Without radar, fire control and lighting, South Dakota drifted towards the Japanese fleet line and was fired upon by the Japanese battle cruiser Kirishima and the heavy cruisers Takao and Atago. She reported a record 26 Japanese aircraft shot down on October 26, 1942, when anti-aircraft shells with proximity fuses were used for the first time.Īfter the battles of Guadalcanal the damaged battleship ‘USS South Dakota’ and two destroyers lay next to the repair ship ‘Prometheus’ at Noumea.Their next action took place during the naval battle of Guadalcanal in the night of November 14-15, 1942, and shortly after the battle began, the battleship suffered a total power failure when the shock wave from the firing of its own 5-inch (127 mm) cannon penetrated the ring line. Her repairs were completed in time for her to participate in the Battle of Santa Cruz. South Dakota was dispatched to the Pacific Ocean immediately after their training was completed, but in August 1942 she ran onto a coral reef near Tangarebu. Massachusetts (BB-59) was laid down in July 1939 near Bethlehem on the Fore River, was launched on 23 September 1941 and entered service in May 1942.Īlabama (BB-60) was laid down in February 1940 at the Norfolk Navy Yard, launched on 16 February 1942 and entered service in August 1942. Indiana (BB-58) was laid down in November 1939 on Newport News, was launched on 21 November 1941 and was commissioned in April 1942. She was launched on 7 June 1941 and was put into service in March 1942. South Dakota (BB-57) was laid down in July 1939 at the New York shipbuilder’s Camden shipyard. But this could not be foreseen at the time of their construction.
Their main disadvantage was that they were too slow to operate together with the fast fleet carriers. In many respects, the South Dakota class battleships proved to be the most cost-effective capital ships built within the tonnage limitations of the Washington treaty, as they combined excellent armor with heavy armament and a useful speed.
The weight thus saved was used to improve the armor protection and to divide the ship better against torpedo hits. The shorter hull also allowed for better handling and maneuverability of the battleship. The size of the engine room was successfully reduced, saving weight due to the shorter citadel.
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