USS Howard F. Clark (DE-533)
Encyclopedia
USS Howard F. Clark (DE-533) was a acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II
. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy
, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket
.
Howard F. Clark was named in honor of Howard Franklin Clark
who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
twice and was missing in action
after action in the Battle of the Coral Sea
.
She was launched by the Boston Navy Yard
8 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Howard Clark, widow of the namesake; and commissioned at Boston, Massachusetts, 25 May 1944, Lt. Comdr. E. B. Hayden in command.
training off Bermuda
, returned to Norfolk, Virginia
, 16 August, and two days later got underway for the Pacific Ocean
. She transited the Panama Canal
, called briefly at San Diego, California
, and reported for duty at Pearl Harbor
18 September. For the next 3 months Howard F. Clark participated in battle maneuvers and training exercises in preparation for her part in the Navy's sweeping island campaign against Japan
. Acting as screening ship during carrier operations, and later training with the Pacific Fleet Gunnery and Torpedo School, She departed Pearl Harbor 11 December 1944.
22 December and joined Admiral Stump's escort carrier group, forming for the important Lingayen Gulf
invasion. The ships got underway 27 December, with Howard F. Clark in screening position, were joined by fast troop transports, and arrived Leyte Gulf
3 January 1945, where the entire invasion group assembled. This formidable force departed the same day for Lingayen Gulf, and began soon after its departure to experience fierce Japanese air attacks.
6 January 1945. During the important landing and the battle which followed, Howard F. Clark screened the escort carriers as they furnished air support to soldiers ashore and flew combat missions to keep the skies above clear of enemy aircraft. The destroyer escort had occasion both 8 and 9 January to rescue downed aviators from the water, and was detached soon after the second rescue to return to Ulithi
with Admiral Durgin's carriers.
. She became part of an underway replenishment group off Eniwetok and steamed to the eastward of the Marianas
, where the group refueled and replenished Task Force 58 13-14 February. During the next days she protected the refueling operations of many ships in support of the Iwo Jima landings to come, landings which would provide an important air base for attacks against Japan. She arrived off the bitterly-contested island 5 March, spent 2 days patrolling the refueling area offshore, and returned to Ulithi 10 March.
28 March with her precious convoy, she then steamed again for refueling rendezvous protecting the task force ships as they refueled. This duty engaged her until returning to Ulithi 13 April, after which the destroyer escort steamed back toward Okinawa 22 April with another refueling task force. Task Force 58 was again serviced 26 April, and 6 May Howard F. Clark departed again for Ulithi as part of the escort for battleship . She arrived 9 May and was soon at sea again screening another unit of Admiral Beary's U.S. 5th Fleet replenishment group. More refueling operations were conducted in the ocean approaches to Okinawa until 10 June, when Howard F. Clark was detached to escort an oiler unit to Guam
. They arrived 13 June and continued to Ulithi, 22 June.
.
, San Diego Group, she was later transferred to Stockton, California
. On 15 May 1972 she was struck from the Navy List
, and, on 6 September 1973 she was sold for scrapping.
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...
. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in 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...
, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or 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...
.
Howard F. Clark was named in honor of Howard Franklin Clark
Howard Franklin Clark
-Navy career:Clark graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy 2 June 1938. He served at sea until 1940, when he underwent flight training. Reporting to aircraft carrier Lexington 1 April 1941 as a member of Fighter Squadron 3, he won a Distinguished Flying Cross 20 February 1942 when he brought down an...
who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
twice and was missing in action
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
after action 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...
.
She was launched by 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...
8 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Howard Clark, widow of the namesake; and commissioned at Boston, Massachusetts, 25 May 1944, Lt. Comdr. E. B. Hayden in command.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Howard, F. Clark conducted shakedownSea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
training off Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, returned to 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....
, 16 August, and two days later got underway for the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. She transited 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...
, called briefly at 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...
, and reported for duty 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...
18 September. For the next 3 months Howard F. Clark participated in battle maneuvers and training exercises in preparation for her part in the Navy's sweeping island campaign against Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
. Acting as screening ship during carrier operations, and later training with the Pacific Fleet Gunnery and Torpedo School, She departed Pearl Harbor 11 December 1944.
Supporting Philippine Islands operations
The destroyer escort arrived ManusManus 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...
22 December and joined Admiral Stump's escort carrier group, forming for the important 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...
invasion. The ships got underway 27 December, with Howard F. Clark in screening position, were joined by fast troop transports, and arrived 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...
3 January 1945, where the entire invasion group assembled. This formidable force departed the same day for Lingayen Gulf, and began soon after its departure to experience fierce Japanese air attacks.
Under attack by kamikaze planes
The next day, she succeeded in downing several attackers. The toll, especially from suicide attacks, was high, but the force proceeded to its objective after splashing many of the aircraft, and the troops stormed ashore at LingayenInvasion of Lingayen Gulf
The Liberation of Lingayen Gulf was an Allied amphibious operation in the Philippines during World War II. In the early morning of 9 January 1945, an Allied force commanded by Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf began approaching the shores of Lingayen. U.S...
6 January 1945. During the important landing and the battle which followed, Howard F. Clark screened the escort carriers as they furnished air support to soldiers ashore and flew combat missions to keep the skies above clear of enemy aircraft. The destroyer escort had occasion both 8 and 9 January to rescue downed aviators from the water, and was detached soon after the second rescue to return to 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...
with Admiral Durgin's carriers.
Supporting Iwo Jima operations
Arriving 23 January 1945, they got underway 1 February for the next major step in the campaign -- Iwo JimaIwo 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...
. She became part of an underway replenishment group off Eniwetok and steamed to the eastward of the Marianas
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
, where the group refueled and replenished Task Force 58 13-14 February. During the next days she protected the refueling operations of many ships in support of the Iwo Jima landings to come, landings which would provide an important air base for attacks against Japan. She arrived off the bitterly-contested island 5 March, spent 2 days patrolling the refueling area offshore, and returned to Ulithi 10 March.
Supporting Okinawa operations
Howard F. Clark joined with ammunition-laden LST's at Ulithi and departed 21 March for Okinawa, the next island on the schedule of victory in the Pacific. Reaching recently-captured Kerama RettoKerama 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....
28 March with her precious convoy, she then steamed again for refueling rendezvous protecting the task force ships as they refueled. This duty engaged her until returning to Ulithi 13 April, after which the destroyer escort steamed back toward Okinawa 22 April with another refueling task force. Task Force 58 was again serviced 26 April, and 6 May Howard F. Clark departed again for Ulithi as part of the escort for battleship . She arrived 9 May and was soon at sea again screening another unit of Admiral Beary's U.S. 5th Fleet replenishment group. More refueling operations were conducted in the ocean approaches to Okinawa until 10 June, when Howard F. Clark was detached to escort an oiler unit to 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...
. They arrived 13 June and continued to Ulithi, 22 June.
End-of-war operations
Howard F. Clark continued her vital screening operations as Admiral Beary's group became part of U.S. 3rd Fleet. Steaming from Ulithi 3 July 1945, the ships replenished Task Force 38, thus supporting the carrier strikes against the Japanese mainland. During these operations, 8 July, the alert escort vessel rescued a pilot after a forced landing on the starboard bow of escort carrier . Subsequently, she made three voyages' in support of the buildup on Okinawa, returning from the final passage 7 September 1945. After several weeks of patrol and training maneuvers off Ulithi, she arrived Guam 11 October. The ship made one more stop at Ulithi 22 October, then sailed to Guam with a cargo of spare parts. She departed 5 November for the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Final decommissioning
The destroyer escort arrived San Pedro, California, via Pearl Harbor, 23 November 1945, and decommissioned 15 July 1946 at San Diego, California. Entering the reserve fleetReserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
, San Diego Group, she was later transferred to Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
. On 15 May 1972 she was struck from the Navy List
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...
, and, on 6 September 1973 she was sold for scrapping.