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USS The Sullivans (DD-537)
Encyclopedia
USS The Sullivans (DD-537) is a Fletcher-class
destroyer. She is the first United States Navy
ship to be named in honor of the five Sullivan brothers
(George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert) aged 20 to 27 who lost their lives when their ship, USS Juneau
, was sunk by a Japanese submarine during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
on 13 November 1942. This was the greatest military loss by any one American family during World War II
. She was also the first ship commissioned in the Navy that honored more than one person.
After service in both World War II and the Korean War
, The Sullivans was assigned to the 6th Fleet and was a training ship until she was decommissioned on 7 January 1965. In 1977, she and cruiser
Little Rock
were processed for donation to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park
in Buffalo, New York
. The ship now serves as a memorial and is open for public tours.
by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. She was renamed The Sullivans on 6 February 1943 and launched 4 April 1943. The ship was sponsored by Mrs. Thomas F. Sullivan, the mother of the five Sullivan brothers. The Sullivans was commissioned on 30 September 1943 with Commander Kenneth M. Gentry in command.
cruise, The Sullivans got underway with Dortch
and Gatling
on 23 December 1943. The group arrived at Pearl Harbor
five days later. During training operations in Hawaiian waters, the ship was assigned to Destroyer Squadron
(DesRon) 52. On 16 January 1944, she steamed out of Pearl Harbor with Task Group 58.2 (TG 58.2) bound for the Marshall Islands
. En route to Kwajalein Atoll the group was joined by Battleship Division 9 (BatDiv
9). Two days later, as the American warships neared their target, picket destroyers
were sent ahead to protect the main force from the enemy. On 24 January, TG 58.2 arrived at the dawn launching point for air strikes against Roi
. For two days, The Sullivans screened Essex
), Intrepid
, and Cabot
as they launched nearly continuous aerial raids. Thereafter, the destroyer continued her operations to the north and northwest of Roi and Namur Islands throughout the Battle of Kwajalein
until 4 February, when TG 58.2 retired to Majuro
to refuel and replenish.
Underway at noon on the 12th, The Sullivans screened (protected) the sortie of Task Group 58.2, as part of Task Force 58's raid on Truk
. The same carriers — Essex, Intrepid, and Cabot — whose planes had attacked Roi and Namur steamed in the van now headed for the Japanese fortress-base in the Central Pacific. From the time the group arrived at its launching point on 16 February, the carriers launched what seemed to be nearly continuous air strikes against Truk. "No enemy opposition of any kind was encountered," wrote The Sullivans commander, "indicating that the initial attacks came as a complete surprise."
While the enemy may have been slow to react at the outset, they soon struck back — torpedoing Intrepid at 00:10 on the 17th. The carrier slowed to 20 knots (39.2 km/h) and lost steering control. The Sullivans, Owen
, and Stembel
stood by the stricken carrier and escorted her to Majuro for repairs. Reaching Majuro on 21 February, the destroyer soon sailed on to Hawaii, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 4 March for drydocking and upkeep.
Underway again on the 22nd, The Sullivans covered the sortie of Task Groups 58.2, 58.9, and 50.15 from Majuro, bound for the Palau
s, Yap
, and Woleai Islands
. On the evening of the 29th, while the American warships were approaching the target area, enemy aircraft attacked but were driven off by the anti-aircraft fire from the ships. The next day, The Sullivans screened the carriers during air strikes and that evening helped to beat off a Japanese air attack.
After returning to Majuro for replenishment, the warship screened TG 58.2 during air strikes on Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura
), Tanahmerah
, Wakde
, and Aitape
to support amphibious operations on New Guinea
. Late in April, The Sullivans participated in support of air strikes on the Japanese base at Truk. On the 29th during one of these raids, the Japanese retaliated with a low-level air attack. American radar picked up four Japanese planes 16 miles (25.7 km) away, coming in fast at altitudes varying from 10 to 500 feet (152.4 m). When the planes came within range, The Sullivans opened up with one 40-millimeter twin mount and all five 5 inches (127 mm) guns. Two aircraft splashed into the sea due to the firing of the American ships, and one crossing ahead of The Sullivans was taken under fire and crashed in flames off her port beam.
The Sullivans arrived off the northwest coast of Ponape
on the afternoon of 1 May and provided cover for the battleships led by Iowa
which bombarded the island. From the disengaged side of the screen, The Sullivans fired 18 rounds from extreme range at Tumu Point. She then noted three beached Japanese landing barges and shifted her fire to them. However, she received the general cease-fire order shortly thereafter.
During the task unit's retirement, The Sullivans refueled from Yorktown
and arrived at Majuro on 4 May. Ten days later, TG 58.2 sortied again, bound for Marcus and Wake Islands. Launching the first raid at 08:00 on the 19th, the American carriers kept up nearly continuous air strikes with no enemy interruptions for three days. En route back to Majuro, The Sullivans and her sister destroyers conducted a thorough but unsuccessful search for a suspected submarine.
On 6 June, The Sullivans got underway again, bound for Saipan
, Tinian
, and Guam
to screen carriers in conducting air strikes. On occasion while in the screen, The Sullivans radar picked up enemy "snoopers" around the periphery of the formation — and before dawn at 03:15 on the 12th, TG 58.2 shot down one in flames.
The second day's strikes against Saipan took place on the 13th to support the American landings there
. Assigned to the duty of communication-linking station between task forces, The Sullivans remained within visual sighting distance of both TG's 58.1 and 58.2 during the day. That day, she picked up 31 Japanese merchant seamen after their ship had been sunk offshore and transferred these prisoners to flagship Indianapolis
.
On 19 June 1944, during the first day of the Battle of the Philippine Sea
, Japanese aircraft attacked the task group. The Sullivans picked up a plane visually at a range of less than five miles (8 km). "Judies," diving from 23000 feet (7,010.4 m), pressed home their attacks. One, taken under fire by The Sullivans, took tracer fire from the ship's 20- and 40-millimeter batteries and, moments later, crashed just short of the horizon. American air attacks against Pagan Island
, made without enemy retaliation, topped off the Saipan-Tinian-Guam strikes; and The Sullivans proceeded with TG 58.2 to Eniwetok for upkeep.
Underway on 30 June, The Sullivans resumed work in the screen of carriers launching air strikes to support operations against Saipan and Tinian. During this action, The Sullivans served as fighter-direction ship for TU 58.2.4.
On Independence Day, The Sullivans joined Bombardment Unit One (TU 58.2.4) to conduct a shore bombardment of airfields, shore batteries, and other installations on the west coast of Iwo Jima
. The heavy ships in the group opened fire at 15:00, and smoke and dust soon obscured targets along the western shore of the island, making spotting difficult. The Sullivans, second ship in a column of destroyers, opened fire at 15:48 on planes parked on the southern airstrip. After three ranging salvos, the ship commenced hitting twin-engined "Bettys" parked in revetments along the strip. Five planes blew up, and eight other planes were probably damaged by shrapnel and burning gasoline. Minutes later, an enemy ship resembling an LST came under The Sullivans gunfire and caught fire astern. While Miller
closed to complete the destruction of the enemy vessel, The Sullivans and the remainder of the bombardment unit retired and rejoined TG 58.2.
From 7 to 22 July, TG 58.2 operated south and west of the Marianas, conducting daily air strikes on Guam and Rota Islands before returning to Garapan Anchorage, Saipan, to allow the carriers to replenish bombs. Underway at dawn on the 23d, The Sullivans accompanied the task group as it sped towards the Palaus for air strikes on the 26th and 27th. She joined TG 58.4 for temporary duty on 30 July and continued air strikes until 6 August, when she joined TG 58.7, the heavy bombardment group, and operated with TP 34 until 11 August, when the group returned to Eniwetok for replenishment.
Early in September, as the Navy prepared to take the Palaus, The Sullivans supported neutralizing air strikes against Japanese air bases in the Philippines. At dawn on the 7th, she began radar picket duty for TG 38.2 and continued the task through the strikes of the 9th and 10th. From 18:00 on 12 September, the ships noted an increase in air activity — observing many bogies that merely orbited the formations as snoopers. The carriers conducted further raids on the central Philippines on the 13th and 14th and then shifted course to the north to subject Manila
to air attacks commencing on the 21st. Three days later, American planes again hit the central Philippines
.
Returning to Tanapag Harbor, Saipan, at dawn on the 28th, The Sullivans went alongside Massachusetts
for ammunition, provisions, and routine upkeep. However, the cross-swells in the anchorage swept The Sullivans hard against the battleship's steel hide, damaging the destroyer's hull and superstructure. Following brief antisubmarine patrol duty, she proceeded to Ulithi
on 1 October.
While undergoing tender repairs alongside Dixie
, The Sullivans formed part of a nest of destroyers blown away from the tender during a heavy storm that lashed the anchorage. The Sullivans drifted free downwind and got up steam "in a hurry." However, she collided with Uhlmann
. Many small boats were being tossed about, and The Sullivans rescued four men from Stockhams
gig before it disappeared beneath the waves. As the storm abated on the 4th, the warship returned to Ulithi to complete the abbreviated tender overhaul alongside Dixie.
At 16:15 on 6 October, The Sullivans sortied with the carriers and protected them during raids against targets on Formosa
and the Ryukyus. On the evening of the 12th, as the planes returned to the carriers, radar spotted the first of many Japanese aircraft coming down from the north. For the next six hours, approximately 50 to 60 Japanese aircraft subjected the American task force to continuous air attacks. Nearly 45 minutes after sunset, The Sullivans sighted a "Betty," coming in low on the starboard side, and took it under fire. During the next 15 minutes, the formation to which The Sullivans was attached shot down three planes; between 18:56 and 19:54, the destroyer herself took five planes under fire. Varying speed between 18 and 29 knots (56.8 km/h), the formation undertook eight emergency maneuvers. Again and again, timely turns and the great volume of gunfire thrown up by the ships repulsed the enemy air attacks.
The second phase of the attack began at 21:05 on the 12th and continued through 02:35 on the 13th. The Japanese increased the use of "window" to jam American radar transmissions while their flares lit up the evening with ghostly light. The formation made smoke whenever enemy flare-dropping planes approached, creating an eerie haze effect which helped baffle the enemy pilots. Meanwhile, The Sullivans and the other ships in formation executed 38 simultaneous turn movements at speeds between 22 and 25 knots (49 km/h) as their guns kept up a steady fire to repel the attackers.
The next day, the carriers again launched successful strikes on Formosa. During the ensuing night retirement, the formation again came under attack by Japanese torpedo-carrying "Betties" which struck home this time and damaged Canberra
. The Sullivans then helped to protect the damaged cruiser. On the 14th, "Betty" torpedo bombers scored against Houston
.The Sullivans soon joined the screen which guarded the two battle-battered cruisers — nicknamed "CripDiv 1" — as they retired toward Ulithi.
Things progressed well until the 16th, when the Japanese mounted a heavy air attack to attempt to finish off cruisers. Houston reeled under the impact of a second hit astern, and The Sullivans opened fire on the "Frances" which had made the attack and splashed the Japanese plane. The Sullivans and Stephen Potter
then took a second "Frances" under fire and knocked it down off the bow of Santa Fe
.
The Sullivans rescued 118 Houston men and kept them on board until the 18th, when she transferred them to Boston
. While the damaged cruisers were making their way to Ulithi, a Japanese surface force attempted to close the formation before TF 38 intervened to drive them back. The Sullivans transferred salvage gear to Houston and helped with the ship's many wounded. For his part in directing the destroyer's rescue and salvage attempts, Comdr. Ralph J. Baum received his first Silver Star
.
On 20 October, The Sullivans joined TG 38.2 for scheduled air strikes on the central Philippines in support of the Leyte landings
. At dawn of the 24th, reconnaissance located a Japanese surface force south of Mindoro
, and the American carriers launched air strikes all day against the enemy warships. That morning, a Japanese air attack developed, and The Sullivans downed an "Oscar" fighter plane.
By 25 October, enemy forces were sighted coming down from the north; TF 34, including The Sullivans, was formed and headed north, following the carrier groups in TF 38. At dawn on the 25th, the carriers launched air strikes to harass the Japanese surface units, now some 60 miles (96.6 km) north. At 11:00, TF 34 reversed course, topped-off the destroyers with fuel, and formed fast striking group TG 34.5, with Iowa, New Jersey
, three light cruiser
s, The Sullivans, and seven other destroyers. The American force missed the Japanese by three hours, but ran across a straggler and reported sinking an . Japanese records fail to confirm the claim.
After sweeping south along the coast of Samar hunting for enemy "cripples," The Sullivans and other units of TG 34.5 reported back to TG 38.2. The destroyer then remained in the Philippine area, screening the fast carriers and standing by on plane guard duties, through mid-November. At dusk on the 19th, during one of the many air attacks fought off by The Sullivans, the destroyer damaged a "Betty" by gunfire and watched it disappear over the horizon, smoking but stubbornly remaining airborne. Six days later, she had better luck when her guns set a Japanese plane afire and splashed it into the sea. Two days later, her task group returned to Ulithi.
The destroyer undertook training exercises from 8 to 11 December before rejoining TG 38.2 to screen its warships during air strikes on Manila and southern Luzon
beginning on 14 December. On the 17th, running low on fuel, The Sullivans commenced refueling but, with the weather worsening minute by minute, she broke off the operation. Typhoon Cobra swept through the Fleet, with the wind clocked at an estimated 115 knots (225.4 km/h) on the morning of 18 December. Three destroyers were sunk and several ships damaged by the winds and waves. The Sullivans, her "lucky shamrock" painted on her funnel, emerged from the typhoon undamaged and, on the 20th began searching for men lost overboard from other ships. The lingering bad weather resulted in cancellation of air strikes, and The Sullivans retired to Ulithi on Christmas Eve.
Soon after the conclusion of the air strikes, a bombardment group, TG 34.5, was formed to go after possible "cripples" and dispatch them by surface gunfire. Accordingly, two battleships, two heavy cruisers, three light cruisers, and 15 destroyers raced into Camranh Bay but found it devoid of Japanese shipping. Throughout the day, however, carrier pilots had better luck and enjoyed a veritable "field day" with coastal maru
s. During subsequent air strikes on Hainan Island, Hong Kong, and Formosa, The Sullivans served on radar picket duty 10 miles (16.1 km) ahead of the task group.
A brief respite for upkeep at Ulithi in late January preceded the ship's deployment with TG 58.2, covering the carriers as they launched devastating air strikes against the Japanese homeland itself, hitting Tokyo and other targets on Honshū on 16 and 17 February. From the 18th through the 21st, American carrier-based air power struck at Japanese positions contesting the landings on Iwo Jima
. More strikes were scheduled for Tokyo four days later, but bad weather forced their cancellation. Retiring from the area, TF 58 fueled and commenced a high-speed run at Okinawa at noon on 28 February. Later that day, The Sullivans sighted and destroyed a drifting mine. At dawn on 1 March, Hellcats, Avengers, Dauntlesses, and Helldivers attacked Japanese positions on Okinawa. The ships of the task force encountered no enemy opposition from sea or sky and soon retired towards Ulithi.
The Sullivans sortied 12 days later, bound for Kyushu and southern Honshū to support the invasion of Okinawa
. Once again screening for TG 58.2, The Sullivans stood by as the carriers launched air strikes on 14 March. On 20 March, The Sullivans fueled from Enterprise
at 11:52, clearing the carrier's side five minutes later when a kamikaze
alert sent the ships scurrying.
At 14:39, The Sullivans commenced maneuvering to go alongside Enterprise again — this time to pick up a part for her FD radar antenna. Soon, however, another enemy air attack scattered the ships. As a line had not yet been thrown across to the carrier, The Sullivans bent on speed and cleared her as other ships in the task group opened fire on the attackers. A Japanese plane came through the antiaircraft fire and crashed into Halsey Powell
astern as that destroyer was fueling alongside . The stricken destroyer lost steering control and started to veer across the big carrier's bow, and only rapid and radical maneuvering on Hancocks part averted a collision.
The Sullivans soon closed Halsey Powell to render emergency assistance. She slowed to a stop 11 minutes later and lowered her motor whaleboat to transfer her medical officer and a pharmacist's mate to Halsey Powell, when another kamikaze came out of the skies, apparently bent on crashing into The Sullivans. At 16:10, the destroyer's radar picked up the "Zeke" on its approach; and, as soon as the motor whaler was clear of the water, The Sullivans leapt ahead with all engines thrusting at flank speed.
Bringing right full rudder, The Sullivans maneuvered radically while her 20- and 40-millimeter guns sent streams of shells at the "Zeke," which passed 100 feet (30.5 m) over the masthead and escaped. Meanwhile, Halsey Powell managed to achieve a steady course at five knots; and, with The Sullivans, she retired toward Ulithi. However, their troubles were not yet over. At 10:46 on the following day, 21 March, The Sullivans picked up a plane, closing from 15 miles (24.1 km). Visually identified as a twin-engined "Frances," the aircraft was taken under fire at 10000 yards (9,144 m) by The Sullivans 5 inch battery. Halsey Powell joined in too; and, within a few moments, the "Frances" crashed into the sea about 3000 yards (2,743.2 m) abeam of The Sullivans. At 12:50, a combat air patrol (CAP) Hellcat from Yorktown, under direction by Halsey Powell, splashed another "Frances." At 13:20, a CAP Hellcat from Intrepid, directed by The Sullivans, downed a "Nick" or "Dinah."
On 25 March, The Sullivans and Halsey Powell arrived at Ulithi, the former for upkeep prior to training exercises and the latter for battle repairs.
The warship next rendezvoused with TF 58 off Okinawa and guarded the carriers supporting the landings on the island. While operating on radar picket duty on the 15th, the ship came under enemy air attack, but downed one plane and emerged unscathed. She continued conducting radar picket patrols for the task group, ranging some 12 to 25 miles (40.2 km) out from the main body of the force. On the afternoon of 29 April, she commenced fueling from , but a kamikaze alert interrupted the replenishment, forcing The Sullivans to break away from the carrier's side. During the ensuing action, Hazelwood
and Haggard
were both crashed by suiciders but survived.
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Kamikazes continued to plague the ships of TG 58.3 as they supported the troops fighting ashore on Okinawa. Everything from landing craft to battleships were targeted. On the morning of 11 May, a kamikaze crashed into Bunker Hill. The Sullivans promptly closed the carrier to render assistance and picked up 166 men forced over the side by the fires that at one point ravaged the ship. After transferring them to ships in TG 50.8 and replenishing her fuel bunkers, she helped to screen TG 58.3 during air strikes on Kyushu.
In a morning air attack three days later, Enterprise was hit by a kamikaze. Four enemy planes were shot down in the melee — one by The Sullivans in what proved to be her last combat action during World War II.
The Sullivans anchored at San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf, on 1 June for recreation and upkeep. She departed Leyte on the 20th, bound, via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor, for the west coast. The destroyer arrived at Mare Island, Calif.
, on 9 July and, two days later, commenced her overhaul. She thus missed the final fleet activity that closed the war.
Meanwhile, since the return of peace greatly reduced the Navy's need for warships, The Sullivans was decommissioned at San Diego on 10 January 1946 — soon after her overhaul was completed — and she was placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.
ground forces who were battling communist forces. The Sullivans remained on this duty until 20 October 1952 when she steamed to Yokosuka, Japan for a brief refit.
Following the refit, The Sullivans stopped at Buckner Bay, Okinawa and then proceeded to rejoin Task Force 77. Upon her arrival on 16 November 1952 she resumed screening activities and plane guard duty. She supported the carriers as they made the northern-most stab at North Korean supply lines, approaching within 75 miles (120.7 km) of the Soviet base at Vladivostok, Russia. MiG-15 fighters approached the task force, but combat air patrol Grumman F9F Panthers downed two of the attackers and damaged a third in history's first engagement between jet fighters over water. The destroyer arrived back at Sasebo, Japan on 5 December 1952. From Sasebo she joined United Nations forces on 14 December 1952 in blockading the Korean coasts. Her mission was to interdict seaborne traffic and bombard shore targets to support United Nations ground troops and interdict enemy supply operations. Arriving in Area "G" the following day, The Sullivans made contact with the enemy on the 16th off Songjin, North Korea
which was an important rail terminus and supply center. For the next few days, she bombarded railroad trains and tunnels. She frequently opened fire to destroy railroad rolling stock
, depots and prevented repairs to railroad tracks and buildings.
On Christmas Day 1952, The Sullivans scored direct hits on a railroad bridge while under fire from enemy artillery positions on shore. Fifty rounds from enemy guns failed to touch the ship, although near-misses showered the warship's decks with shell fragments. Counter-battery fire
from the ship destroyed at least one of the enemy artillery positions.
The Sullivans was ordered home and departed Yokosuka, Japan on 26 January 1953. On the voyage home the ship called at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, Hong Kong
, Subic Bay
, Singapore
, Colombo, Ceylon, Bombay, India, Bahrein and Aden
. The Sullivans then steamed through the Red Sea, transited the Suez Canal, and proceeded to Cannes, France via Naples
. After a brief fueling stop at Gibraltar the warship reached Newport, R.I. on 11 April 1953.
The destroyer operated out of her home port well into the summer of 1953, before deploying to the Mediterranean for a tour of duty with the 6th Fleet. She remained on this duty through the end of the year and returned to Newport on 3 February 1954 for operations off the east coast and into the Caribbean through May 1955. She again deployed to European and Mediterranean waters from May to August of that year before returning to Newport late in the summer.
In the years that followed, The Sullivans continued alternating east coast operations with Mediterranean deployments. The summer of 1958 saw a communist threat to the security of Lebanon, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower
ordered American ships to land troops there to protect Americans and to help stabilize the tense situation. The Sullivans supported the landings of marines at Beirut. After their presence had dispelled the crisis, she returned to the United States for a three-month navy yard overhaul and subsequent refresher training in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Back at Newport in March 1959, The Sullivans joined a hunter/killer group formed around Lake Champlain
. Then, after making a midshipman training cruise in which she conducted antisubmarine warfare operations, the destroyer sailed for another Mediterranean deployment which lasted until she returned home in the autumn.
Operations out of Newport occupied The Sullivans until the spring of 1960 when she headed south for ASROC evaluations off Key West, Fla. During this deployment to southern climes, the warship helped to rescue five survivors from a crashed Air Force KC-97 Stratotanker
that had crashed off Cape Canaveral.
Following NATO exercises in September, The Sullivans visited Lisbon, Portugal, prior to a quick trip through the Mediterranean, Suez Canal, and Red Sea, to Karachi, West Pakistan. In late October and into November, she participated in Operation "Midlink III," joint operations with Pakistani, Iranian, and British warships. After returning to the Mediterranean, The Sullivans conducted exercises with the French Navy and with the 6th Fleet and reached home in time for Christmas.
In January 1961, The Sullivans assisted in the sea trials of the submarine Abraham Lincoln
off Portsmouth, N.H., before steaming south and taking part in Operation Springboard. While in the Caribbean, she visited Martinique. Briefly back at Newport early in March, The Sullivans soon returned to the West Indies to support marine landing exercises at Vieques, Puerto Rico.
In April, the ship began intensive training in the waters off Florida to prepare to cover a Project Mercury
spaceshot. The Sullivans joined Lake Champlain at Mayport, Fla., and took station. On 5 May 1961, Comdr. Alan Shepard
's space capsule passed overhead and splashed down near Lake Champlain and was speedily rescued by helicopters from the carrier. The Sullivans then made a midshipmen cruise in June, visiting New York and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
From September 1961 to February 1962, The Sullivans underwent a major overhaul in the Boston Naval Shipyard. She proceeded to Guantanamo Bay
soon thereafter to train for duty as a school ship. She subsequently served as a model destroyer in which officer students could see and learn the fundamentals of destroyer operation. In May and again in August, The Sullivans made training cruises to the Caribbean for the Destroyer School.
In October 1962, after Soviet missiles were discovered in Cuba, The Sullivans joined American naval forces blockading the island during negotiations with the Soviet Union over the issue. When the Soviet Government withdrew the strategic weapons, the destroyer returned to Newport.
On 7 January 1963, The Sullivans got underway from Newport bound for the Caribbean and another training cruise. Following her return to Newport, she conducted local operations for the Destroyer School. The tragic loss of nuclear submarine USS Thresher
off Boston on 10 April 1963 caused the destroyer to support emergency investigations of the disaster.
For the remainder of 1963 and into the first few months of 1964, The Sullivans continued to train officer students. On 1 April 1964, the destroyer was transferred to the naval reserve training force, and her homeport was changed to New York City. Departing Newport on 13 April, the warship proceeded to New York and took on her selected reserve crew. Her cruises with the reserves embarked were devoted mostly to ASW exercises and took the ship to Canadian ports such as Halifax, Nova Scotia; St. John, New Brunswick; and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in the north to Palm Beach, Fla., in the south.
After the collision of the Australian aircraft carrier and destroyer , which resulted in the sinking of Voyager on 10 February 1964, the United States offered The Sullivans to Australia along with sister ship as a temporary replacement. The Royal Australian Navy
instead accepted the British Royal Navy
's offer of the Daring-class
destroyer , which was of the same class as Voyager.
The Sullivans received nine battle stars for World War II service and two for Korean service. On 7 January 1965, The Sullivans was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and she remained in reserve into the 1970s. In 1977, she and cruiser Little Rock
were processed for donation to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park
in Buffalo, New York. The ship now serves as a memorial and is open for public tours.
The ship was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1986.
Three other Fletcher-class ships are preserved as memorials:
Fletcher class destroyer
The Fletcher class were a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. The class was designed in 1939 as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types...
destroyer. She is the first 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...
ship to be named in honor of the five Sullivan brothers
Sullivan brothers
The Sullivan brothers were five siblings who were all killed in action during or shortly after the sinking of the light cruiser USS Juneau , the vessel on which they all served, on November 13, 1942, in World War II....
(George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert) aged 20 to 27 who lost their lives when their ship, USS Juneau
USS Juneau (CL-52)
The first USS Juneau was a United States Navy Atlanta-class light cruiser sunk at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942. In total 687 men, including the five Sullivan brothers, were killed in action as a result of its sinking....
, was sunk by a Japanese submarine during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sometimes referred to as the Third and Fourth Battles of Savo Island, the Battle of the Solomons, The Battle of Friday the 13th, or, in Japanese sources, as the , took place from 12–15 November 1942, and was the decisive engagement in a series of naval battles...
on 13 November 1942. This was the greatest military loss by any one American family 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 also the first ship commissioned in the Navy that honored more than one person.
After service in both World War II and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, The Sullivans was assigned to the 6th Fleet and was a training ship until she was decommissioned on 7 January 1965. In 1977, she and 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...
Little Rock
USS Little Rock (CG-4)
USS Little Rock was one of 27 United States Navy light cruisers completed during or shortly after World War II, and one of six to be converted to guided missile cruisers. She was the first US Navy ship to be named for Little Rock, Arkansas. Commissioned in mid-1945, she was completed too late to...
were processed for donation to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park
Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park
The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, formerly known as The Buffalo Naval and Servicemen's Park, is a museum on the shore of Lake Erie in Buffalo, New York. It is home to several decommissioned US Naval vessels, including the Cleveland-class cruiser , the Fletcher-class destroyer ,...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. The ship now serves as a memorial and is open for public tours.
Construction
The Sullivans was originally laid down as Putnam on 10 October 1942 at San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. She was renamed The Sullivans on 6 February 1943 and launched 4 April 1943. The ship was sponsored by Mrs. Thomas F. Sullivan, the mother of the five Sullivan brothers. The Sullivans was commissioned on 30 September 1943 with Commander Kenneth M. Gentry in command.
1944
Following a shakedownSea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
cruise, The Sullivans got underway with Dortch
USS Dortch (DD-670)
USS Dortch was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, the only Navy ship named for Isaac Foote Dortch, who was awarded the Navy Cross....
and Gatling
USS Gatling (DD-671)
USS Gatling was a of the United States Navy, named for Dr. Richard Jordan Gatling, the inventor of the Gatling gun.Gatling was laid down 3 March 1943 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, N.J.; launched 20 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. John W...
on 23 December 1943. The group arrived 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...
five days later. During training operations in Hawaiian waters, the ship was assigned to Destroyer Squadron
Destroyer squadron
A destroyer squadron is a naval squadron or flotilla usually consisting of destroyers rather than other types of vessel. In some navies other vessels, such as frigates, may be included. In English the word "squadron" tends to be used for larger and "flotilla" for smaller vessels, both may be used...
(DesRon) 52. On 16 January 1944, she steamed out of Pearl Harbor with Task Group 58.2 (TG 58.2) bound for the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. En route to Kwajalein Atoll the group was joined by Battleship Division 9 (BatDiv
BatDiv
A BatDiv or BATDIV was a standard U.S. Navy abbreviation or acronym for "battleship division."The Commander of a Battleship Division is known, in official Navy communications, as COMBATDIV , such as COMBATDIV ONE....
9). Two days later, as the American warships neared their target, picket destroyers
Picket (military)
In military terminology, a picket refers to soldiers or troops placed on a line forward of a position to warn against an enemy advance. It can also refer to any unit performing a similar function...
were sent ahead to protect the main force from the enemy. On 24 January, TG 58.2 arrived at the dawn launching point for air strikes against Roi
Roi-Namur
Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands.Occupied by Japanese forces prior to World War II, it was the target of the U.S. 4th Marine Division in the Battle of Kwajalein, in February 1944....
. For two days, The Sullivans screened Essex
USS Essex (CV-9)
USS Essex was an aircraft carrier, the lead ship of the 24-ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in December 1942, Essex participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning the...
), Intrepid
USS Intrepid (CV-11)
USS Intrepid , also known as The Fighting "I", is one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. She is the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in August 1943, Intrepid participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, most notably the Battle...
, and Cabot
USS Cabot (CVL-28)
USS Cabot was an in the United States Navy, the second ship to carry the name. Cabot was commissioned in 1943 and served until 1947. She was recommissioned as a training carrier from 1948 to 1955. From 1967 to 1989, she served in Spain as '...
as they launched nearly continuous aerial raids. Thereafter, the destroyer continued her operations to the north and northwest of Roi and Namur Islands throughout the Battle of Kwajalein
Battle of Kwajalein
The Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought from 31 January-3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of...
until 4 February, when TG 58.2 retired to Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
to refuel and replenish.
Underway at noon on the 12th, The Sullivans screened (protected) the sortie of Task Group 58.2, as part of Task Force 58's raid on Truk
Operation Hailstone
Operation Hailstone was a massive naval air and surface attack launched on February 17–18, 1944, during World War II by the United States Navy against the Japanese naval and air base at Truk in the Caroline Islands, a pre-war Japanese territory.-Background:Truk was a major Japanese logistical base...
. The same carriers — Essex, Intrepid, and Cabot — whose planes had attacked Roi and Namur steamed in the van now headed for the Japanese fortress-base in the Central Pacific. From the time the group arrived at its launching point on 16 February, the carriers launched what seemed to be nearly continuous air strikes against Truk. "No enemy opposition of any kind was encountered," wrote The Sullivans commander, "indicating that the initial attacks came as a complete surprise."
While the enemy may have been slow to react at the outset, they soon struck back — torpedoing Intrepid at 00:10 on the 17th. The carrier slowed to 20 knots (39.2 km/h) and lost steering control. The Sullivans, Owen
USS Owen (DD-536)
USS Owen , a , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Elias K. Owen.Owen was laid down 17 September 1942 by the Bethlehem Steel Corp., San Francisco, California; launched 21 March 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Hope Owen; and commissioned 20 September 1943, Comdr. R. W...
, and Stembel
USS Stembel (DD-644)
USS Stembel , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Rear Admiral Roger N. Stembel , who served in the Civil War....
stood by the stricken carrier and escorted her to Majuro for repairs. Reaching Majuro on 21 February, the destroyer soon sailed on to Hawaii, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 4 March for drydocking and upkeep.
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...
s, 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...
, and Woleai Islands
Woleai
Woleai is a coral atoll of twenty-two islands in the eastern Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia and is located approximately west-northwest of Ifalik and northeast of Eauripik...
. On the evening of the 29th, while the American warships were approaching the target area, enemy aircraft attacked but were driven off by the anti-aircraft fire from the ships. The next day, The Sullivans screened the carriers during air strikes and that evening helped to beat off a Japanese air attack.
After returning to Majuro for replenishment, the warship screened TG 58.2 during air strikes on Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura
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....
), Tanahmerah
Tanahmerah
Not to be confused with Tanahmerah Bay, Tanahmerah is a town on the Digul river within the interior of Western New Guinea. The town acted as a Dutch penal colony during the period when Indonesia was a colony of Holland....
, 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...
, and Aitape
Aitape
Aitape is a small town of about 8,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun Province. It is a coastal settlement that is almost equidistant from the provincial capitals of Wewak and Vanimo, and marks the midpoint of the highway between these two capitals...
to support amphibious operations on 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...
. Late in April, The Sullivans participated in support of air strikes on the Japanese base at Truk. On the 29th during one of these raids, the Japanese retaliated with a low-level air attack. American radar picked up four Japanese planes 16 miles (25.7 km) away, coming in fast at altitudes varying from 10 to 500 feet (152.4 m). When the planes came within range, The Sullivans opened up with one 40-millimeter twin mount and all five 5 inches (127 mm) guns. Two aircraft splashed into the sea due to the firing of the American ships, and one crossing ahead of The Sullivans was taken under fire and crashed in flames off her port beam.
The Sullivans arrived off the northwest coast of Ponape
Ponape
Ponape may refer to:*Pohnpei, an island in the Federated States of Micronesia*Ponape , a German sailing ship...
on the afternoon of 1 May and provided cover for the battleships led by Iowa
USS Iowa (BB-61)
USS Iowa was the lead ship of her class of battleship and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 29th state...
which bombarded the island. From the disengaged side of the screen, The Sullivans fired 18 rounds from extreme range at Tumu Point. She then noted three beached Japanese landing barges and shifted her fire to them. However, she received the general cease-fire order shortly thereafter.
During the task unit's retirement, The Sullivans refueled from Yorktown
USS Yorktown (CV-10)
USS Yorktown is one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. She is named after the Battle of Yorktown of the American Revolutionary War, and is the fourth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name...
and arrived at Majuro on 4 May. Ten days later, TG 58.2 sortied again, bound for Marcus and Wake Islands. Launching the first raid at 08:00 on the 19th, the American carriers kept up nearly continuous air strikes with no enemy interruptions for three days. En route back to Majuro, The Sullivans and her sister destroyers conducted a thorough but unsuccessful search for a suspected submarine.
On 6 June, The Sullivans got underway again, bound 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...
, Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, and Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
to screen carriers in conducting air strikes. On occasion while in the screen, The Sullivans radar picked up enemy "snoopers" around the periphery of the formation — and before dawn at 03:15 on the 12th, TG 58.2 shot down one in flames.
The second day's strikes against Saipan took place on the 13th to support the American landings there
Battle of Saipan
The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June-9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was...
. Assigned to the duty of communication-linking station between task forces, The Sullivans remained within visual sighting distance of both TG's 58.1 and 58.2 during the day. That day, she picked up 31 Japanese merchant seamen after their ship had been sunk offshore and transferred these prisoners to flagship Indianapolis
USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
USS Indianapolis was a of the United States Navy. She holds a place in history due to the circumstances of her sinking, which led to the greatest single loss of life at sea in the history of the U.S. Navy...
.
On 19 June 1944, during the first day of the Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
, Japanese aircraft attacked the task group. The Sullivans picked up a plane visually at a range of less than five miles (8 km). "Judies," diving from 23000 feet (7,010.4 m), pressed home their attacks. One, taken under fire by The Sullivans, took tracer fire from the ship's 20- and 40-millimeter batteries and, moments later, crashed just short of the horizon. American air attacks against Pagan Island
Pagan Island
Pagan is an island of the Northern Mariana Islands chain,located at , approximately 320 kilometers northof Saipan.Pagan has an area of 47.23 km² , making it the fourth largest island of the Northern Marianas, and consists of two stratovolcanoes joined by a narrow strip of land.The...
, made without enemy retaliation, topped off the Saipan-Tinian-Guam strikes; and The Sullivans proceeded with TG 58.2 to Eniwetok for upkeep.
Underway on 30 June, The Sullivans resumed work in the screen of carriers launching air strikes to support operations against Saipan and Tinian. During this action, The Sullivans served as fighter-direction ship for TU 58.2.4.
On Independence Day, The Sullivans joined Bombardment Unit One (TU 58.2.4) to conduct a shore bombardment of airfields, shore batteries, and other installations on the west coast of 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...
. The heavy ships in the group opened fire at 15:00, and smoke and dust soon obscured targets along the western shore of the island, making spotting difficult. The Sullivans, second ship in a column of destroyers, opened fire at 15:48 on planes parked on the southern airstrip. After three ranging salvos, the ship commenced hitting twin-engined "Bettys" parked in revetments along the strip. Five planes blew up, and eight other planes were probably damaged by shrapnel and burning gasoline. Minutes later, an enemy ship resembling an LST came under The Sullivans gunfire and caught fire astern. While Miller
USS Miller (DD-535)
USS Miller was a World War II-era in the service of the United States Navy, named after Medal of Honor recipient Acting Master's Mate James Miller....
closed to complete the destruction of the enemy vessel, The Sullivans and the remainder of the bombardment unit retired and rejoined TG 58.2.
From 7 to 22 July, TG 58.2 operated south and west of the Marianas, conducting daily air strikes on Guam and Rota Islands before returning to Garapan Anchorage, Saipan, to allow the carriers to replenish bombs. Underway at dawn on the 23d, The Sullivans accompanied the task group as it sped towards the Palaus for air strikes on the 26th and 27th. She joined TG 58.4 for temporary duty on 30 July and continued air strikes until 6 August, when she joined TG 58.7, the heavy bombardment group, and operated with TP 34 until 11 August, when the group returned to Eniwetok for replenishment.
Early in September, as the Navy prepared to take the Palaus, The Sullivans supported neutralizing air strikes against Japanese air bases in the Philippines. At dawn on the 7th, she began radar picket duty for TG 38.2 and continued the task through the strikes of the 9th and 10th. From 18:00 on 12 September, the ships noted an increase in air activity — observing many bogies that merely orbited the formations as snoopers. The carriers conducted further raids on the central Philippines on the 13th and 14th and then shifted course to the north to subject Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
to air attacks commencing on the 21st. Three days later, American planes again hit the central Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Returning to Tanapag Harbor, Saipan, at dawn on the 28th, The Sullivans went alongside 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...
for ammunition, provisions, and routine upkeep. However, the cross-swells in the anchorage swept The Sullivans hard against the battleship's steel hide, damaging the destroyer's hull and superstructure. Following brief antisubmarine patrol duty, she 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...
on 1 October.
While undergoing tender repairs alongside Dixie
USS Dixie (AD-14)
The second USS Dixie was a destroyer tender in the United States Navy.Dixie was launched on 27 May 1939 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey, sponsored by Mrs. A. C. Pickens; and commissioned on 25 April 1940, with Lieutenant Commander G. H...
, The Sullivans formed part of a nest of destroyers blown away from the tender during a heavy storm that lashed the anchorage. The Sullivans drifted free downwind and got up steam "in a hurry." However, she collided with Uhlmann
USS Uhlmann (DD-687)
USS Uhlmann was a World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, named after Ensign Robert W. Uhlmann.-World War II:...
. Many small boats were being tossed about, and The Sullivans rescued four men from Stockhams
USS Stockham (DD-683)
USS Stockham , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Gy.Sgt. Fred W. Stockham, USMC ....
gig before it disappeared beneath the waves. As the storm abated on the 4th, the warship returned to Ulithi to complete the abbreviated tender overhaul alongside Dixie.
At 16:15 on 6 October, The Sullivans sortied with the carriers and protected them during raids against targets on Formosa
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 the Ryukyus. On the evening of the 12th, as the planes returned to the carriers, radar spotted the first of many Japanese aircraft coming down from the north. For the next six hours, approximately 50 to 60 Japanese aircraft subjected the American task force to continuous air attacks. Nearly 45 minutes after sunset, The Sullivans sighted a "Betty," coming in low on the starboard side, and took it under fire. During the next 15 minutes, the formation to which The Sullivans was attached shot down three planes; between 18:56 and 19:54, the destroyer herself took five planes under fire. Varying speed between 18 and 29 knots (56.8 km/h), the formation undertook eight emergency maneuvers. Again and again, timely turns and the great volume of gunfire thrown up by the ships repulsed the enemy air attacks.
The second phase of the attack began at 21:05 on the 12th and continued through 02:35 on the 13th. The Japanese increased the use of "window" to jam American radar transmissions while their flares lit up the evening with ghostly light. The formation made smoke whenever enemy flare-dropping planes approached, creating an eerie haze effect which helped baffle the enemy pilots. Meanwhile, The Sullivans and the other ships in formation executed 38 simultaneous turn movements at speeds between 22 and 25 knots (49 km/h) as their guns kept up a steady fire to repel the attackers.
The next day, the carriers again launched successful strikes on Formosa. During the ensuing night retirement, the formation again came under attack by Japanese torpedo-carrying "Betties" which struck home this time and damaged Canberra
USS Canberra (CA-70)
USS Canberra was a Baltimore class cruiser and later a Boston class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy. Originally to be named USS Pittsburgh, the ship was renamed Canberra before launch, for the Royal Australian Navy's County class cruiser, , which was sunk during the Battle of Savo...
. The Sullivans then helped to protect the damaged cruiser. On the 14th, "Betty" torpedo bombers scored against Houston
USS Houston (CL-81)
USS Houston , a Cleveland-class light cruiser, was the third vessel in the United States Navy named after the city of Houston, Texas. She was active in the Pacific War for several months, then crippled in an attack in October 1944....
.The Sullivans soon joined the screen which guarded the two battle-battered cruisers — nicknamed "CripDiv 1" — as they retired toward Ulithi.
Things progressed well until the 16th, when the Japanese mounted a heavy air attack to attempt to finish off cruisers. Houston reeled under the impact of a second hit astern, and The Sullivans opened fire on the "Frances" which had made the attack and splashed the Japanese plane. The Sullivans and Stephen Potter
USS Stephen Potter (DD-538)
USS Stephen Potter , a , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Ensign Stephen Potter , a naval aviator during World War I....
then took a second "Frances" under fire and knocked it down off the bow of Santa Fe
USS Santa Fe (CL-60)
USS Santa Fe , a Cleveland-class light cruiser was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico.-Construction:...
.
The Sullivans rescued 118 Houston men and kept them on board until the 18th, when she transferred them to Boston
USS Boston (CA-69)
USS Boston , a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser, was the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston was launched 26 August 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Company's, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Mass.; sponsored by Mrs. Maurice J. Tobin, wife of the Mayor of...
. While the damaged cruisers were making their way to Ulithi, a Japanese surface force attempted to close the formation before TF 38 intervened to drive them back. The Sullivans transferred salvage gear to Houston and helped with the ship's many wounded. For his part in directing the destroyer's rescue and salvage attempts, Comdr. Ralph J. Baum received his first Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
.
On 20 October, The Sullivans joined TG 38.2 for scheduled air strikes on the central Philippines in support of the Leyte 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...
. At dawn of the 24th, reconnaissance located a Japanese surface force south of Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
, and the American carriers launched air strikes all day against the enemy warships. That morning, a Japanese air attack developed, and The Sullivans downed an "Oscar" fighter plane.
By 25 October, enemy forces were sighted coming down from the north; TF 34, including The Sullivans, was formed and headed north, following the carrier groups in TF 38. At dawn on the 25th, the carriers launched air strikes to harass the Japanese surface units, now some 60 miles (96.6 km) north. At 11:00, TF 34 reversed course, topped-off the destroyers with fuel, and formed fast striking group TG 34.5, with Iowa, New Jersey
USS New Jersey (BB-62)
USS New Jersey , is an , and was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of New Jersey. New Jersey earned more battle stars for combat actions than the other three completed Iowa-class battleships, and is the only U.S...
, three light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s, The Sullivans, and seven other destroyers. The American force missed the Japanese by three hours, but ran across a straggler and reported sinking an . Japanese records fail to confirm the claim.
After sweeping south along the coast of Samar hunting for enemy "cripples," The Sullivans and other units of TG 34.5 reported back to TG 38.2. The destroyer then remained in the Philippine area, screening the fast carriers and standing by on plane guard duties, through mid-November. At dusk on the 19th, during one of the many air attacks fought off by The Sullivans, the destroyer damaged a "Betty" by gunfire and watched it disappear over the horizon, smoking but stubbornly remaining airborne. Six days later, she had better luck when her guns set a Japanese plane afire and splashed it into the sea. Two days later, her task group returned to Ulithi.
The destroyer undertook training exercises from 8 to 11 December before rejoining TG 38.2 to screen its warships during air strikes on Manila and southern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
beginning on 14 December. On the 17th, running low on fuel, The Sullivans commenced refueling but, with the weather worsening minute by minute, she broke off the operation. Typhoon Cobra swept through the Fleet, with the wind clocked at an estimated 115 knots (225.4 km/h) on the morning of 18 December. Three destroyers were sunk and several ships damaged by the winds and waves. The Sullivans, her "lucky shamrock" painted on her funnel, emerged from the typhoon undamaged and, on the 20th began searching for men lost overboard from other ships. The lingering bad weather resulted in cancellation of air strikes, and The Sullivans retired to Ulithi on Christmas Eve.
1945
After a brief run to Manus and back, escorting Iowa, The Sullivans sortied from Ulithi on 30 December to screen TG 38.2's air strikes on Formosa in support of the American landings on Luzon. Heavy seas forced a three-day postponement of a high-speed thrust toward the target originally planned for the night of 6 January 1945. During the evening of the 9th, the task force passed through the Bashi Channel and entered the South China Sea. Three days later, carrier planes from TG 38.2 swept over Saigon and Camranh Bay, Indochina, hammering at whatever enemy merchantmen they found.Soon after the conclusion of the air strikes, a bombardment group, TG 34.5, was formed to go after possible "cripples" and dispatch them by surface gunfire. Accordingly, two battleships, two heavy cruisers, three light cruisers, and 15 destroyers raced into Camranh Bay but found it devoid of Japanese shipping. Throughout the day, however, carrier pilots had better luck and enjoyed a veritable "field day" with coastal maru
Maru
Maru can refer toNames* Maru - surname found in people of Kutch & Saurashtra region of Gujarat, India, mainly found in Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas & Kadia Kshatriyas communities. The surname is also found in Rajput community of Rajasthan....
s. During subsequent air strikes on Hainan Island, Hong Kong, and Formosa, The Sullivans served on radar picket duty 10 miles (16.1 km) ahead of the task group.
A brief respite for upkeep at Ulithi in late January preceded the ship's deployment with TG 58.2, covering the carriers as they launched devastating air strikes against the Japanese homeland itself, hitting Tokyo and other targets on Honshū on 16 and 17 February. From the 18th through the 21st, American carrier-based air power struck at Japanese positions contesting 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...
. More strikes were scheduled for Tokyo four days later, but bad weather forced their cancellation. Retiring from the area, TF 58 fueled and commenced a high-speed run at Okinawa at noon on 28 February. Later that day, The Sullivans sighted and destroyed a drifting mine. At dawn on 1 March, Hellcats, Avengers, Dauntlesses, and Helldivers attacked Japanese positions on Okinawa. The ships of the task force encountered no enemy opposition from sea or sky and soon retired towards Ulithi.
The Sullivans sortied 12 days later, bound for Kyushu and southern Honshū to support the invasion of Okinawa
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...
. Once again screening for TG 58.2, The Sullivans stood by as the carriers launched air strikes on 14 March. On 20 March, The Sullivans fueled from 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...
at 11:52, clearing the carrier's side five minutes later when a 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....
alert sent the ships scurrying.
At 14:39, The Sullivans commenced maneuvering to go alongside Enterprise again — this time to pick up a part for her FD radar antenna. Soon, however, another enemy air attack scattered the ships. As a line had not yet been thrown across to the carrier, The Sullivans bent on speed and cleared her as other ships in the task group opened fire on the attackers. A Japanese plane came through the antiaircraft fire and crashed into Halsey Powell
USS Halsey Powell (DD-686)
USS Halsey Powell , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain Halsey Powell, , who served during World War I....
astern as that destroyer was fueling alongside . The stricken destroyer lost steering control and started to veer across the big carrier's bow, and only rapid and radical maneuvering on Hancocks part averted a collision.
The Sullivans soon closed Halsey Powell to render emergency assistance. She slowed to a stop 11 minutes later and lowered her motor whaleboat to transfer her medical officer and a pharmacist's mate to Halsey Powell, when another kamikaze came out of the skies, apparently bent on crashing into The Sullivans. At 16:10, the destroyer's radar picked up the "Zeke" on its approach; and, as soon as the motor whaler was clear of the water, The Sullivans leapt ahead with all engines thrusting at flank speed.
Bringing right full rudder, The Sullivans maneuvered radically while her 20- and 40-millimeter guns sent streams of shells at the "Zeke," which passed 100 feet (30.5 m) over the masthead and escaped. Meanwhile, Halsey Powell managed to achieve a steady course at five knots; and, with The Sullivans, she retired toward Ulithi. However, their troubles were not yet over. At 10:46 on the following day, 21 March, The Sullivans picked up a plane, closing from 15 miles (24.1 km). Visually identified as a twin-engined "Frances," the aircraft was taken under fire at 10000 yards (9,144 m) by The Sullivans 5 inch battery. Halsey Powell joined in too; and, within a few moments, the "Frances" crashed into the sea about 3000 yards (2,743.2 m) abeam of The Sullivans. At 12:50, a combat air patrol (CAP) Hellcat from Yorktown, under direction by Halsey Powell, splashed another "Frances." At 13:20, a CAP Hellcat from Intrepid, directed by The Sullivans, downed a "Nick" or "Dinah."
On 25 March, The Sullivans and Halsey Powell arrived at Ulithi, the former for upkeep prior to training exercises and the latter for battle repairs.
The warship next rendezvoused with TF 58 off Okinawa and guarded the carriers supporting the landings on the island. While operating on radar picket duty on the 15th, the ship came under enemy air attack, but downed one plane and emerged unscathed. She continued conducting radar picket patrols for the task group, ranging some 12 to 25 miles (40.2 km) out from the main body of the force. On the afternoon of 29 April, she commenced fueling from , but a kamikaze alert interrupted the replenishment, forcing The Sullivans to break away from the carrier's side. During the ensuing action, Hazelwood
USS Hazelwood (DD-531)
USS Hazelwood was a World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy The ship was the second named for Commodore John Hazelwood; a naval leader in the American Continental Navy.- World War II :...
and Haggard
USS Haggard (DD-555)
USS Haggard was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy named for Captain Haggard of the Louisa, who fought in the Quasi-War....
were both crashed by suiciders but survived.
In a morning air attack three days later, Enterprise was hit by a kamikaze. Four enemy planes were shot down in the melee — one by The Sullivans in what proved to be her last combat action during World War II.
The Sullivans anchored at San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf, on 1 June for recreation and upkeep. She departed Leyte on the 20th, bound, via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor, for the west coast. The destroyer arrived at Mare Island, Calif.
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
, on 9 July and, two days later, commenced her overhaul. She thus missed the final fleet activity that closed the war.
Meanwhile, since the return of peace greatly reduced the Navy's need for warships, The Sullivans was decommissioned at San Diego on 10 January 1946 — soon after her overhaul was completed — and she was placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.
Korean War service
The Sullivans remained decommissioned at San Diego until May 1951, when she began to undergo reactivation. This was due to naval fleet expansion because of the Korean War. She was recommissioned on 6 July 1951 with Commander Ira M. King in command. The Sullivans soon headed to her home port in Newport, R.I. by way of the Panama Canal. During the winter of 1951–52, the ship conducted training exercises off the east coast and in the Caribbean. The Sullivans departed Newport on 6 September 1952 bound for Japan. Proceeding via the Panama Canal, San Diego, Pearl Harbor, and Midway she arrived at Sasebo, Japan on 10 October 1952. The next day she got underway to join Task Force 77 off the eastern shores of Korea. Her duties included screening the fast carriers which were launching repeated air strikes to interdict enemy supply lines. She also supported United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
ground forces who were battling communist forces. The Sullivans remained on this duty until 20 October 1952 when she steamed to Yokosuka, Japan for a brief refit.
Following the refit, The Sullivans stopped at Buckner Bay, Okinawa and then proceeded to rejoin Task Force 77. Upon her arrival on 16 November 1952 she resumed screening activities and plane guard duty. She supported the carriers as they made the northern-most stab at North Korean supply lines, approaching within 75 miles (120.7 km) of the Soviet base at Vladivostok, Russia. MiG-15 fighters approached the task force, but combat air patrol Grumman F9F Panthers downed two of the attackers and damaged a third in history's first engagement between jet fighters over water. The destroyer arrived back at Sasebo, Japan on 5 December 1952. From Sasebo she joined United Nations forces on 14 December 1952 in blockading the Korean coasts. Her mission was to interdict seaborne traffic and bombard shore targets to support United Nations ground troops and interdict enemy supply operations. Arriving in Area "G" the following day, The Sullivans made contact with the enemy on the 16th off Songjin, North Korea
Kimchaek
Kimch'aek, formerly Sŏngjin , is a city in North Hamgyong Province, North Korea. It has a population of 196,000...
which was an important rail terminus and supply center. For the next few days, she bombarded railroad trains and tunnels. She frequently opened fire to destroy railroad rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
, depots and prevented repairs to railroad tracks and buildings.
On Christmas Day 1952, The Sullivans scored direct hits on a railroad bridge while under fire from enemy artillery positions on shore. Fifty rounds from enemy guns failed to touch the ship, although near-misses showered the warship's decks with shell fragments. Counter-battery fire
Counter-battery fire
Counter-battery fire is a type of mission assigned to military artillery forces, which are given the task of locating and firing upon enemy artillery.-Background:...
from the ship destroyed at least one of the enemy artillery positions.
The Sullivans was ordered home and departed Yokosuka, Japan on 26 January 1953. On the voyage home the ship called at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
, 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...
, Colombo, Ceylon, Bombay, India, Bahrein and Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
. The Sullivans then steamed through the Red Sea, transited the Suez Canal, and proceeded to Cannes, France via Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. After a brief fueling stop at Gibraltar the warship reached Newport, R.I. on 11 April 1953.
6th Fleet deployment
In the years that followed, The Sullivans continued alternating east coast operations with Mediterranean deployments. The summer of 1958 saw a communist threat to the security of Lebanon, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
ordered American ships to land troops there to protect Americans and to help stabilize the tense situation. The Sullivans supported the landings of marines at Beirut. After their presence had dispelled the crisis, she returned to the United States for a three-month navy yard overhaul and subsequent refresher training in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Back at Newport in March 1959, The Sullivans joined a hunter/killer group formed around Lake Champlain
USS Lake Champlain (CV-39)
USS Lake Champlain was one of 24 s completed during or shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. She was the second US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for the Battle of Lake Champlain in the War of 1812....
. Then, after making a midshipman training cruise in which she conducted antisubmarine warfare operations, the destroyer sailed for another Mediterranean deployment which lasted until she returned home in the autumn.
Operations out of Newport occupied The Sullivans until the spring of 1960 when she headed south for ASROC evaluations off Key West, Fla. During this deployment to southern climes, the warship helped to rescue five survivors from a crashed Air Force KC-97 Stratotanker
KC-97 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...
that had crashed off Cape Canaveral.
Following NATO exercises in September, The Sullivans visited Lisbon, Portugal, prior to a quick trip through the Mediterranean, Suez Canal, and Red Sea, to Karachi, West Pakistan. In late October and into November, she participated in Operation "Midlink III," joint operations with Pakistani, Iranian, and British warships. After returning to the Mediterranean, The Sullivans conducted exercises with the French Navy and with the 6th Fleet and reached home in time for Christmas.
In January 1961, The Sullivans assisted in the sea trials of the submarine Abraham Lincoln
USS Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602)
USS Abraham Lincoln , a fleet ballistic missile submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Abraham Lincoln , the 16th President of the United States ....
off Portsmouth, N.H., before steaming south and taking part in Operation Springboard. While in the Caribbean, she visited Martinique. Briefly back at Newport early in March, The Sullivans soon returned to the West Indies to support marine landing exercises at Vieques, Puerto Rico.
In April, the ship began intensive training in the waters off Florida to prepare to cover a Project Mercury
Project Mercury
In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,...
spaceshot. The Sullivans joined Lake Champlain at Mayport, Fla., and took station. On 5 May 1961, Comdr. Alan Shepard
Alan Shepard
Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. was an American naval aviator, test pilot, flag officer, and NASA astronaut who in 1961 became the second person, and the first American, in space. This Mercury flight was designed to enter space, but not to achieve orbit...
's space capsule passed overhead and splashed down near Lake Champlain and was speedily rescued by helicopters from the carrier. The Sullivans then made a midshipmen cruise in June, visiting New York and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
From September 1961 to February 1962, The Sullivans underwent a major overhaul in the Boston Naval Shipyard. She proceeded to Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
soon thereafter to train for duty as a school ship. She subsequently served as a model destroyer in which officer students could see and learn the fundamentals of destroyer operation. In May and again in August, The Sullivans made training cruises to the Caribbean for the Destroyer School.
In October 1962, after Soviet missiles were discovered in Cuba, The Sullivans joined American naval forces blockading the island during negotiations with the Soviet Union over the issue. When the Soviet Government withdrew the strategic weapons, the destroyer returned to Newport.
On 7 January 1963, The Sullivans got underway from Newport bound for the Caribbean and another training cruise. Following her return to Newport, she conducted local operations for the Destroyer School. The tragic loss of nuclear submarine USS Thresher
USS Thresher (SSN-593)
The second USS Thresher was the lead ship of her class of nuclear-powered attack submarines in the United States Navy. Her loss at sea during deep-diving tests in 1963 is often considered a watershed event in the implementation of the rigorous submarine safety program SUBSAFE.The contract to build...
off Boston on 10 April 1963 caused the destroyer to support emergency investigations of the disaster.
For the remainder of 1963 and into the first few months of 1964, The Sullivans continued to train officer students. On 1 April 1964, the destroyer was transferred to the naval reserve training force, and her homeport was changed to New York City. Departing Newport on 13 April, the warship proceeded to New York and took on her selected reserve crew. Her cruises with the reserves embarked were devoted mostly to ASW exercises and took the ship to Canadian ports such as Halifax, Nova Scotia; St. John, New Brunswick; and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in the north to Palm Beach, Fla., in the south.
After the collision of the Australian aircraft carrier and destroyer , which resulted in the sinking of Voyager on 10 February 1964, the United States offered The Sullivans to Australia along with sister ship as a temporary replacement. The Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
instead accepted the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's offer of the Daring-class
Daring class destroyer (1949)
The Daring class was a class of eleven destroyers built for the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Constructed after World War II, and entering service during the 1950s, eight ships were constructed for the RN, and three ships for the RAN. Two of the RN destroyers were subsequently sold to and...
destroyer , which was of the same class as Voyager.
Museum ship
USS Little Rock (CG-4)
USS Little Rock was one of 27 United States Navy light cruisers completed during or shortly after World War II, and one of six to be converted to guided missile cruisers. She was the first US Navy ship to be named for Little Rock, Arkansas. Commissioned in mid-1945, she was completed too late to...
were processed for donation to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park
Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park
The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, formerly known as The Buffalo Naval and Servicemen's Park, is a museum on the shore of Lake Erie in Buffalo, New York. It is home to several decommissioned US Naval vessels, including the Cleveland-class cruiser , the Fletcher-class destroyer ,...
in Buffalo, New York. The ship now serves as a memorial and is open for public tours.
The ship was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1986.
Three other Fletcher-class ships are preserved as memorials:
- Cassin YoungUSS Cassin Young (DD-793)USS Cassin Young , a , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Captain Cassin Young , who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Pearl Harbor and killed in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal....
at Boston, Massachusetts - KiddUSS Kidd (DD-661)USS Kidd , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who died on the bridge of his flagship USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor...
at Baton Rouge, Louisiana - HNS Velos former USS Charrette at Athens, Greece
External links
- The Sullivan Brothers: History of USS The Sullivans (DD-537)
- HNSA Ship Page: USS The Sullivans
- USS The Sullivans Photos on board the Destroyer USS The Sullivans
- Iowa Veterans Museum