USS CALIFORNIA BATTLESHIP CASUALTIES

BB-44

Pearl Harbor Attack

The USS California BB-44 was a Tennessee -class battleship. She was commissioned on August 10, 1921. On December 7, 1941, the USS California was moored past the area where most of the other battleships were moored. Her mooring quay is past where the USS Missouri Battleship is today. She was closer to Naval Air Station Ford Island, where the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is currently located. On the day of the attack, the USS California was being prepared for an inspection. Because of this, all of her watertight doors and potholes were opened. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor began, the USS California took two torpedo hits, causing extensive damage and major flooding. While her crew was frantically trying to pump water out of the ship, others were rapidly trying to close as many watertight doors and portholes as possible in order to contain the flooding. On the deck, anti-aircraft crews had opened fire on the attacking Japanese planes. While some of the USS California’s guns were ready to open fire, they had limited ammunition. Once the ready ammunition had been expended, sailors had to get more ammunition from the locked ammunition storage lockers. Nevertheless, gun crews claimed at least two Japanese planes were shot down, but these claims had never been verified owing to the chaos of the attack. The USS California also suffered several bomb hits causing extensive internal damage. Between the fires on deck and the extensive flooding below, damage control crews were fighting a losing battle. The fires caused a loss of power which hindered and then stopped the pumping. Even with the power on, her pumps were not fast enough to stem the flooding. After the attack, numerous smaller vessels came alongside to assist with the flooding and fires. It took about three days for the USS California to settle on the bottom of the harbor. The Japanese attack caused significant casualties, with 98 men killed and 61 wounded. By March 25, 1942, the USS California was refloated, and repairs began. By October 10, she was ready to depart for Puget Sound for permanent repairs and a major refit. Repairs lasted until January 31, 1944, when she rejoined the fleet and sailed to war. She would serve in the Pacific Theater until the end of the war. The USS California was one of the battleships that took part in the Battle of Surigao Strait, the last battleship to battleship fight in history. The USS California was decommissioned on February 14, 1947. Below is a list of the personnel killed on December 7, 1941. Please view the list to learn the names of those who lost their lives on that day.

Leaves berth virtually surrounded by stricken ships. The U.S.S. Neosho, navy oil tanker, cautiously backs away from her berth (right center) in a successful effort to escape the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. At left the battleship U.S.S. California lists after aerial blows. Other crippled warships and part of the hull of the capsized U.S.S. Oklahoma may be seen in the background. The Neosho was later sunk in the Coral Sea, US Navy, United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID fsa.8e01821, PD-USGov

The USS Arizona (BB-39) burning after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Unknown author or not provided, National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifier (NAID) 195617, PD-USGov

S. No. Name, Rank S. No. Name, Rank
1 Howard L. Adkins, F1c 50 Moses A. Allen, MAtt1c
2 Thomas B. Allen, GM2c 51 Wilbur H. Bailey, Sea1c
3 Glen Baker, Sea2c 52 James W. Ball, F2c
4 Harold W. Bandemer, Sea1c 53 Michael L. Bazetti, Sea1c
5 Albert Q. Beal, RM2c 54 Thomas S. Beckwith, SF3c
6 Henry W. Blankenship, PhM1c 55 Edward D. Bowden, F2c
7 Robert K. Bowers, Ens (VO-2) 56 Robert L. Brewer, Sea1c
8 Samuel J. Bush, MAtt1c 57 James W. Butler, F2c
9 Elmer L. Carpenter, BM1c 58 Cullen B. Clark, F1c
10 Francis E. Cole, Msmth2c 59 Kenneth J. Cooper, FC3c
11 Herbert S. Curtis, Jr., Sea2c 60 Lloyd H. Cutrer, Sea2c
12 Edward H. Davis, SK1c 61 John W. Deetz, GM3c
13 Marshall L. Dompier, SK2c 62 Norman W. Douglas, Sea1c
14 Guy Dugger, F1c 63 Billie J. Dukes, Sea1c
15 Thomas R. Durning, Jr., Sea2c 64 Robert W. Ernest, Sea2c
16 Alfred J. Farley, Sea2c 65 Marvin L. Ferguson, Jr., AS
17 Stanley C. Galaszewski, Sea2c 66 Robert S. Garcia, SK3c
18 Thomas J. Gary, Sea2c 67 George H. Gilbert, Ens
19 Tom Gilbert, Sea1c 68 Helmer A. Hanson, Sea2c
20 Gilbert A. Henderson, MAtt2c 69 John A. Hildebrand, Jr., F1c
21 Merle C. J. Hillman, PhM2c 70 Paul E. Holley, Sea1c
22 Richard F. Jacobs, SF3c 71 Ira W. Jeffrey, Ens
23 Melvin G. Johnson, RM3c 72 Ernest Jones, MAtt3c
24 Herbert C. Jones, Ens 73 Harry Kaufman, BM1c
25 Arlie G. Keener, SK3c 74 Harry W. Kramer, F1c
S. No. Name, Rank S. No. Name, Rank
26 John T. Lancaster, PhM3c 75 Donald C. V. Larsen, RM3c
27 John E. Lewis SK1c 76 James E. London, SK1c
28 Howard E. Manges, FC3c 77 John W. Martin, F3c
29 George V. McGraw, F1c 78 Clyde C. McMeans, Sea1c
30 Aaron L. McMurtrey, Sea1c 79 James W. Milner, F1c
31 James D. Minter, Sea2c 80 Bernard J. Mirello, Sea1c
32 William A. Montgomery, GM3c 81 Marlyn W. Nelson, F2c
33 Wayne E. Newton, Sea1c 82 June W. Parker, QM3c
34 Kenneth M. Payne, Sea1c 83 John C. Wydila, SF3c
35 Lewis W. Pitts, Jr., Sea2c 84 Alexsander J. Przybysz, Prtr2c
36 Roy A. Pullen, Sea2c 85 Edward S. Racisz, Sea1c
37 Thomas J. Reeves, CRM (PA) 86 Joseph L. Richey, Ens (VO-2)
38 Edwin H. Ripley, Sea2c 87 Earl R. Roberts, Sea1c
39 Alfred A. Rosenthal, RM3c 88 Joe B. Ross, RM2c
40 Frank W. Royse, RM3c 89 Morris F. Saffell, F1c
41 Robert R. Scott, MM1c 90 Erwin L. Searle, GM3c
42 Russell K. Shelly, Jr., Mus2c 91 Frank L. Simmons, MAtt2c
43 Tceollyar Simmons, Sea2c 92 Lloyd G. Smith, Sea2c
44 Gordon W. Stafford, Sea2c 93 Leo Stapler, MAtt1c
45 Charles E. Sweany, EM1c 94 Edward F. Szurgot, SK3c
46 Frank P. Treanor, RM3c 95 Pete Turk, Sea2c
47 George V. Ulrich, F1c 96 George E. Vining, MAtt2c
48 David Walker, MAtt3c 97 Milton S. Wilson, F3c
49 Steven J. Wodarski, Sea1c 98 George E. Pendarvis, F3c