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USS Bullard (DD-660)
Encyclopedia
USS Bullard (DD-660) was a Fletcher-class
destroyer
of the United States Navy
, named for Rear Admiral
William H. G. Bullard
(1866–1927).
Bullard was launched
28 February 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J.
, sponsored by Mrs. H. G. Bullard, widow of Rear Admiral Bullard; and commissioned
9 April 1943, Commander
G. R. Hartwig in command.
, Bullard proceeded to the Pacific, arriving at Pearl Harbor
29 August 1943. With the exception of one voyage to California
(10 September 1944 – 18 February 1945) she operated constantly in forward areas of the Pacific rendering fire support, plane guard, patrol, and radar picket
services. She participated in
On 11 April 1945, during the Okinawa operation Bullard was slightly damaged by a Japanese kamikaze
. Repairs completed at Okinawa, she departed on 31 May, and steamed to Leyte. Departing Leyte Gulf
, 1 July, Bullard next participated in the 3rd Fleet raids against Japan (10 July – 15 August).
After the cessation of hostilities, Bullard remained in the Far East
engaged in occupation duties until 10 November 1945, when she departed for San Pedro, Calif., arriving on 3 December. She operated along the west coast during most of 1946, and then reported to San Diego for inactivation. Bullard was placed out of commission in reserve on 20 December 1946.
Bullard was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 December 1972. She was sold on 3 December 1973 and broken up for scrap.
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...
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...
, named for Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
William H. G. Bullard
William H. G. Bullard
William Hannum Grubb Bullard was an admiral of the United States Navy, whose service included duty during the Spanish-American War and World War I. After World War I, he established the Navy's patrol on China's Yangtze River...
(1866–1927).
Bullard was 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...
28 February 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J.
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
, sponsored by Mrs. H. G. Bullard, widow of Rear Admiral Bullard; 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...
9 April 1943, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
G. R. Hartwig in command.
Service history
After conducting brief operations along the eastern seaboard and in the CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Bullard proceeded to the Pacific, arriving at 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...
29 August 1943. With the exception of one voyage to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(10 September 1944 – 18 February 1945) she operated constantly in forward areas of the Pacific rendering fire support, plane guard, patrol, and 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...
services. She participated in
- the Wake IslandWake IslandWake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
raid (5–6 October 1943); - RabaulRabaulRabaul 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...
strike (11 November); - the invasion of TarawaBattle of TarawaThe Battle of Tarawa, code named Operation Galvanic, was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, largely fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region....
(19 November – 1 December); - the occupation of KwajaleinBattle of KwajaleinThe Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought from 31 January-3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of...
and MajuroMajuroMajuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
Atolls (22 January-March 1944); - Admiralty IslandsAdmiralty IslandsThe Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
landings (30 March – 13 April), - HollandiaLanding at HollandiaThe Landing at Hollandia was a battle of the Western New Guinea campaign of World War II. American and allied forces undertook an amphibious landing on 22 April 1944 at Hollandia on northern coast of Dutch New Guinea...
operation (16 April – 4 May); - seizures of SaipanBattle of SaipanThe 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...
and of Guam (10 June – 17 August) and - the Okinawa operationBattle of OkinawaThe 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...
(15 March – 31 May 1945).
On 11 April 1945, during the Okinawa operation Bullard was slightly damaged by a Japanese 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....
. Repairs completed at Okinawa, she departed on 31 May, and steamed to Leyte. Departing Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
, 1 July, Bullard next participated in the 3rd Fleet raids against Japan (10 July – 15 August).
After the cessation of hostilities, Bullard remained in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
engaged in occupation duties until 10 November 1945, when she departed for San Pedro, Calif., arriving on 3 December. She operated along the west coast during most of 1946, and then reported to San Diego for inactivation. Bullard was placed out of commission in reserve on 20 December 1946.
Bullard was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 1 December 1972. She was sold on 3 December 1973 and broken up for scrap.