Meet the Second Most Decorated American Warship of WWII: USS San Diego
Launched in July of 1941, the USS San Diego (CL-53) was an Atlanta-class Anti-Aircraft light cruiser. Armed with 16 x 5 inch (127 mm) anti-aircraft guns and 16 Bofors 40 mm AA guns, the Atlanta-class sole mission in life was to put up a wall of bullets to shoot down any and all incoming enemy aircraft, and San Diego was no different.
She was still undergoing her shakedown cruise in the Atlantic when America entered the war. In 1942, she found herself in the Pacific. She took part in a number of major engagements, such as the Battle of Guadalcanal, the Philippine campaign, and numerous operations in between. She provided air cover for USS Enterprise (CV-6) and rescued survivors from both the USS Wasp and USS Hornet.
Notable Engagements and Achievements
She later escorted the carriers Saratoga and “USS Robin” (HMS Victorious) during the invasions of Munda, New Georgia, and Bougainville. Later, she escorted the damaged Essex-class carrier Lexington back to Pearl Harbor at the end of 1943 before returning to the U.S for a massive upgrade to her weapons layout and radar systems.
In 1944, she would join Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher’s Fast Carrier Task Force and provide anti-aircraft support. In this role, she would take part in numerous engagements of the Pacific campaign and would become the first allied warship to dock in Japan after the Japanese surrendered in 1945.
Decommissioning and Legacy
She would be decommissioned afterward in 1946 and later scrapped in 1960. During her service, San Diego earned 18 battle stars, making her the second most decorated American warship of World War 2, only second behind the Enterprise.
Though she was scrapped, San Diego’s legacy has not been forgotten. There is a memorial to the vessel within her namesake city, as well as the existence of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, USS San Diego (LPD-22).
And of course, if you play a certain mobile game, San Diego is known for her strong Anti-Air Defense, being an absolute unit once retrofitted, and most of all… Being “Numbah Wan!”
~NC
