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USS Stockton (DD-646)
Encyclopedia
USS Stockton (DD-646), a Gleaves
-class destroyer
, was the third ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Commodore Robert F. Stockton.
Stockton was laid down on 24 July 1942 at Kearny, New Jersey
, by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.; launched on 11 November 1942 sponsored by Mrs. Horace K. Corbin; and commissioned 11 January 1943, Lieutenant Commander
R. E. Braddy in command.
, Stockton joined the Atlantic Fleet
on 15 March 1943 and began escorting convoy
s between New York
and North Africa
n ports. Between 28 May 1943 and 3 January 1944, she escorted four convoys.
On her last convoy run, she escorted two oilers to Ponta Delgada, in the Azores
, in company with Thorn
(DD-647) — the first ships to enter the port under the terms of the new agreement between the Allies and the government of Portugal
. On 24 January 1944, Stockton got underway for the South West Pacific theatre
.
. As American forces leapfrogged along the northern coast of New Guinea
, Stockton acted as an antiaircraft and antisubmarine screening vessel during the landings in Humboldt Bay on 22 April and at Wakde
on 17 May; and she provided gunfire support for the Biak landings
on 27 May. While off Biak
, she received minor damage when hit by a shell from a shore battery on 28 May, and on 12 June, she towed Kalk
(DD-611) into Humboldt Bay, after that destroyer had been immobilized by a bomb hit amidships.
and acted both as screening and fire-support ship during the landings
. After a month of escort and training duty along the northern coast of New Guinea, she sailed from New Guinea on 22 August to join units of the 3d Fleet for the invasion of the Palau Islands. The destroyer escorted the transports as they approached Peleliu
on 15 September and protected them after the landings
until she headed home on 14 October.
, Stockton completed refresher training at Pearl Harbor
on 24 January 1945. Between 10 February and 9 March, she screened escort carriers as they provided air cover for the landings on Iwo Jima
. On 21 February, two days after the landings, Stockton's group was attacked by four suicide planes, which sank the escort carrier Bismarck Sea
(CVE-95), and damaged Lunga Point
(CVE-94). From 18 March to the end of the war, the destroyer escorted replenishment units of the Logistics Support Group as they provided fuel and supplies to the Fleet during the Okinawa campaign and the concurrent air strikes on the Ryukyus and the Japanese home islands. On 31 March — the day before the Okinawa landings
— Stockton and Morrison
(DD-560) sank the Japanese
submarine
I-8
, after a 3½-hour action. In early April, Stockton directed the salvage of Thornton (AVD-11), which had collided with two tanker
s of Stockton's group.
and proceeded, via Singapore
and Cape Town
, to New York
. The destroyer was decommissioned on 16 May 1946 and placed in reserve at Charleston, South Carolina
. She was struck from the Navy list on 1 July 1971.
Stockton received 8 battle stars for her World War II
service.
Gleaves class destroyer
The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class...
-class destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
, was the third ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for Commodore Robert F. Stockton.
Stockton was laid down on 24 July 1942 at Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
, by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.; launched on 11 November 1942 sponsored by Mrs. Horace K. Corbin; and commissioned 11 January 1943, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
R. E. Braddy in command.
Atlantic Service
After shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
, Stockton joined the Atlantic Fleet
U.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...
on 15 March 1943 and began escorting 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 between New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
n ports. Between 28 May 1943 and 3 January 1944, she escorted four convoys.
On her last convoy run, she escorted two oilers to Ponta Delgada, in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, in company with Thorn
USS Thorn (DD-647)
USS Thorn , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Jonathan Thorn.Thorn was laid down on 15 November 1942 at Kearny, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.; sponsored by Mrs...
(DD-647) — the first ships to enter the port under the terms of the new agreement between the Allies and the government of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. On 24 January 1944, Stockton got underway for the South West Pacific theatre
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
.
Transfer to Pacific and Admiralties Campaign
On arrival, Stockton joined the Seventh Fleet forces assembled for the invasion of Los Negros Island in the Admiralties. She participated in the initial bombardment that cleared the way for the landings on 29 February and remained in the area for three days, patrolling and giving fire support to the forces ashore. From 9 to 13 March, she supported similar but smaller landings in Seeadler HarborSeeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor, also known as Port Seeadler, is located on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea and played an important role in World War II...
. As American forces leapfrogged along the northern coast of 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...
, Stockton acted as an antiaircraft and antisubmarine screening vessel during the landings in Humboldt Bay on 22 April and at Wakde
Wakde
Wakde is an island of Indonesia, part of the province of West Papua, between the districts of Pantai Timur and Tor Atas.Occupied by Japanese forces in April 1942, Wakde served as an airbase...
on 17 May; and she provided gunfire support for the Biak landings
Battle of Biak
The Battle of Biak was part of the New Guinea campaign of World War II. It was fought between the United States Army and the Japanese Army from May 27 to June 22, 1944. It was the first major tactical use of an ambush by the Japanese during the war....
on 27 May. While off Biak
Biak
Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...
, she received minor damage when hit by a shell from a shore battery on 28 May, and on 12 June, she towed Kalk
USS Kalk (DD-611)
USS Kalk was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Lieutenant Stanton Frederick Kalk....
(DD-611) into Humboldt Bay, after that destroyer had been immobilized by a bomb hit amidships.
New Guinea Operations
On 2 July, she was with the invasion forces off NoemfoorNoemfoor
Numfor is one of the Biak Islands in Papua province, Indonesia. It was the site of conflict between Japanese and the Allied forces during World War II, and was major airbase for both sides.-Geography:The island is situated just north of the large Cenderawasih Bay...
and acted both as screening and fire-support ship during the landings
Battle of Noemfoor
The Battle of Noemfoor was a battle of World War II that took place on the island of Noemfoor, in Dutch New Guinea, between 2 July and 31 August 1944. United States and Australian forces attacked to capture Japanese bases on the island.-Background:...
. After a month of escort and training duty along the northern coast of New Guinea, she sailed from New Guinea on 22 August to join units of the 3d Fleet for the invasion of the Palau Islands. The destroyer escorted the transports as they approached Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
on 15 September and protected them after the landings
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...
until she headed home on 14 October.
Iwo Jima and Okinawa
After overhaul at Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Stockton completed refresher training at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 24 January 1945. Between 10 February and 9 March, she screened escort carriers as they provided air cover for the landings on Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
. On 21 February, two days after the landings, Stockton's group was attacked by four suicide planes, which sank the escort carrier Bismarck Sea
USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95)
USS Bismarck Sea was a Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was launched on 17 April 1944 by Kaiser Co., Inc., Vancouver, Washington, under a Maritime Commission contract as Alikula Bay; sponsored by Mrs. M. C...
(CVE-95), and damaged Lunga Point
USS Lunga Point (CVE-94)
USS Lunga Point , originally Alazon Bay, was a Casablanca class escort carrier. It was named for Lunga Point on the northern coast of Guadalcanal, the site of a naval battle during World War II. It was laid down by Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, Washington on 19 January 1944; launched on 11...
(CVE-94). From 18 March to the end of the war, the destroyer escorted replenishment units of the Logistics Support Group as they provided fuel and supplies to the Fleet during the Okinawa campaign and the concurrent air strikes on the Ryukyus and the Japanese home islands. On 31 March — the day before the Okinawa landings
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...
— Stockton and Morrison
USS Morrison (DD-560)
USS Morrison , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy, named for Coxswain John G. Morrison , who received the Medal of Honor for exceptional bravery during the Civil War....
(DD-560) sank the Japanese
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...
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...
I-8
Japanese submarine I-8
The Japanese submarine I-8 was a World War II Junsen Type J-3 Imperial Japanese Navy submarine, famous for completing a technology exchange mission to German-occupied France and back to Japan in 1943....
, after a 3½-hour action. In early April, Stockton directed the salvage of Thornton (AVD-11), which had collided with two tanker
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
s of Stockton's group.
End of World War II and fate
Stockton continued her support duties during the first 1½ months of the occupation of Japan. She sailed on 15 October from JapanJapan
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...
and proceeded, via Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The destroyer was decommissioned on 16 May 1946 and placed in reserve at Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. She was struck from the Navy list on 1 July 1971.
Stockton received 8 battle stars for her 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.