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Following commissioning, the U.S.S. South Dakota was fitted out at Philadelphia and, following more shakedown and training, departed for the Pacific in August of 1942. Arriving in the South Pacific, South Dakota damaged her hull hitting and uncharted reef near Tongatabu and had to return to Pearl Harbor for repairs, which were completed by October. South Dakota returned to the war zone in time for the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on October 26th. She provided anti-aircraft screening support for the aircraft carrier Enterprise in this battle and demonstrated the enormous capability of her anti-aircraft battery of 8 - twin 5"/38 cal. guns,15 quadruple 40 mm and 40 - 20 mm guns by shooting down a credited 26 aircraft during three separate attacks on the Enterprise group. South Dakota was hit by a 500 lb. bomb on top of No. 2 turret in the third attack, suffering damage to some of her main guns. The ship’s Captain, Thomas Gatch, was wounded by shrapnel from this bomb but continued to command. No one was killed.
Shortly after this battle, South Dakota was slightly damaged in a collision with destroyer Mahan while both were avoiding a submarine contact. The ship’s minor damage was repaired at Noumea by the repair ship Vestal. On November 13, 1942 South Dakota was part of Task Force 64 along with battleship Washington and four destroyers. This force engaged a Japanese battle group consisting of the battleship Kirishima, two heavy and two light cruisers and nine destroyers near Savo Island. South Dakota was illuminated by enemy searchlights and received some 42 hits from 14", 8", 5.5" and 5" shells that did considerable topside damage and started several serious fires. With her electronics and upper works badly mauled, but in no danger of sinking, South Dakota retired from the battle. Washington destroyed the Kirishima, and both forces withdrew. This battle destroyed any chance the Japanese had of holding Guadalcanal.
South Dakota arrived in New York on December 18, 1942 for repairs lasting until April 1943. From April to August 1943, South Dakota sailed with the British Home Fleet but was again operating in the Pacific by November of the same year. Like the rest of the fast battleships, South Dakota spent the remainder of the war alternating between protecting the fast carrier task forces and shore bombardments during the invasions of the Gilberts, Marshalls and the Marianas, where the ship was again damaged by a 500 - lb. bomb, necessitating repairs at Puget Sound completed by August of 1944. Returning to battle, South Dakota participated in the invasion of the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa and supported the fast carrier task forces in raids from Hong Kong to Tokyo. South Dakota was present in Tokyo Bay for the surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945 and then returned to Philadelphia in January of 1946. South Dakota was placed in reserve, out of commission, on January 31, 1947. Stricken from the navy list on June 1, 1962, the ship was scrapped shortly thereafter. (DBoyer 2007)
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