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Armed with the slightly larger 50 caliber 14" gun in four triple turrets, the U.S.S. California and her sister Tennessee were the last 14"- gunned battleships built for the U.S. navy. The Maryland class and the future fast battleships would all carry 16" guns.
From her commissioning in 1921 until 1941, California served as the flagship of the Pacific Fleet, later redesignated as the Flagship, Battle Force, U.S. Fleet. Like all the battleships in peacetime, the ship’s activities included intensive battle training, “showing the flag cruises” and fleet exercises. California garnered the Battle Efficiency pennant in 1921 - 22 and also the 1925 - 26 gunnery “E” pennant. Being a relatively new battleship, California received only a mild modernization in 1929 -30 that included the installation of an eight-gun 5"/25 cal. anti-aircraft battery and improvements to her armor and anti-torpedo protection in addition to the usual upkeep to engines and hull.
On December 7, 1941, California was moored in Pearl Harbor at the head of the battle line near the south end of Ford Island. As the Japanese attack opened, California was almost immediately hit by a torpedo on the port side, followed shortly by another hit forward of the first. A 550 - lb. bomb hit to starboard, exploding on the armored second deck and detonating an anti-aircraft ammunition locker. Burning, the ship was temporarily abandoned and slowly settled into the mud of Pearl Harbor, listing to port. California lost 102 men killed and 61 wounded before the fires were put out.
Refloated by March of 1942, California proceeded to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard where she was reconstructed from the main deck up. Large bulges were fitted, a battery of eight twin 5"/38 cal. dual-purpose guns were installed along with multiple 40mm and 20 mm guns and the ship’s superstructure was completely rebuilt with a modern bridge layout and new radars and fire control equipment. Her reconstruction and shakedown was completed by May of 1944 and she departed San Francisco to return to combat as a gunnery support ship for the amphibious invasion of the Marianas Islands. Following service there, California was assigned to the Philippines operation.
On October 25, 1944, California, along with Pearl Harbor veterans Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia and Maryland, accompanied by Mississippi, engaged a Japanese battle force in Surigao Strait, destroying the battleships Yamashiro and Fuso, the last battleship vs. battleship gunnery action in history. It was a fitting tribute that five Pearl Harbor veterans were there. In early 1945, California was hit by a kamikaze at Lingayen Gulf, killing 44 men. California finished out the war bombarding Okinawa. Obsolete and unneeded after the end of the war, California was placed in reserve and was finally stricken and scrapped 13 years later in 1959. (DBoyer 2007)
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