USS South Dakota (BB-57) in World War II

In 1936, as the design of the North Carolina-class moved towards finalization, the US Navys General Board met to discuss the two battleships that were to be funded in Fiscal Year 1938.   Though the group favored construction of two addition North Carolinas, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral William H. Standley insisted on a new design.   As a result, construction of these vessels was pushed to FY1939 as naval architects commenced work in March 1937.   While the first two ships were formally ordered on April 4, 1938, an additional pair of vessels was added two months later under the  Deficiency Authorization which passed due to increasing international tensions.   Though the escalator clause of the Second London Naval Treaty had been invoked allowing the new design to mount 16 guns, Congress specified that the vessels stay within the 35,000-ton limit set by the earlier Washington Naval Treaty. In conceiving the new South Dakota-class, naval architects developed a wide variety of designs for consideration.   A key challenge proved to be finding ways to improve upon the North Carolina-class but remain within the tonnage limit.   The result was the design of a shorter, by approximately 50 feet, battleship that employed an inclined armor system.   This allowed for better underwater protection than its predecessors.   As fleet commanders desired vessels capable of 27 knots, designers worked to find a way to accomplish this despite the shorter hull length.   This was found through the creative arrangement of machinery, boilers, and turbines.   For armament, the South Dakotas mirrored the North Carolinas in mounting nine Mark 6 16 guns in three triple turrets with a secondary battery of twenty dual-purpose 5 guns.   These weapons were supplemented by an extensive and constantly evolving array of anti-aircraft guns.   Assigned to New York Shipbuilding in Camden, NJ, USS South Dakota (BB-57) was laid down on July 5, 1939.   The lead ships design varied slightly from the rest of the class as it was intended to fulfill the role of a fleet flagship.   This saw an extra deck added to the conning tower to provide additional command space.   To accommodate this, two of the ships twin 5 gun mounts were removed.   Work on the battleship continued and it slid down the ways on June 7, 1941, with Vera Bushfield, wife of South Dakota Governor Harlan Bushfield serving as sponsor.   As construction moved toward completion, the US entered World War II following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.   Commissioned on March 20, 1942, South Dakota entered service with Captain Thomas L. Gatch in command.   To the Pacific Conducting shakedown operations in June and July, South Dakota received orders to sail for Tonga.   Passing through the Panama Canal, the battleship arrived on September 4.   Two days later, it struck coral in the Lahai Passage causing damage to the hull.   Steaming north to Pearl Harbor, South Dakota underwent the necessary repairs.   Sailing in October, the battleship joined Task Force 16 which included the carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6).   Rendezvousing with USS Hornet (CV-8) and Task Force 17, this combined force, led by Rear Admiral Thomas Kinkaid, engaged the Japanese at the Battle of Santa Cruz on October 25-27.   Attacked by enemy aircraft, the battleship screened the carriers and sustained a bomb hit on one of its forward turrets.   Returning to Noumà ©a after the battle, South Dakota collided with the destroyer USS Mahan while attempting to avoid a submarine contact.   Reaching port, it received repairs for the damage caused in the fighting and from the coll ision.   Sortieing with TF16 on November 11, South Dakota detached two days later and joined USS Washington (BB-56) and four destroyers.   This force, led by Rear Admiral Willis A. Lee, was ordered north on November 14 after American forces suffered heavy losses in the opening phases of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.   Engaging Japanese forces that night, Washington and South Dakota sank the Japanese battleship Kirishima.   In the course of the battle, South Dakota suffered a brief power outage and sustained forty-two hits from enemy guns.   Withdrawing to  Noumà ©a, the battleship made temporary repairs before departing for New York to receive an overhaul.   As the US Navy wished to limit the operational information provided to the public, many of South Dakotas early actions were reported as those of Battleship X. Europe Arriving at New York on December 18, South Dakota entered the yard for approximately two months of work and repairs.   Rejoining active operations in February, it sailed in the North Atlantic in consort with USS Ranger (CV-4) until mid-April.   The following month, South Dakota joined Royal Navy forces at Scapa Flow where it served in a task force under Rear Admiral Olaf M. Hustvedt.   Sailing in conjunction with its sister, USS Alabama (BB-60), it acted as a deterrent against raids by the German battleship Tirpitz.   In August, both battleships received orders to transfer to the Pacific.   Touching at Norfolk, South Dakota reached Efate on September 14.   Two months later, it sailed with the carriers of Task Group 50.1 to provide cover and support for the landings on Tarawa and Makin.     Ã‚   Island Hopping On December 8, South Dakota, in company with four other battleships, bombarded Nauru before returning to Efate to replenish.   The following month, it sailed to support the invasion of Kwajalein.   After striking targets ashore, South Dakota withdrew to provide cover for the carriers.   It remained with Rear Admiral Marc Mitschers carriers as they mounted a devastating raid against Truk on February 17-18.   The following weeks, saw South Dakota continue to screen the carriers as they attacked the Marianas, Palau, Yap, Woleai, and Ulithi.   Briefly pausing at Majuro in early April, this force returned to sea to assist Allied landings in New Guinea before mounting additional raids against Truk.   After spending much of May at Majuro engaged in repairs and upkeep, South Dakota steamed north in June to support the invasion of Saipan and Tinian.    On June 13, South Dakota shelled the two islands and two days later aided in defeating a Japanese air attack.   Steaming with the carriers on June 19, the battleship took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.   Though a resounding victory for the Allies, South Dakota sustained bomb hit that killed 24 and wounded 27.   In the wake of this, the battleship received orders to make for Puget Sound Navy Yard for repairs and an overhaul.   This work occurred between July 10 and August 26.   Rejoining the Fast Carrier Task Force, South Dakota screened attacks on Okinawa an Formosa that October.   Later in the month, it provided cover as the carriers moved to aid General Douglas MacArthurs landings on Leyte in the Philippines.   In this role, it participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf and served in Task Force 34 which was detached at one point to aid American forces off Samar. Between Leyte Gulf and February 1945, South Dakota sailed with the carriers as they covered the landings on Mindoro and launched raids against Formosa, Luzon, French Indochina, Hong Kong, Hainan, and Okinawa.   Moving north, the carriers attacked Tokyo on February 17 before shifting to assist the invasion of Iwo Jima two days later.   After additional raids against Japan, South Dakota arrived off Okinawa where it supported the Allied landings on April 1.   Providing naval gunfire support for troops ashore, the battleship suffered an accident on May 6 when a tank of powder for the 16 guns exploded.   The incident killed 11 and injured 24.   Withdrawn to Guam and then Leyte, the battleship spent much of May and June away from the front. Final Actions Sailing on July 1, South Dakota covered American carriers as they struck Tokyo ten days later.   On July 14, it took part in the bombardment of the Kamaishi Steel Works which marked the first attack by surface ships on the Japanese mainland.   South Dakota remained off Japan for the remainder of the month and into August alternately protecting the carriers and conducting bombardment missions.   It was in Japanese waters when hostilities ceased on August 15.   Proceeding to Sagami Wan on August 27, it entered Tokyo Bay two days later.   After being present for the formal Japanese surrender aboard USS Missouri (BB-63) on September 2, South Dakota  departed for the West Coast on the 20th.    Arriving at San Francisco, South Dakota moved down the coast to San Pedro before receiving orders to steam to Philadelphia on January 3, 1946.   Reaching that port, it underwent an overhaul before being shifted to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet that June.   On January 31, 1947, South Dakota was formally decommissioned.   It remained in reserve until June 1, 1962, when it was removed from the Naval Vessel Registry prior to being sold for scrap that October.   For its service in World War II, South Dakota earned thirteen battle stars.

The Issue Of Gun Control - 951 Words

Gun control has been a big topic for the past decade in the united states. These debates will rise and fall time in and time out after something horrific happens in the state. Anti-Gun supporters do not realize that it is extremely difficult to regulate something in the states that is a big portion of our economy.Would stricter gun laws change anything? So far statistically It has been proven otherwise one must consider how a citizen would defend themselves when they are faced with terror. How will they defend themselves if there are restrictions on guns? It seems that some states that have stricter gun laws are where the most shootings and also where more terrorists attack take place. It seems that gun control is only pushed when shootings gradually get worse and worse. But why are these anti gun groups not speaking up when police brutality happens or when a racial hate crime occurs? Anti-Gun groups do not look at the bigger picture and try to understand that it is more than guns. G un control almost plays Zero role in murders and criminal activities. Essentially Gun control is an effort to restrict or limit the production, shipment and ownership of guns. But over the years these discussions are only brought up when tragedy strikes, while america does have the highest deaths per year this isn’t by gun it is by other events Guns are second for most deaths. It seems that there are more deaths by gun by cops with events from police brutality alone. Police brutality is at aShow MoreRelatedGun Issue And Gun Control1401 Words   |  6 PagesUniversity, Gun Politics has been a course I have aspired to take. While many enroll in such a course looking for an escape from the â€Å"collegiate liberal echo chamber† or as an outlet for their conservative agendas, I saw the class as an â€Å"entrance to the dark side.† My views on guns prior to the class were, I would call, polarized yet uninformed. In most of my discussions, I would cite the Australian 1996 National Firearms Agreement as precedent for how American politic ians should approach the gun issueRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control Essay1646 Words   |  7 Pagessomebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun.† (Simple Minded Gun Control). Gun control is a controversial issue worldwide. The reason why this has attracted so much attention is because not everyone is in favor of gun control and each side brings up excellent points about the issue. Research related to this issue strongly supports the claim that there SHOULD be more gun control laws. Three arguments that prove this position are (1) Incidents like Sandy HookRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control1489 Words   |  6 Pagessplit on the issue of gun control. We have seen many violent shootings and innocent people dying because of gun violence. Some Americans believe we need strict gun laws to protect our children and ourselves from these horrific tragedies. Other Americans believes it is our rights as Americans to posses’ guns and we are ent itled to that right in our constitution. There are also some Americans that are stuck in the middle and can see both sides but recent events have definitely caused this issue to be inRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control1031 Words   |  5 Pagesintegrate them in a way that will trigger a new viewpoint on the subject. Gun control is something that should be enforced across the world in order to save lives. In the United States there is a ratio of 88.8 guns per one hundred persons (GunPolicy.org). Those numbers award us with the highest total per capita number in the world. With that amount of firepower there needs to be an efficient way to regulate who exactly can purchase a gun. Since 1791 when the second amendment was ratified there have beenRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control1705 Words   |  7 Pagesaway without preface or reason. All someone needs to do is pull the trigger. In today’s world, guns are far too accessible to the people of society. We hear in the news, stories o f mass shootings, homicides, and suicides; most of which are caused by the activation of a gun. A hot-button issue, gun control is one of the most debated topics in American politics. Should we, or should we not, be able to own guns? Although it infringes on the Second Amendment that provides the right to bear arms, this amendmentRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control929 Words   |  4 PagesGun Control Getting arrested yesterday was not the highlight of my week. I was hungry; so I went to Wal-Mart get some charcoal, lighter fluid, and steak. I put the charcoal in the grill and the lighter fluid on the coals. I got a little lighter fluid on my arm, but I didn’t pay it much attention. I lit the match and threw it on the coals. I looked down and my sleeve was on fire. I was waving my arm in the air, trying to put it out. Then here they come the police pulled in and tackled me to theRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control1552 Words   |  7 PagesThe issue of gun is always controversial. Firearm can be used as defending or an assaulting weapon. In United States, firearm increase the rate of homicide, suicide and gun violence, which can harm and murder people. Moreover, taking away people’s gun will not work effectively because the murder and criminal will find another ways to get guns. Also, the black market will appear for the people who cannot get guns from regulated market s. In addition, if regulated guns are banned, murderers may useRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control1678 Words   |  7 PagesJanuary 2014 The 2nd Amendment Over the past few years, the issue of gun control has been widely discussed. You surely have heard the phrase, â€Å"Guns don’t kill people, people kill people† uttered and i wholeheartedly support this statement. It is important to treat guns responsibly so they do not end up in the wrong hands. I believe gun control violates our inalienable rights. Another piece of our liberty will surely be taken away if guns are banned, and socialism and totalitarianism will be rightRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control1208 Words   |  5 PagesWill Christopherson Traverson English 2 1 March 2017 Gun Control The United States has 88.8 guns per 100 people, or about 270,000,000 guns, which is the highest total and per capita number across the globe. The current public gun control debate in the United States seems to be placed on standby until it is sparked up by a major mass shooting. There were at least 126 mass shootings between January 2000 and July 2014.(pro). Opponents of more gun laws accuse supporters of using a horrific event to furtherRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control949 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent policy issues that are associated with individual’s different hobbies and interests, and lots of these policy issues have some legal components to them. For me a policy issue that comes to mind would be Gun Control, because I am a gun owner who is a supporter of the second amendment. With shootings and other gun related trouble happening all over our country those who create and maintain our gun laws have a big responsibility to take care of. The policy issue of gun control has both people

Mark Antony’s Speech Free Essays

How does Mark Antony persuade the crowd to reject the conspirators in Act III. 3 of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar? During Mark Antony’s compelling speech, he uses various techniques to convince the crowd that the conspirators are murderers not legends. Because the plebians were easily swayed, Mark Antony had this opportunity. We will write a custom essay sample on Mark Antony’s Speech or any similar topic only for you Order Now To make sure the crowd took his points seriously, Mark Antony has to appear fair and wise. He knows that the plebians are strongly in favour of Brutus, as Brutus has just given them a speech, so if he starts by accusing Brutus, no one would listen to him. Therefore, at the beginning of his speech, Mark Antony was saying that Brutus was â€Å"noble† and â€Å"honourable†. Mark Antony approaches the crowd discernibly. As his arguments grow stronger, the crowds begin to realize that Brutus and the conspirators are wrong. Every time he calls the conspirators â€Å"honourable†, it becomes more ironic and sarcastic and the people start believing it less. To oppose Brutus’ claim that Caesar was a heartless tyrant Antony recounts â€Å"how dearly he loved Brutus. Also, Antony humbles himself as â€Å"no orator, as Brutus is† hinting that Brutus used trickery in his speech to deceive the crowd. After that Antony reveals to the crowd Caesar’s will, in which â€Å"To every Roman citizen he gives, to every several man seventy-five drachmas† as well as land. He then asks the crowd, â€Å"Here was a Caesar, when comes such another? † which questions the conspirators ability to lead. Finally, Antony releases the crowd and utters, â€Å"Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot. Take thou course thou wilt. After this the crowd riots and searches out the traitors in an attempt to kill them. Mark Antony shows that Caesar was compassionate and that he had a big impact on Antony’s life that he can never forget Caesar: â€Å"My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar. † He claims that they are so close that whenever one hurts, the other does too. He starts crying and the crowd understands what he’s going through and we can see this when one plebian says, â€Å"Poor soul, his eyes are red as fire with weeping. † Antony then teases the crowd with Caesar’s will, which the beg him to read, but he refuses. Antony tells the crowd to â€Å"have patience† and expresses his feeling that he will â€Å"wrong the honourable men whose daggers have stabbed Caesar† if he is to read the will. The crowd yells out â€Å"they were traitors. â€Å"Honourable men† and have at this time completely turned against the conspirators and are inflamed about Caesar’s death. Even though in his speech Antony never directly calls the conspirators traitors, he is able to call them â€Å"honourable† in a sarcastic manner that the crowd is able to understand. He starts out by pointing out that Caesar had refused the crown three times, which refutes the conspirator’s main cause for killing Caesar. He reminds them of Caesar’s kindness and love for all, proving Caesar as innocent. Next he teases them with the will until they demand he read it, and he reveals Caesar’s ‘gift’ to the citizens. Finally, Mark Antony, leaves them with the question was there ever a greater one than Caesar, which infuriates the crowd. Mark Antony is able to eloquently manipulate the crowd through remarkable rhetoric skills and turn them against the â€Å"honourable men†. How to cite Mark Antony’s Speech, Papers

Every Grain of sand Essay Example For Students

Every Grain of sand Essay poem tells a story within its words, even if it is not directly stated. Nearly every word and phrase in a poem, and even its punctuation has a meaning and a message that the author is trying to send across to the reading or listening audience. Not always is it easy to immediately understand what the poet is trying to say, but within the words and punctuation, over time and with analysis, interpretation is possible. Poetry is a group of so many words that a poet carefully chooses to show certain meaning. The song Every Grain of Sand that is written by Bob Dylan deserves to be called poetry because of his careful use of tone, symbolism, allusion, simile and enjambments. Tone is an important part of poetry. It sets the mood of the piece and gives the audience a sense of what is going on and how the narrator feels. In Every Grain of Sand the tone is one of sadness and depression. There is a certain desperate tone in the poem, as the narrator looks for help in the hour of their deepest need. This is evident in the first and second lines of the first stanza when it is written In the time of my confession, in the hour of my deepest need / When pool of tears beneath my feet flood every newborn seed. The time of confession sets a solemn tone, for when a person is confessing it is usually a quiet, personal, and regretful time. This sad emotion that the tone sets is further emphasized when the author uses words and phrases like sorrow of Night, violence, chill, bitter, loneliness and broken mirror of innocence. These all set a mood of sadness, anger, bitterness, hatred and darkness that the narrator feels in his hour of need, as they carry the burden, or the chains, of their past mistakes. Although most of the poem keeps with a sad tone, the tone shifts slightly. Line fifteen says Then onward on my journey I come to understand This line shows that he is slowly on his way, realizing things he perhaps did not at first. Symbolism is another important poetic device that is used throughout this poem. Ones entire understanding of the poem relies upon their understanding of the symbols applied. Bob Dylan uses symbolism on numerous occasions throughout his song Every Grain of Sand. In the line When the pool of tears beneath my feet flood every newborn seed,(1. 2) Dylan uses the flooding of the newborn seed to represent how the tears and sadness are drowning out the hope of a new start or of finding peace. The dyin voice within me (1. 3) represents this drowning hope that this person still has for a better life, even though there remains a feeling of despair, as it is said in line four. Dylan continues using nature in his symbolism in stanza 3, lines 9 and 10, Oh the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear, / Like Criminals, they have choked the breath of conscience and good cheer. The flowers of indulgence represent the temptations in life drawing people to their beauty, while the weeds of yesteryear choking the breath of conscience and go od cheer represent the numbing effects of over indulgence. Things that once seemed to make life great have been used so much that, after a while, they are no longer fulfilling, leaving emptiness in a person. Even as the narrator realizes this, temptation still draws them in. I gaze into the doorway of temptations angry flame. / And every time I pass that way I always hear my name (4.13-14) shows this. The doorway represents an opportunity or a choice to follow a path that leads to an angry flame, which can represent evil and hell. The voices calling are the inner temptation that we all have for things that give us immediate satisfaction. Throughout the poem, Dylan uses symbols to represent God or a higher power. He refers to the sun as it beat down upon the steps of time to light the way to ease the pain of idleness .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc , .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc .postImageUrl , .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc , .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc:hover , .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc:visited , .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc:active { border:0!important; } .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc:active , .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub716cd1e3ba4e91b44d88f1fc65517dc:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Exemplification Essay