1943.E2.80.931944 USS San Francisco (CA-38)

san francisco off adak island in april 1945

in mid-september, ordered pearl harbor repairs , reassignment tf 14. on 29 september, san francisco departed pearl harbor in task unit 14.2.1 (tu 14.2.1) raid against wake island. on 5 october, group arrived off target area , conducted 2 runs enemy positions. on 11 october, task unit returned pearl harbor.

on 20 november, force arrived off makin. san francisco participated in pre-invasion bombardment of betio, patrolled outside transport area west of makin. on 26th, detached , assigned tg 50.1, joining yorktown, lexington, cowpens, 5 cruisers, , 6 destroyers. force, steamed toward marshall islands strike japanese shipping , installations in kwajalein area. on 4 december, carriers launched planes against targets. shortly after noon, enemy aerial activity increased, , @ 1250, san francisco came under attack. 3 torpedo bombers closed on port bow. guns splashed two. third shot down yorktown. during attack, cruiser had been strafed several times. 1 man had been killed, , 22 wounded. after dark, japanese returned, , on night, lexington torpedoed. force moved north , west. shortly after 0130 on 5 december, enemy planes faded radar screens. next day, ships headed pearl harbor.

on 22 january 1944, san francisco sortied tf 52 , again headed marshalls. on 29 january, division, screened destroyers, left formation , moved against japanese installations on maloelap neutralize them during conquest of kwajalein. following bombardment, ships proceeded on kwajalein. san francisco arrived off atoll @ 0630 on 31 january. @ 0730, opened fire on targets of opportunity, small ship inside kwajalein lagoon. @ 0849, ceased firing. @ 0900, resumed firing @ targets on berlin , beverly islands. through day, continued shell islands, and, in late afternoon, added bennett island targets. during next week, provided pre-landing barrages , support fire operations against burton, berlin, , beverly islands. on 8 february, cruiser sailed majuro, whence operate unit of tf 58, fast carrier task force.

on 12 february, san francisco, in tg 58.2, cleared majuro lagoon. 4 days later, carriers launched planes part of operation hailstone. on night of 16–17 february, intrepid torpedoed. san francisco, others, assigned escort eastward. on 19 february, group split; intrepid, 2 destroyers, continued toward pearl harbor, while san francisco , remaining ships headed majuro. on 25 february, san francisco sailed hawaii tg 58.2. on 20 march, group returned majuro, refueled, , departed again on 22 march move against western carolines. 30 march 1 april, carrier planes hit palaus , woleai. san francisco s planes flew rescue missions.

on 6 april, force in majuro lagoon. week later, ships set course new guinea. 21–28 april, tg 58.2 supported assault landings in hollandia (currently known jayapura) area. on 29 april, ships moved carolines raid against truk. on 30 april, san francisco detached and, 8 other cruisers, moved against satawan. on completion of bombardment mission, cruisers rejoined tg 58.2 , headed marshalls.

initially @ majuro, san francisco shifted kwajalein in june, , on 10 june, departed atoll in tg 53.15, bombardment group of saipan invasion force. on 14 june, commenced 2 days of shelling tinian, , after landings on saipan shifted fire support duties. on 16 june, temporarily joined crudiv 9 bombard guam. word of japanese force en route saipan, however, interrupted cannonade, , ships returned saipan.

on 17 june, san francisco refueled , took station between approaching enemy force , amphibious force @ saipan. on morning of 19 june, battle of philippine sea opened san francisco. @ 1046, straddled fore , aft bombs. ... mass of enemy planes on screen @ 20 miles (30 km). @ 1126, cruiser opened fire. 40 mm shell indianapolis set off san francisco s smoke screen generators. noon, quiet had returned. @ 1424, dive bombers made last japanese attack. 20 june, san francisco steamed westward in pursuit of japanese force. next day, returned saipan area , resumed operations covering force transports. on 8 july, san francisco again steamed guam bombard enemy positions. during next 4 days, shelled targets in agat , agana areas. on 12 july, returned saipan replenish , refuel, , on 18 july, again took station off guam.

from 18–20 july, shelled enemy positions, supported beach demolition units, , provided night harassing , defense repair interdiction in agat , faci point areas. on 21 july, began support marines assaulting agat beaches. on 24 july, cruiser shifted fire orote point.

on 30 july, headed, via eniwetok , pearl harbor, san francisco. cruiser arrived on west coast on 16 august overhaul.

on 31 october, steamed west again, , on 21 november arrived @ ulithi, resumed flagship duties crudiv 6. on 10 december, cleared anchorage , moved toward philippines in tg 38.1. on 14–15 december, during carrier strikes against luzon, san francisco s planes employed on antisubmarine patrol , in rescue work. on 16 december, force headed rendezvous tg 30.17, replenishment force. typhoon interrupted refueling operations; , ships rode out storm next 2 days. on 19 december, participated in search survivors 3 destroyers had gone down during typhoon.

on 20 december, tf 38 turned westward again resume operations against luzon; high seas precluded strikes. on 24 december, force returned ulithi.