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USS De Haven (DD-727)
Encyclopedia
USS De Haven (DD-727), an , was the second ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Lieutenant
Edwin J. De Haven. De Haven served aboard the , flagship of the Wilkes Expedition, officially known as the United States Exploring Expedition, from 1839 to 1842. De Haven also served in the Mexican-American War, assisting in the capture of the Mexican schooner Creole. He was placed on the retired list in February 1862. He died at Philadelphia on 1 May 1865.
De Haven was launched on 9 January 1944 by Bath Iron Works
Corp., Bath, Maine, sponsored by Miss H. N. De Haven; and commissioned on 31 March 1944, Commander
J. B. Dimmick in command
, arriving on 3 August 1944. She screened a convoy to Eniwetok between 16 and 30 August, and returned to Eniwetok on 5 October. A week later, she got underway for Ulithi
to join TF 38. Operating from this base, she screened the fast carriers striking Luzon
in support of the invasion of Leyte during November and December. In coordination with the invasion of Lingayen Gulf
, Luzon, the force hit Formosa, Luzon, Camranh Bay, Hong Kong, Hainan
, and Okinawa in a score of strikes extending from 30 December 1944 to 26 January 1945.
On 10 February 1945, De Haven sortied from Ulithi with TF 58, to prepare for the invasion of Iwo Jima
, striking the Japanese mainland as well as the Nansei Shoto, and then providing fire support for the invading troops. Returning to Ulithi on 4 March, she sailed 10 days later to screen air strikes on Kyushu, Japan, prior to the invasion of Okinawa. Until 13 June, she screened the carriers and gave fire support at Okinawa. On 1 July, she sailed from Leyte with TF 38 for the final air strikes and bombardments on the Japanese homeland which continued until the end of the war. Present in Tokyo Bay 2 September for the signing of the surrender, De Haven sailed on 20 September for the States, arriving at San Francisco on 15 October.
Between 1 February 1946 and 3 February 1947, De Haven served in the Western Pacific, joining the 7th Fleet
in operations off the coast of China, and patrolling off the Japanese coast. She operated along the west coast through 1948 and 1949, and on 1 May 1950 cleared San Diego for another tour of duty in the western Pacific, arriving at Yokosuka the last day of May.
invaded South Korea
on 25 June 1950, De Haven was assigned to patrol off the Korean coast. She screened the Norwegian ship Reinholt evacuating American dependents from Inchon to Yokosuka; patrolled on the blockade; bombarded shore targets; acted as lifeguard and communications linking ship for air strikes against Pyongyang and Haeju; and provided call fire support for United Nations
troops.
On 13 and 14 September, she stood up a treacherous channel to anchor a scant 800 yards from Wolmi-do island and poured fire into the concealed gun emplacements in preparation for the assault on Inchon. De Haven provided gunfire support for the successful landings the following day, and for her part in this daring action was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation
.
Returning to blockade duty on 25 September 1950, De Haven dispersed a North Korean force attempting to ambush a Korean Army unit; aided and escorted her to Sasebo
; and provided fire support for a British Commando raid on 6 and 7 October. She cleared Yokosuka on 1 November for San Diego, arriving 18 November.
During De Havens second tour of Korean duty from 18 June 1951 to 17 February 1952, she served primarily on blockade patrol. After an overhaul and local operations at San Diego, she sailed from Long Beach 16 September 1952 to serve as flagship for ships on patrol in the Chongjin
-Songjin-Chaho area until 18 November. After patrol duty with TF 77, she returned to Korean waters for duty with TF 95 on patrol off Wonsan
Harbor, supporting the minesweeping operations there from 12 to 18 February. She got underway from Sasebo 22 March for Long Beach, arriving on 9 April.
According to declassified documents obtained by the Associated Press
, U.S. commanders repeatedly ordered refugees from North Korea
shot. While the most famous example of this policy remains the incident at No Gun Ri
, another incident, on 1 September 1950, has been confirmed by the declassified official diary of De Haven. It states that the Navy destroyer, at Army insistence, fired on a seaside refugee encampment at Pohang
, South Korea
. Survivors say 100 to 200 people were killed.
De Haven continued to alternate duty in the western Pacific with local operations along the west coast, making six voyages to the Far East from 1953 through 1959. De Haven participated in Operation Hardtack I near Eniwetok Island during the summer of 1958, witnessing approximately 22 nuclear detonations, one from only three nautical miles. She was also one of the US Navy vessels that ran the Chinese naval blockade on Quemoy-Matsu. On 1 February 1960, she began a major overhaul for modernization at San Francisco, completed in September. De Haven returned to training activities through the remaining months of 1960.
on 5 December 1973, and renamed Incheon, after the Korean city of Incheon
. It was first designated DD-98, and then DD-918. The ship was stricken and broken up for scrap in 1993.
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 Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Edwin J. De Haven. De Haven served aboard the , flagship of the Wilkes Expedition, officially known as the United States Exploring Expedition, from 1839 to 1842. De Haven also served in the Mexican-American War, assisting in the capture of the Mexican schooner Creole. He was placed on the retired list in February 1862. He died at Philadelphia on 1 May 1865.
De Haven was launched on 9 January 1944 by 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., Bath, Maine, sponsored by Miss H. N. De Haven; and commissioned on 31 March 1944, 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...
J. B. Dimmick in command
World War II
De Haven escorted from Norfolk to Pearl HarborPearl 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...
, arriving on 3 August 1944. She screened a convoy to Eniwetok between 16 and 30 August, and returned to Eniwetok on 5 October. A week later, she got underway 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...
to join TF 38. Operating from this base, she screened the fast carriers striking Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
in support of the invasion of Leyte during November and December. In coordination with the invasion of 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...
, Luzon, the force hit Formosa, Luzon, Camranh Bay, Hong Kong, Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
, and Okinawa in a score of strikes extending from 30 December 1944 to 26 January 1945.
On 10 February 1945, De Haven sortied from Ulithi with TF 58, to prepare for the invasion of 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...
, striking the Japanese mainland as well as the Nansei Shoto, and then providing fire support for the invading troops. Returning to Ulithi on 4 March, she sailed 10 days later to screen air strikes on Kyushu, Japan, prior to the invasion of Okinawa. Until 13 June, she screened the carriers and gave fire support at Okinawa. On 1 July, she sailed from Leyte with TF 38 for the final air strikes and bombardments on the Japanese homeland which continued until the end of the war. Present in Tokyo Bay 2 September for the signing of the surrender, De Haven sailed on 20 September for the States, arriving at San Francisco on 15 October.
Between 1 February 1946 and 3 February 1947, De Haven served in the Western Pacific, joining the 7th Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
in operations off the coast of China, and patrolling off the Japanese coast. She operated along the west coast through 1948 and 1949, and on 1 May 1950 cleared San Diego for another tour of duty in the western Pacific, arriving at Yokosuka the last day of May.
Korea
When North KoreaNorth Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
invaded South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
on 25 June 1950, De Haven was assigned to patrol off the Korean coast. She screened the Norwegian ship Reinholt evacuating American dependents from Inchon to Yokosuka; patrolled on the blockade; bombarded shore targets; acted as lifeguard and communications linking ship for air strikes against Pyongyang and Haeju; and provided call fire support for United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
troops.
On 13 and 14 September, she stood up a treacherous channel to anchor a scant 800 yards from Wolmi-do island and poured fire into the concealed gun emplacements in preparation for the assault on Inchon. De Haven provided gunfire support for the successful landings the following day, and for her part in this daring action was awarded the 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...
.
Returning to blockade duty on 25 September 1950, De Haven dispersed a North Korean force attempting to ambush a Korean Army unit; aided and escorted her to Sasebo
Sasebo
Sasebo or may refer to:* Sasebo, Nagasaki, a city in Japan and a base of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the city, later of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force* United States Fleet Activities Sasebo, a post-WWII United States Navy Base in the city...
; and provided fire support for a British Commando raid on 6 and 7 October. She cleared Yokosuka on 1 November for San Diego, arriving 18 November.
During De Havens second tour of Korean duty from 18 June 1951 to 17 February 1952, she served primarily on blockade patrol. After an overhaul and local operations at San Diego, she sailed from Long Beach 16 September 1952 to serve as flagship for ships on patrol in the Chongjin
Chongjin
Ch'ŏngjin is the capital of North Korea's North Hamgyŏng Province and the country's third largest city. From 1960 to 1967 and again from 1977 to 1985, Ch'ŏngjin was administered separately from North Hamgyŏng as a Directly Governed City...
-Songjin-Chaho area until 18 November. After patrol duty with TF 77, she returned to Korean waters for duty with TF 95 on patrol off Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
Harbor, supporting the minesweeping operations there from 12 to 18 February. She got underway from Sasebo 22 March for Long Beach, arriving on 9 April.
Refugee Controversy
According to declassified documents obtained by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, U.S. commanders repeatedly ordered refugees from North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
shot. While the most famous example of this policy remains the incident at No Gun Ri
No Gun Ri
No Gun Ri is a village in Hwanggan-myeon, Yeongdong County, North Chungcheong Province in central South Korea. The village was the site of the No Gun Ri Massacre during the Korean War in which U.S...
, another incident, on 1 September 1950, has been confirmed by the declassified official diary of De Haven. It states that the Navy destroyer, at Army insistence, fired on a seaside refugee encampment at Pohang
Pohang
Pohang is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Survivors say 100 to 200 people were killed.
De Haven continued to alternate duty in the western Pacific with local operations along the west coast, making six voyages to the Far East from 1953 through 1959. De Haven participated in Operation Hardtack I near Eniwetok Island during the summer of 1958, witnessing approximately 22 nuclear detonations, one from only three nautical miles. She was also one of the US Navy vessels that ran the Chinese naval blockade on Quemoy-Matsu. On 1 February 1960, she began a major overhaul for modernization at San Francisco, completed in September. De Haven returned to training activities through the remaining months of 1960.
Republic of Korea Navy
De Haven was transferred to the Republic of Korea NavyRepublic of Korea Navy
The Republic of Korea Navy or the ROK Navy is the branch of the South Korean armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which is a quasi-autonomous organization...
on 5 December 1973, and renamed Incheon, after the Korean city of Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
. It was first designated DD-98, and then DD-918. The ship was stricken and broken up for scrap in 1993.