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USS Mahan (DD-364)
Encyclopedia
The second USS Mahan (DD-364) was the lead ship
of her class
of destroyer
s in the United States Navy
during World War II
. She was named for Rear Admiral
Alfred Thayer Mahan
.
, New York
, 12 June 1934; launched 15 October 1935; sponsored by Miss Kathleen H. Mahan, great-granddaughter of Rear Adm. A. T. Mahan; and commissioned 18 September 1936, Commander J. B. Waller in command.
Combining initial training operations with a good will tour, Mahan departed New York 16 November 1936 for a 2‑month cruise to Caribbean
and South America
n ports. She returned in January 1937 and operated along the East Coast until July, when she sailed for the Pacific
. Arriving on the West Coast in mid‑August, she participated in fleet training operations off the southern California
coast before proceeding to her new station at Pearl Harbor
. Until December 1941, periodic visits to the West Coast and a cruise to the Caribbean for fleet problems in February 1939 varied a busy schedule of training exercises and patrols in Hawaii
an waters.
On patrol 7 December 1941 during the attack on Pearl Harbor
, Mahan, with TF 12, was ordered to set course for the Japan
ese forces, thought to be headed for Jaluit from a position 200 miles south of Pearl Harbor, and “intercept and destroy.” Unable to locate the enemy, Mahan returned to Pearl Harbor on the 12th.
In late December she carried reinforcements to the Marine
detachment at Johnston Island and evacuated the civilians to Hawaii. Mahan then conducted screening activities for inter‑island and transoceanic convoys until 24 February, when she was assigned to a patrol station off Canton Island. Departing Canton Island 24 March, she returned to Hawaii thence proceeded to the West Coast for overhaul. She next conducted patrols in Hawaiian and West Coast waters until departing for the South Pacific 16 October 1942. En route on the 22d, with Lamson
, she conducted a raid on Japanese patrol boats south of the Gilbert Islands
, sinking two. Steaming with TF 61 north of the Santa Cruz Islands
by the 27th, she was attacked by Japanese aircraft and downed four. That same day, following the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
, Mahan collided with South Dakota
. Damage to both ships was severe. Following temporary repairs at Noumea
, New Caledonia
, Mahan proceeded to Pearl Harbor where she was quickly given a new bow.
, New Caledonia, and the Fiji
Islands before establishing a patrol off New Caledonia in March. Resuming escort duties in April, she made one trip to Guadalcanal
and back and then commenced operations in Australia
n waters. Moving to New Guinea, she began basing at Milne Bay
2 July. Continuously in action for the next 3 months, she participated in the landings at Nassau Bay 9 August; the bombardment of Finschhafen
on the 22d and 23d; the preparations and covering force actions for the landings at Lae
, 4 to 8 September; and the landing of Australian troops at Finschhafen on the 22d, when she downed three Japanese planes.
Through October and November, she operated out of Buna
, patrolling around New Guinea
. In December, Mahan bombarded Japanese installations in New Britain
and on the 26th provided effective fire support for the landings at Cape Gloucester
on that island. Shore bombardment of Gali
, New Guinea, a short stay in Sydney
, Australia, and escort duties between New Guinea and New Britain followed. On 28 February 1944, before commencing convoy activities in the Admiralty Islands
, she turned her guns on Los Negros Island
.
After more than 2 busy years in the war zone, in the spring of 1944 the veteran destroyer proceeded to San Francisco, California
for overhaul. Early in July she returned to Pearl Harbor and participated in exercises there until 15 August. Steaming via Eniwetok, Jaluit, Guam
, Saipan
, and Ulithi
, Mahan returned to New Guinea 20 October. She then escorted convoys between Hollandia
and Leyte until taking up antisubmarine patrol duties off Leyte at the end of November.
, the destroyer was attacked by a squadron of Japanese aircraft. In the ensuing engagement, she shot down three of the attacking planes but three of the remainder crashed into her. The resultant fires soon spread out of control to the ship’s magazines. The ship was abandoned and the survivors picked up by nearby vessels. An hour later Walke
sank Mahan by gunfire and torpedoes.
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of her class
Mahan class destroyer
The Mahan-class destroyers served in the United States Navy before and during World War II. The lead ship of the class was named for Alfred T. Mahan, a US Naval officer and influential theorist on sea power....
of 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...
s 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 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"...
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan was a United States Navy flag officer, geostrategist, and historian, who has been called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His concept of "sea power" was based on the idea that countries with greater naval power will have greater worldwide...
.
History
Mahan was laid down by United Dry Docks, Inc., Staten IslandStaten 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...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 12 June 1934; launched 15 October 1935; sponsored by Miss Kathleen H. Mahan, great-granddaughter of Rear Adm. A. T. Mahan; and commissioned 18 September 1936, Commander J. B. Waller in command.
Combining initial training operations with a good will tour, Mahan departed New York 16 November 1936 for a 2‑month cruise to 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...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n ports. She returned in January 1937 and operated along the East Coast until July, when she sailed for the Pacific
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...
. Arriving on the West Coast in mid‑August, she participated in fleet training operations off the southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
coast before proceeding to her new station 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...
. Until December 1941, periodic visits to the West Coast and a cruise to the Caribbean for fleet problems in February 1939 varied a busy schedule of training exercises and patrols in 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 waters.
On patrol 7 December 1941 during the attack on Pearl Harbor
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...
, Mahan, with TF 12, was ordered to set course for the 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...
ese forces, thought to be headed for Jaluit from a position 200 miles south of Pearl Harbor, and “intercept and destroy.” Unable to locate the enemy, Mahan returned to Pearl Harbor on the 12th.
In late December she carried reinforcements to 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...
detachment at Johnston Island and evacuated the civilians to Hawaii. Mahan then conducted screening activities for inter‑island and transoceanic convoys until 24 February, when she was assigned to a patrol station off Canton Island. Departing Canton Island 24 March, she returned to Hawaii thence proceeded to the West Coast for overhaul. She next conducted patrols in Hawaiian and West Coast waters until departing for the South Pacific 16 October 1942. En route on the 22d, with Lamson
USS Lamson (DD-367)
The third USS Lamson was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Roswell Hawkes Lamson.-History:...
, she conducted a raid on Japanese patrol boats south of the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
, sinking two. Steaming with TF 61 north of the Santa Cruz Islands
Santa Cruz Islands
The Santa Cruz Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands. They lie approximately 250 miles to the southeast of the Solomon Islands Chain...
by the 27th, she was attacked by Japanese aircraft and downed four. That same day, following the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or in Japanese sources as the , was the fourth carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial...
, Mahan collided with South Dakota
USS South Dakota (BB-57)
USS South Dakota was a battleship in the United States Navy from 1942 until 1947. The lead ship of her class, South Dakota was the third ship of the US Navy to be named in honor of the 40th state. During World War II, she first served in a fifteen-month tour in the Pacific theater, where she saw...
. Damage to both ships was severe. Following temporary repairs at 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,...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, Mahan proceeded to Pearl Harbor where she was quickly given a new bow.
1943 - 1944
Mahan returned to the South Pacific 9 January 1943 and escorted convoys between the New HebridesNew Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
, New Caledonia, and the Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
Islands before establishing a patrol off New Caledonia in March. Resuming escort duties in April, she made one trip to 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...
and back and then commenced operations in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n waters. Moving to New Guinea, she began basing at Milne Bay
Milne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
2 July. Continuously in action for the next 3 months, she participated in the landings at Nassau Bay 9 August; the bombardment of Finschhafen
Finschhafen
Finschhafen is a district on the northeast coast of the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. It is named after the port of the same name.The port was discovered in 1884 by the German researcher Otto Finsch. In 1885 the German colony of German New Guinea created a town on the site and named it...
on the 22d and 23d; the preparations and covering force actions for the landings at 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...
, 4 to 8 September; and the landing of Australian troops at Finschhafen on the 22d, when she downed three Japanese planes.
Through October and November, she operated out of Buna
Buna, Papua New Guinea
Buna is a village in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. It was the site in part, of the Battle of Buna-Gona during World War II, when it constituted a variety of native huts and a handful of houses with a airstrip...
, patrolling around 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...
. In December, Mahan bombarded Japanese installations in New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
and on the 26th provided effective fire support for the landings at Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester is a headland, in the northwest of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at . During World War II, the Japanese captured New Britain, and had driven most of Cape Gloucester's native population out to construct two airfields...
on that island. Shore bombardment of Gali
Gali
Gali may refer to:* Gali , a town in Abkhazia, Georgia* Gali District, Abkhazia* Gali Municipality, Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia* Gali District, Georgia* Toa Gali, a hero in Lego's Bionicle storyline...
, New Guinea, a short stay in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia, and escort duties between New Guinea and New Britain followed. On 28 February 1944, before commencing convoy activities in the Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
, she turned her guns on Los Negros Island
Los Negros Island
Los Negros Island is the third largest of the Admiralty Islands. It is significant because it contains the main airport of Manus Province on its eastern coastline, at Momote. It is connected to Lorengau, the capital of the province, on Manus Island via a highway and bridge...
.
After more than 2 busy years in the war zone, in the spring of 1944 the veteran destroyer proceeded to San Francisco, California
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...
for overhaul. Early in July she returned to Pearl Harbor and participated in exercises there until 15 August. Steaming via Eniwetok, Jaluit, 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...
, 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...
, and 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...
, Mahan returned to New Guinea 20 October. She then escorted convoys between 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....
and Leyte until taking up antisubmarine patrol duties off Leyte at the end of November.
Fate
On 7 December 1944, while patrolling between Leyte and Ponson IslandPonson Island
Ponson Island is an island located in the province of Cebu, located east of Cebu Island and west of Leyte Island.Pilar, Cebu is the island's sole municipality....
, the destroyer was attacked by a squadron of Japanese aircraft. In the ensuing engagement, she shot down three of the attacking planes but three of the remainder crashed into her. The resultant fires soon spread out of control to the ship’s magazines. The ship was abandoned and the survivors picked up by nearby vessels. An hour later Walke
USS Walke (DD-723)
USS Walke , an , was the 3rd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Henry A. Walke, a Rear Admiral during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. The third Walke was laid down on 7 June 1943 at Bath, Maine, by the Bath Iron Works; launched on 27 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs...
sank Mahan by gunfire and torpedoes.