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USS Swanson (DD-443)
Encyclopedia
USS Swanson (DD-443) was a Gleaves-class
destroyer
of the United States Navy
, named for Secretary of the Navy
Claude A. Swanson
(1862–1939).
Swanson was laid down on 15 November 1939 by the Charleston Navy Yard. She was launched
on 2 November 1940; sponsored by Mrs. Claude A. Swanson, widow of Secretary Swanson; and commissioned
on 29 May 1941 with Lieutenant Commander M. P. Kingsley in command.
duties between New England
, Bermuda
, and Iceland
. She escorted the battleship
s Washington
(BB-56) and North Carolina
(BB-55), and aircraft carrier
Hornet
(CV-8), on their trial runs in late 1941. After the outbreak of war
on 7 December 1941, her convoy duties were extended to include three runs to Scotland
as well as single voyages to Nova Scotia
and Greenland
.
, Swanson joined the invasion fleet sailing for French North Africa
. In the early morning of 8 November 1942, she lay close inshore to guide the landing craft to the beach at Fedhala. As she began to move further offshore at daybreak, the French shore batteries opened fire; and, for the next two hours, Swanson returned their fire in an effort to silence them and protect the transports and troops.
Shortly after 08:00, seven French
destroyers sortied from Casablanca
to attack the transports and opened fire on the nearest American ships, destroyers Ludlow
(DD-438), Wilkes
(DD-441) and Swanson. Ludlow was hit and forced to withdraw; but Swanson and Wilkes retired to join cruiser
s Augusta
(CA-31) and Brooklyn
(CL-40), which were steaming up to engage the French.
The covering force, led by battleship Massachusetts
(BB-59), soon took over the action from the Augusta group; but, at 10:00, Swanson was once again in action, engaging three French destroyers which were edging along shore towards the transports. She soon directed her fire once again against the shore batteries and was then ordered seaward to protect the convoy area, ending her participation in the engagement.
German U-boat
s had not been present during the landings; but, on 11 November 1942, U-130 and U-173 arrived and soon sank four transports and damaged a destroyer and a tanker. On 16 November, the destroyer Woolsey
(DD-437) gained sonar
contact; and, after making several attacks which brought up oil and air bubbles, turned the contact over to Swanson and Quick
(DD-490), which made additional attacks. The contact was evaluated at that time as a sunken wreck. Subsequent information revealed that it was the U-173, which indeed had been sunk.
force. She and Roe
(DD-418) were assigned as fire support ships for the landings at Licata
, Sicily
; but, on 10 July, the night before the landings, she collided with Roe while investigating suspicious radar contacts and went dead in the water with a flooded fire room; nevertheless, she was able to control further flooding, beat off an enemy attack, and retire to Malta
for temporary repairs before proceeding home later in July to the Brooklyn Navy Yard
.
. She provided gunfire support for landings in Seeadler Harbor
between 3 and 7 March. She then acted as command ship for the Hollandia landings
on 22 April, with both the Army
and Navy
commanders on board. After providing gunfire support during the Noemfoor
assault on 2 July, she again acted as command ship for the Sansapor landings on 30 July.
On 19 August 1944, the destroyer left New Guinea and joined Fast Carrier Task Force
(TF 38). She screened the carriers Franklin
(CV-13), Enterprise
(CV-6), and San Jacinto
(CVL-30), while they launched air strikes on the Bonins, Ulithi
, Yap
, Palau
, Okinawa, Taiwan
, and while they provided air support for the Philippine landings
on 20 October. As the Japanese launched a three-pronged naval attack on the United States forces at Leyte, Swansons task group first assisted in turning back the Japanese central force in San Bernardino Strait
during the day of 24 October, sinking the giant battleship Musashi
; and then raced north to intercept the Japanese decoy force of carriers off Cape Engaño
, Luzon. When word arrived that the Japanese central force had once again reversed course and was threatening the Leyte beachhead, part of TF 38 turned south again. However, Swanson remained in the north and helped to complete the destruction of the Japanese carriers.
. For the rest of 1944 and early 1945, she was engaged in air-sea rescue
of downed fliers, antisubmarine patrol, and radar picket
patrols between Iwo Jima
and Saipan
. She also served as the headquarters for the commander of the group. She was detached in April 1945 for overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard. After refresher training at San Diego, California
, Swanson resumed her patrol and escort duties in the vicinity of Iwo Jima.
. She was struck from the Navy list on 1 March 1971 and scrapped in 1972.
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...
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...
, named for Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
Claude A. Swanson
Claude A. Swanson
Claude Augustus Swanson was an American lawyer and Democratic Party politician from Virginia.He served seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1893 until 1906, was the 45th Governor of Virginia from 1906 until 1910, and represented Virginia as a United States Senator from 1910 until...
(1862–1939).
Swanson was laid down on 15 November 1939 by the Charleston Navy Yard. She was 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...
on 2 November 1940; sponsored by Mrs. Claude A. Swanson, widow of Secretary Swanson; 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...
on 29 May 1941 with Lieutenant Commander M. P. Kingsley in command.
History
After her initial shakedown, Swanson began escort and convoyConvoy
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...
duties between 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...
, Bermuda
Bermuda
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...
, and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. She escorted 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...
s Washington
USS Washington (BB-56)
USS Washington , the second of two battleships in the North Carolina class, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 42nd state. Her keel was laid down on 14 June 1938 at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Launched on 1 June 1940, Washington went through fitting-out before...
(BB-56) and 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...
(BB-55), and aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
Hornet
USS Hornet (CV-8)
USS Hornet CV-8, the seventh ship to carry the name Hornet, was a of the United States Navy. During World War II in the Pacific Theater, she launched the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and participated in the Battle of Midway and the Buin-Faisi-Tonolai Raid...
(CV-8), on their trial runs in late 1941. After the outbreak of war
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
on 7 December 1941, her convoy duties were extended to include three runs to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
as well as single voyages to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
.
Operation Torch
In October 1942, after amphibious training in Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
, Swanson joined the invasion fleet sailing for French 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...
. In the early morning of 8 November 1942, she lay close inshore to guide the landing craft to the beach at Fedhala. As she began to move further offshore at daybreak, the French shore batteries opened fire; and, for the next two hours, Swanson returned their fire in an effort to silence them and protect the transports and troops.
Shortly after 08:00, seven French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
destroyers sortied from Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
to attack the transports and opened fire on the nearest American ships, destroyers Ludlow
USS Ludlow (DD-438)
USS Ludlow , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the 3rd ship of the United States Navy to bear the name. The second and third Ludlow ships were named for Lieutenant Augustus C. Ludlow, second in command of the USS Chesapeake...
(DD-438), Wilkes
USS Wilkes (DD-441)
USS Wilkes , a , was the 3rd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Charles Wilkes, who was an American naval officer and explorer....
(DD-441) and Swanson. Ludlow was hit and forced to withdraw; but Swanson and Wilkes retired to join 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 Augusta
USS Augusta (CA-31)
USS Augusta was a Northampton-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy, notable for service in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during World War II, and for her occasional use as a presidential flagship carrying both Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman under wartime conditions...
(CA-31) and Brooklyn
USS Brooklyn (CL-40)
USS Brooklyn was a light cruiser, the lead ship of her class of seven, and the third United States Navy ship to bear its name. She was launched on 30 November 1936 by New York Navy Yard; sponsored by Miss Kathryn Jane Lackey, daughter of Rear Admiral F. R. Lackey; and commissioned on 30 September...
(CL-40), which were steaming up to engage the French.
The covering force, led by battleship Massachusetts
USS Massachusetts (BB-59)
USS Massachusetts , known as "Big Mamie" to her crewmembers during World War II, was a battleship of the second South Dakota-class. She was the seventh ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the sixth state, and one of two ships of her class to be donated for use as a museum ship...
(BB-59), soon took over the action from the Augusta group; but, at 10:00, Swanson was once again in action, engaging three French destroyers which were edging along shore towards the transports. She soon directed her fire once again against the shore batteries and was then ordered seaward to protect the convoy area, ending her participation in the engagement.
German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s had not been present during the landings; but, on 11 November 1942, U-130 and U-173 arrived and soon sank four transports and damaged a destroyer and a tanker. On 16 November, the destroyer Woolsey
USS Woolsey (DD-437)
USS Woolsey , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the 2nd ship to be named Woolsey in the United States Navy. It is the first to be named for both Commodore Melancthon Brooks Woolsey and his father Commodore Melancthon Taylor Woolsey....
(DD-437) gained sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
contact; and, after making several attacks which brought up oil and air bubbles, turned the contact over to Swanson and Quick
USS Quick (DD-490)
USS Quick , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Sergeant Major John H...
(DD-490), which made additional attacks. The contact was evaluated at that time as a sunken wreck. Subsequent information revealed that it was the U-173, which indeed had been sunk.
Operation Husky
After the Casablanca landings, Swanson returned to Atlantic convoy duty until July 1943, when she joined the Sicily invasionAllied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
force. She and Roe
USS Roe (DD-418)
USS Roe was a World War II-era Sims-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, named after Rear Admiral Francis Asbury Roe....
(DD-418) were assigned as fire support ships for the landings at Licata
Licata
Licata is a city and comune located on the south coast of Sicily, at the mouth of the Salso River , about midway between Agrigento and Gela...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
; but, on 10 July, the night before the landings, she collided with Roe while investigating suspicious radar contacts and went dead in the water with a flooded fire room; nevertheless, she was able to control further flooding, beat off an enemy attack, and retire to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
for temporary repairs before proceeding home later in July to the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
.
Convoys escorted
| Convoy | Escort Group | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HX 158 HX convoys The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom... |
5-13 Nov 1941 | from Newfoundland Dominion of Newfoundland The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland... to Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... prior to US declaration of war |
|
| ON 37 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:... |
22-30 Nov 1941 | from Iceland to Newfoundland prior to US declaration of war | |
| HX 165 HX convoys The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom... |
17-24 Dec 1941 | from Newfoundland to Iceland | |
| ON 51 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:... |
2-11 Jan 1942 | from Iceland to Newfoundland | |
| HX 172 HX convoys The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom... |
28 Jan-4 Feb 1942 | from Newfoundland to Iceland | |
| ON 65 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:... |
12-19 Feb 1942 | from Iceland to Newfoundland | |
| AT 17 | 1-12 July 1942 | troopships from New York City 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... to Firth of Clyde Firth of Clyde The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At... |
|
| ON 115 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:... |
24 July-8 Aug 1942 | from Northern Ireland to Boston Boston Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had... |
|
| UGF 1 UG convoys The UG convoys were a series of east-bound trans-Atlantic convoys from the United States to Gibraltar carrying food, ammunition, and military hardware to the United States Army in North Africa and southern Europe during World War II... |
Task Force 34 | 24 Oct-8 Nov 1942 | from Chesapeake Bay Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West... to Morocco Morocco Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara... |
Pacific Theater
Her repairs complete, Swanson resumed escort duties in the Atlantic until sailing on 7 January 1944 to join the 7th Fleet off New GuineaNew 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...
. She provided gunfire support for landings in Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler 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...
between 3 and 7 March. She then acted as command ship for the Hollandia landings
Landing at Hollandia
The Landing at Hollandia was a battle of the Western New Guinea campaign of World War II. American and allied forces undertook an amphibious landing on 22 April 1944 at Hollandia on northern coast of Dutch New Guinea...
on 22 April, with both the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and 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...
commanders on board. After providing gunfire support during the Noemfoor
Noemfoor
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...
assault on 2 July, she again acted as command ship for the Sansapor landings on 30 July.
On 19 August 1944, the destroyer left New Guinea and joined 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...
(TF 38). She screened the carriers 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), Enterprise
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...
(CV-6), and San Jacinto
USS San Jacinto (CVL-30)
The second USS San Jacinto of the United States Navy was an Independence-class light aircraft carrier that served during World War II. She was named for the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. U.S. President George H.W...
(CVL-30), while they launched air strikes on the Bonins, 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...
, Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
, 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...
, Okinawa, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, and while they provided air support for the Philippine landings
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
on 20 October. As the Japanese launched a three-pronged naval attack on the United States forces at Leyte, Swansons task group first assisted in turning back the Japanese central force in San Bernardino Strait
San Bernardino Strait
The San Bernardino Strait is a strait in the Philippines. It separates the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon island from the island of Samar in the south.-Filipinos and San Bernardino Strait:...
during the day of 24 October, sinking the giant battleship Musashi
Japanese battleship Musashi
, named after the ancient Japanese Musashi Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet. She was the second ship of the...
; and then raced north to intercept the Japanese decoy force of carriers off Cape Engaño
Cape Engaño
Cape Engaño is a cape and northern point of Palaui Island, an island off the northeasternmost point of the island of Luzon in the Philippines....
, Luzon. When word arrived that the Japanese central force had once again reversed course and was threatening the Leyte beachhead, part of TF 38 turned south again. However, Swanson remained in the north and helped to complete the destruction of the Japanese carriers.
Air-Sea rescue duty
A day later, on 26 October, Swanson was detached from the fast carrier forces and was assigned to the escort patrol group based at SaipanSaipan
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...
. For the rest of 1944 and early 1945, she was engaged in air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue is the coordinated search and rescue of the survivors of emergency water landings as well as people who have survived the loss of their sea-going vessel. ASR can involve a wide variety of resources including seaplanes, helicopters, submarines, rescue boats and ships...
of downed fliers, antisubmarine patrol, and 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...
patrols between 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...
and 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...
. She also served as the headquarters for the commander of the group. She was detached in April 1945 for overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard. After refresher training at San Diego, 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...
, Swanson resumed her patrol and escort duties in the vicinity of Iwo Jima.
Decommissioning
On 9 September, she began the trip back to the United States for inactivation. The destroyer was decommissioned on 10 December 1945 and placed in reserve at Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, 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 March 1971 and scrapped in 1972.