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USS Irwin (DD-794)
Encyclopedia
USS Irwin (DD-794), a Fletcher-class
destroyer
, was a ship of the United States Navy
named for Rear Admiral Noble E. Irwin
(1869–1937).
Irwin was launched
31 October 1943 by the Bethlehem Steel
Co., San Pedro, California; sponsored by Mrs. Charles A. Lockwood, Jr., daughter of Admiral Irwin and wife of Vice Admiral Lockwood; and commissioned
14 February 1944, Commander Daniel B. Miller in command.
, thence to Eniwetok to stage for the invasion of the Marianas. She sailed 11 June in the screen of escort carriers providing air cover for the invasion of Saipan
15 June 1944. As the Japanese Mobile Fleet was turned back in defeat from the Marianas
in the Battle of the Philippine Sea
19 to 21 June, Irwin shot down an enemy torpedo bomber
while repelling air attacks on the escort carrier
s.
Irwin bombarded the enemy on Saipan
21 to 29 June, guarded escort carriers covering the invasion of Tinian
23 July, then gave bombardment support to troops fighting on Guam. She next joined the screen of fast attack carriers hitting hard at enemy bases in the Palau Islands, along the coast of Luzon
, Okinawa and Formosa
. Off the latter enemy-held shore 14 October 1944, she shot down a torpedo bomber. She assisted in the escort of the bomb-damaged cruiser
s Houston
(CL-81) and Canberra
(CA-70) to safety, then again joined the screen of fast attack carriers giving direct air support to the liberation landings at Leyte
, 20 October 1944.
The Japanese fleet made a three-pronged approach to the Philippines 24 October 1944 for the Battle of Leyte Gulf
. Planes from Irwins carrier task group made destructive bombing runs on the Japanese Center Force of battleship
s and cruisers. But land-based Japanese bombers retaliated with heavy air strikes, scoring a lucky bomb hit on light carrier Princeton
(CVL-23). In a heroic saga that brought Irwin the award of the Navy Unit Commendation
, she braved raging flames, violent explosions, falling debris, and exploding shells as she went alongside Princeton. Fighting dense black smoke in a choppy sea, she rigged hoses and fought fires in the forward part of the hangar deck. Later, when an explosion blew off the major portion of the carrier's stern, Irwin immediately dispatched boats and her men dived into icy seas to rescue survivors. One of the divers was Charles Edward Kahler who was a designated strong swimmer aboard the Irwin. Though damaged herself, the destroyer stood at close quarters until she had rescued 646 men from the sea and from the decks of Princeton.
Irwin headed for Ulithi
with Princeton survivors as the Japanese Southern Force was largely destroyed in the Battle of Surigao Strait, their carriers destroyed off Cape Engaño, and their powerful battleship-cruiser-destroyer bombardment force turned back in the Battle off Samar
. From Ulithi she sailed for overhaul in the San Francisco Naval Shipyard
(17 November 1944 – 23 January 1945). She then steamed for Hawaii, thence to the Marshalls
and finally to Saipan, arriving 14 February 1945.
Irwin helped screen attack carriers giving direct air support to the invasion of Iwo Jima
, 19–23 February 1945, then pounded Okinawa. She joined in the preinvasion bombardment of Okinawa 27–31 March, fighting off repeated attacks from planes, torpedo boats, and suicide craft. On 30 March Irwin repelled three Japanese torpedo boat
s, sinking one, damaging another, and forcing the other to flee. As Marines
stormed the shores of Okinawa
1 April 1945, she shot down a twin-engined bomber and rescued one enemy survivor from this victim. For 2 months, Irwin bombarded enemy artillery positions, machine gun emplacements, troop concentrations, caves and suicide boat hiding places. She shot down a suicide torpedo bomber 12 April 1945, and scored another kill the 16th as she covered the landings on Ie Shima. Another enemy suicide plane was shot down 21 May. Irwin figured in another mercy mission the night of 16 June 1945 when she assisted in the rescue of survivors from destroyer Twiggs
(DD-591), sunk by combined air, torpedo, and suicide attacks.
Irwin remained off Okinawa until hostilities ceased with Japan 15 August 1945. She entered Tokyo Bay
31 August and escorted occupation troops between Okinawa and Japan until 28 October when she stood out of Yokosuka for return to San Diego, arriving 15 November 1945. Following inactivation overhaul, she decommissioned there 31 May 1946 and joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet.
, California She sailed 12 May for overhaul in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, then shifted to base at Newport, R.I.
, 16 December 1952. She bolstered 6th Fleet strength and readiness in the Mediterranean, January to June 1952, trained along the eastern seaboard, then sailed from Fall River, Mass.
, 1 April 1953.
Steaming through the Panama Canal
, Irwin called at San Diego and Hawaii en route to join the 7th Fleet in waters off embattled Korea
. She guarded the fast attack carriers as they blasted communist targets far inland, and herself joined in the destruction of enemy coastal supply routes and depots by making repeated coastal gunstrikes in support of United Nations
troops ashore. Following the uneasy truce, she transited the Suez Canal
and called at Mediterranean ports en route to Boston, arriving 2 October 1953.
Irwin engaged in coastwise operations out of Newport until 5 January 1955 when she sailed for NATO maneuvers in the North Atlantic, thence into the Mediterranean. She returned to Newport 26 May 1955, engaging in Atlantic seaboard operations until departure 29 March 1956 to base at Long Beach, California
Irwin arrived in Long Beach 15 April but soon deployed to spend the summer with the roving 7th Fleet in waters ranging from Japan to Okinawa, the Philippines and Taiwan. She returned to Long Beach 11 August for tactics ranging as far west as Hawaii, again sailing 12 March 1957 to join the 7th Fleet in the Far East. Following patrol of the Taiwan straits, combined fleet maneuvers with SEATO nations, and goodwill visits to ports of the Philippines and Japan, she returned to Long Beach 24 August 1957 for inactivation. She decommissioned 10 January 1958.
Irwin received the Navy Unit Commendation
and six battle stars for service in World War II
and one battle star for Korean War
service.
10 May 1968, where she was renamed Santa Catarina (D32).
Santa Catarina was stricken in 1988 and used thereafter as a practice target. In 1989 ex-D32 was used as target for the first launch of a live Sea Skua
missile from a Brazilian Navy Westland Lynx
helicopter. Ex-D32 was finally sunk in 1990.
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...
, was a ship 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 Noble E. Irwin
Noble E. Irwin
Noble Edward Irwin was a United States Navy Rear Admiral and Navy Cross recipient.-Biography:He was born at Greenfield, Ohio on September 29, 1869. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in June 1891, and was wounded in action 1 May 1898 while aboard the USS Baltimore in the Battle of...
(1869–1937).
Irwin 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...
31 October 1943 by the 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., San Pedro, California; sponsored by Mrs. Charles A. Lockwood, Jr., daughter of Admiral Irwin and wife of Vice Admiral Lockwood; 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...
14 February 1944, Commander Daniel B. Miller in command.
World War II
Following shakedown, Irwin departed San Diego 26 April 1944 for HawaiiHawaii
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...
, thence to Eniwetok to stage for the invasion of the Marianas. She sailed 11 June in the screen of escort carriers providing air cover for the invasion of Saipan
Battle of Saipan
The 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...
15 June 1944. As the Japanese Mobile Fleet was turned back in defeat from 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...
in the 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...
19 to 21 June, Irwin shot down an enemy torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
while repelling air attacks on the escort carrier
Escort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
s.
Irwin bombarded the enemy on 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...
21 to 29 June, guarded escort carriers covering the invasion of Tinian
Battle of Tinian
The Battle of Tinian was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands from 24 July 1944 to 1 August 1944.-Background:...
23 July, then gave bombardment support to troops fighting on Guam. She next joined the screen of fast attack carriers hitting hard at enemy bases in the Palau Islands, along the coast of 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...
, Okinawa and Formosa
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...
. Off the latter enemy-held shore 14 October 1944, she shot down a torpedo bomber. She assisted in the escort of the bomb-damaged cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s Houston
USS Houston (CL-81)
USS Houston , a Cleveland-class light cruiser, was the third vessel in the United States Navy named after the city of Houston, Texas. She was active in the Pacific War for several months, then crippled in an attack in October 1944....
(CL-81) and Canberra
USS Canberra (CA-70)
USS Canberra was a Baltimore class cruiser and later a Boston class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy. Originally to be named USS Pittsburgh, the ship was renamed Canberra before launch, for the Royal Australian Navy's County class cruiser, , which was sunk during the Battle of Savo...
(CA-70) to safety, then again joined the screen of fast attack carriers giving direct air support to the liberation landings at Leyte
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...
, 20 October 1944.
The Japanese fleet made a three-pronged approach to the Philippines 24 October 1944 for the Battle of Leyte Gulf
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
. Planes from Irwins carrier task group made destructive bombing runs on the Japanese Center Force of battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s and cruisers. But land-based Japanese bombers retaliated with heavy air strikes, scoring a lucky bomb hit on light carrier Princeton
USS Princeton (CVL-23)
The fourth USS Princeton was a United States Navy lost at the battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944.-Construction and deployment:The ship was laid down as the Tallahassee by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, 2 June 1941...
(CVL-23). In a heroic saga that brought Irwin the award of 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...
, she braved raging flames, violent explosions, falling debris, and exploding shells as she went alongside Princeton. Fighting dense black smoke in a choppy sea, she rigged hoses and fought fires in the forward part of the hangar deck. Later, when an explosion blew off the major portion of the carrier's stern, Irwin immediately dispatched boats and her men dived into icy seas to rescue survivors. One of the divers was Charles Edward Kahler who was a designated strong swimmer aboard the Irwin. Though damaged herself, the destroyer stood at close quarters until she had rescued 646 men from the sea and from the decks of Princeton.
Irwin headed 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...
with Princeton survivors as the Japanese Southern Force was largely destroyed in the Battle of Surigao Strait, their carriers destroyed off Cape Engaño, and their powerful battleship-cruiser-destroyer bombardment force turned back in the Battle off Samar
Battle off Samar
The Battle off Samar was the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, which took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines on 25 October 1944...
. From Ulithi she sailed for overhaul in the San Francisco Naval Shipyard
San Francisco Naval Shipyard
The San Francisco Naval Shipyard was a United States Navy shipyard in San Francisco, California, located on of waterfront at Hunters Point in the southeast corner of the city...
(17 November 1944 – 23 January 1945). She then steamed for Hawaii, thence to the Marshalls
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
and finally to Saipan, arriving 14 February 1945.
Irwin helped screen attack carriers giving direct air support to the invasion of Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
, 19–23 February 1945, then pounded Okinawa. She joined in the preinvasion bombardment of Okinawa 27–31 March, fighting off repeated attacks from planes, torpedo boats, and suicide craft. On 30 March Irwin repelled three Japanese torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s, sinking one, damaging another, and forcing the other to flee. As Marines
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...
stormed the shores of 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...
1 April 1945, she shot down a twin-engined bomber and rescued one enemy survivor from this victim. For 2 months, Irwin bombarded enemy artillery positions, machine gun emplacements, troop concentrations, caves and suicide boat hiding places. She shot down a suicide torpedo bomber 12 April 1945, and scored another kill the 16th as she covered the landings on Ie Shima. Another enemy suicide plane was shot down 21 May. Irwin figured in another mercy mission the night of 16 June 1945 when she assisted in the rescue of survivors from destroyer Twiggs
USS Twiggs (DD-591)
USS Twiggs , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Marine Major Levi Twiggs ....
(DD-591), sunk by combined air, torpedo, and suicide attacks.
Irwin remained off Okinawa until hostilities ceased with Japan 15 August 1945. She entered Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
31 August and escorted occupation troops between Okinawa and Japan until 28 October when she stood out of Yokosuka for return to San Diego, arriving 15 November 1945. Following inactivation overhaul, she decommissioned there 31 May 1946 and joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet.
1951 – 1958
Irwin recommissioned 26 February 1951 at Long BeachLong Beach Naval Shipyard
thumb|right|300px|Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1993The Long Beach Naval Shipyard, which closed in 1997, was located at Terminal Island between the city of Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles and approximately 23 miles south of the Los Angeles International Airport.The Long Beach...
, California She sailed 12 May for overhaul in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, then shifted to base at 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...
, 16 December 1952. She bolstered 6th Fleet strength and readiness in the Mediterranean, January to June 1952, trained along the eastern seaboard, then sailed from Fall River, Mass.
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
, 1 April 1953.
Steaming through 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...
, Irwin called at San Diego and Hawaii en route to join the 7th Fleet in waters off embattled 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...
. She guarded the fast attack carriers as they blasted communist targets far inland, and herself joined in the destruction of enemy coastal supply routes and depots by making repeated coastal gunstrikes in support of 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 ashore. Following the uneasy truce, she transited 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 called at Mediterranean ports en route to Boston, arriving 2 October 1953.
Irwin engaged in coastwise operations out of Newport until 5 January 1955 when she sailed for NATO maneuvers in the North Atlantic, thence into the Mediterranean. She returned to Newport 26 May 1955, engaging in Atlantic seaboard operations until departure 29 March 1956 to base at Long Beach, California
Irwin arrived in Long Beach 15 April but soon deployed to spend the summer with the roving 7th Fleet in waters ranging from Japan to Okinawa, the Philippines and Taiwan. She returned to Long Beach 11 August for tactics ranging as far west as Hawaii, again sailing 12 March 1957 to join the 7th Fleet in the Far East. Following patrol of the Taiwan straits, combined fleet maneuvers with SEATO nations, and goodwill visits to ports of the Philippines and Japan, she returned to Long Beach 24 August 1957 for inactivation. She decommissioned 10 January 1958.
Irwin received 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...
and six battle stars for service in 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...
and one battle star for Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
service.
Santa Catarina (D32) Irwin was transferred to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
10 May 1968, where she was renamed Santa Catarina (D32).
Santa Catarina was stricken in 1988 and used thereafter as a practice target. In 1989 ex-D32 was used as target for the first launch of a live Sea Skua
Sea Skua
The Sea Skua is a British lightweight short-range air-to-surface missile designed for use from helicopters against ships. It is primarily used by the Royal Navy on the Westland Lynx helicopter, although Kuwait uses it in a shore battery and on their Umm Al Maradem fast attack craft.The British...
missile from a Brazilian Navy Westland Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
helicopter. Ex-D32 was finally sunk in 1990.