Allied Warships
USS California (BB 44)
Battleship of the Tennessee class
USS California as seen late in the war.
| Navy | The US Navy |
| Type | Battleship |
| Class | Tennessee |
| Pennant | BB 44 |
| Built by | Mare Island Navy Yard (Vallejo, California, U.S.A.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 25 Oct 1916 |
| Launched | 20 Nov 1919 |
| Commissioned | 10 Aug 1921 |
| End service | 14 Feb 1947 |
| History | USS California (Capt. J.W. Bunkley) was at Battleship Row at Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941 and was sunk during the attack. 98 of her crew died and 61 were wounded. She was raised and was finally dry again on 25 March, 1942. She returned to action off Saipan in June 1944. Decommissioned 14 February 1947. |
Commands listed for USS California (BB 44)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Capt. Harold Medberry Bemis, Jr., USN | 15 Jun 1939 | 19 Dec 1940 |
| 2 | Cdr. Robert Bostwick Carney, USN | 19 Dec 1940 | 31 Dec 1940 |
| 3 | Capt. Joel William Bunkley, USN | 31 Dec 1940 | 19 Feb 1942 |
| 4 | Charles A. Peterson, USN | 19 Feb 1942 | 20 Mar 1942 |
| 5 | Cdr. John Ford Warris, USN | 20 Mar 1942 | 20 Apr 1943 |
| 6 | Cdr. Robert Paul Wadell, USN | 20 Apr 1943 | 1 Nov 1943 |
| 7 | Capt. Henry Poynter Burnett, USN | 1 Nov 1943 | 28 Nov 1944 |
| 8 | Capt. Samuel Bragg Brewer, USN | 28 Nov 1944 | 12 Oct 1945 |
| 9 | T/Capt. Lunsford Yandell Mason, Jr., USN | 12 Oct 1945 | 28 Mar 1946 |
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