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USS Tillman (DD-641)
Encyclopedia
USS Tillman (DD-641), a Gleaves
-class destroyer
, was the second ship of the United States Navy
to be named for United States Senator
Ben Tillman.
Tillman was laid down on 1 May 1941 at the Charleston Navy Yard; launched on 20 December 1941, sponsored by Mrs. Charles Sumner Moore; and commissioned on 4 June 1942, Lieutenant Commander
Francis Douglas McCorkle in command.
off the east coast. In September and October, the new destroyer escorted convoy
s and participated in exercises on the Eastern Sea Frontier before getting underway on 23 October from Chesapeake Bay
with a convoy bound for Operation Torch
.
Shortly before midnight on 7 November, Tillman reached a point some six miles (10 km) off the coast of Africa and began screening the unloading transports of the Center Attack Group during the Naval Battle of Casablanca
near Fedhala. While screening off the transport area, Tillman engaged an enemy patrol vessel, W-43, which had attempted to slip six merchant ships into the transport area despite the destroyer's warnings. After coming under fire from Tillman's five-inch guns, the patrol vessel exploded and beached. Tillman later captured three French merchantmen. On 10 November, American troops advancing on Casablanca
from the east came under fire from enemy destroyers. Tillman, Augusta
(CA-31), and Edison
(DD-439) attacked the enemy ships, at the same time drawing fire from the shore batteries including that at El Hank. Maneuvering at speeds up to 34 knots (63 km/h), Tillman fired on the enemy ships, leaving one vessel steaming in circles, before she returned to her station off the transport area. On 12 November, Tillman departed the area escorting a convoy which weathered 50- to 60-foot (15–20 m) seas before arriving safely at New York on 1 December.
, Maine
. Departing New York harbor
in the early hours of 8 February 1943, a dark night with unusually strong tides, Tillman sideswiped the paravane
boom of an improperly illuminated merchant vessel anchored directly in the channel. After repairs at New York, Tillman operated on the Eastern Sea Frontier in February and March, performing escort duties and participating in exercises. In the spring, the destroyer protected convoy
s in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
On 6 July, she screened the sortie from Oran
of a convoy bound for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily
. In the days that followed, the destroyer provided neutralizing fire on beach defenses and picked off artillery which menaced troops landing near Scoglitti
. Before dawn on 10 July, Tillman fired her first salvo into Yellow Beach at 03:31, as the assault got underway. At 04:30, a stick of six bombs dropped by enemy aircraft exploded 300 yards (270 m) off Tillman's starboard bow temporarily knocking out her radar
. An hour later, Tillman silenced a shore battery which had been firing on Yellow Beach. Enemy air attackers, flying in low over the land where they were indiscernible by radar, harassed landing troops and supporting ships. Fear of hitting troops on the beaches forced the Allied ships to withhold their fire when aiming at the low-flying planes.
During the night of 10/11 July, Tillman patrolled off the invasion beaches. On the 11th, she repelled enemy air bombing attacks and supplied fire missions called in by shore observers. On 16 July, Tillman returned to Oran to guard returning transports.
During the remainder of 1943, Tillman escorted convoys in Mediterranean and Atlantic waters, experiencing: many dangerous moments as she protected vulnerable merchant vessels from enemy submarine
s and airplanes. While en route from New York to Bizerte
on 2 September 1943, one day after passing through the Strait of Gibraltar
, Tillman was attacked by a German
torpedo plane. Patchy haze limited visibility to 2,000 yards (1800 m) when the plane, incorrectly identified as friendly, dropped torpedo
es. Quick maneuvering saved Tillman from destruction by the torpedo which crossed about 30 yards (27 m) ahead and passed down her port side trailing a sinister wake. During the same attack, Kendrick
(DD-612) was damaged by a German torpedo. Two days later, the convoy arrived at Bizerte, but the illusion of safety in port was dispelled on 6 September by a 30 minute air attack on the harbor. Tillman engaged the attackers with her main battery and machine gun
s. Thirteen members of her crew were injured when a spent shell exploded on the deck of the ship.
On 6 November 1943, as she steamed off the coast of Algeria
, Tillman helped repel a German air attack on the port quarter of a convoy carrying troops and supplies for the Italian campaign. An estimated 25 German aircraft, many equipped with glider-bombs, took part in the raid, and sank two merchantmen and Tillman's sister ship
Beatty
(DD-640). In the first wave of the attack, a Dornier 217 singled out Tillman as the target of her glider-bomb. The radio-controlled missile came in at a terrific speed, but Tillman's machine guns splashed it in a violent explosion only 150 yards (137.2 m) off the destroyer's port bow. Soon after, a second glider intended for Tillman's destruction splashed and exploded, again only 160 yards (146.3 m) away, as Tillman shot down its launching plane. A third glider splashed off the ship's starboard beam as its parent craft turned back in the face of Tillman's concerted fire. During this first stage of the attack, Tillman maneuvered constantly and rapidly to evade the gliders. Her own safety temporarily secured, Tillman then turned her guns on planes attacking the convoy and splashed another attacker. Soon, the final and fiercest phase of the attack began as five German planes attacked Tillman. As her main battery engaged the raiders, Tillman turned left full rudder to evade torpedoes, two of which passed nearly parallel to the ship at distances of 60 and 100 feet (20–30 m). Moments later, as the destroyer swung to port to regain her station, a heavy explosion shook the ship. This detonation, thought to have been caused by a torpedo exploding in the destroyer's wake, caused her no serious damage, and she turned to the task of rescuing survivors from the sinking merchant freighter SS Santa Elena. She then proceeded to Philippeville
to disembark the survivors.
. Occasionally, she varied this duty with overhaul at New York or exercises off New England
. In the first three months of 1945, Tillman participated in exercises in the Caribbean
and off the east coast before departing on 28 March from Delaware Bay
and steaming via the Panama Canal Zone
and San Diego
for Hawaii
.
Following her arrival at Pearl Harbor on 21 April, she took part in exercises in Hawaiian waters, then departed the area on 1 May. Until September, Tillman performed life guard and antisubmarine picket duties out of Guam
and Ulithi
. On 6 September at Tamil Harbor, the commanding officer of the Japanese
garrison on Yap Island formally surrendered to the American Atoll Commander from Ulithi on board Tillman.
The destroyer continued to operate in the Carolines and southern Marianas until 3 November 1945 when she proceeded to Pearl Harbor. Then, continuing on, she steamed via the Panama Canal
to the east coast, arriving at Charleston on 11 December 1946 for inactivation.
Tillman was decommissioned on 6 February 1947 and was struck from the Navy list in March 1972.
Tillman received three battle stars for World War II
service.
Gleaves class destroyer
The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class...
-class destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
, was the second ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Ben Tillman.
Tillman was laid down on 1 May 1941 at the Charleston Navy Yard; launched on 20 December 1941, sponsored by Mrs. Charles Sumner Moore; and commissioned on 4 June 1942, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Francis Douglas McCorkle in command.
1942
From June until September 1942, Tillman underwent sea trials and shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
off the east coast. In September and October, the new destroyer escorted convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s and participated in exercises on the Eastern Sea Frontier before getting underway on 23 October 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...
with a convoy bound for Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
.
Shortly before midnight on 7 November, Tillman reached a point some six miles (10 km) off the coast of Africa and began screening the unloading transports of the Center Attack Group during the Naval Battle of Casablanca
Naval Battle of Casablanca
The Naval Battle of Casablanca was a series of naval engagements fought between American ships covering the invasion of North Africa and Vichy French ships defending the neutrality of French Morocco in accordance with the Second Armistice at Compiègne during World War II...
near Fedhala. While screening off the transport area, Tillman engaged an enemy patrol vessel, W-43, which had attempted to slip six merchant ships into the transport area despite the destroyer's warnings. After coming under fire from Tillman's five-inch guns, the patrol vessel exploded and beached. Tillman later captured three French merchantmen. On 10 November, American troops advancing on 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...
from the east came under fire from enemy destroyers. Tillman, 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 Edison
USS Edison (DD-439)
USS Edison , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Thomas Alva Edison, an inventor and businessman who developed many important devices....
(DD-439) attacked the enemy ships, at the same time drawing fire from the shore batteries including that at El Hank. Maneuvering at speeds up to 34 knots (63 km/h), Tillman fired on the enemy ships, leaving one vessel steaming in circles, before she returned to her station off the transport area. On 12 November, Tillman departed the area escorting a convoy which weathered 50- to 60-foot (15–20 m) seas before arriving safely at New York on 1 December.
1943
Tillman continued convoy duty in the wintry Atlantic and then participated in exercises off Casco BayCasco Bay
Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. Departing New York harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
in the early hours of 8 February 1943, a dark night with unusually strong tides, Tillman sideswiped the paravane
Paravane
Paravane may refer to:* Operation Paravane, a World War II operation* Paravane , a towed winged underwater object* Paravane , a towed underwater minesweeping device...
boom of an improperly illuminated merchant vessel anchored directly in the channel. After repairs at New York, Tillman operated on the Eastern Sea Frontier in February and March, performing escort duties and participating in exercises. In the spring, the destroyer protected convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
On 6 July, she screened the sortie from Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
of a convoy bound for Operation Husky, the invasion of 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,...
. In the days that followed, the destroyer provided neutralizing fire on beach defenses and picked off artillery which menaced troops landing near Scoglitti
Scoglitti
Scoglitti is a small fishing village near the town of Vittoria on the south coast of Sicily.In addition to its fishing industry, the village derives a substantial part of its income from tourism...
. Before dawn on 10 July, Tillman fired her first salvo into Yellow Beach at 03:31, as the assault got underway. At 04:30, a stick of six bombs dropped by enemy aircraft exploded 300 yards (270 m) off Tillman's starboard bow temporarily knocking out her radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
. An hour later, Tillman silenced a shore battery which had been firing on Yellow Beach. Enemy air attackers, flying in low over the land where they were indiscernible by radar, harassed landing troops and supporting ships. Fear of hitting troops on the beaches forced the Allied ships to withhold their fire when aiming at the low-flying planes.
During the night of 10/11 July, Tillman patrolled off the invasion beaches. On the 11th, she repelled enemy air bombing attacks and supplied fire missions called in by shore observers. On 16 July, Tillman returned to Oran to guard returning transports.
During the remainder of 1943, Tillman escorted convoys in Mediterranean and Atlantic waters, experiencing: many dangerous moments as she protected vulnerable merchant vessels from enemy submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s and airplanes. While en route from New York to Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
on 2 September 1943, one day after passing through the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
, Tillman was attacked by a German
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
torpedo plane. Patchy haze limited visibility to 2,000 yards (1800 m) when the plane, incorrectly identified as friendly, dropped torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es. Quick maneuvering saved Tillman from destruction by the torpedo which crossed about 30 yards (27 m) ahead and passed down her port side trailing a sinister wake. During the same attack, Kendrick
USS Kendrick (DD-612)
USS Kendrick was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Charles S. Kendrick.Kendrick was launched 2 April 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Pedro, California; sponsored by Mrs. J. Hanson Delvac, a great-granddaughter of Acting Master Charles S. Kendrick; and...
(DD-612) was damaged by a German torpedo. Two days later, the convoy arrived at Bizerte, but the illusion of safety in port was dispelled on 6 September by a 30 minute air attack on the harbor. Tillman engaged the attackers with her main battery and machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s. Thirteen members of her crew were injured when a spent shell exploded on the deck of the ship.
On 6 November 1943, as she steamed off the coast of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Tillman helped repel a German air attack on the port quarter of a convoy carrying troops and supplies for the Italian campaign. An estimated 25 German aircraft, many equipped with glider-bombs, took part in the raid, and sank two merchantmen and Tillman's sister ship
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
Beatty
USS Beatty (DD-640)
USS Beatty , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Frank E. Beatty.Beatty was laid down as Mullany on 1 May 1941 at the Charleston Navy Yard....
(DD-640). In the first wave of the attack, a Dornier 217 singled out Tillman as the target of her glider-bomb. The radio-controlled missile came in at a terrific speed, but Tillman's machine guns splashed it in a violent explosion only 150 yards (137.2 m) off the destroyer's port bow. Soon after, a second glider intended for Tillman's destruction splashed and exploded, again only 160 yards (146.3 m) away, as Tillman shot down its launching plane. A third glider splashed off the ship's starboard beam as its parent craft turned back in the face of Tillman's concerted fire. During this first stage of the attack, Tillman maneuvered constantly and rapidly to evade the gliders. Her own safety temporarily secured, Tillman then turned her guns on planes attacking the convoy and splashed another attacker. Soon, the final and fiercest phase of the attack began as five German planes attacked Tillman. As her main battery engaged the raiders, Tillman turned left full rudder to evade torpedoes, two of which passed nearly parallel to the ship at distances of 60 and 100 feet (20–30 m). Moments later, as the destroyer swung to port to regain her station, a heavy explosion shook the ship. This detonation, thought to have been caused by a torpedo exploding in the destroyer's wake, caused her no serious damage, and she turned to the task of rescuing survivors from the sinking merchant freighter SS Santa Elena. She then proceeded to Philippeville
Skikda
Skikda is a city in north eastern Algeria and a port on the Gulf of Stora, the ancient Sinus Numidicus. It was known as Philippeville until the end of the Algerian War of Independence in 1962...
to disembark the survivors.
1944 – 1946
During December 1943 and throughout 1944, Tillman escorted convoys between ports in the United States, the Mediterranean, and the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Occasionally, she varied this duty with overhaul at New York or exercises off 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...
. In the first three months of 1945, Tillman participated in exercises in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and off the east coast before departing on 28 March from Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
and steaming via the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
and San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
for Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Following her arrival at Pearl Harbor on 21 April, she took part in exercises in Hawaiian waters, then departed the area on 1 May. Until September, Tillman performed life guard and antisubmarine picket duties out of 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...
and 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 6 September at Tamil Harbor, the commanding officer of the Japanese
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
garrison on Yap Island formally surrendered to the American Atoll Commander from Ulithi on board Tillman.
The destroyer continued to operate in the Carolines and southern Marianas until 3 November 1945 when she proceeded to Pearl Harbor. Then, continuing on, she steamed via the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
to the east coast, arriving at Charleston on 11 December 1946 for inactivation.
Tillman was decommissioned on 6 February 1947 and was struck from the Navy list in March 1972.
Tillman received three battle stars for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service.