Comments by "Sar Jim" (@sarjim4381) on "USS West Virginia - Guide 102" video.

Because the battle damage to West Virginia was so extensive she wasn't recommissioned until September of 1944. As a result, she was fitted with the most modern radars available. A combination of her SO-13 and brand new SK-2 radars allowed her to detect the Japanese fleet sailing down the Surigao Strait at a distance of 34 miles against the clutter of the many small islands in the strait, long before the other vessels in the task force. When the Japanese came in range. the West Virginia, using her improved Mark 8 fire control radar combined with the SO-13 was able to fire her first salvo at almost 13 miles from her target, the Japanese battleship Yamashiro, scoring a direct hit with at least one round. It is reputed to be the longest hit by one ship against another in the dark during the entire war.The other two slightly longer range hits during the war both happned in daylight.
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@SamsonCheung Yes, all the Pearl Harbor battleships with the exception of Mississippi got a chance to get their licks in that day. She had the oldest fire control radar of the group and was unable to come up with a firing solution until seconds after Adm Olendorf ordered a ceasefire. Even though her single 12 gun salvo didn't hit anything, it was the last salvo ever fired at another battleship. Seems somehow fitting that this was the last battleship versus battleship fight in history.
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@timclaus8313 Sorry, I just saw this now. Pennsylvania did get off quite a number of rounds at Pearl. according to the action report at https://www.history.navy.mil/research/archives/digital-exhibits-highlights/action-reports/wwii-pearl-harbor-attack/ships-m-r/uss-pennsylvania-bb-38-action-report.html. she fired 650 rounds of 5"/25, 350 rounds of 3"/50, and about 60,000 rounds (!) of .50 caliber. The ship was only getting power and steam from shore connections and, although the machine guns were manned, none had anything more than some ready rounds available. In a typical example of Yankee ingenuity, the sailors proceeded to knock the locks off ammo lockers and magazines and set up ammo passing lines. It's likely that most of what was shot off was ineffective, especially machine guns shot at high altitude bombers, but I imagine it was at least a boost to morale. All the relatively undamaged or completely undamaged battleships were hastily given some additional 20mm and some 1.1" quads and sent back out to patrol , escort convoys, or actively try to hunt down the Japanese fleet. Pennsylvania had her bomb damage mostly repaired, she escorted convoys from the West Coast to Hawaii. She was given a refit in late 1942/early 1943 that added eight 5"/38 turrets and a number of quad 40mm guns while landing all her casemate and .50 cal guns. She was also equipped with CXAM-1 radar, state of the art at the time, but she did fall behind on electronic updates, as it was decided to concentrate those on the 16" ships. She served a useful life doing shore bombardment, but she was kept away from engagements that might lead to a real fleet battle.
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@timclaus8313 I understand what you're saying, but I think your point is just not correct Looks at Colorado awes an example. she wasn't even at Pearl yet she maintained he cut down cage masts and single mount 5"/25 AA guns right to the end of the war. Pennsylvania had much more modernized secondary armament and radars up until 1944. Some ships like Colorado were just not available for more extensive refits She was the only slow 16" battleship available for shore bombardment duties, thereby not tying up the small number of fast battleships needed for carrier escorts. I'm just saying what ships got what when was more complicated than you're making it out to be.
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@timclaus8313 The Tennessee had some work done at PH and Puget Sound to to rpeair her plating and wiring plus some 1.1" and 20mm AA guns were added. She did have a CXAM radar added as well. She worked betwwen the West Coast and Hawaii doing some escort work and training, being held there on the chances the Japanese mu=ight attempt and incursion, she wasn't sent on with the3 other task forces due to her well known problems of excess fuel oil consumption, and not enough tankers to service the aircraft carrier task forces and the old battleships. Once California had been raised, she and Tennessee were sent to Puget Sound for a complete reconstruction, the Navy feeling it was faster and less expensive to have both class members done at the sane time. That took more than a year, from October, 1942. The Colorado class had a different path As the only 16" gun existing battleships, it was feared they would be our only units that could fight the Japanese Nagato class on an even footing. Because of this, neither the Colorado nor the Maryland could be spared for enough yard time for the type of reconstruction seen on California, and both ships received piecemeal upgrades until 1944, by which time it was clear that a complete reconstruction like that done for California was not needed and not cost effective. Both ships had improved AA protection and radar, but Maryland didn't finally get her eight 5"/38 dual turrets until early 1945 after a kamikaze hit, and Colorado never got them, being the only USN frontline battleship to finish the war with her original eight single 5"/25 AA guns. As I said, reconstruction of the old battleships was much more complicated than you have made it out to be.
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Another great video!
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