DATE

ACTION

WHERE

1942

Jan 10

COMMISSIONED

BOSTON NAVY YARD

May 6

Underway for PANAMA CANAL & S.D.

16

Port

Arrived San Diego.

Jun 6

Port

Arrived PEARL HARBOR

Aug 17

TF 17

Departed P.H.

25

GUADALCANAL

Invasion/capture of Guadalcanal.

Sep 15

WASP & O'BRIEN torpedoed/sunk

26

Port

NOUMEA, New Caledonia.

Oct 2

TF 17

Underway.

5

A/S

BUIN-FAISI area.

16

A/S

SOLOMON ISLANDS.

26

SANTA CRUZ TF 17

HORNET & PORTER sunk. SA DIEGO took 200 HORNET survivors to NOUMEA.

30

Port

NOUMEA

Nov 11

A/S

Off GUADALCANAL.

16

Port

NOUMEA

Dec 11

Port

ESPIRITU SANTOS, New Hebrides

1943

Jan 28

"THE SLOT" TF 16

Intercepting Jap Fleet in the "SLOT" off GUADALCANAL.

Feb 12

Port

ESPIRITU SANTOS.

Mar 16

Port

AUCKLAND, New Zealand.

19

Captain HUDSON relieved Capt. PERRY

Apr 7

Port

ESPIRITU SANTOS.

May 3

Port

NOUMEA.

Jun 27

TF 14

Invasion/capture MUNDA, New Georgia in the SOLOMONS.

Jul 25

Port

NOUMEA

Aug 5

Port

EFATE, New Hebrides.

Sep 5

Rear. Adm. Wiltse hoisted Flag on SAN DIEGO as ComCruDiv 11.

14

Port

ESPIRITU SANTOS.

Oct 29

TF 38

Air strikes against BUKA-BONIS off BOUGAINVILLE in Northern SOLOMONS.

Nov 5

A/S

RABAUL, New Guinea.

8

Port

ESPIRITU SANTOS.

9

TF 38

Air strikes against REBAUL.

14

Port

ESPIRITU SANTOS,

15

GILBERTS TF 50.4

Air strikes, invasion, & capture of GILBERT ISLANDS.

26

MARSHALLS TF 50.3

Air strikes on KWAJALEIN & WOTJE ATOLLS in the MARSHALL ISLANDS.

Dec 9

Port

PEARL HARBOR.

11

STATESIDE!

Departed P.H. for California

15

Port

Arrived SAN FRANCISCO and entered drydock at MARE ISLAND SHIPYARD

1944

Jan       4

Underway San Francisco to PearlHarbor

16

TG

Departed P.H.

29

MARSHALL ISLANDS 58.2

Air strikes on KWAJALEIN supporting

31

invasion/capture

Feb       4

Port

MAJURO ATOLL, Marshall Islands

12

TG

Departed MAJURO for ATTACK ON TRUK

17

TRUK ATOLL 58.2

ATOLL, major Jap port

20

Air strike on JALUIT Atoll,Marshalls

21

Port

MAJURO ATOLL

28

STATESIDE

Departed MAJURO for SAN FRANCISCO by way of PEARL HARBOR.

Mar 9

Port

Arrived San Francisco & entered MARE ISL. NAVY YARD for overhaul

14

Departed MARE ISLAND for Pearl Harbor

19

Port

Arrived P.H.

21

Training exercises Mar 21/25

May 2

TG12

Departed PEARL HARBOR

8

Port

Arrived MAJURO

15

TG

Underway as TG 58.6.

18

WAKE & MARCUS TU

Scouting mission, TU 58.6.4 under Adm. WILTSE to WAKE & MARCUS ISLANDS

21

TG

Rejoined TG 58.6 to attack WAKE.

26

Port

MAJURO

Jun 6

TG

Left MAJURO IN TG 58.4.

11

MARIANNASA/S

First air strikes against MARIANNAS

15

BONINS A/S

First air strikes against BONINS.

16

IWO JIMA A/S

First air strikes against IWO JIMA

19

PHILIPPINE SEA

First BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA west of the MARIANNAS

23

SAIPAN

Strikes on GUAM and invasion/capture of Saipan

Jul 2

(continued)

6

Port

ENIWETOK ATOLL, Marshall Islands.

13

Capt. MULLEN relieved Capt. HUDSON.

14

TG

Departed ENIWETOK in TG 58.4.

18

GUAMA/S

Invasion/capture of GUAM

Aug 9

Departed GUAM

13

Port

ENIWETOK ATOLL

18

Adm. WILTSE hauled down his flag.

25

Training exercises at sea.

29

TG

Departed ENIWETOK as TG 38.2

Sep 1

Crossed EQUATOR at Long. 155-20E.

6

A/S

PALAU & PELELIU Sep 6-8

9

A/S

MINDANAO,SAMAR,LEYTE Sep 9-13

17

PALAU A/S

Invasion/capture of PALAU GROUP

21

A/S

MANILA and CENTRAL PHILIPPINES

28

Port

SAIPAN

Oct 1

ULITHI ATOLL Port

CAROLINE ISLANDS- our new home!

6

TG

Departed ULITHI in TG 38.2

10

A/S

First strikes on OKINAWA

Oct 12

A/S

FORMOSA Oct 12-14

17

A/S

MANILA & LEYTE. Now with TG 38.1

23

LEYTE TG

TG 38.1 detached to ULITHI. Orders 24 suddenly changed to proceed at flank speed to strike at major Jap fleet attacking LEYTE landing.

29

Port

ULITHI ATOLL

Nov 5

TG

TG 38.4 departed ULITHI

11

A/S.

LEYTE

13

A/S

MANILA, Nov 13-19.

22

Port

ULITHI ATOLL.

Dec 10

TG

TG 38.1. A/S LUZON & MINDANAO.

17

TYPHOON!

Dec 17-19 Major casualties.

24

Port

ULITHI ATOLL.

30

TG

TG 38.1 departed ULITHI ATOLL

1945

Jan 3

A/S FORMOSA

6

A/S

LUZON

9

CHINA SEA    A/S

CHINA COAST & FRENCH INDO CHINA

20

Departed CHINA SEA

21

A/S

OKINAWA. Jan 21-22

26

Port

ULITHI ATOLL

Feb 10

TG

Underway in TG 58.4

16

JAPAN A/S
IWO JIMA

Major strikes on JAPAN supporting invasion of IWO JIMA Jan 16-26

Mar 1

A/S

NANSEI SHOTO. Joined CruDiv 14 in bombardment of OKINA DAITO JIMA

2

Port.

4

ULITHI ATOLL.

14

TG

Departed ULITHI with TG 58.4.

15

OKINAWA A/S

JAPAN & OKINAWA Mar 15-Apr 27.

Apr 28

HAGGARD DD555

Escorted damaged HAGGARD to KERAMA RETTO Apr 28-30

May 1

Left KERAMA RETTO & rejoined TG58.4.

2

A/S

Invasion/capture OKINAWA May 2-13

14

Port

ULITHI ATOLL

24

TG

Departed ULITHI with TG 58.4

25

A/S

OKINAWA. Air support May 25-June12

Jun 13

DRYDOCK, LEYTE

15 months at sea! Cleaned our bottom.

Jul 1

TG

Left LEYTE GULF with TG 38.4. 9

9

JAPAN A/S

JAPAN from HOKKAIDO TO THE INLAND SEA Jul 9-Aug 5.

6

ATOM BOMB!

TF 38 told on Aug 5 to go 300 miles East of Tokyo before BOMB dropped

9

2nd ATOM BOMB

No response from JAPAN.

15

SURRENDER! A/S

A/S over TOKYO when Japs surrendered

16

Cruising SoEast of JAPAN. USS SAN DIEGO designated Flagship TF 3 TOKYO BAY OCCUPATION FORCE.

23

AT SEA. Completes 300,000 miles!

Adm. Badger broke his flag on the USS SAN DIEGO as CTF 31

Aug 27

Port

SAGAMI WAN.

28

TOKYO BAY!

Port      FIRST major belligerant ship to enter Jap waters during a war

29

YOKOSUKA

Docked at YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE. Adms. NIMITZ & HALSEY came aboard to accept the surrender of the Base

Sep 2

GOING HOME!

Headed out of the Bay toward CALIF.

19

SAN FRANCISCO Port

Thousands of cheering citizens jammed the Golden Gate Bridge welcoming

Oct 25

SAN DIEGO    Port

The city of SAN DIEGO threw a tremendous welcome party for the ship for 3 days over Navy Day Oct 27

Our thanks to LT. Spence Ehrman for creating the ship's history from which this outline has been burgled. The intention of this outline is to highlight main events in the history of the USS SAN DIEGO, to give a time reference for her location during those war years, and to do it all as briefly as possible.