USS California (BB-44) and Her Mighty Triple 14-inch 50-Caliber Gun Turrets, c.1945: The Iron Backbone of a Revitalized Fleet

When the USS California (BB-44) steamed into the Pacific’s war-torn waters in 1945, she was not merely another warship. She was the symbol of the United States Navy’s indomitable spirit, reborn and rearmed, bristling with improved armor, technology, and most impressive of all—her formidable after triple 14-inch/50 caliber gun turrets. These turrets weren’t just weapons; they were the exclamation point on decades of battleship design, pride, and firepower.

Refitted for Revenge: California’s War Transformation

Launched in 1919 as part of the Tennessee-class battleships, California entered the Second World War as the flagship of the U.S. Pacific Fleet—until December 7, 1941. On that infamous morning, moored at Pearl Harbor, she became one of the most heavily damaged vessels. Hit by two torpedoes and a bomb, California settled into the harbor’s mud, lost over a hundred crewmen, and seemingly joined the ranks of lost giants.

But the Navy had no intention of leaving her as a memorial to defeat. California was painstakingly salvaged, modernized, and upgraded. By 1944—at the cost of over $40 million and countless man-hours—she returned to duty a new ship in many ways. One element that didn’t change, however, was the presence of her powerful main battery: the triple 14-inch/50 caliber turrets.

The Power Behind the Turrets

Each of the after turrets (No. 3 and No. 4, at the stern) housed three 14-inch (356 mm) guns. A marvel of engineering, these turrets weighed hundreds of tons and could reload and fire their 1,500-pound (680 kg) armor-piercing shells with punishing regularity. The “50-caliber” designation referred not to their bore diameter, as with machine guns, but to the relative length of the gun barrel: 50 times the diameter, or about 58 feet—a longer barrel meant greater range and muzzle velocity.

In battle, these rear turrets could hurl shells over 23 miles—almost 40 kilometers—making them more than a match for any surface opponent. Moreover, their triple-gun configuration, protected by thick armor and operated by disciplined crews, made California’s stern a fortress that could lay down a torrent of steel in support of invasion forces or in direct ship-to-ship combat.

1945: California at War

By 1945, the USS California was a critical asset in the American drive across the Pacific. Her after turrets thundered during the recapture of the Philippines, the bombardment of Iwo Jima, and the horrific battle for Okinawa. While aircraft carriers had assumed primary offensive roles, the battleship’s big guns were still irreplaceable for shore bombardment—a role for which California’s after turrets proved ideal.

Modernized fire-control systems, new radars, and remote operation improved accuracy dramatically. In the invasions of Leyte Gulf and Lingayen Gulf, California’s gunners used radar-directed fire to systematically obliterate enemy positions, aiding the hard-won landings. In these actions, the after turrets were often tasked with firing over the ship’s stern, battering coastal defenses miles inland and suppressing enemy artillery.

Though the world had changed since her launch, California’s mighty guns gave her a crucial role as both shield and sword. She was not just a ship that had been saved from the brink—she was one of the few that returned from Pearl Harbor’s mud to decisively contribute to ultimate victory.

Human Element: Life Under the Turret

But the firepower of California’s after turrets wasn’t just a matter of steel and powder—it was the product of teamwork, precision, and nerves of steel. Each turret was its own microcosm, packed with dozens of sailors: from breech operators and loaders to plotters and fire-control officers, all working in the heat, thunder, and vibration of battle. The drills were constant, the routines strict, but in the summer of 1945, at the height of the Pacific war, California’s gunners turned experience and coordination into a weapon as decisive as any shell.

The living conditions under the armored hoods were cramped and chaotic during battle. The crews endured ear-shattering blasts, showers of sparks, acrid smoke, and the ever-present risk of fire. Coordination with the ship’s new fire-control radar teams meant that as technology surged ahead, seamen and officers alike had to master new skills on the fly. It was a fusion of the old and the new, a testament to the adaptability of the “Greatest Generation.”

The Last Roar and Legacy

In 1945, as Japan’s defenses crumbled and the war’s end approached, California’s turrets fired in celebration—her guns echoing across Pacific islands and harbors. With the war’s end, the age of the battleship drew to a close. Aircraft carriers, long-range bombers, and, soon, guided missiles would relegate these steel leviathans to history.

After supporting the occupation of Japan, California was decommissioned in 1947, her once-invincible turrets silent. She was sold for scrap in 1959—an unceremonious end for a ship that had witnessed both disaster and redemption.

Remembering the Battleship’s Might

Today, few physical traces remain of USS California or her after turrets. But the legacy endures in naval museums, in the memories of those who served, and in the doctrine of naval warfare she and her class shaped. The after triple 14-inch/50 caliber turrets, c.1945, represent not only mechanical might but the resilience, ingenuity, and fighting spirit of a navy and a nation forged by war.

Through engineering marvel and human determination, California became a symbol of the battleship era’s twilight—her after turrets those dramatic, thunderous instruments of American resolve and firepower. While the seas are now silent where she once sailed, the stories of her guns—reborn, rebuilt, and rebattled—still echo, a reminder that from the worst moments come the greatest comebacks.

References for Further Reading:

• Friedman, Norman. U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History. Naval Institute Press, 1985.
• Stillwell, Paul. Battleship California: BB-44. Naval Institute Press, 1990.
• USS California (BB-44) archival photographs, NHHC.

Did you know? In the final photo records of 1945, you can see USS California’s impressive after turrets, their barrels elevated high, silhouetted against the sky—a fitting salute to a ship, and a generation, that refused to be counted out.