USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37)
February 1945 – August 1945
### February 1945 – August 1945

[thumb\|USS *Tuscaloosa* and [USS *Arkansas*](/wiki/USS_Arkansas_%28BB-33%29 "USS Arkansas (BB-33)") (background) bombarding Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945\. A [Vought OS2U *Kingfisher*](/wiki/Vought_OS2U_Kingfisher "Vought OS2U Kingfisher") is flying in the foreground.](/wiki/File:USS_Tuscaloosa_%28CA-37%29_and_USS_Arkansas_%28BB-33%29_bombarding_Iwo_Jima_on_17_February_1945.jpg "USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) and USS Arkansas (BB-33) bombarding Iwo Jima on 17 February 1945.jpg")
Following her sortie from Ulithi, she joined the bombardment group off [Iwo Jima](/wiki/Iwo_Jima "Iwo Jima") at dawn on 16 February. Three days later, as waves of landing craft bore marines shoreward to invade the island, *Tuscaloosa*s guns pounded Japanese positions inland. Then, after the Americans had reached land, her batteries supported their advances with incessant fire and illumination. This continued from 19 February to 14 March, throughout all phases of the bitterly fought campaign to wrest the island from the Japanese.

After the Iwo Jima operation, she returned to Ulithi to join [Task Force 54](/wiki/Okinawa_naval_order_of_battle%23Gunfire_and_Covering_Force_%28Task_Force_54%29 "Okinawa naval order of battle#Gunfire and Covering Force (Task Force 54)") (TF 54\), spending four hectic days replenishing stores, ammunition, and fuel in preparation for the next operation: [Okinawa](/wiki/Okinawa_Island "Okinawa Island"), at the end of the chain of the Japanese home islands. On [Palm Sunday](/wiki/Palm_Sunday "Palm Sunday"), 25 March, *Tuscaloosa*s main and secondary batteries opened fire on shore targets pinpointed by aerial reconnaissance. Time considerations only allowed a six\-day respite in the middle of the arduous campaign for replenishment purposes, *Tuscaloosa* stood on duty for the entire operation.

*Tuscaloosa*s charmed life in the face of everything the Axis could throw at her still held through the maelstrom of the *[kamikazes](/wiki/Kamikaze "Kamikaze")* which came at the invasion ships and their escorts from all quarters. The "[Divine Wind](/wiki/Divine_Wind "Divine Wind")" came down from the Japanese home islands, in the form of planes piloted by pilots so loyal to their [Emperor](/wiki/Hirohito "Hirohito") that they unhesitatingly gave their lives to defend their home soil.

*Tuscaloosa*s gunners splashed two of the intruders. One, headed for the fantail of , flew apart as the cruiser's shells splashed her in the old battleship's wake. The other headed for an escorting destroyer in the screen only to be splashed after hitting a curtain of fire from the cruiser's guns.

Only the mop\-up of determined resistance ashore remained when *Tuscaloosa* departed from Okinawa on 28 June. Two days later, she arrived in [Leyte Gulf](/wiki/Leyte_Gulf "Leyte Gulf"), [Philippine Islands](/wiki/Philippine_Islands "Philippine Islands"); there reporting to Commander, [7th Fleet](/wiki/United_States_Seventh_Fleet "United States Seventh Fleet"), for duty. Six weeks later, with Allied warships bombarding her shores with near impunity and Allied planes sweeping her skies clear of rapidly dwindling numbers of her defending aircraft, Japan surrendered.

On 27 August, *Tuscaloosa*, in company with other units of the 7th Fleet, departed [Subic Bay](/wiki/U.S._Naval_Base_Subic_Bay "U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay") in the Philippines, bound for [Korean](/wiki/Korea "Korea") and [Manchurian](/wiki/Manchuria "Manchuria") waters.


How did USS Tuscaloosa participate in the Okinawa operation?