Conversion To USS San Diego
California was renamed San Diego---in order to free up her original name for use with the Tennessee class battleship USS California (BB-44)---on 1 September 1914, and served as flagship for Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet, intermittently until a boiler explosion put her in Mare Island Navy Yard in reduced commission through the summer of 1915. The boiler explosion occurred in January 1915 and the actions of Ensign Cary and Fireman Second Class Trinidad during the event earned them both the Medal of Honor. San Diego returned to duty as flagship until 12 February 1917, when she went into reserve status until the opening of World War I. Placed in full commission on 7 April, the cruiser operated as flagship for Commander, Patrol Force Pacific Fleet, until 18 July, when she was ordered to the Atlantic Fleet. Reaching Hampton Roads on 4 August, she joined Cruiser Division 2, and later broke the flag of Commander, Cruiser Force, Atlantic, which she flew until 19 September.
San Diego's essential mission was the escort of convoys through the first dangerous leg of their passages to Europe. Based on Tompkinsville, New York, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, she operated in the weather-torn, submarine-infested North Atlantic safely convoying all of her charges to the ocean escort.
Read more about this topic: USS California (ACR-6)
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