USS Anthony (DD-515)
Encyclopedia
USS Anthony (DD-515), a Fletcher-class
destroyer
, was the second ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Marine
Sergeant Major William Anthony
(1853–1899).
Anthony was laid down on 17 August 1942 at Bath, Maine
, by the Bath Iron Works
Corp.; launched
on 20 December 1942; sponsored by Miss Alice Anthony and Miss Frances Anthony, granddaughters of Sergeant Major William Anthony; and commissioned
at the Boston Navy Yard
, on 26 February 1943, Lieutenant Commander Blinn Van Mater in command.
, and arrived back in Boston on 27 April for a tender availability. She then headed for Norfolk, Va.
, but departed Hampton Roads
on 10 May, bound for the Pacific
. After transiting the Panama Canal
, Anthony joined the Pacific Fleet and arrived in Pearl Harbor
on 31 May.
Two months of intensive training for the destroyer ensued. She left Hawaii
an waters on 5 August in the screen of a convoy
bound, via Pago Pago, Samoa
, for Efate
Island, New Hebrides
. Anthony dropped anchor off Efate on 27 August.
Her next several weeks were devoted to more training exercises. Then, late in October, Anthony was among the destroyers escorting troop transports to the Solomon Islands
for landings on Bougainville
. She took part in a preinvasion bombardment and stood by while marines landed on the beaches of Empress Augusta Bay
on 1 November. The destroyers pulled into Purvis Bay
, Florida Island, on the 3rd. However, she returned to Bougainville on 8 November to reinforce American naval forces off that island. Despite numerous air attacks, Anthony emerged unscathed from covering the transports during their successful unloading. She pulled into Tulagi
on 15 November and soon began escorting ships carrying troops and supplies to various points in the Solomon Islands.
. There, Anthony encountered several small Japanese
ships and destroyed a gunboat
and several barge
s before resuming her escort duties.
The ship got underway on 15 February to shepherd a group of LST
s to the landing sites on Green Island. Although Anthony was originally slated to perform gunfire support duties, the American troops encountered such light enemy opposition when they went ashore that she was not required to carry out that assignment.
After a brief respite at Purvis Bay, the destroyer sailed on 23 February to take part in a bombardment of the enemy stronghold at Rabaul
, New Britain
Island. Then, during March, she covered the invasion of Emirau Island
before serving as an escort on several supply runs between Guadalcanal
and Emirau.
On 24 April, Anthony was assigned to duty with a battleship
task force. The destroyer screened New Mexico
(BB-40), Idaho
(BB-42), and Pennsylvania
(BB-38) to Australia
. The warships arrived at Sydney; and, on the 29th after a week of liberty in that city, Anthony weighed anchor on 6 May to return to Purvis Bay.
After brief training, Anthony and a group of ships sailed on 2 June for the invasion of the Marianas. They arrived in Kwajalein
on the 8th to refuel, then turned westward toward the Marianas. On 14 June, the destroyer fired her guns on Saipan
and, the next day, screened other ships during landings on Saipan
. On the 16th, she bombarded Guam
. The destroyer then detached to join Task Force 58 (TF 58), the Fast Carrier Task Force
. Her duties then included screening the carrier
s and rescuing downed aviators.
On 8 July, Anthony began providing harassing fire on Guam, and the bombardment continued for several days. When relieved, the destroyer proceeded to Eniwetok to refuel and take on provisions. She returned to the action off Guam on 21 July and assumed antisubmarine
patrol duty.
On 10 August, Anthony was ordered to proceed to Hawaii. She made an intermediate stop at Eniwetok before arriving at Pearl Harbor on the 20th. There, the ship was briefly dry-docked for repairs and then took part in training exercises off Maui
. Anthony sailed for Ulithi
on 15 September and arrived safely in that lagoon on 3 October. Shortly thereafter, the destroyer got underway to return to the west coast of the United States.
Soon after her reaching San Francisco, Calif.
on 25 October, Anthony entered the Mare Island Navy Yard for an overhaul. She left the shipyard on 13 December to travel to San Diego
for a week of refresher training. The destroyer departed the west coast on 20 December with a convoy bound for Hawaii and reached Pearl Harbor on the 30th.
. Anthony and other ships of the invasion force got underway on 27 January 1945 and stopped en route at Eniwetok and Guam. The destroyer was assigned to the screen of transports carrying reserve forces. She conducted shore bombardment and night harassing fire off Iwo Jima
until 6 March, when she got underway for the Philippines
.
Anthony anchored in San Pedro Bay
on 13 March. The ship began preparing for the assault on Okinawa
. She left Philippine waters on 27 March and arrived on station off Okinawa on 1 April. But for one trip to Ulithi, the destroyer remained in the dangerous waters of that embattled island carrying out fire support, screening, and radar picket duties until late June. She underwent several Japanese air attacks during this time and claimed to have downed five enemy planes. On 27 May, kamikaze
s attacked Anthony and her sister ship Braine
(DD-630). When two succeeded in crashing into Braine, Anthony took all survivors on board and towed the damaged vessel to Kerama Retto
.
Anthony had another close call on 7 June. While on radar picket
station, she was again attacked by enemy aircraft. A kamikaze splashed along the destroyer's port side, leaving a large hole in her hull and carrying away lifelines and stanchions for 25 feet (8 m) on that side. Five crewmen either jumped or were blown into the water, but all were recovered safely. The ship remained on duty until the 24th, then returned to Leyte, Philippines, for an availability.
On 13 July, Anthony got underway for an anti-shipping sweep off the China
coast between Foochow and Wenchow. After touching back at Okinawa for refueling and replenishing, Anthony commenced another sweep on 26 July off the mouth of the Yangtze River
. The destroyer returned to Okinawa on 1 August and operated from that base through the end of hostilities a fortnight later.
Anthony sailed on 7 September for duty supporting the occupation of Japan
. She carried out minesweeping
operations off Nagasaki and Sasebo and then anchored at Sasebo on 29 September. Anthony began the voyage home on 17 November and, after stops at Midway
and Pearl Harbor, finally arrived in San Diego. Shortly thereafter, she got underway for the east coast and transited the Panama Canal en route to Charleston, S.C.
Preservation work began shortly after her arrival in Charleston to ready the ship for inactivation. Anthony was placed out of commission, in reserve, on 17 April 1946.
Anthony earned seven battle stars for her World War II
service, and was awarded a Navy Unit Commendation
for heroism during the Okinawa campaign
.
on 15 April 1972. The ship was then sold to West Germany on 27 June 1972 for cannibalization and scrapping. The ship was stricken in 1976. She was sunk as torpedo
target in the Mediterranean on 16 May 1979.
Fletcher class destroyer
The Fletcher class were a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. The class was designed in 1939 as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
, was the second ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Sergeant Major William Anthony
William Anthony
William Anthony was a soldier in the United States Army and a Marine in the United States Marine Corps, who served during the Spanish-American War.-Biography:...
(1853–1899).
Anthony was laid down on 17 August 1942 at Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
, by the Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
Corp.; launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 20 December 1942; sponsored by Miss Alice Anthony and Miss Frances Anthony, granddaughters of Sergeant Major William Anthony; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
at the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
, on 26 February 1943, Lieutenant Commander Blinn Van Mater in command.
1943
The destroyer got underway on 26 March for a shakedown training out of Guantanamo Bay, CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, and arrived back in Boston on 27 April for a tender availability. She then headed for Norfolk, Va.
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
, but departed Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
on 10 May, bound for the Pacific
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
. After transiting the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, Anthony joined the Pacific Fleet and arrived in Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 31 May.
Two months of intensive training for the destroyer ensued. She left Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an waters on 5 August in the screen of a convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
bound, via Pago Pago, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, for Efate
Éfaté
Efate is an island in the Agean Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in The Republic of Maliki. It is also known as Île Vate. It is the most populous island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most inhabitants of Efate live in Port Vila, the national...
Island, New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
. Anthony dropped anchor off Efate on 27 August.
Her next several weeks were devoted to more training exercises. Then, late in October, Anthony was among the destroyers escorting troop transports to the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
for landings on Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
. She took part in a preinvasion bombardment and stood by while marines landed on the beaches of Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay is a major bay on the western side of the island of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea, at . It is a major subsistence fishing area for the people of Bougainville. It is named after Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein, wife of German Emperor William II.In November 1943, the...
on 1 November. The destroyers pulled into Purvis Bay
Purvis Bay
Purvis Bay is located in the Florida Islands, which are part of the Solomon Islands. The bay was used by the US Navy during World War Two....
, Florida Island, on the 3rd. However, she returned to Bougainville on 8 November to reinforce American naval forces off that island. Despite numerous air attacks, Anthony emerged unscathed from covering the transports during their successful unloading. She pulled into Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
on 15 November and soon began escorting ships carrying troops and supplies to various points in the Solomon Islands.
1944
This routine was interrupted for the destroyer on 20 January 1944 by an order to proceed to Bougainville StraitBougainville Strait
Bougainville Strait separates Choiseul Island from Bougainville Island, the next to the northward. It was first passed through in 1768 by Louis Antoine de Bougainville, who christened it. A Lieutenant John Shortland of the Royal Navy sailed through it in 1788, giving the name of Treasury Islands...
. There, Anthony encountered several small Japanese
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
ships and destroyed a gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
and several barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s before resuming her escort duties.
The ship got underway on 15 February to shepherd a group of LST
Tank landing ship
Landing Ship, Tank was the military designation for naval vessels created during World War II to support amphibious operations by carrying significant quantities of vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto an unimproved shore....
s to the landing sites on Green Island. Although Anthony was originally slated to perform gunfire support duties, the American troops encountered such light enemy opposition when they went ashore that she was not required to carry out that assignment.
After a brief respite at Purvis Bay, the destroyer sailed on 23 February to take part in a bombardment of the enemy stronghold at Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
, New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
Island. Then, during March, she covered the invasion of Emirau Island
Landing on Emirau
The Landing on Emirau was the last of the series of operations that made up Operation Cartwheel, General Douglas MacArthur's strategy for the encirclement of the major Japanese base at Rabaul. A force of nearly 4,000 United States Marines landed on the island of Emirau on 20 March 1944. The island...
before serving as an escort on several supply runs between Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
and Emirau.
On 24 April, Anthony was assigned to duty with a battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
task force. The destroyer screened New Mexico
USS New Mexico (BB-40)
USS New Mexico was a battleship in service with the United States Navy from 1918 to 1946. She was the lead ship of a class of three battleships. New Mexico was extensively modernized between 1931 and 1933 and saw service during World War II both in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. After her...
(BB-40), Idaho
USS Idaho (BB-42)
USS Idaho , a , was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 43rd state. Her keel was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey...
(BB-42), and Pennsylvania
USS Pennsylvania (BB-38)
USS Pennsylvania was a United States Navy super-dreadnought battleship. She was the third Navy ship named for the state of Pennsylvania....
(BB-38) to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The warships arrived at Sydney; and, on the 29th after a week of liberty in that city, Anthony weighed anchor on 6 May to return to Purvis Bay.
After brief training, Anthony and a group of ships sailed on 2 June for the invasion of the Marianas. They arrived in Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
on the 8th to refuel, then turned westward toward the Marianas. On 14 June, the destroyer fired her guns on Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
and, the next day, screened other ships during landings on Saipan
Battle of Saipan
The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June-9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was...
. On the 16th, she bombarded Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. The destroyer then detached to join Task Force 58 (TF 58), the Fast Carrier Task Force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
. Her duties then included screening the carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s and rescuing downed aviators.
On 8 July, Anthony began providing harassing fire on Guam, and the bombardment continued for several days. When relieved, the destroyer proceeded to Eniwetok to refuel and take on provisions. She returned to the action off Guam on 21 July and assumed antisubmarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
patrol duty.
On 10 August, Anthony was ordered to proceed to Hawaii. She made an intermediate stop at Eniwetok before arriving at Pearl Harbor on the 20th. There, the ship was briefly dry-docked for repairs and then took part in training exercises off Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. Anthony sailed for Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
on 15 September and arrived safely in that lagoon on 3 October. Shortly thereafter, the destroyer got underway to return to the west coast of the United States.
Soon after her reaching San Francisco, Calif.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
on 25 October, Anthony entered the Mare Island Navy Yard for an overhaul. She left the shipyard on 13 December to travel to San Diego
Naval Station San Diego
Naval Base San Diego is the largest base of the United States Navy on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of 54 ships and over 120 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched...
for a week of refresher training. The destroyer departed the west coast on 20 December with a convoy bound for Hawaii and reached Pearl Harbor on the 30th.
1945
There, she began preparations for the upcoming operations at Iwo JimaBattle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
. Anthony and other ships of the invasion force got underway on 27 January 1945 and stopped en route at Eniwetok and Guam. The destroyer was assigned to the screen of transports carrying reserve forces. She conducted shore bombardment and night harassing fire off Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
until 6 March, when she got underway for the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Anthony anchored in San Pedro Bay
San Pedro Bay (Philippines)
San Pedro Bay is a bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east-west and 20 km north-south. The bay is bounded on the north and east by Samar and on the east by Leyte Island. It is connected by San Juanico Strait to Carigara Bay of the Samar Sea. The...
on 13 March. The ship began preparing for the assault on Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
. She left Philippine waters on 27 March and arrived on station off Okinawa on 1 April. But for one trip to Ulithi, the destroyer remained in the dangerous waters of that embattled island carrying out fire support, screening, and radar picket duties until late June. She underwent several Japanese air attacks during this time and claimed to have downed five enemy planes. On 27 May, kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
s attacked Anthony and her sister ship Braine
USS Braine (DD-630)
USS Braine , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Rear Admiral Daniel L. Braine , who served in the Civil War and explored the Arctic....
(DD-630). When two succeeded in crashing into Braine, Anthony took all survivors on board and towed the damaged vessel to Kerama Retto
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
.
Anthony had another close call on 7 June. While on radar picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
station, she was again attacked by enemy aircraft. A kamikaze splashed along the destroyer's port side, leaving a large hole in her hull and carrying away lifelines and stanchions for 25 feet (8 m) on that side. Five crewmen either jumped or were blown into the water, but all were recovered safely. The ship remained on duty until the 24th, then returned to Leyte, Philippines, for an availability.
On 13 July, Anthony got underway for an anti-shipping sweep off the China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
coast between Foochow and Wenchow. After touching back at Okinawa for refueling and replenishing, Anthony commenced another sweep on 26 July off the mouth of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
. The destroyer returned to Okinawa on 1 August and operated from that base through the end of hostilities a fortnight later.
Anthony sailed on 7 September for duty supporting the occupation of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. She carried out minesweeping
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
operations off Nagasaki and Sasebo and then anchored at Sasebo on 29 September. Anthony began the voyage home on 17 November and, after stops at Midway
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
and Pearl Harbor, finally arrived in San Diego. Shortly thereafter, she got underway for the east coast and transited the Panama Canal en route to Charleston, S.C.
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
Preservation work began shortly after her arrival in Charleston to ready the ship for inactivation. Anthony was placed out of commission, in reserve, on 17 April 1946.
Anthony earned seven battle stars for her World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service, and was awarded a Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
for heroism during the Okinawa campaign
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
.
Zerstörer 1 (D170), 1958–1972
On 17 January 1958, the destroyer was loaned to the Federal Republic of Germany, and renamed Zerstörer 1. She was returned to United States custody and simultaneously struck from the Navy listNavy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on 15 April 1972. The ship was then sold to West Germany on 27 June 1972 for cannibalization and scrapping. The ship was stricken in 1976. She was sunk as torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
target in the Mediterranean on 16 May 1979.