USS San Diego USS SAN DIEGO Chronological History

Chronological History


Chronological History

USS San Diego (CL 53)
Chronological Outline of Significant Events

DATE ACTION WHERE
A/S – Air Strike
TF – Task Force, Task Group, Task Unit
Port – Where we stopped
1942

Jan 10

COMMISSIONED BOSTON NAVY YARD

May 6

Underway for PANAMA CANAL & S.D.

16

Port Arrived San Diego.

Jun 6

Port Arrived PEARL HARBOR

Aug 17

TF 17 Departed P.H.

25

GUADALCANAL Invasion/capture of Guadalcanal.

Sep 15

WASP & O’BRIEN torpedoed/sunk

26

Port NOUMEA, New Caledonia.

Oct 2

TF 17 Underway.

5

A/S BUIN-FAISI area.

16

A/S SOLOMON ISLANDS.

26

SANTA CRUZ TF 17 HORNET & PORTER sunk. SA DIEGO took 200 HORNET survivors to NOUMEA.

30

Port NOUMEA

Nov 11

A/S Off GUADALCANAL.

16

Port NOUMEA

Dec 11

Port ESPIRITU SANTOS, New Hebrides
1943

Jan 28

“THE SLOT” TF 16 Intercepting Jap Fleet in the “SLOT” off GUADALCANAL.

Feb 12

Port ESPIRITU SANTOS.

Mar 16

Port AUCKLAND, New Zealand.

19

Captain HUDSON relieved Capt. PERRY

Apr 7

Port ESPIRITU SANTOS.

May 3

Port NOUMEA.

Jun 27

TF 14 Invasion/capture MUNDA, New Georgia in the SOLOMONS.

Jul 25

Port NOUMEA

Aug 5

Port EFATE, New Hebrides.

Sep 5

Rear. Adm. Wiltse hoisted Flag on SAN DIEGO as ComCruDiv 11.

14

Port ESPIRITU SANTOS.

Oct 29

TF 38 Air strikes against BUKA-BONIS off BOUGAINVILLE in Northern SOLOMONS.

Nov 5

A/S RABAUL, New Guinea.

8

Port ESPIRITU SANTOS.

9

TF 38 Air strikes against REBAUL.

14

Port ESPIRITU SANTOS,

15

GILBERTS TF 50.4 Air strikes, invasion, & capture of GILBERT ISLANDS.

26

MARSHALLS TF 50.3 Air strikes on KWAJALEIN & WOTJE ATOLLS in the MARSHALL ISLANDS.

Dec 9

Port PEARL HARBOR.

11

STATESIDE! Departed P.H. for California

15

Port Arrived SAN FRANCISCO and entered drydock at MARE ISLAND SHIPYARD
1944

Jan       4

Underway San Francisco to PearlHarbor

16

TG Departed P.H.

29

MARSHALL ISLANDS 58.2 Air strikes on KWAJALEIN supporting

31

invasion/capture

Feb       4

Port MAJURO ATOLL, Marshall Islands

12

TG Departed MAJURO for ATTACK ON TRUK

17

TRUK ATOLL 58.2 ATOLL, major Jap port

20

Air strike on JALUIT Atoll,Marshalls

21

Port MAJURO ATOLL

28

STATESIDE Departed MAJURO for SAN FRANCISCO by way of PEARL HARBOR.

Mar 9

Port Arrived San Francisco & entered MARE ISL. NAVY YARD for overhaul

14

Departed MARE ISLAND for Pearl Harbor

19

Port Arrived P.H.

21

Training exercises Mar 21/25

May 2

TG12 Departed PEARL HARBOR

8

Port Arrived MAJURO

15

TG Underway as TG 58.6.

18

WAKE & MARCUS TU Scouting mission, TU 58.6.4 under Adm. WILTSE to WAKE & MARCUS ISLANDS

21

TG Rejoined TG 58.6 to attack WAKE.

26

Port MAJURO

Jun 6

TG Left MAJURO IN TG 58.4.

11

MARIANNASA/S First air strikes against MARIANNAS

15

BONINS A/S First air strikes against BONINS.

16

IWO JIMA A/S First air strikes against IWO JIMA

19

PHILIPPINE SEA First BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA west of the MARIANNAS

23

SAIPAN Strikes on GUAM and invasion/capture of Saipan

Jul 2

(continued)

6

Port ENIWETOK ATOLL, Marshall Islands.

13

Capt. MULLEN relieved Capt. HUDSON.

14

TG Departed ENIWETOK in TG 58.4.

18

GUAMA/S Invasion/capture of GUAM

Aug 9

Departed GUAM

13

Port ENIWETOK ATOLL

18

Adm. WILTSE hauled down his flag.

25

Training exercises at sea.

29

TG Departed ENIWETOK as TG 38.2

Sep 1

Crossed EQUATOR at Long. 155-20E.

6

A/S PALAU & PELELIU Sep 6-8

9

A/S MINDANAO,SAMAR,LEYTE Sep 9-13

17

PALAU A/S Invasion/capture of PALAU GROUP

21

A/S MANILA and CENTRAL PHILIPPINES

28

Port SAIPAN

Oct 1

ULITHI ATOLL Port CAROLINE ISLANDS- our new home!

6

TG Departed ULITHI in TG 38.2

10

A/S First strikes on OKINAWA

Oct 12

A/S FORMOSA Oct 12-14

17

A/S MANILA & LEYTE. Now with TG 38.1

23

LEYTE TG TG 38.1 detached to ULITHI. Orders 24 suddenly changed to proceed at flank speed to strike at major Jap fleet attacking LEYTE landing.

29

Port ULITHI ATOLL

Nov 5

TG TG 38.4 departed ULITHI

11

A/S. LEYTE

13

A/S MANILA, Nov 13-19.

22

Port ULITHI ATOLL.

Dec 10

TG TG 38.1. A/S LUZON & MINDANAO.

17

TYPHOON! Dec 17-19 Major casualties.

24

Port ULITHI ATOLL.

30

TG TG 38.1 departed ULITHI ATOLL
1945

Jan 3

A/S FORMOSA

6

A/S LUZON

9

CHINA SEA    A/S CHINA COAST & FRENCH INDO CHINA

20

Departed CHINA SEA

21

A/S OKINAWA. Jan 21-22

26

Port ULITHI ATOLL

Feb 10

TG Underway in TG 58.4

16

JAPAN A/S
IWO JIMA
Major strikes on JAPAN supporting invasion of IWO JIMA Jan 16-26

Mar 1

A/S NANSEI SHOTO. Joined CruDiv 14 in bombardment of OKINA DAITO JIMA

2

Port.

4

ULITHI ATOLL.

14

TG Departed ULITHI with TG 58.4.

15

OKINAWA A/S JAPAN & OKINAWA Mar 15-Apr 27.

Apr 28

HAGGARD DD555 Escorted damaged HAGGARD to KERAMA RETTO Apr 28-30

May 1

Left KERAMA RETTO & rejoined TG58.4.

2

A/S Invasion/capture OKINAWA May 2-13

14

Port ULITHI ATOLL

24

TG Departed ULITHI with TG 58.4

25

A/S OKINAWA. Air support May 25-June12

Jun 13

DRYDOCK, LEYTE 15 months at sea! Cleaned our bottom.

Jul 1

TG Left LEYTE GULF with TG 38.4. 9

9

JAPAN A/S JAPAN from HOKKAIDO TO THE INLAND SEA Jul 9-Aug 5.

6

ATOM BOMB! TF 38 told on Aug 5 to go 300 miles East of Tokyo before BOMB dropped

9

2nd ATOM BOMB No response from JAPAN.

15

SURRENDER! A/S A/S over TOKYO when Japs surrendered

16

Cruising SoEast of JAPAN. USS SAN DIEGO designated Flagship TF 3 TOKYO BAY OCCUPATION FORCE.

23

AT SEA. Completes 300,000 miles! Adm. Badger broke his flag on the USS SAN DIEGO as CTF 31
Aug 27 Port SAGAMI WAN.

28

TOKYO BAY! Port      FIRST major belligerant ship to enter Jap waters during a war

29

YOKOSUKA Docked at YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE. Adms. NIMITZ & HALSEY came aboard to accept the surrender of the Base

Sep 2

GOING HOME! Headed out of the Bay toward CALIF.

19

SAN FRANCISCO Port Thousands of cheering citizens jammed the Golden Gate Bridge welcoming
Oct 25 SAN DIEGO    Port The city of SAN DIEGO threw a tremendous welcome party for the ship for 3 days over Navy Day Oct 27

Our thanks to LT. Spence Ehrman for creating the ship’s history from which this outline has been burgled. The intention of this outline is to highlight main events in the history of the USS SAN DIEGO, to give a time reference for her location during those war years, and to do it all as briefly as possible.