Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.
Return
to Online Library listing
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Online Library of Selected Images:
-- EVENTS -- World War II in the Pacific --
Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941 --
Salvage and Repair of USS California, December 1941 - October
1942
The second sunken battleship to be successfully salvaged and
returned to service was California.
She was more seriously damaged than was USS Nevada,
the first battleship salvaged. Not only had California's
hull been holed by two torpedoes and a bomb, she was also fully
submerged to the main deck level and partially underwater at the
upper deck. This required that the salvage team construct large
wooden cofferdams around her deck edges to bring the ship's effective
waterline above the water. These structures covered her port side,
forward, and completely surrounded her after deck.
It was also necessary to greatly lighten the ship, so California's
"basket" mainmast and nine of her twelve 14" guns
were removed, as well as lighter guns, ammunition and much other
material and supplies. Much of the latter was in a badly decayed
condition, adding to the difficulty of the recovery work. These
problems were further compounded by the need to remove human remains
and some 200,000 gallons of oil that permeated the ship's interior.
As with all other salvage work, cleaning the ship was a massive
task, with toxic gases and fire as constant risks. At one point,
gasoline fumes in California's forward compartments exploded,
opening more holes.
Work on California forged ahead during the winter of
1942. As divers penetrated the ship, closing manholes, hatches
and other openings, it was found that her basic watertightness
was reasonably good, eliminating any need to put patches over
her two large torpedo holes. Once preparatory measures were complete,
pumps were able to remove the water inside the ship, and keep
ahead of remaining leaks, an indication that her loss would have
been prevented in the first place if adequate pumps had been available.
California was refloated on 24 March 1942 and entered Pearl
Harbor's Drydock Number Two on 9 April.
Once in Navy Yard hands, California's wounds were repaired
and her steam and electric powerplant was refurbished, a job involving
very creative electrical skills. Commander Hyman G. Rickover,
later to win fame as the "Father of the Nuclear Navy",
was a leading figure in putting the ship's electric alternators
and motors back into operating condition. The battleship left
drydock on 7 June. After more repairs and reinstallation of her
main battery guns, she departed Pearl Harbor on 10 October 1942.
Puget Sound Navy Yard then took her in for a massive reconstruction,
returning her to the combat fleet in early 1944.
This page features views related to the salvage and repair
of USS California following the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor.
For other images related to the salvage and repair of USS
California, see:
Salvage and Repair of USS California,
December 1941 - October 1942 (Part II).
For views of USS California during and shortly after
the Pearl Harbor attack, see:
USS California during the Pearl
Harbor Attack.
For other views of the salvage of ships sunk or severely
damaged in the Pearl Harbor raid, see:
Post-Attack Ship Salvage.
Click on the small photograph to prompt
a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 64486
USS California (BB-44)
Members of the Salvage Division discussing her salvage at Pearl
Harbor, circa February-March 1942. Those present are (from left
to right):
Chief Shipfitter J.M. Ephland, Master Diver;
Lieutenant Wilfred L. Painter, Officer in Charge of Work;
Commander John F. Warris, Temporary Commanding Officer, USS California;
Captain Homer N. Wallin, Salvage Officer;
Lieutenant James W. Greely, Assistant Salvage Officer;
Lieutenant Wilbert M. Bjork, Assistant Salvage Officer; and
Lieutenant James W. Darroch, Assistant Salvage Officer.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the
Naval History and Heritage Command.
Online Image: 101KB; 740 x 605 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 64487
Salvage of USS California (BB-44), 1942
Removal of one of the sunken battleship's 14"/50 guns from
turret # 3, circa early February 1942.
View looks aft, with the ship's fantail aircraft crane in the
left middle distance.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the
Naval History and Heritage Command.
Online Image: 118KB; 740 x 605 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 55037
USS California (BB-44)
Preparing to lift the sunken battleship's "basket"
mainmast, using a large floating crane, while she was under salvage
at Pearl Harbor on 12 February 1942.
Collection of Vice Admiral Homer N. Wallin, USN(Retired).
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the
Naval History and Heritage Command.
Online Image: 122KB; 590 x 765 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 55035
USS California (BB-44)
The sunken battleship's "basket" mainmast is lifted
free after it had been cut away during salvage operations at
Pearl Harbor, 13 February 1942.
Collection of Vice Admiral Homer N. Wallin, USN(Retired).
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the
Naval History and Heritage Command.
Online Image: 165KB; 740 x 605 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 55038
USS California (BB-44)
Floating crane removes the sunken battleship's "basket"
mainmast, while she was under salvage at Pearl Harbor on 13 February
1942.
Collection of Vice Admiral Homer N. Wallin, USN(Retired).
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the
Naval History and Heritage Command.
Online Image: 117KB; 740 x 605 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 55034
USS California (BB-44)
Pumping out the ship after installation of a cofferdam along
her bow's port side, while she was under salvage at Pearl Harbor
on 27 February 1942.
Collection of Vice Admiral Homer N. Wallin, USN(Retired).
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the
Naval History and Heritage Command.
Online Image: 122KB; 595 x 765 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 55036
USS California (BB-44)
Refloating operations, while the ship was under salvage at Pearl
Harbor on 30 March 1942.
Note cofferdam installed along her port bow and forward turrets
with guns removed.
Collection of Vice Admiral Homer N. Wallin, USN(Retired).
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the
Naval History and Heritage Command.
Online Image: 156KB; 595 x 765 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 84009
Salvage of USS California (BB-44), 1942
View from off the ship's port quarter, 4 April 1942, during refloating
operations. Note the large wooden cofferdam erected around her
quarterdeck.
The island of USS Enterprise (CV-6) is visible in the
left distance.
Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of The
Honorable James V. Forrestal.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the
Naval History and Heritage Command.
Online Image: 89KB; 740 x 600 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 83070
Salvage of USS California (BB-44), 1942
View from astern after the ship had been refloated, showing the
ship's slight trim to port and the extensive wooden cofferdam
erected around her quarterdeck, 5 April 1942.
USS Lexington (CV-2) is visible in the left distance,
drydocked at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard.
Collection of Vice Admiral Homer N. Wallin.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the
Naval History and Heritage Command.
Online Image: 102KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
 |
For other images related to the salvage and repair of USS
California, see:
Salvage and Repair of USS California,
December 1941 - October 1942 (Part II).
For views of USS California during and shortly after
the Pearl Harbor attack, see:
USS California during the Pearl
Harbor Attack.
For other views of the salvage of ships sunk or severely
damaged in the Pearl Harbor raid, see:
Post-Attack Ship Salvage.
NOTES:
To the best of our knowledge, the pictures referenced here
are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded
and used for any purpose.
Some images linked from this page may bear obsolete credit lines
citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center".
Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval
History and Heritage Command".
Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.
Page made 3 December 2000
Coding updated 23 April 2009