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| Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print | | San Francisco in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal) |
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Heavy Cruiser USS San Francisco (CA38)
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By Don Morfe, September 29, 2012 | |
| | | 1. Heavy Cruiser USS San Francisco (CA38) Marker | | |
Inscription.
Honor-Courage-Commitment
These are the remains of the flag bridge of the cruiser USS San Francisco, badly damaged in battle against Japanese naval forces on the night of November 12-13, 1942. The shrapnel-torn holes in her bridge bear mute testimony of to the ferocious combat and enormous casualties suffered by the warship during the encounter near Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
War in the Pacific
On December 7, 1941 San Francisco was at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii awaiting a major overhaul. Moored across the channel from Battleship Row, the cruiser was undamaged during the Japanese attack and put to sea on December 16. The USS San Francisco became one of only a handful of major American warships operating in the Pacific.
On Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, Japanese soldiers were building an airfield that would control thousands of square miles of ocean and the sea routes to Australia. To stop this enemy build-up, U.S. Marines invaded Guadalcanal in August 1942
The USS San Francisco served a key role in this campaign, protecting American aircraft carriers and troop transports throughout the Solomons, bombarding shore installations, and intercepting enemy vessels attempting to land additional troops and supplies.
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By Don Morfe | |
| | | 2. The USS San Francisco Memorial | | |
November 12-13, 1942, during a nighttime engagement, described as “the most furious sea battle fought in history,” the San Francisco and twelve escort ships turned back a Japanese fleet of seventeen ships that was threatening U.S. forces on Guadalcanal Island. The cost of victory was enormous: 107 of San Francisco’s crew were killed during the action, including Rear Admiral Daniel Callaghan, a native of San Francisco.
Following the gallant actions off Guadalcanal the cruiser was repaired and returned to duty. She served throughout the war and earned seventeen battle stars and a Presidential unit citation.
The Memorial
After the war, San Francisco installed a monument here, the centerpiece of which is the battle-damaged flag bridge. It was dedicated on November 12, 1950, as a memorial to the ship, her crew and their courageous sacrifices during World War II.
Location. 37° 46.962′ N, 122° 30.666′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. Marker can be reached from El Camino Del Mar north of Sea Rock Drive, on the left when traveling north. Click for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Francisco CA 94121, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. This Memorial to Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan (here, next to this marker); The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (here, next to this marker); FDR's Salute (within shouting distance of this marker); Sutro’s Steam Train (within shouting distance of this marker); Navigating the Golden Gate - Bonfires, buoys, and foghorns (about 300 feet away, in a direct line); Peoples of the Coast - Why did they live here? (about 700 feet away); In Memory of Adolph Sutro (approx. 0.2 miles away); The New Cliff House (approx. 0.3 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in San Francisco.| | | | 
By Don Morfe, July 7, 2009 | |
| | | 3. Heavy Cruiser USS San Francisco (CA38) Marker | | |
Regarding Heavy Cruiser USS San Francisco (CA38). The Memorial is located at Fort Miley, a unit of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area-Lands End.
Also see . . .
1. USS San Francisco (CA-38), 1934-1959. USS San Francisco, a 9950-ton New Orleans class heavy cruiser, was built at Mare Island, California. She was commissioned in February 1934 and made a shakedown cruise from Hawaii to Canada to Panama before joining the U.S. Fleet in early 1935. (Submitted on October 1, 2012.)
2. The USS San Francisco Memorial. The USS San Francisco Memorial Foundation's website offer the history, photos and additional information. (Submitted on October 1, 2012.)
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By Don Morfe, July 7, 2009 | |
| | | 4. Battle Damage | | |
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US Naval Archives, September 28, 1945 | |
| | | 5. Heavy Cruiser USS San Francisco | | |
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By Grace C. Miller | |
| | | 6. The USS San Francisco Memorial | | |
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Credits. This page originally submitted on September 29, 2012, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Md 21234. This page has been viewed 229 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 29, 2012, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Md 21234. 5. submitted on October 1, 2012. 6. submitted on October 8, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
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