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USS Dewey (DD-349)
Encyclopedia
The first USS Dewey (DD-349) was a Farragut-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during World War II
. She was named for Admiral
George Dewey
.
, Bath, Maine
; sponsored by Miss A. M. Dewey, great-grandniece of Admiral Dewey; and commissioned 4 October 1934, Commander
H. W. Hill in command.
After two training cruises to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
, and Port-au-Prince
, Haiti
, Dewey sailed from Norfolk, Virginia
, 1 April 1935 for San Diego, California
, arriving 14 April. Until 1938 she operated principally from this port on local operations as well as engaging in fleet tactics, battle practice, and scheduled exercises. She cruised along the West Coast as far north as Alaska
and as far south as Callao
, Peru
, and made three cruises to the Hawaii
an area. From 4 January to 12 April 1939 she returned to the Atlantic for a fleet problem. Dewey arrived at Pearl Harbor 12 October 1939 and participated in tactical exercises, battle practice, fleet problems, and maneuvers until 1941.
ese attacked
Pearl Harbor
7 December 1941, Dewey was undergoing tender overhaul. She took the enemy planes under attack and that afternoon got underway to patrol in the Hawaiian area. On 15 December she joined TF 11 sailing to relieve the Marine
garrison on Wake Island
, which fell on 23 December. Dewey returned to her patrol assignment.
In February 1942 she rejoined TF 11 for a projected strike on Rabaul
. The force was sighted by two enemy patrol planes and the strike was canceled after Dewey aided in downing some of 18 bombers led to the force by radio reports from the patrol planes. She continued to screen in the strikes on Lae
and Salamaua
, New Guinea
, on 10 March and returned to Pearl Harbor on the 26th.
TF 11 sortied from Pearl Harbor 15 April 1942 for operations in the Solomon Islands
. On 5 May word came that the Japanese were advancing on Port Moresby
, and Deweys group joined in the Battle of the Coral Sea
. When Lexington came under intensive attack, Dewey joined in sending up antiaircraft fire, suffering five men wounded from enemy strafing. Lexington was badly hit, and as fires raged out of control, she was abandoned, with Dewey rescuing 112 of the carrier's survivors. She screened Yorktown into Noumea
12 May, and then returned to Pearl Harbor 25 May in the screen for .
Dewey sailed three days later in the Enterprise task force. The Battle of Midway
was joined 2 to 6 June, and throughout this action Dewey screened . Returning to Pearl Harbor 9 June, Dewey escorted as the carrier brought an air squadron to Midway
between 22 and 29 June. On 7 July she cleared for the initial landings on Guadalcanal
, which she bombarded 7 August. On that day of the first assault, Dewey fired on attacking dive bombers, whose bombs wounded one of her men. She went to the rescue of two ships, aiding to regain power, and towing until her damage made it necessary to abandon her. Dewey rescued 40 of the transport's survivors.
Dewey remained in the Solomons to protect supply and communication lines, and screened Saratoga during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons
on 24 August 1942. She escorted Saratoga, damaged by submarine torpedo 31 August, to Pearl Harbor, arriving 23 September, and 6 days later sailed for overhaul at San Francisco. On 27 December 1942 she got underway for duty in Alaska
n waters. When ran aground at Amchitka
, Dewey attempted to tow her off the rocks, then aided in rescuing her survivors when stormy weather forced her abandonment. On 7 April 1943, Dewey sailed for San Pedro to escort an assault group to Attu
for the invasion 11 May. She also took part in the landings at Kiska
15 August, before escorting a group of LSTs to San Francisco, arriving 19 September.
31 January and served as escort during the carrier strike on Majuro
of 11 February and the invasion landings on Eniwetok on 18 February. She escorted convoys between Eniwetok, Roi
, and Majuro, and bombarded Mille Atoll on 17-18 March. From 22 March to 6 June, she operated in the screen of TF 58, taking part in raids on Palau
, Yap
, Ulithi
and Woleai
; the invasion of Hollandia
on 21 and 22 April; and the strike on Truk of 29 April to 1 May. On 6 June, she sailed to screen carriers in fighter sweeps against Tinian
and Saipan
on 11 June, then bombarded of Saipan and Tinian on 13 and 14 June, when she fired on enemy barges and started a fire in an oil dump. During the Marianas landings, Dewey screened the carriers during the resulting Battle of the Philippine Sea
on 19 and 20 June, and rescued several pilots and crew members who were forced to ditch.
Dewey joined the transport screen 1 July 1944 for the invasion of Guam
. She furnished close fire support for reconnaissance groups, covered the work of underwater demolition teams, conducted night harassing fire, and patrolled off the island until 28 July, when she sailed for a brief overhaul at Puget Sound Navy Yard.
Dewey put to sea 30 September 1944 to join the logistics group for the 3rd Fleet on 10 October. She screened this group in its refueling operations for the Philippines
invasion until the typhoon of 18 December, which heavily damaged the units of the 3rd Fleet. Dewey had lost all power by noon, and was rolling more than 75 degrees; her number one stack was torn and thrown against the boat deck. She rejoined her group 8 February 1945, after repairs had been completed at Ulithi, and arrived at Iwo Jima 17 February, where she assisted in putting out fires on . Aiding the Marines who assaulted the island 19 February, she helped break up a Japanese counter-attack by firing star shell illumination on 23 February.
After escorting a convoy to Leyte from 4 to 6 March 1945, Dewey rejoined the logistics group for the Okinawa operation, screening the oilers as they refueled the carriers in preinvasion air strikes and the raids in the Far East, which continued until the end of the war.
My grandfather, Charles Byron MacIntyre Sr. was a supply sargeant on the Dewey. He told me about that typhoon and said they were doing 90 degree rolls. Men were in the latrines and water was coming down from the pipes going up the top of the ship. "Some of the toughest s.o.b.'s you'd ever see were crying like damn babies and praying to God, disgusting!" He added that two of their sister ships went down in that typhoon, something I haven't looked to confirm yet. After that storm, he forgot the names of those he dealt with on the other ships.
25 September. Dewey was decommissioned 19 October 1945 and sold 20 December 1946.
Farragut class destroyer (1934)
The Farragut-class destroyers were a class of eight 1,365-ton destroyers in the United States Navy.Following provisions of the London Naval Treaty of 1930, the ships were laid down between 1932 and completed by 1935...
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...
in 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...
during 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...
. She was named for Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
George Dewey
George Dewey
George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
.
History
Dewey was launched 28 July 1934 by Bath Iron WorksBath 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...
, 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...
; sponsored by Miss A. M. Dewey, great-grandniece of Admiral Dewey; and commissioned 4 October 1934, 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...
H. W. Hill in command.
After two training cruises to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Cuba
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 Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Dewey sailed from Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, 1 April 1935 for San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, arriving 14 April. Until 1938 she operated principally from this port on local operations as well as engaging in fleet tactics, battle practice, and scheduled exercises. She cruised along the West Coast as far north as Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and as far south as Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, and made three cruises to the 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 area. From 4 January to 12 April 1939 she returned to the Atlantic for a fleet problem. Dewey arrived at Pearl Harbor 12 October 1939 and participated in tactical exercises, battle practice, fleet problems, and maneuvers until 1941.
World War II
When the JapanJapan
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...
ese attacked
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
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...
7 December 1941, Dewey was undergoing tender overhaul. She took the enemy planes under attack and that afternoon got underway to patrol in the Hawaiian area. On 15 December she joined TF 11 sailing to relieve the 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...
garrison on Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake 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...
, which fell on 23 December. Dewey returned to her patrol assignment.
In February 1942 she rejoined TF 11 for a projected strike on 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...
. The force was sighted by two enemy patrol planes and the strike was canceled after Dewey aided in downing some of 18 bombers led to the force by radio reports from the patrol planes. She continued to screen in the strikes on Lae
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
and Salamaua
Salamaua
Salamaua was a small town situated on the north-eastern coastline of Papua New Guinea part of Morobe province. The settlement was built on a minor isthmus between the coast with mountains on the inland side and a headland...
, 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...
, on 10 March and returned to Pearl Harbor on the 26th.
TF 11 sortied from Pearl Harbor 15 April 1942 for operations in 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...
. On 5 May word came that the Japanese were advancing on Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, and Deweys group joined in the Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
. When Lexington came under intensive attack, Dewey joined in sending up antiaircraft fire, suffering five men wounded from enemy strafing. Lexington was badly hit, and as fires raged out of control, she was abandoned, with Dewey rescuing 112 of the carrier's survivors. She screened Yorktown into Noumea
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
12 May, and then returned to Pearl Harbor 25 May in the screen for .
Dewey sailed three days later in the Enterprise task force. The Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
was joined 2 to 6 June, and throughout this action Dewey screened . Returning to Pearl Harbor 9 June, Dewey escorted as the carrier brought an air squadron to 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...
between 22 and 29 June. On 7 July she cleared for the initial landings on 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...
, which she bombarded 7 August. On that day of the first assault, Dewey fired on attacking dive bombers, whose bombs wounded one of her men. She went to the rescue of two ships, aiding to regain power, and towing until her damage made it necessary to abandon her. Dewey rescued 40 of the transport's survivors.
Dewey remained in the Solomons to protect supply and communication lines, and screened Saratoga during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons
Battle of the Eastern Solomons
The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign...
on 24 August 1942. She escorted Saratoga, damaged by submarine torpedo 31 August, to Pearl Harbor, arriving 23 September, and 6 days later sailed for overhaul at San Francisco. On 27 December 1942 she got underway for duty in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n waters. When ran aground at Amchitka
Amchitka
Amchitka is a volcanic, tectonically unstable island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska. It is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The island is about long, and from wide...
, Dewey attempted to tow her off the rocks, then aided in rescuing her survivors when stormy weather forced her abandonment. On 7 April 1943, Dewey sailed for San Pedro to escort an assault group to Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
for the invasion 11 May. She also took part in the landings at Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
15 August, before escorting a group of LSTs to San Francisco, arriving 19 September.
1944
Sailing from San Diego 13 January 1944, Dewey arrived off KwajaleinKwajalein
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...
31 January and served as escort during the carrier strike on Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , 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...
of 11 February and the invasion landings on Eniwetok on 18 February. She escorted convoys between Eniwetok, Roi
Roi-Namur
Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands.Occupied by Japanese forces prior to World War II, it was the target of the U.S. 4th Marine Division in the Battle of Kwajalein, in February 1944....
, and Majuro, and bombarded Mille Atoll on 17-18 March. From 22 March to 6 June, she operated in the screen of TF 58, taking part in raids on Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
, Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
, 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...
and Woleai
Woleai
Woleai is a coral atoll of twenty-two islands in the eastern Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia and is located approximately west-northwest of Ifalik and northeast of Eauripik...
; the invasion of Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
on 21 and 22 April; and the strike on Truk of 29 April to 1 May. On 6 June, she sailed to screen carriers in fighter sweeps against Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
and 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...
on 11 June, then bombarded of Saipan and Tinian on 13 and 14 June, when she fired on enemy barges and started a fire in an oil dump. During the Marianas landings, Dewey screened the carriers during the resulting Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
on 19 and 20 June, and rescued several pilots and crew members who were forced to ditch.
Dewey joined the transport screen 1 July 1944 for the invasion of 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...
. She furnished close fire support for reconnaissance groups, covered the work of underwater demolition teams, conducted night harassing fire, and patrolled off the island until 28 July, when she sailed for a brief overhaul at Puget Sound Navy Yard.
Dewey put to sea 30 September 1944 to join the logistics group for the 3rd Fleet on 10 October. She screened this group in its refueling operations 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...
invasion until the typhoon of 18 December, which heavily damaged the units of the 3rd Fleet. Dewey had lost all power by noon, and was rolling more than 75 degrees; her number one stack was torn and thrown against the boat deck. She rejoined her group 8 February 1945, after repairs had been completed at Ulithi, and arrived at Iwo Jima 17 February, where she assisted in putting out fires on . Aiding the Marines who assaulted the island 19 February, she helped break up a Japanese counter-attack by firing star shell illumination on 23 February.
After escorting a convoy to Leyte from 4 to 6 March 1945, Dewey rejoined the logistics group for the Okinawa operation, screening the oilers as they refueled the carriers in preinvasion air strikes and the raids in the Far East, which continued until the end of the war.
My grandfather, Charles Byron MacIntyre Sr. was a supply sargeant on the Dewey. He told me about that typhoon and said they were doing 90 degree rolls. Men were in the latrines and water was coming down from the pipes going up the top of the ship. "Some of the toughest s.o.b.'s you'd ever see were crying like damn babies and praying to God, disgusting!" He added that two of their sister ships went down in that typhoon, something I haven't looked to confirm yet. After that storm, he forgot the names of those he dealt with on the other ships.
Fate
On 21 August, she got underway for San Diego, arriving 7 September. She continued to the east coast, arriving at Brooklyn Navy YardBrooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
25 September. Dewey was decommissioned 19 October 1945 and sold 20 December 1946.