Post-war
On 18 August, Pennsylvania departed Buckner Bay, Okinawa, under tow by two tugs. She arrived Apra Harbor, Guam on 6 September and entered drydock where a large sheet steel patch was welded over the torpedo hole and repairs to permit her to return to the United States under her own power were made. On 4 October, she sailed for home in company with the destroyer Walke and the cruiser Atlanta. On 17 October, her No. 3 shaft suddenly carried away inside the stern tube and the shaft slipped aft. It was necessary to send divers down to cut through the shaft, letting the shaft and propeller drop into the sea. Shipping water and with only one screw turning, Pennsylvania limped into Puget Sound Navy Yard on 24 October.
Repairs were made to enable Pennsylvania to steam to the Marshall Islands where she was used as a target ship in the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb tests at Bikini atoll during July 1946. She was then towed to Kwajalein Lagoon where she decommissioned on 29 August. She remained in Kwajalein Lagoon for radiological and structural studies until 10 February 1948, when she was sunk stern first off Kwajalein. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 19 February.
During her five years of World War II service, USS Pennsylvania travelled 146,052 miles (235,048 km) and fired 6,854 14 in (360 mm) rounds at the enemy, with 31,678 shells from her 5 in (130 mm) guns and 97,327 rounds from her antiaircraft battery.
| Time period | Miles steamed |
|---|---|
| 7 December 1941 to 7 August 1942 | 22,344 |
| 7 August 1942 to 18 May 1943 | 19,136 |
| 18 May 1943 to 28 May 1943 | 3,463 |
| 28 May 1943 to 24 September 1943 | 9,867 |
| 24 September 1943 to 27 November 1943 | 10,000 |
| 27 November 1943 to 17 January 1944 | 5,249 |
| 17 January 1944 to 8 May 1944 | 9,985 |
| 8 May 1944 to 26 June 1944 | 10,000 |
| 26 June 1944 to 12 September 1944 | 10,000 |
| 12 September 1944 to 16 November 1944 | 10,000 |
| 16 November 1944 to 15 February 1945 | 10,000 |
| 15 February 1945 to 13 March 1945 | 7,044 |
| 13 March 1945 to 21 July 1945 | 10,335 |
| 21 July 1945 to 9 October 1945 | 4,629 |
| 9 October 1945 to 24 October 1945 | 4,000 |
| Total miles steamed | 146,052 |
| Operation | 14"/50 | 5"/38 | 5"/25 | 3"/50 | 40mm | 20mm | .50 cal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl Harbor | 3,200 | 2,000 | 56,000 | ||||
| Attu | 324 | 2,285 | |||||
| Makin | 403 | 246 | |||||
| Kwajalein | 827 | 3,065 | 1,126 | 187 | |||
| Eniwetok | 744 | 1,817 | 1,180 | 3,228 | 372 | ||
| Saipan-Tinian | 153 | 476 | |||||
| Guam | 1,797 | 9,543 | 14,010 | 1,580 | 637 | ||
| Peleliu | 662 | 3,447 | 802 | ||||
| Angaur | 298 | 1,680 | |||||
| Leyte | 866 | 5,507 | 2,089 | 2,443 | 120 | ||
| Lingayen... | 640 | 3,016 | ..... | ..... | 2,715 | 5,477 | 131 |
| Wake... | 140 | 583 | |||||
| Okinawa | 13 | 30 | |||||
| Total | 6,854 | 31,678 | 3,200 | 2,000 | 21,952 | 12,728 | 57,447 |
Read more about this topic: USS Pennsylvania (BB-38)
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