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USS O'Brien (DD-415)
Encyclopedia
USS O'Brien (DD-415) was a World War II
-era Sims-class
destroyer
in the service of the United States Navy
, named in honor of Captain
Jeremiah O'Brien
and his five brothers, Gideon, John, William, Dennis and Joseph, who captured the HMS Margaretta on 12 June 1775 during the American revolution
.
The O’Brien was laid down at Boston Navy Yard
, Boston, Massachusetts, on 31 May 1938; launched on 20 October 1939; sponsored by Miss Josephine O’Brien Campbell, a great-great-great granddaughter of Gideon O’Brien; and commissioned on 2 March 1940, with Lieutenant Commander
Carl F. Espe in command. Since this warship
was built in a drydock, along with the , , and , the christening and commissioning ceremonies were combined.
.
on 15 January 1942 along with the and , and then steamed for the Pacific Ocean
. Transiting the Panama Canal
on 20 January, the trio of ships arrived in San Francisco, California
, on 31 January.
The O’Brien steamed with a convoy for the Western Pacific on 4 February 1942, but she was forced to return when a collision with damaged her port side. Following repairs at the Mare Island Navy Yard, the destroyer
steamed out again on 20 February, bound for Pearl Harbor
. There Commander Destroyer Division 4 shifted his flag to the O’Brien on 5 March 1942.
After operating out of Pearl Harbor and patrolling the Hawaiian atoll
, French Frigate Shoals
, the O'Brien called at Midway Island in the latter part of March, escorting the seaplane tender
there to evacuate civilians. The two warships returned to Pearl Harbor on 3 April. After an increase and improvement of her antiaircraft batteries, she embarked passengers for transportation to the Naval Air Station
at Palmyra Atoll
, and then steamed out on 18 April with the and . The destroyer then joined convoys from San Diego and San Francisco to escort them to American Samoa
, arriving at Pago Pago on 28 April.
The O’Brien was retained at Pago Pago for local escort work. On 26 May, she supported the occupation of Wallis Island
, previously taken over by the Free French, and then she joined the on 19 June for the return voyage to Pearl Harbor. Operating out of Pearl Harbor, the ship performed escort duty and acted as patrol and plane guard. She got underway on 17 August with Task Force 17 (TF 17) to reinforce the South Pacific Force, screening the tanker .
, the combined Task Force
s 17 and 18 were attacked by the submarine
on 15 September 1942. The aircraft carrier USS Wasp
(CV-7) was sunk, and the battleship
USS North Carolina
and the O’Brien were damaged by a spread of six torpedo
es from this IJN submarine.
At 1452 that afternoon, the O’Brien sighted smoke coming from the USS Wasp. As a member of 's antisubmarine warfare screen, she made an emergency turn to the right. At about 1454, while accelerating and swinging right, her lookouts spotted a torpedo two points forward of the port beam, 1,000 yards (915 meters) away. This torpedo the O'Brien missed close astern, but while her crew's attention was concentrated on it, another torpedo hit her port bow.
This explosion did little obvious damage, but it set up severe structural stresses throughout the framework of the O'Brien. She was able to proceed under her own power, and on 16 September she reached Espiritu Santo
, where the sailors of the USS Curtiss made temporary repairs. The USS O’Brien next steamed out on 21 September, bound for Noumea
, New Caledonia
, for further repairs by the repair ship . Then, she steamed out on 10 October, bound for San Francisco Bay
.
The O'Brien made it to Suva
in the New Hebrides
on 13 October, and the she steamed out once more on 16 October. The rate of leakage of seawater into the O'Brien continued to increase, and on 18 October it was necessary for O’Brien to head for the nearest anchorage. Large amounts of topside weights were jettisoned, and preparations were made for abandoning the ship, but her captain still thought that she could be taken intact to Pago Pago. However, at about 0600 on 19 October, her bottom suddenly split open considerably, and her forward and after hull portions began to work independently. At 0630 all hands except for a small salvage crew abandoned, but half an hour later the O'Brien was abandoned entirely. Just before 0800 she descended beneath the waves, and after steaming nearly 3,000 miles (5,500 km) since she had been torpedoed. All members of her crew were saved.
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...
-era Sims-class
Sims class destroyer
The Sims-class consisted of 12 destroyers in the United States Navy, built in seven various shipyards, and commissioned in 1939 and 1940. It was the last United States destroyer class completed prior to World War II. All Sims-class ships saw action in World War II, and seven survived the war...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
in the service 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 in honor of Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Jeremiah O'Brien
Jeremiah O'Brien
Captain Jeremiah O’Brien was a captain in the Massachusetts State Navy. Prior to its existence Captain Jeremiah O’Brien (1744–1818) was a captain in the Massachusetts State Navy. Prior to its existence Captain Jeremiah O’Brien (1744–1818) was a captain in the Massachusetts State...
and his five brothers, Gideon, John, William, Dennis and Joseph, who captured the HMS Margaretta on 12 June 1775 during the American revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
The O’Brien was laid down at 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...
, Boston, Massachusetts, on 31 May 1938; launched on 20 October 1939; sponsored by Miss Josephine O’Brien Campbell, a great-great-great granddaughter of Gideon O’Brien; and commissioned on 2 March 1940, with Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (United States)
Lieutenant commander is a mid-ranking officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade of O-4 and NATO rank code OF-3...
Carl F. Espe in command. Since this warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
was built in a drydock, along with the , , and , the christening and commissioning ceremonies were combined.
Inter-War Period
Throughout 1940-1941, the USS O'Brien operated along the Eastern SeaboardEast Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
.
World War II
After drydocking and repairs during the fall of 1941, the O'Brien left Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, 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....
on 15 January 1942 along with the and , and then steamed 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...
. 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...
on 20 January, the trio of ships arrived in 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...
, on 31 January.
The O’Brien steamed with a convoy for the Western Pacific on 4 February 1942, but she was forced to return when a collision with damaged her port side. Following repairs at the Mare Island Navy Yard, the 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...
steamed out again on 20 February, bound for 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...
. There Commander Destroyer Division 4 shifted his flag to the O’Brien on 5 March 1942.
After operating out of Pearl Harbor and patrolling the Hawaiian atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
, French Frigate Shoals
French Frigate Shoals
The French Frigate Shoals is the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Its name commemorates French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse, who nearly lost two frigates when attempting to navigate the shoals...
, the O'Brien called at Midway Island in the latter part of March, escorting the seaplane tender
Seaplane tender
A seaplane tender is a ship that provides facilities for operating seaplanes. These ships were the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the First World War.-History:...
there to evacuate civilians. The two warships returned to Pearl Harbor on 3 April. After an increase and improvement of her antiaircraft batteries, she embarked passengers for transportation to the Naval Air Station
Naval Air Station
A Naval Air Station is a military airbase, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of their Navy...
at Palmyra Atoll
Palmyra Atoll
Palmyra Atoll is an essentially unoccupied equatorial Northern Pacific atoll administered as an unorganized incorporated territory by the United States federal government...
, and then steamed out on 18 April with the and . The destroyer then joined convoys from San Diego and San Francisco to escort them to American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
, arriving at Pago Pago on 28 April.
The O’Brien was retained at Pago Pago for local escort work. On 26 May, she supported the occupation of Wallis Island
Wallis Island
Wallis is an island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna....
, previously taken over by the Free French, and then she joined the on 19 June for the return voyage to Pearl Harbor. Operating out of Pearl Harbor, the ship performed escort duty and acted as patrol and plane guard. She got underway on 17 August with Task Force 17 (TF 17) to reinforce the South Pacific Force, screening the tanker .
The sinking of the O'Brien
While escorting a convoy of troop transports en route to GuadalcanalGuadalcanal
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...
, the combined Task Force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
s 17 and 18 were attacked by the submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
on 15 September 1942. The aircraft carrier USS Wasp
USS Wasp (CV-7)
USS Wasp was a United States Navy aircraft carrier. The eighth Navy ship of that name, she was the sole ship of her class. Built to use up the remaining tonnage allowed to the U.S. for aircraft carriers under the treaties of the time, she was built on a reduced-size version of the Yorktown-class...
(CV-7) was sunk, and the 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...
USS North Carolina
USS North Carolina (BB-55)
USS North Carolina was the lead ship of her class of battleship and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named in honor of this U.S. state. She was the first new-construction U.S. battleship to enter service during World War II, participating in every major naval offensive in the Pacific...
and the O’Brien were damaged by a spread of six 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...
es from this IJN submarine.
This explosion did little obvious damage, but it set up severe structural stresses throughout the framework of the O'Brien. She was able to proceed under her own power, and on 16 September she reached Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
, where the sailors of the USS Curtiss made temporary repairs. The USS O’Brien next steamed out on 21 September, bound for 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...
, for further repairs by the repair ship . Then, she steamed out on 10 October, bound for San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
.
The O'Brien made it to Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
in the New Hebrides
New 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...
on 13 October, and the she steamed out once more on 16 October. The rate of leakage of seawater into the O'Brien continued to increase, and on 18 October it was necessary for O’Brien to head for the nearest anchorage. Large amounts of topside weights were jettisoned, and preparations were made for abandoning the ship, but her captain still thought that she could be taken intact to Pago Pago. However, at about 0600 on 19 October, her bottom suddenly split open considerably, and her forward and after hull portions began to work independently. At 0630 all hands except for a small salvage crew abandoned, but half an hour later the O'Brien was abandoned entirely. Just before 0800 she descended beneath the waves, and after steaming nearly 3,000 miles (5,500 km) since she had been torpedoed. All members of her crew were saved.