USS San Francisco ( CA - 38 ) USS " San Francisco " ( CA - 38 ) , a " New Orleans " - class heavy cruiser , was the second ship of the United States Navy named after the city of San Francisco , California . Commissioned in 1934 , she was one of the most decorated ships of World War II , earning 17 battle stars . Like most of her sister ships , she saw extensive action during the Guadalcanal campaign , including the Battle of Cape Esperance and the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal , during which she was heavily damaged and her captain and admiral killed . Earlier in the battle she mistakenly fired on light cruiser , causing serious damage and many casualties . Decommissioned immediately after the end of the war , she was sold for scrap in 1959 . Her bridge wings , damaged during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal and removed during repairs , are now mounted on a promontory in Golden Gate National Recreation Area . They are set on the great circle course from San Francisco to Guadalcanal . Construction and commissioning . " San Francisco " was laid down on 9 September 1931 at the Mare Island Navy Yard , Vallejo , California ; launched on 9 March 1933 ; sponsored by Miss Barbara M . Bailly ; and commissioned on 10 February 1934 , Captain Royal E . Ingersoll in command . Inter - war period . After an extensive shakedown cruise – which included operations off Mexico , in Hawaiian waters , off Washington and British Columbia , and a voyage to the Panama Canal Zone — the cruiser returned to the Mare Island Navy Yard . Gunnery installation and conversion to a flagship took her into 1935 . In February , she joined Cruiser Division 6 ( Crudiv 6 ) at San Diego . In May , she moved north and participated in Fleet Problem XVI , then returned to southern California . A few weeks later , she was back off the northwest coast for fleet tactics , and in July , she steamed farther north to Alaska . In August , she returned to California and , through the end of 1938 , San Francisco continued to range the eastern Pacific , cruising from the state of Washington to Peru and from California to Hawaii . In January 1939 , she departed the west coast to participate in Fleet Problem XX , conducted in the Atlantic east of the Lesser Antilles . In March , she became flagship of CruDiv 7 and commenced a goodwill tour of South American ports . Departing Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in early April , she called at ports on the east coast of that continent , moved through the Strait of Magellan and visited west coast ports , then in early June , transited the Panama Canal to complete her voyage around the continent . World War II . On 1 September , World War II started , and on 14 September , " San Francisco " moved south from Naval Station Norfolk to join the Neutrality Patrol . The cruiser carried freight and passengers to San Juan , Puerto Rico , thence sailed for a patrol of the West Indies as far south as Trinidad . On 14 October , she completed her patrol back at San Juan and headed for Norfolk , where she remained into January 1940 . On 11 January , she headed for Guantanamo Bay , where she was relieved as flagship by , where she returned to the Pacific . Transiting the Panama Canal in late February , she called at San Pedro and , in March , continued on to her new home port , Pearl Harbor , where she rejoined CruDiv 6 . In May 1940 , she steamed northwest to the Puget Sound Navy Yard for an overhaul , during which she also received four guns . On 29 September , she returned to Pearl Harbor . In early May 1941 , she became flagship of CruDiv 6 ; and , at the end of July , she moved east for a cruise to Long Beach , California , returning to Hawaii on 27 August . In September , the flag of CruDiv 6 was hauled down ; and on 11 October , " San Francisco " entered the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for an overhaul which was scheduled for completion on 25 December . Pearl Harbor attack . On 7 December 1941 , " San Francisco " was in Pearl Harbor and was awaiting docking and the cleaning of her heavily fouled bottom . Her engineering plant was largely broken down for overhaul . Ammunition for her and guns had been placed in storage . Her guns had been removed to permit installation of four quadruple mounts . The mounts had not been installed . Her machine gun s were being overhauled . Only small arms and two machine guns were available . Moreover , a number of " San Francisco " s officers and men were absent . At 0755 , Japanese planes began bombing dives on Ford Island , and by 0800 , the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was well underway . The men in " San Francisco " secured the ship for watertightness and began looking for opportunities to fight back . Some crossed to to help man antiaircraft batteries on that ship . Others began using available rifles and machine guns . Ammunition for machine guns was transferred to for use . " San Francisco " was not bombed or damaged during the Japanese air raid . After the attack was over , work resumed to make " San Francisco " seaworthy and combat - ready . On 14 December , the cruiser left the yard ; the scaling of her keel had been postponed in favor of more necessary repairs on other ships . On 16 December , she sortied with Task Force 14 ( TF 14 ) to relieve Wake Island . The force moved west with a Marine fighter squadron onboard and a Marine battalion embarked in . However , when Wake Island fell to the Japanese on 23 December , TF 14 was diverted to Midway Atoll which it reinforced . On 29 December , the force returned to Pearl Harbor . 1942 . On 8 January 1942 , " San Francisco " again moved west . In TF 8 , she steamed toward Samoa to rendezvous with , and cover the off - loading of , transports carrying reinforcements to Tutuila , Samoa . There , she joined TF 17 for raids on Japanese installations in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands . " San Francisco " arrived in the Samoan area on 18 January , and on the 24th was detached to continue coverage for the transports while the remainder of the task force and TF 17 conducted offensive operations to the northwest . On 8 February , " San Francisco " departed from Tutuila . On the 10th , she rejoined CruDiv 6 , then in TF 11 , and she set a course for an area northeast of the Solomon Islands to strike Rabaul . However , the American force was sighted and attacked by two waves of Mitsubishi G4M " Betty " medium bomber s . Sixteen of the planes were destroyed , but since the element of surprise had been lost , TF 11 retired eastward . During the next few days , TF 11 – centered around — conducted operations in the South Pacific Area , then headed for New Guinea to participate with TF 17 in a raid against Japanese shipping and installations . On 7 March , one of " San Francisco " s scout planes was reported missing and could not be found . On the night of 9 – 10 March , TFs 11 and 17 entered the Gulf of Papua , whence , at dawn , " Lexington " and launched their aircraft to cross the Owen Stanley Range and attack the Japanese at Salamaua and Lae . The next day , the missing plane was sighted by and recovered by " San Francisco " . It had landed on the water , but had been unable to communicate . The pilot , Lieutenant J . A . Thomas , and the radioman , O . J . Gannan , had headed for Australia , sailing the plane backwards as it tended to head into the prevailing east wind . In five days and 21 hours , they had covered approximately 385 miles ( 715 km ) on a course within 5 degrees of that intended . " San Francisco " returned to Pearl Harbor on 26 March . On 22 April , the cruiser departed Oahu for San Francisco in the escort of convoy 4093 . At the end of May , she headed west , escorting convoy PW 2076 , made up of transports carrying the 37th Army Division , destined for Suva , and special troops bound for Australia . The cruiser remained in the escort force as far as Auckland , New Zealand . There she steamed for Hawaii , arriving at Pearl Harbor on 29 June . " San Francisco " steamed west with and to escort convoy 4120 to the Fiji Islands . From there , she got underway to rendezvous with the Solomon Islands Expeditionary Force . Operation Watchtower — the Guadalcanal - Tulagi offensive – opened on the morning of 7 August . Through that day and the remainder of the month , " San Francisco " helped to cover the American forces in the area . The flag of Rear Admiral Norman Scott , commanding the cruisers attached to TF 18 , was shifted to " San Francisco " . On 3 September , " San Francisco " s force put into Nouméa , New Caledonia , for fuel and provisions . On 8 September , the ships departed that island to cover reinforcements moving up to Guadalcanal . On the 11th , " San Francisco " s force , TF 18 , rendezvoused with TF 17 , the group , and the next day , both groups refueled at sea . On 14 September , the reinforcement convoy departed the New Hebrides . TF 61 commenced covering operations with TF 17 , operating east of TF 18 and conforming to their movements . At about 1450 on 15 September , was torpedoed on the starboard side . Fires broke out on the carrier . Explosions multiplied the fires . Admiral Scott took command of TF 18 . " San Francisco " and prepared to take the carrier in tow , but by 1520 , the fires were out of control and destroyers began taking on survivors . torpedoed the burning hulk . TF 18 then headed for Espiritu Santo . On the morning of 17 September , " San Francisco " , , and five destroyers put back to sea to rendezvous with TF 17 and resume coverage of reinforcement convoys . Other units of TF 18 had headed for Nouméa with " Wasp " survivors . On 23 September , " San Francisco " , " Salt Lake City " , , , , and , and Destroyer Squadron 12 ( DesRon 12 ) became TF 64 , a surface screening and attack force under the command of Admiral Scott in " San Francisco " . The next day , the force headed to the New Hebrides . Battle of Cape Esperance . On 7 October 1942 , TF 64 departed from Espiritu Santo , the New Hebrides , and moved back into the Solomons to cover Allied reinforcements and to intercept similar operations by the Japanese . On 11 October , at about 1615 , the ships commenced a run northward from Rennel Island , to intercept an enemy force of two cruisers and six destroyers reported heading for Guadalcanal from the Buin - Faisi , Bougainville Island area . The force continued north to approach Savo Island in The Slot from the southwest . By 2330 , when the warships were approximately northwest of Savo Island , they turned to make a further search of the area . A few minutes after setting the new course , radar indicated unidentified ships to the west , several thousand yards distant . At about 2345 , the Battle of Cape Esperance began . Initial confusion caused both sides to momentarily check their fire in fear of hitting their own ships . Then , the battle was reopened and continued until 0020 on 12 October , when surviving Japanese ships retired toward the Shortland Islands . " Salt Lake City " , " Boise " , and , had been damaged . Later , " Duncan " went down . and a destroyer had been sunk during the surface action . Two more enemy destroyers were sunk on 12 October by Marine planes from Henderson Field . After the engagement , TF 64 retired to Espiritu Santo . On 15 October , " San Francisco " resumed operations in support of the Guadalcanal campaign . On the evening of 20 October , her group was ordered back to Espiritu Santo . At 2119 , submarine ' s torpedoes were reported . " Chester " was hit amidships on the starboard side but continued under her own power . Three other torpedoes exploded : one off " Helena " s starboard quarter ; a second between " Helena " and " San Francisco " ; and the third about off " San Francisco " s port beam . Two others were sighted running on the surface . " San Francisco " reached Espiritu Santo on the night of 21 October , but departed again on 22 October to intercept any enemy surface units approaching Guadalacanal from the north and to cover friendly reinforcements . On 28 October , Admiral Scott transferred to " Atlanta " . The next day , " San Francisco " returned to Espiritu Santo , and on 30 October , Rear Admiral Daniel J . Callaghan , the commanding officer of " San Francisco " when the United States entered the war , returned to the ship and raised his flag as Commander , Task Group 64 . 4 ( TG 64 . 4 ) and prospective TF 65 . Naval Battle of Guadalcanal . On 31 October 1942 , the newly designated TF 65 departed from Espiritu Santo , the ships again headed into the Solomon Islands to cover troop landings on Guadalcanal . Bombardment missions in the Kokumbona and Koli Point areas followed . On 6 November , the transport group completed unloading , and the force retired , arriving at Espiritu Santo on 8 November . On 10 November , " San Francisco " , now flagship for TG 67 . 4 , got underway again toward Guadalcanal . Just before noon , a Japanese twin - float reconnaissance plane began shadowing the formation . The force arrived off Lunga Point on 12 November , and the transports commenced unloading . By mid - afternoon , an approaching Japanese air group was reported . At 1318 , the ships got underway . At 1408 , 21 enemy planes attacked . At 1416 , an already - damaged torpedo bomber dropped its torpedo off " San Francisco " s starboard quarter . The torpedo passed alongside , but the plane crashed into " San Francisco " s control aft , swung around that structure , and plunged over the port side into the sea . 15 men were killed , 29 wounded , and one missing . Control aft was demolished . The ship ' s secondary command post , Battle Two , was burned out but was reestablished by dark . The after anti - aircraft director and radar were put out of commission . Three 20 mm mounts were destroyed . The wounded were transferred to , just before the approach of an enemy surface force was reported . The covering force escorted the transports out of the area , then reassembled and returned . At about midnight , " San Francisco " , in company with one heavy cruiser , three light cruisers , and eight destroyers , entered Lengo Channel . At 0125 on 13 November , a Japanese naval force was discovered about to the northwest . Rear Admiral Callaghan ' s task group maneuvered to intercept in what became the first engagement in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal . At 0148 , in almost pitch darkness , " San Francisco " opened fire on an enemy cruiser off her starboard beam . At 0151 , she trained her guns on a small cruiser or large destroyer off her starboard bow . Then in an attempt to locate other targets , " San Francisco " accidentally targeted . " San Francisco " s gunfire caused extensive damage to " Atlanta " , killing Admiral Scott and most of " Atlanta " s bridge crew . Belatedly , " San Francisco " realized she was firing on a " friendly " ship and ceased fire . The green dye that " San Francisco " used to distinguish her shells from those of other ships , was later found stained on " Atlanta " s superstructure before she sank . Shortly thereafter , was sighted and taken under fire , at an initial range of only . At about 0200 , " San Francisco " trained her guns on . At the same time , she became the target of off her starboard bow and of a destroyer which had crossed her bow and was passing down her port side . The enemy battleship joined the cruiser and the destroyer in firing on " San Francisco " whose port battery engaged the destroyer but was put out of action except for one mount . The battleship put the starboard battery out of commission . " San Francisco " swung left while her main battery continued to fire on the battleships which , with the cruiser and the destroyer , continued to pound " San Francisco " . A direct hit on the navigation bridge killed or badly wounded all officers , except for the communications officer , Lieutenant Commander Bruce McCandless . Command fell to the damage control officer , Lieutenant Commander Herbert E . Schonland , but he thought his own efforts were needed to keep the ship " afloat and right - side up " , so he ordered McCandless to stay at the conn . Steering and engine control were lost and shifted to Battle Two . Battle Two was out of commission by a direct hit from the port side . Control was again lost . Control was reestablished in the conning tower , which soon received a hit from the starboard side . Steering and engine control were temporarily lost , then regained . All communications were now dead . Soon thereafter , the enemy ceased firing . " San Francisco " followed suit and withdrew eastward along the north coast of Guadalcanal . 77 sailors , including Rear Admiral Daniel J . Callaghan and Captain Cassin Young , had been killed . 105 had been wounded . Of seven missing , three were subsequently rescued . The ship had taken 45 hits . Structural damage was extensive , but not fatal . No hits had been received below the waterline . Twenty - two fires had been started and extinguished . At about 0400 , " San Francisco " , all her compasses out of commission , joined " Helena " and " Juneau " and followed them through Sealark Channel to sail to Espiritu Santo for initial repairs . At about 1000 , " Juneau " s medical personnel transferred to " San Francisco " to assist in treating the numerous wounded . An hour later , " Juneau " took a torpedo on her port side from , striking in the vicinity of the bridge . " The entire ship seemed to explode in one mighty column of brown and white smoke and flame which rose easily a thousand feet in the air . The " Juneau " literally disintegrated . " " San Francisco " was hit by several large fragments from " Juneau " . One man was hit , both his legs were broken . Nothing was seen in the water after the smoke lifted . The surviving ships were ordered to keep going without stopping to look for survivors . Unfortunately , the survivors of " Juneau " were forced to wait eight days for rescue while floating in the ocean , undergoing intense shark attacks . Only ten survived . On the afternoon of 14 November , " San Francisco " returned towards Espiritu Santo . For her participation in the action of the morning of the 13th , and for that of the night of 11 – 12 October , she received the Presidential Unit Citation . On 18 November , the cruiser sailed for Nouméa , and , on 23 November , she got underway toward the United States . She reached San Francisco on 11 December . Three days later , repairs were begun at Mare Island Naval Shipyard . 1943 – 1944 . On 26 February 1943 , she got underway to return to the South Pacific . After escorting convoy PW 2211 " en route " , " San Francisco " arrived at Nouméa on 20 March . Five days later , she continued on to Efate . She arrived back in the Hawaiian Islands in mid - April . She then headed north to the Aleutian Islands to join the North Pacific Force , TF 16 , and reached Alaska toward the end of the month . Based at Kuluk Bay , Adak Island , she operated in the Aleutians for the next 4½ months . She patrolled the western approaches to the area ; participated in the assault and occupation of Attu in May and of Kiska in July ; and performed escort duties . In mid - September , she was ordered back to Pearl Harbor for repairs and reassignment to TF 14 . On 29 September , " San Francisco " departed Pearl Harbor in Task Unit 14 . 2 . 1 ( TU 14 . 2 . 1 ) for a raid against Wake Island . On 5 October , the group arrived off the target area and conducted two runs by the enemy positions . On 11 October , her task unit returned to Pearl Harbor . On 20 November , the force arrived off Makin . " San Francisco " participated in the pre - invasion bombardment of Betio , then patrolled outside the transport area to the west of Makin . On the 26th , she was detached and assigned to TG 50 . 1 , joining , , , five cruisers , and six destroyers . With that force , she steamed toward the Marshall Islands to strike Japanese shipping and installations in the Kwajalein area . On 4 December , the carriers launched their planes against the targets . Shortly after noon , enemy aerial activity increased , and at 1250 , " San Francisco " came under attack . Three torpedo bombers closed her on the port bow . Her guns " splashed " two . The third was shot down by " Yorktown " . But during the attack , the cruiser had been strafed several times . One man had been killed , and 22 were wounded . After dark , the Japanese returned , and on that night , " Lexington " was torpedoed . The force moved north and west . Shortly after 0130 on 5 December , enemy planes faded from the radar screens . The next day , the ships headed back to Pearl Harbor . On 22 January 1944 , " San Francisco " sortied with TF 52 and again headed for the Marshalls . On 29 January , the division , screened by destroyers , left the formation and moved against Japanese installations on Maloelap to neutralize them during the conquest of Kwajalein . Following the bombardment , the ships proceeded on to Kwajalein . " San Francisco " arrived off the atoll at about 0630 on 31 January . At 0730 , she opened fire on targets of opportunity , initially a small ship inside Kwajalein lagoon . At 0849 , she ceased firing . At 0900 , she resumed firing at targets on Berlin and Beverly islands . Through the day , she continued to shell those islands , and , in late afternoon , added Bennett Island to her targets . During the next week , she provided pre - landing barrages and support fire for operations against Burton , Berlin , and Beverly islands . On 8 February , the cruiser sailed for Majuro , whence she would operate as a unit of TF 58 , the fast carrier task force . On 12 February , " San Francisco " , in TG 58 . 2 , cleared Majuro lagoon . Four days later , the carriers launched their planes as part of Operation Hailstone . On the night of 16 – 17 February , was torpedoed . " San Francisco " , with others , was assigned to escort her eastward . On 19 February , the group split ; " Intrepid " , with two destroyers , continued toward Pearl Harbor , while " San Francisco " and the remaining ships headed for Majuro . On 25 February , " San Francisco " sailed for Hawaii with TG 58 . 2 . On 20 March , the group returned to Majuro , refueled , and departed again on 22 March to move against the Western Carolines . From 30 March to 1 April , carrier planes hit the Palaus and Woleai . " San Francisco " s planes flew rescue missions . On 6 April , the force was back in Majuro lagoon . A week later , the ships set a course for New Guinea . From 21 – 28 April , TG 58 . 2 supported the assault landings in the Hollandia ( currently known as Jayapura ) area . On 29 April , the ships moved back into the Carolines for another raid against Truk . On 30 April , " San Francisco " was detached and , with eight other cruisers , moved against Satawan . On completion of that bombardment mission , the cruisers rejoined TG 58 . 2 and headed back to the Marshalls . Initially at Majuro , " San Francisco " shifted to Kwajalein in early June , and on 10 June , departed that atoll in TG 53 . 15 , the bombardment group of the Saipan invasion force . On 14 June , she commenced two days of shelling Tinian , and after the landings on Saipan shifted to fire support duties . On 16 June , she temporarily joined CruDiv 9 to bombard Guam . Word of a Japanese force en route to Saipan , however , interrupted the cannonade , and the ships returned to Saipan . On 17 June , " San Francisco " refueled and took up station between the approaching enemy force and the amphibious force at Saipan . On the morning of 19 June , the Battle of the Philippine Sea opened for " San Francisco " . At about 1046 , she was straddled fore and aft by bombs . " . . . a mass of enemy planes on the screen at . " At 1126 , the cruiser opened fire . A 40 mm shell from " Indianapolis " set off " San Francisco " s smoke screen generators . By noon , quiet had returned . At 1424 , dive bombers made the last Japanese attack . By 20 June , " San Francisco " steamed westward in pursuit of the Japanese force . The next day , she returned to the Saipan area and resumed operations with the covering force for the transports . On 8 July , " San Francisco " again steamed to Guam to bombard enemy positions . During the next four days , she shelled targets in the Agat and Agana areas . On 12 July , she returned to Saipan to replenish and refuel , and on 18 July , again took station off Guam . From 18 – 20 July , she shelled enemy positions , supported beach demolition units , and provided night harassing and defense repair interdiction in the Agat and Faci Point areas . On 21 July , she began to support Marines assaulting the Agat beaches . On 24 July , the cruiser shifted her fire to Orote Point . On 30 July , she headed , via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor , for San Francisco . The cruiser arrived back on the west coast on 16 August for overhaul . On 31 October , she steamed west again , and on 21 November arrived at Ulithi , where she resumed flagship duties for CruDiv 6 . On 10 December , she cleared the anchorage and moved toward the Philippines in TG 38 . 1 . On 14 – 15 December , during carrier strikes against Luzon , " San Francisco " s planes were employed on antisubmarine patrol and in rescue work . On 16 December , the force headed for a rendezvous with TG 30 . 17 , the replenishment force . A typhoon interrupted the refueling operations ; and the ships rode out the storm for the next two days . On 19 December , she participated in a search for survivors from three destroyers which had gone down during the typhoon . On 20 December , TF 38 turned westward again to resume operations against Luzon ; but high seas precluded strikes . On 24 December , the force returned to Ulithi . 1945 . Six days later , the force again sortied from Ulithi . On 2 – 3 January 1945 , strikes were conducted against Formosa . From 5 – 7 January , Luzon was hit . On 9 January , fighter sweeps against Formosa were resumed . The force then headed for the Bashi Channel and a five - day , high - speed strike against enemy surface units in the South China Sea and against installations along the coast of Indochina . On 15 – 16 January , the Hong Kong - Amoy - Swatow area was hit , and on 20 January , the force passed through Luzon Strait to resume operations against Formosa . On 21 January , aerial opposition was constant . Bogies appeared on the screen throughout the day . and were hit . On 22 January , strikes were launched against the Ryukyu Islands , and the next day , the force headed for the Western Carolines . Arriving on 26 January , the ships sailed again on 10 February . On 16 – 17 February , strikes were conducted against air facilities in central Honshū . On 18 February , the force moved toward the Volcano and Bonin Islands , and on 19 February , covering operations for the Iwo Jima assault began . The next day , " San Francisco " closed on Iwo Jima with other cruisers and assumed fire support duties , which she continued until 23 January . Then she headed back toward Japan . On 25 January , Tokyo was the target . Poor weather prohibited operations against Nagoya on the following day , and on 27 January , the force headed back to Ulithi . On 21 March , " San Francisco " , now attached to TF 54 for Operation Iceberg , departed Ulithi for the Ryukyus . On 25 March , she approached Kerama Retto , west of Okinawa , and furnished fire support for mine sweeping and underwater demolition operations . That night , she retired and the next morning moved back in to support the landings and supply counter battery fire on Aka , Keruma , Zamami , and Yakabi Island s . By the morning of 27 March , aerial resistance had begun . The next day , " San Francisco " shifted to Okinawa for shore bombardment in preparation for the assault landings scheduled for 1 April . On that day , she took up station in fire support sector 5 , west of Naha , and , for the next five days , shelled enemy emplacements , caves , pillbox es , road junctions , and tanks , truck , and troop concentrations . At night , she provided harassing fire near the beachhead . On 6 April , the cruiser retired to Kerama Retto , refueled and took on ammunition , assisted in splashing a Nakajima B6N " Jill " torpedo bomber , then rejoined TF 54 off Okinawa as that force underwent another air raid . " San Francisco " downed a Nakajima B5N " Kate " torpedo bomber . Dawn of 7 April brought another air raid , during which a " kamikaze " attempted to crash the cruiser . It was splashed off the starboard bow . After the raid , " San Francisco " shifted to TF 51 for fire support missions on the east coast of Okinawa , rejoining TF 54 on the west coast in late afternoon . On 11 April , air attacks increased , and the next day , " San Francisco " set an Aichi D3A " Val " dive bomber on fire . The plane then glanced off a merchant ship and hit the water , enveloped in flames . On 13 – 14 April , the cruiser again operated with TF 51 off the east coast of the embattled island . The next day , she returned to Kerama Retto , there proceeding to Okinawa and operations with TF 54 in the transport area . There she provided night illumination to detect swimmers and " Shinyo " suicide boat s , and just before midnight assisted in sinking one of the latter . During the night , two further attempts by " Shinyos " to close the transports were thwarted . With dawn , " San Francisco " returned to the Naha area to shell the airfield there . On 17 April , she moved up the coast and fired on the Machinate air field . The next day , she again shifted to the eastern side of the island and , that night , anchored in Nakagusuku Wan . The next day , " San Francisco " supported troops in the southern part of the island . From 21 – 24 April , she shelled targets in the Naha airstrip area ; and got underway for Ulithi . On 13 May , " San Francisco " returned to Okinawa , arriving in Nakagusuku Wan and resuming support activities against targets in southern Okinawa . For the next few days , " San Francisco " supported the 96th Infantry Division in an area to the southeast of Yonabaru . On 20 May , she shifted to Kutaka Shima , and by the night of 22 May , she had depleted her supply of ammunition for her main batteries . On 25 May , the Japanese launched a large air attack against Allied shipping in Nakagusuku Wan . On 27 May , " San Francisco " provided fire support for the 77th Infantry Division , and retired to Kerama Retto the next day . On 30 May , the cruiser returned to the western side of Okinawa and , for the next two weeks , supported operations of the 1st and 6th Marine Divisions . On 21 June , " San Francisco " was ordered to join TG 32 . 15 , southeast of Okinawa . A week later , she put into Kerama Retto for a brief stay , then rejoined that group . In early July , she provided cover for the eastern anchorage . On 3 July , she sailed toward the Philippines to prepare for an invasion of the Japanese home islands . The cessation of hostilities in mid - August , however , obviated that operation , and " San Francisco " prepared for occupation duty . Post - war . On 28 August 1945 , the cruiser departed Subic Bay for the China coast . After a show of force in the Yellow Sea and Gulf of Pohai areas , she covered minesweeping operations , and on 8 October anchored at Inchon , Korea . From 13 – 16 October , she participated in another show of force operation in the Gulf of Pohai area , then returned to Inchon , where Rear Admiral Jerauld Wright , Commander , CruDiv 6 , acted as senior member of the committee for the surrender of Japanese naval forces in Korea . On 27 November , " San Francisco " headed home . Arriving at San Francisco in mid - December , she continued on to the east coast on 5 January 1946 , and arrived at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania for inactivation on 19 January . Decommissioned on 10 February , she was berthed with the Philadelphia Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until 1 March 1959 , when her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register . On 9 September , she was sold to the Union Mineral and Alloys Corp . , New York , and scrapped at Panama City , Florida in 1961 . War memorials . During the December 1942 repair at Mare Island , it was necessary to extensively rebuild the bridge . The bridge wings were removed as part of that repair , and are now mounted on a promontory in Lands End , San Francisco at Golden Gate National Recreation Area overlooking the Pacific Ocean . They are set on the great circle course from San Francisco to Guadalcanal . The old ship ' s bell is housed at the Marines Memorial Club in San Francisco . Awards . " San Francisco " earned 17 battle star s during World War II . For her participation in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal , she was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation . For the same action , three members of her crew were awarded the Medal of Honor : Lieutenant Commander Herbert E . Schonland , Lieutenant Commander Bruce McCandless , and Boatswain ' s Mate 1st Class Reinhardt J . Keppler ( posthumous ) . Admiral Callaghan was also awarded the Medal of Honor ( posthumous ) . " San Francisco " was among the most decorated ships in US service during World War II .