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USS Monssen (DD-798)
Encyclopedia
USS Monssen (DD-798) was a Fletcher-class
destroyer
of the United States Navy
, the second Navy ship named for Lieutenant Mons Monssen
(1867–1930), who was awarded the Medal of Honor
for putting out a fire in a magazine on Missouri
(BB-11).
Monssen was laid down 1 June 1943 by the Bethlehem Steel
Co., Shipbuilding Division, Staten Island, New York, N.Y.; launched
30 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Mons Monssen; and commissioned
14 February 1944, Commander Bernhart A. Feutsch in command.
, Monssen steamed north to Boston, Mass. to join the new cruiser
s Vincennes
(CL-64), Houston
(CL-81), and Miami
(CL-89) and escort them to San Diego
. From San Diego, she screened Carrier Division 26 (CarDiv 26) to Pearl Harbor
, arriving 8 May for rehearsals for the Marianas campaign. On 30 May, the destroyer sailed with Task Group 52.16 (TG 52.16) for Eniwetok, whence she continued on to Saipan
, arriving on 15 June. By dawn, she had commenced preparatory firing against Japanese positions on Green Beach 1. Close fire support was started with the initial landings on Saipan
and kept up, almost continuously, until noon, 17 June. Included in her accomplishments during that period was her assistance in the breaking up of a large-scale enemy tank
and troop counterattack, south of Garapan
, at dawn on the 16th.
Late on the 17th, Monssen departed Saipan and rendezvoused with the Fast Carrier Task Force
(then 5th Fleet's TF 58, later 3rd Fleet's TF 38) west of Guam
as reinforcements for the approaching engagement with the Imperial Japanese Navy
which would later be known as the Battle of the Philippine Sea
. Assigned to TG 58.7 (fast battleship
s), Monssen took up station on the radar picket
line and waited. Action began on the 19th when the group came under continuous attack from enemy carrier aircraft. During the day, the destroyer splashed two Yokosuka D4Y
"Judy"s and damaged a third. On the 20th, American aircraft staged a long range attack on the Japanese fleet and that night Monssen’s searchlight
s were turned on to aid the planes back to their ships and locate and rescue downed crews. The Force then pursued the retiring enemy until turning back toward Saipan at dusk on the 21st. Monssen resumed her duties of transport screen, radar picket, and fire support ship. On 2 July, she steamed to Eniwetok for a brief repair and replenishment period. Returning to Saipan, 12 July, she was employed in screening duties until the 23d, when she joined other assigned vessels in the bombardment of Tinian
.
On the 24th, she screened transports as they conducted demonstration landings
off Tinian Town and then provided fire support for the troops on the beachhead, continuing such support through the 31st. She remained in the Tinian area until 6 August, and then conducted antisubmarine patrols to the north of Saipan before turning back once again to Eniwetok.
From Eniwetok, Monssen steamed, with TG 32.41 to Guadalcanal
, where the Palau offensive was rehearsed. On 8 September, assigned to screen and provide fire support for TG 32.4, she headed west. On the 15th and 16th, she stood off Peleliu
, shifting to Angaur
on the 17th and remaining in the screen of that transport area until the 23d. On the 24th, she got underway for Manus Island
, whence she departed 11 October for Leyte Gulf
and her fifth amphibious landing.
), Monssen arrived in Leyte Gulf and delivered her charges to the Dulag
beaches on the 20th and then proceeded to take up her screening station, with Destroyer Squadron 54 (DesRon 54), across Surigao Strait
. Through the 24th, the squadron encountered only sporadic air attacks. In the early morning of the 25th, however, an enemy surface force attempted to force into the Leyte Gulf transportation area through Surigao Strait.
The 7th Fleet was waiting. The night before, Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf
had deployed his forces for what was to be the last engagement of a battleline. ComDesRon 54, Capt. Jesse B. Coward, divided his ships into eastern and western attack groups to launch offensive torpedo
attacks as the Japanese steamed up the strait. Monssen was assigned to the western group with McDermut
(DD-677) and positioned close to the Leyte shore. Soon after midnight the Japanese Southern Force was reported entering the strait. Between 03:00 and 03:01, the eastern group commenced launching torpedoes, firing 27 in less than 2 minutes. At 03:10, McDermut and Monssen under the Command of Cdr. Charles Kniese Bergin, USN launched their attack. At 03:20, explosions flashed, with one of Monssen’s “fish” scoring on the battleship Yamashiro
, but not stopping her. After firing their torpedoes, Monssen and McDermut retired north, hugging the coastline of Leyte to avoid fire from the ships of DesRon 24 and DesRon 56 and those of the battleline.
At dawn, Monssen resumed her patrol station and the next day departed for Hollandia, whence she screened reinforcement convoy
s to Leyte during November. On 9 December, she headed for Bougainville
, arriving on the 12th to escort TG 79.1 (transports) to New Guinea
for rehearsals of the Luzon invasion
. By 21 December, she was at Manus, whence she departed on the 30th to rendezvous with Task Unit 77.9.12 (TU 77.9.12) (landing craft of the reinforcement echelon) and proceeded to the northern Philippines
. She arrived in Lingayen Gulf
, 11 January 1945, 2 days after the initial assault. On the 12th, she received her first taste of Japanese suicide tactics when three kamikaze
s closed on her transport area. The destroyer took two under fire and assisted in exploding one 100 feet short of a merchant ship. The second crashed into Belknap (APD-34).
, escorted empty transports to Leyte, and then proceeded on to Ulithi
, where she joined TG 58.5, the fast carrier night group. The force sortied 10 February and set a course for the Japan
ese homeland. On the 16th and 17th, strikes were conducted on the Tokyo
area to prevent reinforcements from being sent to aid the Imperial forces in the Bonin and Volcano Islands
. By the 19th, they were off Iwo Jima
, providing support for the American troops embattled there
. Monssen remained in the Volcanos, screening the carriers and providing gunfire support for the land forces, until 9 March, when she returned to Ulithi. On 14 March, she again sortied with TF 58 for strikes on the enemy’s home islands. On the 18th, the carriers sent their planes against Kyūshū
and, on the 19th, against the Kure Naval Base, after which Monssen retired with the damaged Franklin
(CV-13).
Monssen resumed her position in the fast carrier force for further strikes on Japan on the 23d, followed by sweeps of the Ryūkyūs. For the next 7 weeks she served on radar picket stations and as plane guard as air operations were conducted in support of the Okinawa campaign
. A week after the initial assault, she proceeded north to intercept a Japanese surface force headed south. During this engagement, carrier planes sank the super-battleship Yamato
. On 11 May, Monssen retired to Ulithi for replenishment, returning to Okinawa on the 28th. After a week on picket station, she steamed north for fighter sweeps over Kyūshū, 2–3 June, then returned to Okinawa, whence she departed for further raids on Kyūshū, 8 June, and the bombardment of various northern Ryūkyū points.
From 13–30 June, Monssen enjoyed upkeep and replenishment at Leyte, departing 1 July for her final missions with TF 38. On the 10th, the force’s planes flew against Tokyo; on the 13th, 14th, and 15th, against Hokkaidō
and northern Honshū
as battleships of the force bombarded Muroran
, a steel center on Hokkaidō. On the 17th, 18th, and 19th, Tokyo was again the target of the planes, while the surface ships, including Monssen, shelled the Hitachi Armament Works, 70 miles to the north. On the 25th and 28th, the Inland Sea area was the recipient of America’s wartime industrial produce.
Rearmed at sea, the force returned to Tokyo on 9 August and on the 10th, Monssen and the other ships of DesRon 54, were detached with orders to proceed to the west coast for overhaul. Heading north, the squadron joined TF 92 for an antishipping sweep of the northern Kuriles and the bombardment of Paramushiro, 11th, and then continued on to Adak, Alaska
.
At Adak, on the 14th, Monssen received word of the Japanese surrender, and new orders to return to Japan with TF 92 for occupation duty in the Ominato Naval Base area. A month later she sailed for Pearl Harbor, arriving on the 24th and continuing on the next day to San Francisco
. There she received orders to continue to San Diego where she joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet, decommissioning 30 April 1946.
. Homeported at Newport, R.I.
, as a unit of DesRon 34, she added strength to the 2d Fleet as that fleet sent destroyers to the Far East
to support United Nations
forces in Korea
. On 3 May 1954, she herself departed for deployment with the 7th Fleet. Transiting the Panama Canal
, she arrived in the western Pacific 7 June and for the next 4 months patrolled off Korea and in the Taiwan Straits and conducted exercises in Japanese and Okinawan waters. On 5 October she departed Japan and continued her cruise, returning to Newport, via the Suez Canal
, in time for Christmas
.
For the next 3 years, Monssen cruised off the east coast and in the Caribbean, deploying early in 1956 for operations with the 6th Fleet. According to the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
, in September 1957, she again decommissioned; this time berthing at Boston as a unit of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. However, the Naval Vessel Register
lists the decommissioning date as 3 December 1957.
Transferred to the Philadelphia Reserve Group in 1962, Monssen was being towed down the coast when the towline parted in heavy seas due to the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962
. With seas running 10 to 15 feet and wind gusting to 50 knots, she went aground on 6 March at Beach Haven Inlet, New Jersey
, remaining there for 6 weeks before being pulled off and completing her journey. Declared unnecessary to the defense of the United States, Monssen was sold, 21 October 1963, to the Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., New York, N.Y. for scrapping.
Monssen received eight battle stars for World War II
service.
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...
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...
, the second Navy ship named for Lieutenant Mons Monssen
Mons Monssen
Mons Monssen was a sailor in the United States Navy who received the Medal of Honor for heroism while serving about the .-Biography:...
(1867–1930), who was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for putting out a fire in a magazine on Missouri
USS Missouri (BB-11)
USS Missouri , a Maine-class battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 24th state....
(BB-11).
Monssen was laid down 1 June 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., Shipbuilding Division, Staten Island, New York, N.Y.; 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...
30 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Mons Monssen; 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 Bernhart A. Feutsch in command.
Central Pacific campaigns
Following shakedown off BermudaBermuda
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...
, Monssen steamed north to Boston, Mass. to join the new 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 Vincennes
USS Vincennes (CL-64)
The third USS Vincennes was a Cleveland-class light cruiser of the United States Navy that saw action in the Pacific during the later half of World War II.-Construction and commissioning:...
(CL-64), 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 Miami
USS Miami (CL-89)
was one of 26 United States Navy light cruisers completed during or shortly after World War II. The ship, the second US Navy ship to bear the name, was named for the city of Miami, Florida. Miami was commissioned in December 1943, and saw service in several campaigns in the Pacific...
(CL-89) and escort them to San Diego
Naval Station San Diego
Naval Base San Diego is the largest base of the United States Navy on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of 54 ships and over 120 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched...
. From San Diego, she screened Carrier Division 26 (CarDiv 26) to 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...
, arriving 8 May for rehearsals for the Marianas campaign. On 30 May, the destroyer sailed with Task Group 52.16 (TG 52.16) for Eniwetok, whence she continued on to 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...
, arriving on 15 June. By dawn, she had commenced preparatory firing against Japanese positions on Green Beach 1. Close fire support was started with the initial landings on 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...
and kept up, almost continuously, until noon, 17 June. Included in her accomplishments during that period was her assistance in the breaking up of a large-scale enemy tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
and troop counterattack, south of Garapan
Garapan
Garapan is the largest village and the center of the tourism industry on the island of Saipan, which is a part of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ....
, at dawn on the 16th.
Late on the 17th, Monssen departed Saipan and rendezvoused with the Fast Carrier Task Force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
(then 5th Fleet's TF 58, later 3rd Fleet's TF 38) west 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...
as reinforcements for the approaching engagement with the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
which would later be known as 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...
. Assigned to TG 58.7 (fast 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), Monssen took up station on the 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...
line and waited. Action began on the 19th when the group came under continuous attack from enemy carrier aircraft. During the day, the destroyer splashed two Yokosuka D4Y
Yokosuka D4Y
The D4Y Navy Type 2 Carrier Dive bomber was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Its Allied reporting name was "Judy". The D4Y was one of the fastest dive-bombers of the war, and only the delays in its development hindered its service, while its predecessor, the slower fixed gear Aichi D3A...
"Judy"s and damaged a third. On the 20th, American aircraft staged a long range attack on the Japanese fleet and that night Monssen’s searchlight
Searchlight
A searchlight is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.-Military use:The Royal Navy used...
s were turned on to aid the planes back to their ships and locate and rescue downed crews. The Force then pursued the retiring enemy until turning back toward Saipan at dusk on the 21st. Monssen resumed her duties of transport screen, radar picket, and fire support ship. On 2 July, she steamed to Eniwetok for a brief repair and replenishment period. Returning to Saipan, 12 July, she was employed in screening duties until the 23d, when she joined other assigned vessels in the bombardment of 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....
.
On the 24th, she screened transports as they conducted demonstration landings
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:...
off Tinian Town and then provided fire support for the troops on the beachhead, continuing such support through the 31st. She remained in the Tinian area until 6 August, and then conducted antisubmarine patrols to the north of Saipan before turning back once again to Eniwetok.
From Eniwetok, Monssen steamed, with TG 32.41 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...
, where the Palau offensive was rehearsed. On 8 September, assigned to screen and provide fire support for TG 32.4, she headed west. On the 15th and 16th, she stood off Peleliu
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...
, shifting to Angaur
Battle of Angaur
The Battle of Angaur was a battle of the Pacific campaign in World War II, fought on the island of Angaur in the Palau Islands from 17 —30 September 1944.-Background:...
on the 17th and remaining in the screen of that transport area until the 23d. On the 24th, she got underway for Manus Island
Manus 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...
, whence she departed 11 October for 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...
and her fifth amphibious landing.
Philippines campaign
In the screen of TG 79.11 (landing craftLanding craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
), Monssen arrived in Leyte Gulf and delivered her charges to the Dulag
Dulag, Leyte
Dulag is a third-class municipality in the province of Leyte in Eastern Visayas in the Philippines. This coastal town covering 11,007 hectares of land is home to 44,143 residents...
beaches on the 20th and then proceeded to take up her screening station, with Destroyer Squadron 54 (DesRon 54), across Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait is a body of water in the Philippines located between the islands of Mindanao and Leyte. This strait connects the Bohol Sea with Leyte Gulf and is regularly crossed by ferries that transport goods and people between Visayas and Mindanao...
. Through the 24th, the squadron encountered only sporadic air attacks. In the early morning of the 25th, however, an enemy surface force attempted to force into the Leyte Gulf transportation area through Surigao Strait.
The 7th Fleet was waiting. The night before, Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf
Jesse B. Oldendorf
Jesse Bartlett "Oley" Oldendorf was an admiral in the United States Navy, famous for defeating a Japanese force in the Battle of Leyte Gulf during World War II...
had deployed his forces for what was to be the last engagement of a battleline. ComDesRon 54, Capt. Jesse B. Coward, divided his ships into eastern and western attack groups to launch offensive torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
attacks as the Japanese steamed up the strait. Monssen was assigned to the western group with McDermut
USS McDermut (DD-677)
USS McDermut was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, the second Navy ship named for Lieutenant Commander David A. McDermut....
(DD-677) and positioned close to the Leyte shore. Soon after midnight the Japanese Southern Force was reported entering the strait. Between 03:00 and 03:01, the eastern group commenced launching torpedoes, firing 27 in less than 2 minutes. At 03:10, McDermut and Monssen under the Command of Cdr. Charles Kniese Bergin, USN launched their attack. At 03:20, explosions flashed, with one of Monssen’s “fish” scoring on the battleship Yamashiro
Japanese battleship Yamashiro
Yamashiro was the Imperial Japanese Navy's second Fusō-class battleship, and was laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on November 20, 1913, launched on November 3, 1915, and commissioned on March 31, 1917. She was the first Japanese vessel equipped with aircraft catapults...
, but not stopping her. After firing their torpedoes, Monssen and McDermut retired north, hugging the coastline of Leyte to avoid fire from the ships of DesRon 24 and DesRon 56 and those of the battleline.
At dawn, Monssen resumed her patrol station and the next day departed for Hollandia, whence she screened reinforcement 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...
s to Leyte during November. On 9 December, she headed for Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
, arriving on the 12th to escort TG 79.1 (transports) to 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...
for rehearsals of the Luzon invasion
Battle of Luzon
The Battle of Luzon was a land battle fought as part of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II by the Allied forces of the U.S., its colony The Philippines, and Mexico against forces of the Empire of Japan. The battle resulted in a U.S. and Filipino victory...
. By 21 December, she was at Manus, whence she departed on the 30th to rendezvous with Task Unit 77.9.12 (TU 77.9.12) (landing craft of the reinforcement echelon) and proceeded to the northern 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...
. She arrived in 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...
, 11 January 1945, 2 days after the initial assault. On the 12th, she received her first taste of Japanese suicide tactics when three kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
s closed on her transport area. The destroyer took two under fire and assisted in exploding one 100 feet short of a merchant ship. The second crashed into Belknap (APD-34).
Japan campaigns
On 13 January, Monssen departed LuzonLuzon
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...
, escorted empty transports to Leyte, and then proceeded on 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...
, where she joined TG 58.5, the fast carrier night group. The force sortied 10 February and set a 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 homeland. On the 16th and 17th, strikes were conducted on the Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
area to prevent reinforcements from being sent to aid the Imperial forces in the Bonin and Volcano Islands
Volcano Islands
The Volcano Islands is a group of three Japanese islands south of the Bonin Islands that belong to the municipality of Ogasawara...
. By the 19th, they were off Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
, providing support for the American troops embattled there
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...
. Monssen remained in the Volcanos, screening the carriers and providing gunfire support for the land forces, until 9 March, when she returned to Ulithi. On 14 March, she again sortied with TF 58 for strikes on the enemy’s home islands. On the 18th, the carriers sent their planes against Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
and, on the 19th, against the Kure Naval Base, after which Monssen retired with the damaged Franklin
USS Franklin (CV-13)
The USS Franklin , nicknamed "Big Ben," was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy, and the fifth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in January 1944, she served in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning four battle stars...
(CV-13).
Monssen resumed her position in the fast carrier force for further strikes on Japan on the 23d, followed by sweeps of the Ryūkyūs. For the next 7 weeks she served on radar picket stations and as plane guard as air operations were conducted in support of the Okinawa campaign
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...
. A week after the initial assault, she proceeded north to intercept a Japanese surface force headed south. During this engagement, carrier planes sank the super-battleship Yamato
Japanese battleship Yamato
, named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing...
. On 11 May, Monssen retired to Ulithi for replenishment, returning to Okinawa on the 28th. After a week on picket station, she steamed north for fighter sweeps over Kyūshū, 2–3 June, then returned to Okinawa, whence she departed for further raids on Kyūshū, 8 June, and the bombardment of various northern Ryūkyū points.
From 13–30 June, Monssen enjoyed upkeep and replenishment at Leyte, departing 1 July for her final missions with TF 38. On the 10th, the force’s planes flew against Tokyo; on the 13th, 14th, and 15th, against Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
and northern Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
as battleships of the force bombarded Muroran
Muroran, Hokkaido
is a city and port located in Iburi, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the capital city of Iburi Subprefecture.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 96,724 and a density of 1,210 people per km². The total area is 80.65 km².- History :...
, a steel center on Hokkaidō. On the 17th, 18th, and 19th, Tokyo was again the target of the planes, while the surface ships, including Monssen, shelled the Hitachi Armament Works, 70 miles to the north. On the 25th and 28th, the Inland Sea area was the recipient of America’s wartime industrial produce.
Rearmed at sea, the force returned to Tokyo on 9 August and on the 10th, Monssen and the other ships of DesRon 54, were detached with orders to proceed to the west coast for overhaul. Heading north, the squadron joined TF 92 for an antishipping sweep of the northern Kuriles and the bombardment of Paramushiro, 11th, and then continued on to Adak, Alaska
Adak, Alaska
Adak , formerly Adak Station, is a city in the Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 326. It is the westernmost municipality in the United States and the southernmost city in Alaska. The city is the former location of the Adak Army Base and Adak...
.
At Adak, on the 14th, Monssen received word of the Japanese surrender, and new orders to return to Japan with TF 92 for occupation duty in the Ominato Naval Base area. A month later she sailed for Pearl Harbor, arriving on the 24th and continuing on the next day to San Francisco
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...
. There she received orders to continue to San Diego where she joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet, decommissioning 30 April 1946.
1951 – 1963
Monssen recommissioned 31 October 1951 and reported, in March 1952, for duty with the Atlantic FleetU.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
. Homeported 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...
, as a unit of DesRon 34, she added strength to the 2d Fleet as that fleet sent destroyers to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
to support 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...
forces in 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...
. On 3 May 1954, she herself departed for deployment with the 7th Fleet. Transiting 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...
, she arrived in the western Pacific 7 June and for the next 4 months patrolled off Korea and in the Taiwan Straits and conducted exercises in Japanese and Okinawan waters. On 5 October she departed Japan and continued her cruise, returning to Newport, via 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...
, in time for Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
.
For the next 3 years, Monssen cruised off the east coast and in the Caribbean, deploying early in 1956 for operations with the 6th Fleet. According to the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships is the official reference work for the basic facts about ships used by the United States Navy...
, in September 1957, she again decommissioned; this time berthing at Boston as a unit of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. However, the Naval Vessel Register
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...
lists the decommissioning date as 3 December 1957.
Transferred to the Philadelphia Reserve Group in 1962, Monssen was being towed down the coast when the towline parted in heavy seas due to the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962
Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962
The Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 occurred on March 6–8, 1962 along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. It was considered by the U.S. Geological Survey to be one of the most destructive storms ever to affect the mid-Atlantic states...
. With seas running 10 to 15 feet and wind gusting to 50 knots, she went aground on 6 March at Beach Haven Inlet, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, remaining there for 6 weeks before being pulled off and completing her journey. Declared unnecessary to the defense of the United States, Monssen was sold, 21 October 1963, to the Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., New York, N.Y. for scrapping.
Monssen received eight battle stars for 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...
service.