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USS Charles J. Badger (DD-657)
Encyclopedia
USS Charles J. Badger (DD-657) was a Fletcher-class
destroyer
of the United States Navy
, named for Rear Admiral
Charles J. Badger
(1853–1932).
Charles J. Badger was launched
3 April 1943 by Bethlehem Steel
Co., Staten Island, N.Y.
, sponsored by Miss I. E. Badger; and commissioned
23 July 1943, Commander
W. G. Cooper in command.
30 November for Pacific duty
, and on 17 December 1943 reported at Adak, Alaska
for almost continuous patrol and escort duty in the fog and storm-ridden Aleutians until August 1944. During this time, she helped keep the Japanese off balance and unaware of the United States' strategic intentions involving the western Aleutians by joining in the heavy bombardments in the Kurils in February and June. On 8 August, she got underway for warmer waters and warmer action, calling at San Francisco and Pearl Harbor
en route Manus Island
. Here she joined an assault convoy
and sailed 14 October for the return to the Philippines.
Entering Philippine
waters she protected transports in the assault landings
at Dulag
, Leyte, on 20 October 1944, firing to drive off Japanese air attacks as the unloading proceeded. On the eve of the epic Battle for Leyte Gulf, Badger guarded the retirement of empty transports to New Guinea
, but returned to Leyte convoying reinforcements in mid-November. In December, she reported in Huon Gulf
, New Guinea, for rehearsals of the Lingayen landings
, for which she sailed 27 December. On 8 January 1945, as she entered Lingayen Gulf
, her force was attacked by Japanese kamikaze
s, one of which crashed into . Unloading of transports began 9 January, while Badgers accurate AA fire helped protect the unloading during frequent enemy air attacks. Two days later, she escorted Kitkun Bay to San Pedro Bay
, where she herself took up patrol duties. On 29 January, she guarded the landing of troops on the Zambales
coast north of Bataan
.
After a period at Ulithi
, Badger returned to Leyte to rehearse for the landings on the Kerama Retto
, a key preliminary to the assault on Okinawa. Badger arrived off the Retto 26 March 1945 to guard the landings, which took the Japanese completely by surprise. This did not prevent them, however, from quickly mounting suicide air attacks, during one of which Badger aided in splashing a kamikaze short of its target. Once the landings on Okinawa
began, the destroyer took position to guard the southern flank of the landings. On 7 April she joined a force moving north to meet the last Japanese naval force; and and eight destroyers. However, the accurate attack of carrier aircraft sank Yamato, Yahagi, and all but four of the destroyers before American surface forces could engage.
Badger continued to offer fire support on call to aid the troops ashore. In the halflight of early morning on 9 April, as she lay to on her fire support station, an 18-foot Japanese suicide boat suddenly sped out of the gloom, dropped a depth charge
close aboard, and raced away. The explosion knocked out Badgers engines and caused heavy flooding. Quick work controlled the flooding, and a tug
brought the stricken destroyer into the Kerama Retto roadstead. After temporary repairs, she proceeded for overhaul to Bremerton, Wash.
, where she arrived 1 August. On 21 May 1946 she was placed out of commission in reserve at Long Beach, Calif.
, Newport, R.I.
From this base, she operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean
, maintaining and providing services for the training of other types. Her first Atlantic crossing came from 9 June to 23 July 1953, when she sailed to visit Portsmouth
, England
, in company with two aircraft carrier
s and another destroyer. On 7 December, she cleared Newport on the first leg of a round the world cruise, which found her operating for 2 months on patrol off the Korea
n coast and in the Taiwan Straits. She escorted transports bringing prisoners of war
who had elected to join the Chinese Nationalists from Inchon to Taiwan
, and took part in training operations off Japan
until 22 May 1954, when she continued on around the world. Visits at Hong Kong
, Singapore
, Colombo
, Aden
, Port Said
, Naples
, Villefranche-sur-Mer
, and Lisbon
marked her progress to the Suez Canal
and through the Mediterranean to Newport, where she arrived 17 July.
Badger completed two tours of duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean in early 1956 and in late 1956-early 1957, during the second of which she patrolled watchfully during the Suez Crisis
. Badger was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Boston, Mass.
20 December 1957.
The ship was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
1 February 1974. She was sold 10 May 1974 to Chile
and cannibalized for spare parts for other ships.
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"...
Charles J. Badger
Charles J. Badger
Charles Johnston Badger was an admiral in the United States Navy. His active-duty career included service in the Spanish-American War and World War I.-Biography:...
(1853–1932).
Charles J. Badger 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...
3 April 1943 by Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
Co., Staten Island, N.Y.
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, sponsored by Miss I. E. Badger; 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...
23 July 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...
W. G. Cooper in command.
World War II
Charles J. Badger arrived at 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...
30 November for Pacific duty
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...
, and on 17 December 1943 reported at Adak, Alaska
Adak, Alaska
Adak , formerly Adak Station, is a city in the Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 326. It is the westernmost municipality in the United States and the southernmost city in Alaska. The city is the former location of the Adak Army Base and Adak...
for almost continuous patrol and escort duty in the fog and storm-ridden Aleutians until August 1944. During this time, she helped keep the Japanese off balance and unaware of the United States' strategic intentions involving the western Aleutians by joining in the heavy bombardments in the Kurils in February and June. On 8 August, she got underway for warmer waters and warmer action, calling at San Francisco and 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...
en route Manus Island
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
. Here she joined an assault 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...
and sailed 14 October for the return to the Philippines.
Entering Philippine
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...
waters she protected transports in the assault landings
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
at Dulag
Dulag, Leyte
Dulag is a third-class municipality in the province of Leyte in Eastern Visayas in the Philippines. This coastal town covering 11,007 hectares of land is home to 44,143 residents...
, Leyte, on 20 October 1944, firing to drive off Japanese air attacks as the unloading proceeded. On the eve of the epic Battle for Leyte Gulf, Badger guarded the retirement of empty transports to New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, but returned to Leyte convoying reinforcements in mid-November. In December, she reported in Huon Gulf
Huon Gulf
Huon Gulf is a large gulf in eastern Papua New Guinea, at . It is bordered by Huon Peninsula in the north. Both are named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec. Huon Gulf is a part of the Solomon Sea. Lae, capital of the Morobe Province is located on the northern coast of the...
, New Guinea, for rehearsals of the Lingayen landings
Battle of Luzon
The Battle of Luzon was a land battle fought as part of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II by the Allied forces of the U.S., its colony The Philippines, and Mexico against forces of the Empire of Japan. The battle resulted in a U.S. and Filipino victory...
, for which she sailed 27 December. On 8 January 1945, as she entered Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
, her force was attacked by 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....
s, one of which crashed into . Unloading of transports began 9 January, while Badgers accurate AA fire helped protect the unloading during frequent enemy air attacks. Two days later, she escorted Kitkun Bay to 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...
, where she herself took up patrol duties. On 29 January, she guarded the landing of troops on the Zambales
Zambales
Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains. With a land area of...
coast north of Bataan
Bataan
Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...
.
After a period at 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...
, Badger returned to Leyte to rehearse for the landings on the 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....
, a key preliminary to the assault on Okinawa. Badger arrived off the Retto 26 March 1945 to guard the landings, which took the Japanese completely by surprise. This did not prevent them, however, from quickly mounting suicide air attacks, during one of which Badger aided in splashing a kamikaze short of its target. Once the landings 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...
began, the destroyer took position to guard the southern flank of the landings. On 7 April she joined a force moving north to meet the last Japanese naval force; and and eight destroyers. However, the accurate attack of carrier aircraft sank Yamato, Yahagi, and all but four of the destroyers before American surface forces could engage.
Badger continued to offer fire support on call to aid the troops ashore. In the halflight of early morning on 9 April, as she lay to on her fire support station, an 18-foot Japanese suicide boat suddenly sped out of the gloom, dropped a depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
close aboard, and raced away. The explosion knocked out Badgers engines and caused heavy flooding. Quick work controlled the flooding, and a tug
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
brought the stricken destroyer into the Kerama Retto roadstead. After temporary repairs, she proceeded for overhaul to Bremerton, Wash.
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
, where she arrived 1 August. On 21 May 1946 she was placed out of commission in reserve at Long Beach, Calif.
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
1951-1957
Charles J. Badger was recommissioned 10 September 1951, and in February 1952 arrived at her new home portHome port
A vessel's home port is the port at which it is based, which may not be the same as its port of registry shown on its registration documents and lettered on the stern of the ship's hull...
, Newport, R.I.
Naval Station Newport
The Naval Station Newport is a United States Navy base located in the towns of Newport and Middletown, Rhode Island. Naval Station Newport is home to the Naval War College and the Naval Justice School...
From this base, she operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean
Caribbean
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...
, maintaining and providing services for the training of other types. Her first Atlantic crossing came from 9 June to 23 July 1953, when she sailed to visit Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in company with two aircraft 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 another destroyer. On 7 December, she cleared Newport on the first leg of a round the world cruise, which found her operating for 2 months on patrol off the Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n coast and in the Taiwan Straits. She escorted transports bringing prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
who had elected to join the Chinese Nationalists from Inchon to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, and took part in training operations off 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...
until 22 May 1954, when she continued on around the world. Visits at Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
, Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera.-Geography:...
, and Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
marked her progress to the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
and through the Mediterranean to Newport, where she arrived 17 July.
Badger completed two tours of duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean in early 1956 and in late 1956-early 1957, during the second of which she patrolled watchfully during the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
. Badger was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Boston, Mass.
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...
20 December 1957.
The ship 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...
1 February 1974. She was sold 10 May 1974 to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and cannibalized for spare parts for other ships.