) and 16 in (406.4 mm) armor-piercing shells. Shigure turned and fled, but lost steering and stopped dead. Yamashiro sank at 0419. The Battle of Surigao Strait was, to date, the final line battle
Line of battle
In naval warfare, the line of battle is a tactic in which the ships of the fleet form a line end to end. A primitive form had been used by the Portuguese under Vasco Da Gama in 1502 near Malabar against a Muslim fleet.,Maarten Tromp used it in the Action of 18 September 1639 while its first use in...
in naval history. Yamashiro was the last battleship to engage another in combat, and one of very few to have been sunk by another battleship during World War II. Of Nishimura's seven ships, only Shigure survived.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Shot down by Tennessee | 16 |
| Shot down by Tennessee and other ships | 8 |
| Aircraft damaged by Tennessee | 3 |
| Japanese naval vessels sunk in conjunction with other ships |
8 |
The next several days were quiet ones for Tennessee, though the Japanese sent numerous land-based air strikes against Leyte Gulf. On 29 October, the battlewagon's crew was told that their next destination was to be the Puget Sound Navy Yard. This refit made no remarkable changes in Tennessee's appearance. Her main battery directors received improved models of the Mark 8 radar, and the Mark 4 radars used with the 5 inch (127 mm) gun directors were replaced by the newer combination of paired Mark 12 and Mark 22 dual-purpose equipment. Tennessee's usefulness as an anti-aircraft ship was enhanced by the addition of a model SP height-finding radar. Her pattern camouflage scheme was replaced by a dark gray finish which was calculated to provide a less conspicuous aiming point for kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
planes, introduced during the recapture of 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...
and becoming more and more of a fact of naval life during the winter of 1944 and 1945.
1945
On 2 February 1945, Tennessee headed back toward the western Pacific. While Tennessee was being refitted, landings had been made in the Central Philippines and on Luzon; and the liberation of the Philippines was nearly accomplished. Steaming by way of Pearl Harbor and Saipan, she was just in time to join Rear Admiral W.H.P. Blandy's Iwo JimaBattle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
bombardment force.
Iwo JimaBattle of Iwo JimaThe Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
Early on 16 February 1945 the Tennessee's assigned firing course took her along the southeastern shore of Iwo Jima, and her 14 in (355.6 mm) guns struck the slopes of Mount Suribachi while the secondaries aimed at the high ground at the north end of the beach. While the heavier guns fired from ranges varying from 2,200–6,000 yd (2,012–5,490 m), the 40 mm battery raked other targets on cliffs at the north end of the beach and shot up the wrecks of several Japanese ships beached near the shore; these had been used as havens for snipers and machine gunners at TarawaTarawa 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...
and in later landings, and were always treated as potential threats. Several fires were started ashore; an ammunition dump exploded spectacularly and burned for several hours.
The next morning beginning at 0803, Tennessee, with Idaho and Nevada, closed to 3,000 yd (2,740 m) and began firing. The ships were so close to the shore that at some point the Tennessee was struck by return fire from a Japanese coastal gun on one of her 5 inch (127 mm) guns, which killed Seaman First Class Leon Andrew Giardini and wounded four others. At 1025, the battleships were ordered to the rear to make way for the invasion troops.
It had been found that single-gun salvoes at close range, using "pointer fire" (in which the gun is directly aimed by telescopic sight), were the most precise and effective. The notion of using a 14 in (355.6 mm) naval rifle for sniping was rather new, but it seemed to work very well. Ground fighting on Iwo Jima continued until 26 March, as the stubborn Japanese were slowly rooted out or the positions that they continued to defend to the last. Tennessee was a part of this struggle until 7 March, when she sailed for 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...
.
| Item | Action | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| (1) | Pearl Harbor | Two Bomb Hits. |
| (2) | Eniwetok | One man wounded by rife fire from the beach. |
| (3) | Saipan | Three hits from enemy 6 inch shore battery. |
| (4) | Iwo Jima | Two hits from enemy 37 mm battery. Ship was sprayed with machine-gun A.A. fire six or eight times. |
| (5) | Okinawa | Suicide plane with bomb hit ship on 12 April 1945 |
Tennessee left the area, having fired 1,370 rounds of main-battery fire on Iwo Jima along with 6,380 5 inch (127 mm) and 11,481 40 mm projectiles. At Ulithi, she began to prepare for the Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
operation.
OkinawaBattle of OkinawaThe Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
The pattern of life off Okinawa during the grueling weeks to come, as the "fleet that came to stay" battled to see the land battle through while keeping itself alive, consisted of shore bombardment and fighting off kamikaze attacks. Long hours at general quarters kept all hands tense and tired as the ships prowled off the island firing at every likely target while reports of suicide attacks piled up. The island was not secured until 21 June. In the meanwhile, the Navy battled by day and night against the unremitting kamikaze offensive.On her second day off Okinawa Tennessee was attacked by four planes. The first plane was shot down 5,000 yards from Tennessee's stern. Two minutes later the second plane was shot down 5,500 yards from her stern. Five minutes, later a third plane was destroyed 5 miles away. The fourth plane was fired upon at 5,000 yards away and crashed 12,000 yards off Tennessee's bow.
USS Tennessee was attacked again by airplanes on 1 April and 3 April. These attacks were not suicide attacks. The first kamikaze attack came on 6 April. Tennessee fought off six kamikazees. On 7 April, a single kamikaze attacked Tennessee. Five days later, Tennessee faced the strongest kamikaze attack yet.
On the afternoon of 12 April, Tennessee, instead of taking up a fire-support station, was steaming in air-defense formation. Five kamikazes picked Tennessee and came in through puffs of shell bursts and the heavy smoke from the burning destroyer . Four were shot down, the last three only hundreds of yards from the battleship. The last diver came down on the bow at a 45° angle, was set aflame by 5 inch (127 mm) fire, and plunged into the water. At the same time, an Aichi D3A
Aichi D3A
The , Allied reporting name "Val") was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor....
"Val" dive bomber, flying low on the starboard bow, headed directly for Tennessee'ss bridge. Lookouts spotted the "Val" at 2,500 yd (2,290 m), and every automatic weapon that could bear opened up. One of the plane's fixed wheels was torn off, and its engine began to smoke.
Heading at first for Tennessees tower foremast, the Japanese pilot swerved slightly and crashed into the signal bridge. The burning wreck slid aft along the superstructure, crushing anti-aircraft guns and their crews, and stopped next to Turret Three. It had carried a 250 lb (110 kg) bomb which, with what was left of the plane, went through the wooden deck and exploded. Twenty-two men were killed or fatally wounded, with another 107 injured. This was not enough to put Tennessee out of action. The dead were buried at sea, and the wounded transferred the following day to the casualty-evacuation transport . The ship's company turned to on emergency repairs; and, by 14 April, the ship was back on the firing line. Tennessee remained off Okinawa for two more weeks.
| Action | Killed | Wounded | Missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl Harbor | 4 | 22 | 1 |
| Eniwetok | – | 1 | – |
| Saipan | 8 | 26 | – |
| Tinian | – | – | 2 |
| Anguar | – | 4 | – |
| Iwo Jima | 1 | 6 | 2 |
| Okinawa | 26 | 116 | – |
| Total | 39 | 175 | 5 |
| Total Casualties | 219 |
On 1 May, Admiral Deyo shifted his flag to a cruiser, and Tennessee set her course for Ulithi. Here, the repair ship made repairs, cutting away damaged plating and installing new guns to replace those lost. On 3 June, the ship sailed for Okinawa, arriving on 9 June. By now, the worst was over. Army troops were making a final drive to clear the island, and Tennessee's gunfire again helped to clear the way. With the other old battlesips, she remained in support until organized resistance was declared at an end on 21 June.
The Tennessees battery, counter battery, and fire support played a major role in the success of the invasion of Okinawa as reflected by the messages passed through the chain of command from COs on the ground to Tennessee. On 18 April, Rear Admiral Reifsnider, commanding Task Group 51.12, told Captain Heffernan:
"Today our troops took the high ground prepared by the Tennessee yesterday. Seven enemy were killed on the slope and 30 on the top in huge craters caused by the Tennessee... counted 120 enemy dead and numerous demolished antiaircraft weapons and installations. C.O. Headquarters, 6th Marine Division, himself saw the Tennessees fire yesterday and wishes to express his appreciation for the Tennessee's cooperation and delivery of outstanding support. The main and secondary batteries of the Tennessee broke and drove the enemy back. Her naval gunfire on the almost impossible did the job. Congradulations to all the men of the Tennessee."
On 26 April, Rear Admiral Hall, TG 51.22 CO, informed Admiral Deyo of a message from
Headquarters, U.S. 27th Infantry Division, which read:
"Performance of all firing ships... excellent. We would like to see them have their just compensation and reward, especially the Tennessee."
Vice Admiral Oldendorf was subsequently placed in command of naval forces in the Ryukyus, and Tennessee flew his flag as she covered minesweeping operations in the East China Sea and patrolled the waters off Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
for Japanese shipping as escort carriers sent strikes against the China coast. This was Tennessee's station until V-J Day brought an end to the war in the Pacific. When this glad day came, the big ship was operating out of Okinawa and preparing to take part in the planned invasion of Japan
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
.
End of World War II
The battleship's final assignment of the war was to cover the landing of occupation troops at Wakayama, Japan. She arrived there on 23 September, then went on to Yokosuka. Tennessees crew had the chance to look over the Japanese Imperial Navy's big shipyard and operating base and do some sightseeing before she got underway for SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on 16 October. At Singapore Oldendorf shifted his flag to the cruiser , and Tennessee continued her long voyage home by way of the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
as her rebuild had increased her beam to 114 feet, too wide to pass through the Panama Canal.
During her four year tour through the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to Victory Over Japan, the USS Tennessee compiled one of the most impressive war records of any ship in modern naval history. She suffered significant damage at Pearl Harbor, fired the largest number of shells of any ship in combat in the entire history of the United States Navy, participated in 13 major operations and was awarded 10 battle stars, she suffered damage in three operations but remained in the battle, her accuracy of fire helped defeat a Japanese naval fleet and save the Leyte landing beachhead, and after the failure of battleship fire support at Tarawa her crew developed the US Navy fire support landing doctrine that made possible the advance of United States forces through the Central Pacific without prohibitive loss of life. From the disaster at Pearl Harbor to island hopping through the Pacific and occupation of mainland Japan the U.S.S. Tennessee steamed an unbelievable total 170,073 miles.
| Date Range | Miles Steamed |
|---|---|
| 7 December 1941 – 7 December 1942 | 33,017 |
| 7 December 1942 – 7 December 1943 | 40,699 |
| 7 December 1943 – 7 December 1944 | 60,335 |
| 7 December 1944 – 2 September 1945 | 36,022 |
| Total Miles Steamed | 170,073 |
On the fourth anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, Tennessee moored at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
. During those years, she had fired 9,347 14-inch rounds at the enemy, with 46,341 shells from her 5-inch guns and more than 100,000 rounds from her antiaircraft battery.
Post war and beyond
The process of trimming the wartime Navy down to postwar size was already well underway. Tennessee was one of the older, yet still useful, ships selected for inclusion in the "mothball fleetReserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
"; and, during 1946, she underwent a process of preservation and preparation for inactivation. The work went slowly; there were many ships to lay up and not enough people to do it. Finally, on 14 February 1947, Tennessees ensign was hauled down for the last time as she was placed out of commission.
Tennessee remained in the inactive fleet for another 12 years. By then, time and technology had passed her by; on 1 March 1959, her name 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 10 July of that year, she was sold to the Bethlehem Steel Company for scrapping.
Awards
On 13 October 1945 Vice Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf announced to the crew that he had recommended the USS Tennessee for a Unit Citation which would be the equivalent to the Silver Star or Legion of Merit awarded to individuals. This is one of only two Navy Unit Citations awarded to a Battleship for actions during World War II. The citation was signed by Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 5 April 1946.All personnel attached to the Tennessee and actually present and serving during the period of 31 January 1944 through 21 June 1945 in the Pacific, or any part thereof, earned a Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
. The commendation awarded USS Tennessee reads as follows.
| The Secretary of the Navy takes pleasure in commending The United States Ship Tennessee for service as follows: "For outstanding heriosm in action against enemy Japenese forces during the period from January 31, 1944, to June 21, 1945. Conducting extensive bom- bardments with devistating accuracy throughout thir- teen major operations, the U.S.S. TENNESSEE method- ically reduced enemy defenses prior to the time of landings, provided a tremendous amount of concen- trated fire directly covering amphibious assaults, and furnished controlled fire supporting the movement of troops ashore after the invasions, making possible the advance of our forces through the Central Pacific with- out prohibitive loss of life. Withstanding repeated blows from enemy shore batteries, bombs, torpedoes and Kamikaze planes, her courageous crew skillfully effected emergency repairs which kept her in action during extended periods of tension, strain and extreme peril. In the historic Battle of Surigao Straits she con- tributed materially to the destruction of a powerful portion of the Japanese Fleet, including at least two battleships. The TENNESSEE's splendid record of achievements, from the Aleutians to the Ryukyus, re- flects the superb teamwork and gallantry of her valiant officers and men and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." All personnel attached to and serving on board the U.S.S. TENNESSEE during the above period are hereby authorized to wear the NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION Ribbon. /s/ JAMES FORRESTAL SECRETARY OF THE NAVY |
Tennessee also was awarded 10 Service stars.
| Action No. | Operation:Action | Operation Period | Period of BB-43 Participation | Battle Stars awarded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | Pearl Harbor—Midway | 7 December 1941 | 7 December 1941 | 1 | |
| (2) | Gilbert Islands operation | 13 November – 8 December 1943 | 20 November 1943 – 4 December 1943 | 1 | |
| (3) (4) |
Marshall Islands operation: Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls Marshall Islands operation: Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll |
29 January 1944 – 8 February 1944 17 February – 2 March 1944 |
31 January 1944 – 8 February 1944 17 February 1944 – 23 February 1944 |
1 | One battle star awarded for participation in 1 or more of the Marshall Islands Operation actions. Tennessee participated in 2 actions (Actions No. (3) and (4)) out of 5 total actions that took place during the Marshall Islands Operation and thus was awarded 1 star. |
| (5) (6) |
Marianas operation: Capture and occupation of Saipan Marianas operation: Capture and occupation of Guam |
11 June – 10 August 1944 12 July – 15 August 1944 |
14 June 1944 – 22 June 1944 2 August 1944 – 9 August 1944 |
1 | One battle star awarded for participation in 1 or more of the Marianas Operation actions. Tennessee participated in 2 actions (Actions No. (5) and (6)) out of 10 total actions that took place during the Marianas Operation and thus was awarded 1 star. |
| (7) | Tinian capture and occupation | 24 July – 1 August 1944 | 20 July 1944 – 2 August 1944 | 1 | |
| (8) | Western Caroline Islands operation: Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands | 6 September – 14 October 1944 | 6 September 1944 – 14 October 1944 | 1 | |
| (9) (10) |
Leyte operation: Leyte landings Leyte operation: Battle of Surigao Strait |
10 October – 29 November 1944 24–26 October 1944 |
10 October 1944 – 29 November 1944 25 October 1944 |
1 | One battle star awarded for participation in 1 or more of the Leyte Operation actions. Tennessee participated in 2 actions (Actions No. (9) and (10)) out of 10 total actions that took place during the Leyte Operation and thus was awarded 1 star. |
| (11) | Iwo Jima operation: Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima | 15 February – 16 March 1945 | 16 February 1945 – 7 March 1945 | 1 | |
| (12) | Okinawa Gunto operation: Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto | 24 March – 30 June 1945 | 25 March 1945 – 3 May 1945 | 1 | |
| (13) | 3d Fleet operations against Japan | 10 July – 15 August 1945 | 10 July 1945 – 7 August 1945 | 1 | |
| Total Battle Stars | 10 |
See also
- Attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
- Battle of TarawaBattle of TarawaThe Battle of Tarawa, code named Operation Galvanic, was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, largely fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region....
- Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaignGilbert and Marshall Islands campaignIn the Pacific Theater of World War II, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, from November 1943 through February 1944, were key strategic operations of the United States Pacific Fleet and Marine Corps in the Central Pacific. The campaign was preceded by a raid on Makin Island by U.S...
- Mariana and Palau Islands campaignMariana and Palau Islands campaignThe Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was an offensive launched by United States forces against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November, 1944 during the Pacific War...
- Battle of Leyte GulfBattle of Leyte GulfThe Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
- Battle of Iwo JimaBattle of Iwo JimaThe Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
- Battle of OkinawaBattle of OkinawaThe Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
External links
- Navy photographs of Tennessee (BB-43)
- Maritimequest USS Tennessee BB-43 Photo Gallery
- NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive BB-43 USS TENNESSEE 1917 – 1929
- Department of the Navy – Naval History Center:Cruise Books of the United States Navy in World War II A Bibliography, NAVAL HISTORY BIBLIOGRAPHIES, NO. 2 entries for USS TENNESSEE (BB-43) CRUSIE BOOK
- USS TENNESSEE BB-43 ACTION REPORT – JAPANESE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR, 7 DECEMBER 1941
- Navy and Marine Corps Award Manual, NAVPERS 15,790 (REV. 1953) PART IV. CAMPAIGN AND SERVICE MEDALS for USS Tennessee (BB-43)
- Video of the kamikaze strike on USS Tennessee (BB-43)at the Battle of Okinawa in 1945
- A Marine’s Diary by Aubrey Diehl, Pfc. USMC, Diary Entries from March 25 through September 5, 1945 referencing USS TENNESSEEs activities in Task Groups 32 and 95.3 covering the battle for Okinawa, East China Sea Minesweeping and the strike on China
- 5th Naval Task Force Aboard the USS Tennessee, 1–10–45 to 5–3–45 Diary entries of a sailor who served aboard USS TENNESSEE
- Task Force 1 – Task Force List, USS TENNESSEE December 1941 – Covering Force, Pacific Fleet
- Task Force 32 – Task Force List, USS TENNESSEE STALEMATE II – Western Attack Force (Peleliu and Angaur Landing)
- Task Force 51 – Task Force List, USS TENNESSEE CATCHPOLE – Kwajalein Landing
- Task Force 58 – Task Force List, USS TENNESSEE FLINTLOCK/CATCHPOLE
- Task Force 95 – Task Force List, USS TENNESSEE North China Force 1945/07
- United States Pacific Fleet Organization 1 May 1945, USS TENNESSEE BATTLESHIP SQUADRON ONE