These US Navy photos were scanned from USS San Francisco: A Technical History by
Chuck Hansen. Last published in 1981, the book is a treasure trove of information
about this famous cruiser. I have selected photos showing her before and after her major
refits. Her appearance changed dramatically as the Pacific campaign evolved.
Starting with the fierce Solomons surface battles of 1942 and then progressing
to AA escort and shore bombardment duties later in the war, San Francisco
saw an extraordinary amount of action. Three of her sister ships-Quincy, Vincennes and Astoria-were sunk in one evening off Savo
Island. San Francisco herself was struck by a crashing Japanese plane and hit by
45 heavy caliber rounds during Third Savo, November 12, 1942. Twelve of the hits were
14" shells fired by the Japanese battleships Hiei and Kirishima.
Fortunately for her, these were incendiary shells of the type used to bombard Henderson
Field, Guadalcanal. They started fires throughout the ship but "only" had the
explosive force of 8" ordnance. Her entire battle staff, Captain, and task force
commander were killed as well as many of her AA gunners in exposed positions. The December
1942 photos below show her at Pearl Harbor and San Francisco Bay en route to Mare Island
for repairs and refit after this battering. Note how she gained more AA armament as the
war progressed. To compensate, her superstructure and searchlight platform were
reduced in size, and a crane and catapult landed.
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