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USS Sands (DD-243)
Encyclopedia
The first USS Sands (DD-243/APD-13) was a Clemson-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during World War II
. She was the first ship named for Benjamin F. Sands
and his son, James H. Sands
.
Sands was laid down on 22 March 1919 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey
; launched on 28 October 1919; sponsored by Miss Jane McCue Sands; and commissioned on 10 November 1920, Ensign
William D. Leahy in temporary command.
to fit out for European duty. On 22 November, Lieutenant
M. L. Sperry, Jr., relieved Ens. Leahy as temporary commanding officer; and, on 13 December, Commander
Robert L. Ghormley assumed command. The next day, the destroyer departed from Philadelphia; steamed to Melville, Rhode Island
, for torpedo
outfit; then proceeded to New York. On 3 January 1921, she sailed for Europe. She arrived at Brest
on the 16th and, for the next seven months, conducted runs between French and British ports. In mid-August, she steamed for the Baltic
; called at various ports on that sea, despite the still present danger of mines, and returned to Cherbourg on 27 September. Three weeks later, she cleared the French coast and headed for the eastern Mediterranean-Black Sea
area. There, fighting between Greeks
and Turks
in coastal Asia Minor
; between Turks and Armenians
on the Anatolia
n plateau; and between Red
and White forces in Russia had created problems including disease, poverty, and famine.
Assigned to provide dispatch service to support American Relief Committee efforts, and to protect American nationals and interests, Sands arrived at Allied-occupied Constantinople
on 11 November. Nine days later, she fueled at the Standard Oil docks at Selvi Bournu, then commenced her first cruise. Into late December, she steamed off Samsun
and Trebizond
, observing as Greeks were deported
from those areas. After returning briefly to Constantinople, she steamed to Alexandretta, whence she continued on to Cilicia
. There she called at Mersin
, site of an American mission and relief distribution center, and remained through most of January 1922. On 3 February, she was back at Constantinople; and, on the 8th, she got underway for Novorossiysk
. From the 8th to the 19th, she supported relief work in that city, then proceeded to Samsun where, with one interruption to retrieve a drifting barge near Inebole, she remained until 8 March. Two days later, she returned to Constantinople; and, on the 18th, she shifted to Selvi Bournu to assist in firefighting efforts in the oil storage area. With the fires under control, she put back into Constantinople and, on the 22d, got underway to again call at Mersin. By 7 April, she had retransited the Dardanelles
and the Sea of Marmora. On 8 May, she passed through the Bosporus
. From the 9th to the 22d, she was at Odessa
, whence she shifted to Theodosia and then continued to Novorossisk. In early June, she was at Trebizond; and, on the 4th, she arrived at Samsun where, for several days, she steamed off the harbor entrance as Greek and Turkish forces exchanged fire.
Sands returned to Constantinople on 9 July and soon afterward sailed for Gibraltar
and the United States. From August into November, she underwent overhaul at Philadelphia. By late December, she had joined the Scouting Fleet
at New York; and, on 3 January 1923, she departed from that city for winter maneuvers in the Caribbean
. In February, she participated in Fleet Problem I, an exercise designed to test the defenses of the Panama Canal
. During March and April, she conducted operations in the Greater Antilles
; and, in May, she moved back to the east coast. In July, after overhaul, she headed north to the New England
coast. In the autumn, she commenced operations off the mid-Atlantic seaboard; and, in January 1924, she again sailed south for winter maneuvers.
until ordered activated in the summer of 1932.
Recommissioned on 21 July, the destroyer moved to Norfolk, Virginia
; and, in August, she sailed for the west coast. On 8 September, she arrived at her new base, San Diego, California
, and commenced operations off the southern California
coast. With the new year, 1933, she steamed to Hawaii for fleet exercises, and, in mid-February, returned to California. During the spring, she operated off the coast of Washington; and, in July, she resumed exercises out of San Diego. Three months later, she joined Rotating Destroyer Squadron 20 and remained in reserve through the winter. Activated in April 1934, she joined Destroyer Division 9 and got underway for the Caribbean and fleet exercises. By mid-November, she was back in southern California, where she remained, with one interruption - Fleet Problem XVI in the North Pacific (May 1935) - until April 1936. She then returned to the east coast; participated in exercises in the Caribbean and off New England; and steamed back to San Diego in October. For the next two years, she operated primarily in the southern California area, with exercises in the Hawaiian Islands during the spring and autumn of 1937 and the spring of 1938. On her return in April 1938, she operated locally into the summer, then prepared for inactivation.
Sands was decommissioned at San Diego on 15 September 1938. Within a year, however, war broke out in Europe and the destroyer was ordered activated for Neutrality Patrol
duty.
Recommissioned on 26 September 1939, Sands departed the west coast on 13 November and, a little over a month later, took up patrol duty in the Caribbean. She remained there into the spring of 1940, then moved north for patrol and escort duty off the eastern seaboard from the Virginia Capes
to the Maritime Provinces. Before the end of the year, she returned to the Pacific and resumed operations off California.
at the end of the year; conducted exercises into January 1943; and, on the 8th, resumed her Pacific crossing. On the 22d, she arrived at Espiritu Santo and, as a transport and as an escort, began moving reinforcements and supplies into the Guadalcanal
-Tulagi
area. On the 29th, she was detached from duties at Tulagi and ordered to accompany , toward Rennell Island
to assist . Rendezvousing the next morning, the tug took the damaged cruiser
in tow, and Sands joined Chicagos escort of five destroyers in a circular screen. The eight ships then began making their way to Tulagi. At 1620, the formation was attacked by Japanese torpedo planes. Navajo began evasive maneuvers. Antiaircraft guns on Sands and the destroyers were fired at the intruders, but Chicago was hit by another torpedo and, 20 minutes later, sank.
Sands, with nine wounded by the explosion of a 20 millimeter shell, picked up over 300 survivors and steamed for Espiritu Santo
. Arriving on 1 February, she conducted amphibious exercises from the 4th to the 10th; completed another escort run to Guadalcanal and back by the 14th; and, on the 15th, with more marines
embarked, steamed back to the Solomon Islands
. Five days later, she departed Tulagi; crossed over to Koli Point; and, on the 21st, moved on to the Russell Islands
; that night, she landed her assault troops unopposed; then returned to Tulagi, from where she made two more transport runs to the assault area before the 26th.
After the occupation of the Russells, Sands continued to carry troops and supplies and to escort convoys in the New Caledonia
-New Hebrides
-Solomons area. With spring, she was transferred to the 7th Amphibious Force. On 14 May, she departed the New Hebrides; and, on the 20th, she arrived at Townsville, Australia, with an LST convoy.
Through the summer, she performed escort and patrol missions along the Queensland coast and completed numerous transport missions to move Allied forces up to, and along, the northern coast of the Papuan peninsula. By September, the forces were ready to move against Japanese positions on the Huon Peninsula
and contest control of Vitiaz
and Dampier Strait
s.
On 2 September, Sands embarked units of the 9th Australian Division, veterans of the North African desert and, two days later, landed them east of Lae
. On the 5th, she retired, returning a few days later to shell the Japanese garrison at Lae as Allied forces closed on that village from the jungle and from mangrove swamps. At mid-month, she resumed transport and escort duties along the coast; and, on the 22d, she landed troops just north of Finschhafen
.
Reinforcement-escort runs and amphibious exercises along the coast, from Port Moresby
to the Huon Peninsula and between Papua and offshore islands, occupied October and November. In early December, at Goodenough Island
, she loaded units of the 112th Cavalry Regiment
for the assault on New Britain
. On the 15th, she offloaded the troops into rubber landing boats which were to take them onto the Amalut Peninsula. The Japanese, however, opened fire before the boats reached the beach. Covering units, not knowing if the troops had landed, held their fire for fear of hitting the cavalrymen. Twelve of the 15 boats, riddled by Japanese fire, sank. Most surviving troops swam seaward. Sands and the escorting destroyer opened fire, silencing the coastal guns. The search for survivors began, and all but 16 were rescued.
Eleven days later, Sands returned to New Britain for another assault landing. On the 26th, she landed marines on Cape Gloucester
, provided gunfire support as they moved off the beaches, then retired to stage for her next target, Saidor.
roads and, until mid-month, made runs between there and Capes Cretin and Sudest
.
On the 18th, Sands arrived at Sydney for a brief respite. On the 28th, she got underway to return to New Guinea
with cargo and personnel for Milne Bay
, Buna, and Cape Sudest. From 6 to 24 February, she completed another run to Sydney; then, on the 27th, loaded troops at Cape Sudest for transport to the assault beaches at Los Negros Island
, Admiralties. Sailing on the 29th, she crossed the Bismarck Sea
; arrived off the assault area shortly after 0730 the next day; dispatched her loaded LCP(R)s to the departure line by 0742; then, as the first waves reached the shore, commenced gunfire support operations. At 0835, Sandss boats hit the beach with the 3rd assault wave. The intense crossfire which had caught earlier waves continued as they approached. Poor organization on the beach slowed offloading and assisted the accuracy of the Japanese defenders. Sands suffered two casualties, one killed, one seriously injured, from her boat crews and lost her no. 1 boat.
In mid-afternoon, the APD departed the Los Negros-Manus
area. Returning to Cape Sudest, she loaded much-needed reinforcements on 3 March and, the next day, disembarked them on the contested island and took on casualties. On the 5th, she was back at Cape Sudest, from where she resumed escort duty along the coast.
In early April, Sands trained army units in amphibious exercises. On the 18th, she embarked units of the 162nd Infantry and got underway for Humboldt Bay
. Steaming with TG 77.2, the Central Attack Group for the Hollandia
operation, she arrived in the transport area early on the morning of the 22nd. At 0600, her boats were lowered and loaded. Five minutes later, they were en route to the departure line. At 0735, they returned and were hoisted on board. The APD then took up gunfire support duties.
On the 24th, Sands returned to Cape Cretin, and from there proceeded to Cape Sudest for availability. In May, she resumed escort and transport runs but, at mid-month, interrupted them to return to California.
After an overhaul at Alameda
, Sands carried passengers to Pearl Harbor
; embarked 126 men of the 81st Division Reconnaissance Company there, and arrived in the Solomons on 24 August to rehearse the Palau
operation. Two weeks later, she steamed northwest, arriving in the transport area off Anguar Island on the 15th. Acting as reserve for the Peleliu Island assault, she remained off Anguar during the initial landings on the former island. At mid-morning, she shifted to Peleliu to support the forces ashore. On the 17th, she returned to Anguar and, on the 18th, landed the reconnaissance company on Red Beach. On the 19th, she went alongside ; embarked the 323nd Reconnaissance Company and then, with , proceeded to Ulithi
. There until the 25th, she landed her troops without opposition, then got underway to return to Hollandia. Arriving on the 28th, she shifted to Manus
on the 29th; equipped her boats with mine-sweeping gear, embarked minesweeping personnel, and, on 10 October, steamed for Leyte with units of Mine Squadron 2.
Despite poor weather and two appendectomies which were performed aboard ship, Sands arrived in the approaches to Leyte Gulf on the 17th. On the 18th, she closed Suluan Island
, took off reconnaissance troops landed previously by and transferred them to that ship. On the 19th, she moved up to the assault area and lowered her LCP(R)s to conduct shallow water minesweeping operations. From 1155 to 1410, she covered her boats as they swept the approaches to Red and White beaches near Tacloban. Straddled, but not hit, by Japanese batteries, the boats completed their mission and returned to the APD. Sands then shifted to the Dulag
beaches, where her boats conducted further shallow water sweeps.
During the night, Sands patrolled in Leyte Gulf. In the morning, she returned to the Tacloban area to provide gunfire support there. In the afternoon, she shifted to the Dulag area for the same purpose; and, on the 21st, she got underway to return to New Guinea.
s and Leyte. On 2 January 1945, she cleared San Pedro Bay
. On the 4th, Japanese aerial resistance began. The next day, her task group, 77.2, steamed up the Luzon coast. Land-based Japanese aircraft again attacked. On the 6th, the force arrived off Lingayen Gulf
and, despite kamikaze
accuracy; the ships entered the gulf and took up their stations. Sands, with other APDs, bombarded Santiago Island. On the 7th, she covered the YMSs as they conducted sweeps, and then closed Orange and Green beaches to cover underwater demolition teams as they removed obstacles from the landing area. On the 8th, she moved to the transport area where she remained, on patrol, until the 13th. She then got underway for Leyte and Ulithi.
The APD arrived in the Western Carolines on the 24th and remained through February. On 1 March, she joined a convoy for Iwo Jima
, arrived on the 3rd, patrolled through the 5th, and sailed for Saipan
on the 6th, escorting retiring transports. From the Marianas, she sailed to the Solomons, New Caledonia, and the Admiralties, from where she returned to Ulithi to escort reinforcements to the Ryukyus. By mid-June, she had completed three runs to the Okinawa area and had begun her last Pacific crossing. On the 30th, she arrived at Pearl Harbor, and, on 11 July, she returned to San Diego.
Sands remained on the west coast through the end of hostilities. On 29 August, she got underway for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
where she was decommissioned on 10 October 1945. Struck from the Navy list
on 1 November, she was sold for scrapping to the Boston Metals Company the following spring.
Clemson class destroyer
The Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.The Clemson-class ships were commissioned by the United States Navy from 1919 to 1922, built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, New York Shipbuilding...
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 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 the first ship named for Benjamin F. Sands
Benjamin F. Sands
Rear Admiral Benjamin F. Sands was an officer in the United States Navy during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.-U.S. Navy career:...
and his son, James H. Sands
James H. Sands
Rear Admiral James Hoban Sands was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War and eventually became Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy.-Naval career:...
.
Sands was laid down on 22 March 1919 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
; launched on 28 October 1919; sponsored by Miss Jane McCue Sands; and commissioned on 10 November 1920, Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
William D. Leahy in temporary command.
1920s
Following commissioning, Sands remained at Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
to fit out for European duty. On 22 November, Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
M. L. Sperry, Jr., relieved Ens. Leahy as temporary commanding officer; and, on 13 December, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Robert L. Ghormley assumed command. The next day, the destroyer departed from Philadelphia; steamed to Melville, Rhode Island
Melville, Rhode Island
Melville is a village in the town of Portsmouth in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The village is also the basis of a census-designated place , which extends south along the shore of Narragansett Bay into the town of Middletown to encompass the village of Lawtons and the port...
, for 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...
outfit; then proceeded to New York. On 3 January 1921, she sailed for Europe. She arrived at Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
on the 16th and, for the next seven months, conducted runs between French and British ports. In mid-August, she steamed for the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
; called at various ports on that sea, despite the still present danger of mines, and returned to Cherbourg on 27 September. Three weeks later, she cleared the French coast and headed for the eastern Mediterranean-Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
area. There, fighting between Greeks
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Turks
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in coastal Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
; between Turks and Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
on the Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
n plateau; and between Red
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
and White forces in Russia had created problems including disease, poverty, and famine.
Assigned to provide dispatch service to support American Relief Committee efforts, and to protect American nationals and interests, Sands arrived at Allied-occupied Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
on 11 November. Nine days later, she fueled at the Standard Oil docks at Selvi Bournu, then commenced her first cruise. Into late December, she steamed off Samsun
Samsun
Samsun is a city of about half a million people on the north coast of Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Samsun Province and a major Black Sea port.-Name:...
and Trebizond
Trabzon
Trabzon is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. Trabzon, located on the historical Silk Road, became a melting pot of religions, languages and culture for centuries and a trade gateway to Iran in the southeast and the Caucasus to the northeast...
, observing as Greeks were deported
Population exchange between Greece and Turkey
The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey was based upon religious identity, and involved the Greek Orthodox citizens of Turkey and the Muslim citizens of Greece...
from those areas. After returning briefly to Constantinople, she steamed to Alexandretta, whence she continued on to Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
. There she called at Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
, site of an American mission and relief distribution center, and remained through most of January 1922. On 3 February, she was back at Constantinople; and, on the 8th, she got underway for Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is the country's main port on the Black Sea and the leading Russian port for importing grain. It is one of the few cities honored with the title of the Hero City. Population: -History:...
. From the 8th to the 19th, she supported relief work in that city, then proceeded to Samsun where, with one interruption to retrieve a drifting barge near Inebole, she remained until 8 March. Two days later, she returned to Constantinople; and, on the 18th, she shifted to Selvi Bournu to assist in firefighting efforts in the oil storage area. With the fires under control, she put back into Constantinople and, on the 22d, got underway to again call at Mersin. By 7 April, she had retransited the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
and the Sea of Marmora. On 8 May, she passed through the Bosporus
Bosporus
The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
. From the 9th to the 22d, she was at Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, whence she shifted to Theodosia and then continued to Novorossisk. In early June, she was at Trebizond; and, on the 4th, she arrived at Samsun where, for several days, she steamed off the harbor entrance as Greek and Turkish forces exchanged fire.
Sands returned to Constantinople on 9 July and soon afterward sailed for Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and the United States. From August into November, she underwent overhaul at Philadelphia. By late December, she had joined the Scouting Fleet
Scouting Fleet
The Scouting Fleet was part of the United States Fleet in the United States Navy, and renamed the Scouting Force in 1930.Established in 1922, the fleet consisted mainly of older battleships and initially operated in the Atlantic...
at New York; and, on 3 January 1923, she departed from that city for winter maneuvers in the 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...
. In February, she participated in Fleet Problem I, an exercise designed to test the defenses of 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...
. During March and April, she conducted operations in the Greater Antilles
Greater Antilles
The Greater Antilles are one of three island groups in the Caribbean. Comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico, the Greater Antilles constitute almost 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies.-Greater Antilles in context :The islands of the Caribbean Sea, collectively known as...
; and, in May, she moved back to the east coast. In July, after overhaul, she headed north to the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast. In the autumn, she commenced operations off the mid-Atlantic seaboard; and, in January 1924, she again sailed south for winter maneuvers.
1930s
Through the decade and into the 1930s, Sands maintained a similar schedule. On 10 November 1930, however, after completing exercises off southern New England, she proceeded to Philadelphia, where she began inactivation. She was decommissioned on 13 February 1931 and was berthed at League IslandLeague Island
League Island was an island in the Delaware River, part of the city of Philadelphia, just upstream from the mouth of the Schuylkill River, which was the site of the Philadelphia shipyard, which eventually became the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, now known as the Philadelphia Naval Business...
until ordered activated in the summer of 1932.
Recommissioned on 21 July, the destroyer moved to Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
; and, in August, she sailed for the west coast. On 8 September, she arrived at her new base, San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, and commenced 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. With the new year, 1933, she steamed to Hawaii for fleet exercises, and, in mid-February, returned to California. During the spring, she operated off the coast of Washington; and, in July, she resumed exercises out of San Diego. Three months later, she joined Rotating Destroyer Squadron 20 and remained in reserve through the winter. Activated in April 1934, she joined Destroyer Division 9 and got underway for the Caribbean and fleet exercises. By mid-November, she was back in southern California, where she remained, with one interruption - Fleet Problem XVI in the North Pacific (May 1935) - until April 1936. She then returned to the east coast; participated in exercises in the Caribbean and off New England; and steamed back to San Diego in October. For the next two years, she operated primarily in the southern California area, with exercises in the Hawaiian Islands during the spring and autumn of 1937 and the spring of 1938. On her return in April 1938, she operated locally into the summer, then prepared for inactivation.
Sands was decommissioned at San Diego on 15 September 1938. Within a year, however, war broke out in Europe and the destroyer was ordered activated for Neutrality Patrol
Neutrality Patrol
At the beginning of World War II, when Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 started the hostilities in Europe, President Franklin D...
duty.
Recommissioned on 26 September 1939, Sands departed the west coast on 13 November and, a little over a month later, took up patrol duty in the Caribbean. She remained there into the spring of 1940, then moved north for patrol and escort duty off the eastern seaboard from the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
to the Maritime Provinces. Before the end of the year, she returned to the Pacific and resumed operations off California.
World War II
With the entry of the United States into World War II, Sands commenced coastal escort work, which continued into the spring of 1942. Then, as the Japanese moved into the western Aleutian Islands, she shifted to Alaska and, through the summer, escorted convoys and conducted patrols from the mainland to ports in the eastern Aleutians. By fall, the Allies were taking the offensive, and Sands was needed for a different mission. On 28 October, she sailed south. Two days later, she was redesignated APD-13; and, on 5 November, she arrived at San Francisco for conversion to a high speed transport.1943
Sands departed from San Francisco on 21 December. Steaming west, she reached Pearl HarborPearl 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...
at the end of the year; conducted exercises into January 1943; and, on the 8th, resumed her Pacific crossing. On the 22d, she arrived at Espiritu Santo and, as a transport and as an escort, began moving reinforcements and supplies into the 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...
-Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
area. On the 29th, she was detached from duties at Tulagi and ordered to accompany , toward Rennell Island
Rennell Island
Rennell Island, locally known as Mungava, is the main island of two inhabited islands that make up the Rennell and Bellona Province in the Solomon Islands. Rennell Island has a land area of that is about long and wide. It is the second largest raised coral atoll in the world with the largest lake...
to assist . Rendezvousing the next morning, the tug took the 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...
in tow, and Sands joined Chicagos escort of five destroyers in a circular screen. The eight ships then began making their way to Tulagi. At 1620, the formation was attacked by Japanese torpedo planes. Navajo began evasive maneuvers. Antiaircraft guns on Sands and the destroyers were fired at the intruders, but Chicago was hit by another torpedo and, 20 minutes later, sank.
Sands, with nine wounded by the explosion of a 20 millimeter shell, picked up over 300 survivors and steamed for 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....
. Arriving on 1 February, she conducted amphibious exercises from the 4th to the 10th; completed another escort run to Guadalcanal and back by the 14th; and, on the 15th, with more 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...
embarked, steamed back to the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. Five days later, she departed Tulagi; crossed over to Koli Point; and, on the 21st, moved on to the Russell Islands
Russell Islands
The Russell Islands are two small islands, as well as several islets, of volcanic origin, in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands. They are located approximately 48 km northwest from Guadalcanal. The islands are partially covered in coconut plantations, and have a copra and oil factory at...
; that night, she landed her assault troops unopposed; then returned to Tulagi, from where she made two more transport runs to the assault area before the 26th.
After the occupation of the Russells, Sands continued to carry troops and supplies and to escort convoys in the 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...
-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...
-Solomons area. With spring, she was transferred to the 7th Amphibious Force. On 14 May, she departed the New Hebrides; and, on the 20th, she arrived at Townsville, Australia, with an LST convoy.
Through the summer, she performed escort and patrol missions along the Queensland coast and completed numerous transport missions to move Allied forces up to, and along, the northern coast of the Papuan peninsula. By September, the forces were ready to move against Japanese positions on the Huon Peninsula
Huon Peninsula
Huon Peninsula is a large rugged peninsula on the island of New Guinea in Morobe Province, eastern Papua New Guinea. It is named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec who discovered it along with his personal assistant and porter, Henry Ole. The peninsula is dominated by the steep...
and contest control of Vitiaz
Vitiaz Strait
Vitiaz Strait is a strait between New Britain and the Huon Peninsula, northern New Guinea .The Vitiaz Strait was so named by Nicholai Nicholaievich Mikluho-Maklai to commemorate the Russian corvette Vitiaz in which he sailed from October 1870 by way of South America and the Pacific Islands reaching...
and Dampier Strait
Dampier Strait (Papua New Guinea)
Dampier Strait in Papua New Guinea separates Umboi Island and New Britain, linking the Bismarck Sea to the north with the Solomon Sea to the south, at ....
s.
On 2 September, Sands embarked units of the 9th Australian Division, veterans of the North African desert and, two days later, landed them east of 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...
. On the 5th, she retired, returning a few days later to shell the Japanese garrison at Lae as Allied forces closed on that village from the jungle and from mangrove swamps. At mid-month, she resumed transport and escort duties along the coast; and, on the 22d, she landed troops just north 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...
.
Reinforcement-escort runs and amphibious exercises along the coast, from Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
to the Huon Peninsula and between Papua and offshore islands, occupied October and November. In early December, at Goodenough Island
Goodenough Island
Goodenough Island in the Solomon Sea is the westernmost of the three large islands of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. It lies to the east of mainland New Guinea and south west of the Trobriand Islands.It should not be confused with Goodenough's Island...
, she loaded units of the 112th Cavalry Regiment
112th Cavalry Regiment (United States)
The 112th Cavalry Regiment was a Texas National Guard Regiment that served in several Pacific campaigns during World War II.-Early history:...
for the assault on 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...
. On the 15th, she offloaded the troops into rubber landing boats which were to take them onto the Amalut Peninsula. The Japanese, however, opened fire before the boats reached the beach. Covering units, not knowing if the troops had landed, held their fire for fear of hitting the cavalrymen. Twelve of the 15 boats, riddled by Japanese fire, sank. Most surviving troops swam seaward. Sands and the escorting destroyer opened fire, silencing the coastal guns. The search for survivors began, and all but 16 were rescued.
Eleven days later, Sands returned to New Britain for another assault landing. On the 26th, she landed marines on 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...
, provided gunfire support as they moved off the beaches, then retired to stage for her next target, Saidor.
1944
On 1 January 1944, the APD again departed Good-enough Island with assault troops embarked. A unit of Task Group 76.1, she transited Vitiaz Strait that night and, at 0735 on the 2nd, landed the troops on the beach at Saidor, 115 miles west of Finschhafen. By 0800, she was out of the transport area. In the afternoon, she returned to BunaBuna, 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...
roads and, until mid-month, made runs between there and Capes Cretin and Sudest
Cape Sudest
Cape Sudest is a Cape in Papua New Guinea, next to Oro Bay. There was an important U.S military base there in World War II. It was situated in Oro Province, about a mile south of Harigo....
.
On the 18th, Sands arrived at Sydney for a brief respite. On the 28th, she got underway to return 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...
with cargo and personnel for 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....
, Buna, and Cape Sudest. From 6 to 24 February, she completed another run to Sydney; then, on the 27th, loaded troops at Cape Sudest for transport to the assault beaches at 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...
, Admiralties. Sailing on the 29th, she crossed the Bismarck Sea
Bismarck Sea
The Bismarck Sea lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean to the north of the island of Papua New Guinea and to the south of the Bismarck Archipelago and Admiralty Islands. Like the Bismarck archipelago, it is named in honour of the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck...
; arrived off the assault area shortly after 0730 the next day; dispatched her loaded LCP(R)s to the departure line by 0742; then, as the first waves reached the shore, commenced gunfire support operations. At 0835, Sandss boats hit the beach with the 3rd assault wave. The intense crossfire which had caught earlier waves continued as they approached. Poor organization on the beach slowed offloading and assisted the accuracy of the Japanese defenders. Sands suffered two casualties, one killed, one seriously injured, from her boat crews and lost her no. 1 boat.
In mid-afternoon, the APD departed the Los Negros-Manus
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...
area. Returning to Cape Sudest, she loaded much-needed reinforcements on 3 March and, the next day, disembarked them on the contested island and took on casualties. On the 5th, she was back at Cape Sudest, from where she resumed escort duty along the coast.
In early April, Sands trained army units in amphibious exercises. On the 18th, she embarked units of the 162nd Infantry and got underway for Humboldt Bay
Teluk Yos Sudarso
Yos Sudarso Bay also known earlier as Humboldt Bay is a small bay in Indonesia. It is on the north coast of New Guinea, about 50 kilometers west of the border between Indonesia's province of Papua and the country of Papua New Guinea...
. Steaming with TG 77.2, the Central Attack Group for the 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....
operation, she arrived in the transport area early on the morning of the 22nd. At 0600, her boats were lowered and loaded. Five minutes later, they were en route to the departure line. At 0735, they returned and were hoisted on board. The APD then took up gunfire support duties.
On the 24th, Sands returned to Cape Cretin, and from there proceeded to Cape Sudest for availability. In May, she resumed escort and transport runs but, at mid-month, interrupted them to return to California.
After an overhaul at Alameda
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
, Sands carried passengers 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...
; embarked 126 men of the 81st Division Reconnaissance Company there, and arrived in the Solomons on 24 August to rehearse the Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
operation. Two weeks later, she steamed northwest, arriving in the transport area off Anguar Island on the 15th. Acting as reserve for the Peleliu Island assault, she remained off Anguar during the initial landings on the former island. At mid-morning, she shifted to Peleliu to support the forces ashore. On the 17th, she returned to Anguar and, on the 18th, landed the reconnaissance company on Red Beach. On the 19th, she went alongside ; embarked the 323nd Reconnaissance Company and then, with , proceeded 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...
. There until the 25th, she landed her troops without opposition, then got underway to return to Hollandia. Arriving on the 28th, she shifted to Manus
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...
on the 29th; equipped her boats with mine-sweeping gear, embarked minesweeping personnel, and, on 10 October, steamed for Leyte with units of Mine Squadron 2.
Despite poor weather and two appendectomies which were performed aboard ship, Sands arrived in the approaches to Leyte Gulf on the 17th. On the 18th, she closed Suluan Island
Suluan Island
Suluan Island is a small island in the Philippines, in the province of Eastern Samar. It lies east of Leyte Gulf, near Homonhon Island and Calicoan Island....
, took off reconnaissance troops landed previously by and transferred them to that ship. On the 19th, she moved up to the assault area and lowered her LCP(R)s to conduct shallow water minesweeping operations. From 1155 to 1410, she covered her boats as they swept the approaches to Red and White beaches near Tacloban. Straddled, but not hit, by Japanese batteries, the boats completed their mission and returned to the APD. Sands then shifted 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, where her boats conducted further shallow water sweeps.
During the night, Sands patrolled in Leyte Gulf. In the morning, she returned to the Tacloban area to provide gunfire support there. In the afternoon, she shifted to the Dulag area for the same purpose; and, on the 21st, she got underway to return to New Guinea.
1945
During November, the APD conducted a resupply and reinforcement run to Leyte and back, then prepared for the invasion of Luzon. On 27 December, she departed Hollandia for the PalauPalau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
s and Leyte. On 2 January 1945, she cleared San Pedro Bay
San Pedro Bay (Philippines)
San Pedro Bay is a bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east-west and 20 km north-south. The bay is bounded on the north and east by Samar and on the east by Leyte Island. It is connected by San Juanico Strait to Carigara Bay of the Samar Sea. The...
. On the 4th, Japanese aerial resistance began. The next day, her task group, 77.2, steamed up the Luzon coast. Land-based Japanese aircraft again attacked. On the 6th, the force arrived off 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...
and, despite 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....
accuracy; the ships entered the gulf and took up their stations. Sands, with other APDs, bombarded Santiago Island. On the 7th, she covered the YMSs as they conducted sweeps, and then closed Orange and Green beaches to cover underwater demolition teams as they removed obstacles from the landing area. On the 8th, she moved to the transport area where she remained, on patrol, until the 13th. She then got underway for Leyte and Ulithi.
The APD arrived in the Western Carolines on the 24th and remained through February. On 1 March, she joined a convoy for 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...
, arrived on the 3rd, patrolled through the 5th, and sailed for 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...
on the 6th, escorting retiring transports. From the Marianas, she sailed to the Solomons, New Caledonia, and the Admiralties, from where she returned to Ulithi to escort reinforcements to the Ryukyus. By mid-June, she had completed three runs to the Okinawa area and had begun her last Pacific crossing. On the 30th, she arrived at Pearl Harbor, and, on 11 July, she returned to San Diego.
Sands remained on the west coast through the end of hostilities. On 29 August, she got underway for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
where she was decommissioned on 10 October 1945. Struck from the Navy list
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 1 November, she was sold for scrapping to the Boston Metals Company the following spring.
External links
- http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/243.htm