American battleship histories. American naval
battleship USS Indiana. Battleship website dedicated to the history of USS
Indiana from their launch to their participation in major wars also notice
board for naval historians & families of ex-crew of USS Indiana.
USS
Indiana was built at Newport News and launched 21st November 1941 and
completed 30th April 1942. par of the South Dakota Class of Battleships.
USS Indiana left Hampton Roads, Virginia on the 9th November for the
Panama canal with the destination of Tongatabu Island. and arrived
on the 28th November to join the carrier Screening Force 28 of rear
Admiral Lee. at this time USS Indiana was only the third battleship
operating with the carriers USS Saratoga and USS Enterprise. (the other
battleships were USS South Dakota and USS Washington). in the
Pacific theatre. This force protected the American landings
at Guadalcanal.
On the
29th and 30th January 1943 USS Indiana supported the operations on
Rennell island. In June 1943 she joined Task group 36.3 during the campaign
for new Georgia. operating from Noumea in New Caledonia. Until
returning back to Pearl harbor arriving there on the 9th August
1943. USS Indiana joined the Task force 58 a large carrier
force set with the task top launch an attack on the Marcus islands which
took part of the 31st August returning again with the force back to
Pearl harbor. where Indiana was dry docked for 16 days.
leaving
again Pearl harbor on route for the Fiji islands as part of the
supporting force for the invasion of the Gilbert islands. But on
the 11th November under the command of Admiral Lee now commander of battleships,
Pacific. set sail to join Task group 50.1 under the command of Admiral C
A Baldy Pownall. these two task groups proceeded to the Gilbert Islands
to bomb the Japanese positions of the Gilbert and Marshall islands.
These raids were aimed to clear the way for The US landings on Tarawa
and Makin on the Gilbert islands
USS
Indiana was attacked by Japanese torpedo Bombers off Tarawa. This
was the first time USS Indiana had been attacked. and during the attack Indiana
shoot down one of the Bomber aircraft. On the 25th November
USS Indiana was assigned tot he fast carrier Task group 50.4
joining the battleships, USS Alabama, USS South Dakota with the carriers
USS Bunker Hill and USS Monterey. This task group supported the
operations at Makin This task group came under air attack on the 27th
28th November but with minor damage.
After
the campaign on the Gilbert islands USS Indiana joined the newly formed
Task group 50.8 on the 6th December 1943. The group was sent to joined
task Force 58 for the air strikes against Japanese positions on Taroa and
Kwajalein. and Indiana took part in the shelling of Kwajalein
Atoll. on the 30th January 1944. On the 1st February USS Washington
collided with Indiana causing serious damage and three crew were killed.
Both battleships sailed to Majuro Lagoon for temporary
repairs. USS Indiana returned back to Pearl Harbor arriving on the
13th to start repairs. repairs were completed on the 30th |April
1944 and she again rejoined task force 58 for the bombarding of Ponape
island on the 1st may 1944. and In June taking part in the Bombarding of
the Marianas on Saipan.
On
the 19th June the Japanese launched a massive air attack against the
group.. USS Indiana shoot down a torpedo Place which was attacking
her. another torpedo Bomber came close toe Indiana, which launched a
torpedo before being shot down. The Gunners of the Indiana opened fire
on the approaching torpedo and luckily destroyed it 50 metres before it
reached the ship. The only damage to the battleship was a small
denting of the ship side platting when an Japanese aircraft hit the
side. A total of 293 Japanese aircraft were lost during these
attacks on the task Force. and the attack is often given the name of the
" Marianas turkey shoot.".
In
August 1944 USS Indiana joined task Group 38.3 bombarding the Palaus and
The Philippines later that month and helping prepare for the Invasion of
the Leyte. On the 23red October 1944 USS Indiana returned to
Bremerton, Washington for repairs. work was carried out and
completed by the 6th December 1944. ready to sail again for Pearl Harbor.
arriving on the 12th December. on the 24th January USS Indiana
took part in the bombardment of Iwo Jima. and Okinawa on the 24th
march Over the preceding month the task Force would com e
under kamikaze attacks. and the task force aircraft would attack and
sink the Japanese mighty battleship Yamoto.
While
at Okinawa a Typhoon on the 5th June caused damage tot he fleet. Indiana
only received slight damage.. on the 1st July USS Indiana left Leyte to
support the carriers of Task group 38.1 to Attack Tokyo and ON the 14th
July Indiana took art in the bombarding of the Kamaishi Steel Works at
Kamaishui, Honshu, Japan. this was the first gunfire attacks
on the the Japan. On the 29th July the battleship took part
in the bombarding of Hamamatsu and on the 9th august she bombarded
Kamaishi and supported the air strikes at Honshu and later the air attacks
on Tokyo. When Japan surrendered USS Indiana was aprt of the Occupation
force sending over 300 sailors and marines on shore. and arrived
at Tokyo bay on the 5th September three days after the formal
surrender. on the 14th September she sailed fro home and San Francisco.
arriving on the 289th September and becoming the first ship to arrive
back from Tokyo.
USS
Indiana went for a major overhaul at Puget Sound on the 31st October and
went into reserve on the 11th September 1946 She was stricken form
the navy list on the 1st June 1962 and sold for $418,387 on the 6th September
1963 and scrapped in 1964. Her anchor is at Fort Wayne and her
mast was erected at The University of Indiana at Bloomington.
