In 1939 the US Navy began construction of a group of four new battleships, designated “South Dakota” class. They were designed as fast-attack ships, with 9 16-inch guns in three turrets, and a speed of 27 knots. As it turned out, this was exactly what was needed when the Pacific War broke out in 1941 and the aircraft carrier became the queen of the battle-sea. The South Dakota was one of the few big-gun battleships that could keep up with a fast carrier group, and she was assigned to duty in the Pacific. Damaged by action off Guadalcanal, she returned to the US for repairs and upgrades, then was briefly assigned to duty in the Baltic (escorting convoys to Russia) before once again returning to the Pacific in mid-1943. She continued to serve in the island-hopping campaign in the Philippines, the Marianas, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Mothballed in 1954, the South Dakota was scrapped in 1962.  The Sioux Falls SD Chamber of Commerce intervened to obtain a number of pieces from the ship, including an anchor and one of the 16-inch gun barrels, and these were placed as part of the Battleship South Dakota Memorial in 1969.

Some photos from a visit.

For those who don't know, I live in a converted campervan and travel around the country, posting photo diaries of places that I visit. I am currently in South Dakota.