I seem to recall that the South Dakota was put out of action fairly early in the battle. The engineers had done something to the ship’s circuit breakers that caused them to lock out when the ship first fired its main guns, leaving it literally powerless and unable to respond to the Japanese.
It was the USS Washington that did the bulk of the shooting that night, sinking a Japanese battleship (IJN Kirishima) in the process. The Washington continued on in the campaign, while the South Dakota limped home for repairs...and its crew claimed for itself the victories scored by the Washington. When the men of the Washington learned of this months later, there was no end of enmity between the two ships’ crews.
Interesting story. Thanks.