.gif)
USS Waller (DD-466)
Encyclopedia
USS Waller (DD/DDE-466), a Fletcher-class
destroyer
, was a ship of the United States Navy
named for Major General Littleton Waller
, USMC
(1856–1926).
Waller was laid down on 12 February 1942, at Kearny, N.J.
, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.; launched
on 15 August 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Littleton W. T. Waller, the widow of General Waller; and commissioned
on 1 October 1942, Lieutenant Commander Lawrence H. Frost in command.
, Maine
, and occasionally performed local escort duties for training submarines based at New London, Conn.
Late that fall, Waller departed the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y., bound for the Pacific
, via the Panama Canal
and Pearl Harbor
.
She arrived at Efate
on 21 January 1943 and, six days later, sortied as part of the destroyer screen with Task Force 18 (TF 18). Rear Admiral Robert C. Giffen
, commanding the force, flew his flag in Wichita
(CA-45). The mission of TF 18 was to rendezvous off Guadalcanal
with a transport force sent to resupply and reinforce the land-based forces there in their struggle to dislodge the Japan
ese from the key island. Intelligence reports indicated—wrongly, as it turned out—that the Japanese were mounting a big "push" to resupply their forces. As events would show, the enemy was instead massing his forces to evacuate his troops.
, Japanese torpedo
-carrying "Betty" bombers (Mitsubishi G4M
-1s) came in low from the east carefully avoiding silhouetting themselves against the afterglow of dusk. Waller, on the starboard beam of flagship
Wichita and cruiser
s
Chicago
(CA-29) and
Louisville
(CA-28),
came under machine-gun fire from the lead "Betty" as it bore in on the attack. The American ships responded with heavy fire toward the first two planes, and one cartwheeled into the sea and exploded in a brilliant fireball.
Soon red, green, and white flares gave the scene an eerie, ghostly effect, as the Japanese set off pyrotechnics to illuminate the American force. At 19:31, another flight of "Betties" appeared and pressed their attacks on the heavy cruisers steaming in the right van of the task force. One "Betty" splashed into the sea astern of Waller, before another enemy aircraft scored a torpedo hit on Chicago at 19:45, holing the cruiser's starboard side forward, and stopping three of the ship's four drive-shafts. A second torpedo soon struck home after the first, flooding number three fireroom and the forward engine room leaving Chicago dead in the water.
The attack momentarily subsided, giving the Americans a respite. Louisville took her crippled near-sister in tow, and, by early on 30 January, the damaged cruiser was on her way to Espiritu Santo
at four knots. At 14:45, well after Louisville had passed the tow to the tugboat
Navajo
(AT-64), 12 "Betties" were reported south of New Georgia
heading for Rennell Island. Combat air patrol
fighters from Enterprise
(CV-6) splashed three of the attackers, but nine remained to attack Chicago. Seven of these went down to the antiaircraft fire from the task force and the slashing attacks by F4F Wildcat
s from Enterprise. Waller claimed one "Betty" killed and two damaged.
Chicago, however, took two more torpedoes and was abandoned soon thereafter, sinking stern-first, at 16:44. Navajo, Sands (APD-13),
Edwards
(DD-619), and Waller collected 1,049 survivors from the cruiser. In the melee,
La Vallette
(DD-448) was damaged and left the area, towed by Navajo. While retiring to Espiritu Santo, Waller located a submarine
contact but could not develop it.
The Battle of Rennell Island
, which resulted in the loss of one American cruiser and damage to a destroyer succeeded in diverting Japanese intentions from the transports off Lunga Point
and allowed vital American reinforcements to enter the final phase of the battle to drive the Japanese from Guadalcanal.
broke his broad pennant
in Waller. On the 5th, she led Conway
(DD-507),
Montpelier
(CL-57),
Cleveland
(CL-55),
Denver
(CL-58), and
Cony
(DD-508)
in a raid on the Japanese airfields at Vila, on the southern coast of New Georgia. Assigned to protect the larger ships, the destroyers drew the duty of silencing any hostile shore batteries which might try to interfere with the cruisers as they carried out the main bombardment.
Entering Kula Gulf
shortly after midnight on 5 March, Wallers radar detected two ships—later determined to be
Murasame
and
Minegumo
—at
the eastern entrance to Blackett Strait
and standing out at high speed, apparently unaware of the American ships' presence. Waller opened the action at about 01:00, firing a five-tube spread of torpedoes at a range of three and one-half miles. A minute later, her gunners soon commenced fire with the main battery.
Taken by surprise, the two Japanese destroyers answered with ragged and inaccurate fire. Six minutes after action had commenced, Murasame broke in two from an "extremely violent" explosion, the victim of a combination of torpedoes and gunfire from Waller and her mates.
Minegumo, too, came in for her share of attention and was soon reduced to junk although she stubbornly remained afloat for a short while. Leaving the Japanese in their wakes, the American force swung westward at 01:14 and soon thereafter commenced their scheduled bombardment of Vila. The six American ships pounded the air strip for 16 minutes before breaking off action and leaving a number of fires burning brightly in the darkness. Waller was ordered to dispatch Minegumo but the blazing wreck sank before the American destroyer could get to do the job.
The Vila raid and the Battle of Blackett Strait
evoked the praise of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who with glowing understatement called the exploit a "creditable performance." Nimitz cited the exemplary way in which TF 68 had picked up two enemy ships by radar, despite a close-by land background; promptly obtained a fire control set-up, sank the enemy vessels in a "businesslike manner" and then proceeded to conduct their planned bombardment mission approximately on schedule. "The Operation had all the precision of a well-rehearsed exercise by veteran ships—which these were not."
Waller continued her operations in the Solomons
through the end of 1943 and into 1944. As the Japanese sought to resupply their trapped garrisons on islands like Vella Lavella
, Arundel
, and Kolombangara
, they utilized destroyers as transports and supply ships in what became known as the "Tokyo Express
". These ships clashed with American cruisers and destroyers in a series of sharp, bitter night actions.
The Americans, meanwhile, kept up the pressure on the Japanese, subjecting their islands to nearly continual harassment from the sea and from the air. On the night of 29–30 June 1943, Waller, in company with three other destroyers and four cruisers, bombarded Vila-Stanmore plantation, Kolombangara, and the Shortland Islands
. Much of the firing was done in the teeth of a driving rainstorm which obscured visibility and precluded claims of damage to Japanese installations.
, tangled with 10 Japanese destroyers carrying troops and supplies to Kolombangara in the Battle of Kula Gulf
. In the fierce night action, two Japanese destroyers, Niizuki
and Nagatsuki, were sunk as was Helena
(CL-50) which fell victim to the dreaded "Long Lance
" torpedoes.
During efforts to save the surviving crew of Helena, Waller served in the force covering Woodworth
(DD-460) and Gwin
(DD-433) which were engaged in the primary rescue operations. Waller detected a submarine by her radar and went in to try to seek out the enemy craft. A three-hour search netted a contact, and Waller dropped depth charge
s. Although the destroyer found no visible evidence that she had scored a kill, the commander of Task Group 36.2 (TG 36.2), Rear Admiral Aaron S. "Tip" Merrill
, commented that the probability of the submarine's destruction was good endorsement to Wallers action report.
Unbeknownst to Waller, these three "enemy" ships were, in reality, PT-157, PT-159, and PT-160, out on patrol, having unintentionally strayed north of their assigned patrol area. Waller, tracking as best she could opened fire at 20,000 yards, and other ships in company reported that she straddled and hit the "enemy". Fortunately, she had not. The PT boat
s, suddenly thrown into a bad situation, loosed torpedoes at the attacking "enemy" and sped off to the southward. Again fortunately, Waller and her mates did not pursue the fleeing "enemy" but broke off action and returned to their duties covering the departing APDs, apparently satisfied that one had made a hit on the "Japanese destroyer". In the subsequent action report written up on 29 July, Wallers commanding officer wrote: "It has since been learned that these ships were probably our own PT boats."
Later in the day, Waller again battled persistent Japanese planes, picking up on her radar eight torpedo planes heading in at low level. Director-controlled gunfire from the main battery 5 inch spat out fiery steel at the incoming Nakajima B5N
"Kates" but knocked none down.
On the evening of 17 August, a Japanese air attack caused Waller and Philip
(DD-498) to collide while undertaking evasive action; and Waller eventually steamed out of the combat area to undergo needed repairs. However, in October, she was back in the thick of the fighting.
Waller continued her convoy escort and support functions into the fall months. On 17–18 November, as American forces pushed towards Bougainville
, Waller screened the 5th echelon of transports and supply ships. The total American force consisting of six destroyers, eight APDs, a fleet tug, and eight LST
s was crossing Empress Augusta Bay
, off the coast of Bougainville, when 10 Japanese torpedo planes swooped in low and fast at 03:00. The ships quickly put up a tremendous barrage of antiaircraft fire to discourage the Japanese attackers.
Flares and float lights dropped by the Japanese planes lit up the scene with an eerie light. Destroyer gunfire sent tracer streaks across the night sky, and one "Betty" spun into the sea off the port bow of Pringle
(DD-477). Another attacker, roaring in low and fast at 03:30, flew into a veritable hail of flak and crashed, trailing flames into the sea astern of Conway (DD-507). The torpedoes launched by the doomed aircraft failed to hit their mark and sped off past the American ships. Two minutes later, however, another "Betty" drew blood from the American force by torpedoing McKean (APD-5), which later sank. When the smoke of battle had cleared, Waller picked up eight Japanese aviators.
The warship soon was back off Torokina
, Bougainville, on the shore of Empress Augusta Bay, with the 7th echelon of support ships. On 23 November, she shelled Marine Island.
She and her sister ships bombarded enemy positions on Buka Island
and in the Choiseul Bay
area on 1 February 1944. At 06:25, enemy shore batteries on Buka opened fire on the American men-of-war. Waller immediately served up a round of return fire at the Japanese guns which silenced one enemy battery. About a fortnight later, during the Green Island invasion, the ship set out, in company with
Saufley
(DD-465),
Renshaw
(DD-499), and
Philip, to bombard the Japanese radar
station at Cape St. George
and the Borpop and Namatanai
airfields. However, inclement weather hampered the spotting of shot, and it was impossible to ascertain the effectiveness of the raid.
. Waller, having sailed to the Hawaiian Islands
for a rest period, departed Pearl Harbor and passed the 180th Meridian
on 5 June 1944. She escorted TG 51.18 via Kwajalein
to Saipan
. TG 51.18, an expeditionary force reserve whose mission was to support the occupation of the Marianas was slated to land on whatever island the situation might dictate Saipan, Guam
, or Tinian
.
Saipan was designated its target, and Waller began to bombard Japanese positions on that island. On the evening of 18 June, the warship received orders to give fire support in two areas to assist the marines in repelling an enemy tank
attack. At 17:55, in company with Pringle, she entered Magicienne Bay
. Waller closed the beach to get a better view but was unable to distinguish any tanks—American or Japanese. At 17:58, all engines were stopped to give the watch a better look at the shore. Suddenly, three minutes later, enemy shore guns opened up on the two destroyers.
Waller and Pringle both leapt ahead at full speed, heading in an easterly direction as their funnels belched forth a large amount of oily, black smoke. Splashes from near misses rose on both sides of the ships as they disappeared into the thick, boiling smoke. Waller fired several salvoes in return; but, as her action report noted, "possibly the terrain favored the Japanese, and no good point of aim was offered the director pointer."
American forces returned to Guam in the summer of 1944, and Waller took part in these operations by serving as screening unit for the forces landing on the island. She then conducted fire support and screening missions off Tinian as that island fell to the American naval steamroller in August. Following these operations, the ship returned to the west coast for a refit which lasted through the early fall of 1944.
On the night of 27–28 November, the destroyer led the four ships of Destroyer Division 43 (DesDiv 43) in a night sweep into Ormoc Bay
, preparatory to American landings there. Her mission was one of the first penetrations of these waters since the Americans had been forcibly ejected from the Philippines almost three years before. While bombarding Japanese troop concentrations, she kept on the lookout for whatever small Japanese coastal naval craft might be encountered. The ships poured shells onto the shores around the bay for an hour, before they proceeded into the Camotes Sea
in search of shipping.
An Allied patrol plane radioed a message to the division noting that a surfaced Japanese submarine—later determined to be I-46—was south of Pacijan Island, heading for Ormoc Bay.
The division reversed course to intercept; and, at 01:27, Wallers radar picked up the target just off the northeast coast of Ponson Island
. Firing all batteries that would bear, the destroyer steamed directly for the submarine—passing the word to "stand by to ram." Countermanding this order at the last minute because the submarine looked like she was already severely damaged, Waller instead continued to pump 40-millimeter and 5 inch shellfire into the enemy submersible which attempted a weak and ineffective return fire with her deck guns. At 01:45, as Waller doubled back for a second pass, the submarine's bow rose up towards the sky; and she sank, stern first.
Waller remained in the Leyte Gulf
area until 2 December, after making a second sweep into the Camotes Sea on the night of 29–30 November in search of a reported 10-ship Japanese convoy
. While she found no trace of the convoy, she nevertheless located and smashed six enemy barges with gunfire. Also during the Ormoc Bay raids, the ship came under Japanese air attack on both Ormoc Bay excursions on one occasion, three bombs fell within a few hundred yards of the destroyer.
In mid-December, Waller participated in the invasion of Mindoro
as a unit of the covering force of battleship
s, escort carrier
s, cruisers, and destroyers. On 15 December, this force repulsed a heavy kamikaze
attack in the Sulu Sea
. Waller again downed one and helped to destroy another Japanese attacker. One of the planes, a twin-engined "Betty," was attempting a suicide run on Waller before heavy antiaircraft fire splashed her.
Early in January 1945, Waller shifted the scene of her operations to Lingayen Gulf
, as American forces were landing there. While thus engaged, she scored hits on two suicide boats and poured some 3,000 rounds of ammunition at both air and surface targets. While she did not down a single plane, she damaged a countless number at the height of the heavy Japanese suicide raids.
February and March 1945 again found Waller escorting and screening the vital Allied transports and cargo vessels. When American forces splashed ashore at Basilan
, Waller was off the beaches as flagship of the task group and received additional fire-support assignments at Tawi Tawi and Jolo
, in the Sulu Archipelago
, during April.
n-American effort against Borneo
kept Waller busy from May to July. Waller participated in this campaign by escorting convoys to Tarakan Island
, Brunei Bay
, and Balikpapan
, as well as by covering minesweeping operations in the Miri
-Lulong area, below Brunei Bay. She then rejoined the 3d Fleet early in August to be in readiness for the projected invasion of the Japanese home islands
. But while en route toward Honshū
, escorting a convoy, Waller received the most welcome news that the Japanese had accepted the unconditional surrender terms of the Potsdam Declaration
.
Returned to the 7th Fleet once more, Waller entered Shanghai
, China
, on 19 September for a tour with the reconstituted Yangtze Patrol
force and was one of the first American warships to make port at that Chinese city. A fortnight later, the destroyer neutralized a Japanese suicide-boat garrison base when a 21-man landing force from the ship assisted local Chinese authorities in disarming an estimated 2,700 Japanese at Tinghai.
While returning to Shanghai on 9 October, Waller fouled a Japanese-moored "Shanghai"-type contact mine. Three officers and 22 men were wounded, and the ship sustained enough structural damage to warrant a drydocking at Kiangnan Dock and Engineering Works
at Shanghai. Following this period of repairs, the ship supervised minesweeping operations and supplied provisions and water to the ships engaged in the sweeps which netted some 60 mines
. In addition, she provided Yangtze
pilots for incoming vessels and monitored all shipping traffic passing her patrol station in the Yangtze estuary. The ship departed Chinese waters on 12 December bound for the United States, and after a stop at Pearl Harbor arrived at San Diego 18 days later.
, until the onset of the Korean War
. Selected as one of the Fletcher-class units to be converted to escort destroyers, Waller was redesignated DDE-466 on 26 March 1949 and was recommissioned at Charleston on 5 July 1950. Following shakedown, she joined Escort Destroyer Squadron 2 as flagship on 28 January 1951.
On 14 May of that year, Waller headed west to participate in the Korean War and, upon arrival near the "Land of the Morning Calm
", immediately joined Task Force 95 (TF 95) as it was proceeding to Wonsan
harbor. For 10 days, she fired shore bombardment missions against North Korea
n targets, hurling some 1,700 rounds of 5 inch shells on enemy positions. During the following summer, the destroyer acted as an escort for 7th Fleet units exercising in waters off Okinawa before returning to the seaborne blockade lanes in October 1951 for a two-week tour of duty before again returning to the United States.
From 1951 to late 1956, Waller participated in many Antisubmarine warfare (ASW) exercises off the east coast and made two extensive deployments to the Mediterranean Sea
and two to the Caribbean
. She entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
late in 1956 and was again modified—this time with extensive alterations in her ASW battery. She rejoined the Fleet soon thereafter and, after a Mediterranean deployment in 1957, joined Destroyer Squadron 28 (DesRon 28), as a unit of ASW Task Force Alfa.
Her classification reverted to DD-466, 30 June 1962. Subsequently joining DesRon 36 on 1 July 1964 Waller made numerous Mediterranean deployments over the next four years. On 6 September 1968, the destroyer departed Norfolk
with DesDiv 362 for Vietnam
ese waters. Arriving in October, she reported immediately to the "gunline" and took up patrol duties on Yankee Station
in the Gulf of Tonkin
, off Qui Nhon
, South Vietnam
.
Supporting Korean troops, her 5 inch gunfire did extensive damage to Viet Cong bunkers and storage areas, before she moved south to a station off Phan Thiet
where she supported the U.S. Army
173rd Airborne Brigade. During this deployment, she destroyed numerous Viet Cong structures rest camps and the like as well as interdicted the movement of Viet Cong supply traffic by destroying trails.
After having fired 2,400 rounds and completing her gunline assignment, Waller received a "well done" from Commander, Task Unit 70.8.9: "Wallers ability to meet all commitments is indeed noteworthy."
Proceeding to Yankee Station, Waller joined Intrepid (CVS-11) for attack carrier escort duties and upon this carrier's departure, joined Ranger (CVA-61) to conduct similar missions After 109 consecutive days of this duty, the veteran destroyer started for home on 2 March 1969. After a brief tour as a Naval Reserve
training ship on the east coast Waller was decommissioned and struck from the Navy list
on 15 July 1969. She was authorized to be disposed of, as a target, on 2 February 1970; she was sunk off Rhode Island
, 17 June 1970.
service and two each for Korean and Vietnam service.
USS Waller also participated in the Cuban missile blockade in October 1962. The ship detected a Russian submarine and dropped a hand grenade over board to insist that it surface which it did.
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
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 a 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...
named for Major General Littleton Waller
Littleton Waller
Littleton "Tony" Waller Tazewell Waller was a career officer in the United States Marine Corps, who served in the Spanish American War, the Caribbean and Asia. He was court martialled and acquitted for actions during the Philippine-American War where he led a ill-fated expedition across the island...
, USMC
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
(1856–1926).
Waller was laid down on 12 February 1942, at Kearny, N.J.
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.; launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 15 August 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Littleton W. T. Waller, the widow of General Waller; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 1 October 1942, Lieutenant Commander Lawrence H. Frost in command.
World War II
Into the fall of 1942, Waller conducted shakedown out of 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...
, and occasionally performed local escort duties for training submarines based at New London, Conn.
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the United States Navy's primary submarine base, the "Home of the Submarine Force", and "the Submarine Capital of the World".-History:...
Late that fall, Waller departed the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y., bound for the Pacific
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
, 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...
and 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...
.
She arrived at Efate
Éfaté
Efate is an island in the Agean Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in The Republic of Maliki. It is also known as Île Vate. It is the most populous island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most inhabitants of Efate live in Port Vila, the national...
on 21 January 1943 and, six days later, sortied as part of the destroyer screen with Task Force 18 (TF 18). Rear Admiral Robert C. Giffen
Robert C. Giffen
-Birth to the beginning of World War I:Robert Carlisle Giffen was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, on 29 June 1886. He attended the University of Notre Dame, in South Bend, Indiana, before appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy from the State of Nebraska in 1903...
, commanding the force, flew his flag in Wichita
USS Wichita (CA-45)
USS Wichita was a heavy cruiser of the United States Navy. The lead ship and only member of her class, she was the first ship named after the city of Wichita, Kansas...
(CA-45). The mission of TF 18 was to rendezvous off Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
with a transport force sent to resupply and reinforce the land-based forces there in their struggle to dislodge the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese from the key island. Intelligence reports indicated—wrongly, as it turned out—that the Japanese were mounting a big "push" to resupply their forces. As events would show, the enemy was instead massing his forces to evacuate his troops.
Rennel Island, January 1943
On 29 January, 50 miles (80 km) to the north of Rennell IslandRennell Island
Rennell Island, locally known as Mungava, is the main island of two inhabited islands that make up the Rennell and Bellona Province in the Solomon Islands. Rennell Island has a land area of that is about long and wide. It is the second largest raised coral atoll in the world with the largest lake...
, Japanese 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...
-carrying "Betty" bombers (Mitsubishi G4M
Mitsubishi G4M
The Mitsubishi G4M 一式陸上攻撃機, 一式陸攻 Isshiki rikujō kōgeki ki, Isshikirikkō was the main twin-engine, land-based bomber used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. The Allies gave the G4M the reporting name Betty...
-1s) came in low from the east carefully avoiding silhouetting themselves against the afterglow of dusk. Waller, on the starboard beam of flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
Wichita 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...
s
Chicago
USS Chicago (CA-29)
USS Chicago was a Northampton-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy that served in the Pacific Theater in the early years of World War II. She was the second US Navy ship to be named after the city of Chicago, Illinois...
(CA-29) and
Louisville
USS Louisville (CA-28)
USS Louisville — a Northampton-class heavy cruiser — was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Louisville, Kentucky...
(CA-28),
came under machine-gun fire from the lead "Betty" as it bore in on the attack. The American ships responded with heavy fire toward the first two planes, and one cartwheeled into the sea and exploded in a brilliant fireball.
Soon red, green, and white flares gave the scene an eerie, ghostly effect, as the Japanese set off pyrotechnics to illuminate the American force. At 19:31, another flight of "Betties" appeared and pressed their attacks on the heavy cruisers steaming in the right van of the task force. One "Betty" splashed into the sea astern of Waller, before another enemy aircraft scored a torpedo hit on Chicago at 19:45, holing the cruiser's starboard side forward, and stopping three of the ship's four drive-shafts. A second torpedo soon struck home after the first, flooding number three fireroom and the forward engine room leaving Chicago dead in the water.
The attack momentarily subsided, giving the Americans a respite. Louisville took her crippled near-sister in tow, and, by early on 30 January, the damaged cruiser was on her way to Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
at four knots. At 14:45, well after Louisville had passed the tow to the tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
Navajo
USS Navajo (AT-64)
USS Navajo was an oceangoing tugboat in the United States Navy, and the lead ship of her class. She was named for the Navajo people....
(AT-64), 12 "Betties" were reported south of New Georgia
New Georgia
New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.-Geography:This island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province...
heading for Rennell Island. Combat air patrol
Combat air patrol
Combat air patrol is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft.A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, for the purpose of intercepting and destroying hostile...
fighters 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...
(CV-6) splashed three of the attackers, but nine remained to attack Chicago. Seven of these went down to the antiaircraft fire from the task force and the slashing attacks by F4F Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
s from Enterprise. Waller claimed one "Betty" killed and two damaged.
Chicago, however, took two more torpedoes and was abandoned soon thereafter, sinking stern-first, at 16:44. Navajo, Sands (APD-13),
Edwards
USS Edwards (DD-619)
USS Edwards was a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named "Edwards", and the first named for Lieutenant Commander Walter A. Edwards , who as commander of in 1922 rescued nearly five hundred people from the burning French transport Vinh-Long. For his...
(DD-619), and Waller collected 1,049 survivors from the cruiser. In the melee,
La Vallette
USS La Vallette (DD-448)
USS La Vallette was a World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named after Rear Admiral Elie A. F. La Vallette....
(DD-448) was damaged and left the area, towed by Navajo. While retiring to Espiritu Santo, Waller located a 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...
contact but could not develop it.
The Battle of Rennell Island
Battle of Rennell Island
The Battle of Rennell Island took place on 29–30 January 1943, and was the last major naval engagement between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Guadalcanal campaign of World War II...
, which resulted in the loss of one American cruiser and damage to a destroyer succeeded in diverting Japanese intentions from the transports off Lunga Point
Lunga Point
Lunga Point is a promontory on the northern coast of Guadalcanal, the site of a naval battle during World War II. It was also the name of a nearby airfield, later named Henderson Field....
and allowed vital American reinforcements to enter the final phase of the battle to drive the Japanese from Guadalcanal.
Blackett Strait, March 1943
In early March 1943, Captain Arleigh "31-knot" BurkeArleigh Burke
Admiral Arleigh Albert '31-knot' Burke was an admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean War, and who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.-Early life and naval career:Burke was born in Boulder,...
broke his broad pennant
Broad pennant
A broad pennant is a swallow-tailed tapering flag flown from the masthead of a ship to indicate the presence of a commodore on board. It is so called because its dimensions are roughly 2:3....
in Waller. On the 5th, she led Conway
USS Conway (DD-507)
USS Conway , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for William Conway, who distinguished himself during the Civil War....
(DD-507),
Montpelier
USS Montpelier (CL-57)
USS Montpelier was one of 26 United States Navy light cruisers completed during or shortly after World War II. She was the second US Navy ship to be named for the city of Montpelier, Vermont. Montpelier was commissioned in September 1942 and saw service in several campaigns in the Pacific...
(CL-57),
Cleveland
USS Cleveland (CL-55)
was the lead ship and one of the 26 United States Navy light cruisers completed during or shortly after World War II. She was the second ship to be named for the city of Cleveland, Ohio....
(CL-55),
Denver
USS Denver (CL-58)
USS Denver was a Cleveland-class light cruiser. Denver launched on 4 April 1942 by New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.; sponsored by Miss L. J. Stapleton, daughter of the Mayor of Denver; and commissioned on 15 October 1942, Captain Robert Carney in command...
(CL-58), and
Cony
USS Cony (DD-508)
USS Cony , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Joseph S. Cony , a naval officer during the Civil War....
(DD-508)
in a raid on the Japanese airfields at Vila, on the southern coast of New Georgia. Assigned to protect the larger ships, the destroyers drew the duty of silencing any hostile shore batteries which might try to interfere with the cruisers as they carried out the main bombardment.
Entering Kula Gulf
Kula Gulf
Kula Gulf is a waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the islands of Kolombangara to the west, Arundel Island to the southwest, and New Georgia to the south and east. To the north, it opens into New Georgia Sound...
shortly after midnight on 5 March, Wallers radar detected two ships—later determined to be
Murasame
Japanese destroyer Murasame
was the third of ten s, and was built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the "Circle One" Program . This vessel should not be confused with the earlier Russo-Japanese War-period torpedo boat destroyer with the same name.-History:...
and
Minegumo
Japanese destroyer Minegumo
was the eighth of ten destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Supplementary Naval Expansion Program .-History:...
—at
the eastern entrance to Blackett Strait
Blackett Strait
Blackett Strait is a waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the islands of Kolombangara to the north, and Arundel Island to the south...
and standing out at high speed, apparently unaware of the American ships' presence. Waller opened the action at about 01:00, firing a five-tube spread of torpedoes at a range of three and one-half miles. A minute later, her gunners soon commenced fire with the main battery.
Taken by surprise, the two Japanese destroyers answered with ragged and inaccurate fire. Six minutes after action had commenced, Murasame broke in two from an "extremely violent" explosion, the victim of a combination of torpedoes and gunfire from Waller and her mates.
Minegumo, too, came in for her share of attention and was soon reduced to junk although she stubbornly remained afloat for a short while. Leaving the Japanese in their wakes, the American force swung westward at 01:14 and soon thereafter commenced their scheduled bombardment of Vila. The six American ships pounded the air strip for 16 minutes before breaking off action and leaving a number of fires burning brightly in the darkness. Waller was ordered to dispatch Minegumo but the blazing wreck sank before the American destroyer could get to do the job.
The Vila raid and the Battle of Blackett Strait
Battle of Blackett Strait
The Battle of Blackett Strait was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on 6 March 1943 in the Blackett Strait, between Kolombangara islands and Arundel Island in the Solomon Islands....
evoked the praise of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who with glowing understatement called the exploit a "creditable performance." Nimitz cited the exemplary way in which TF 68 had picked up two enemy ships by radar, despite a close-by land background; promptly obtained a fire control set-up, sank the enemy vessels in a "businesslike manner" and then proceeded to conduct their planned bombardment mission approximately on schedule. "The Operation had all the precision of a well-rehearsed exercise by veteran ships—which these were not."
Waller continued her operations in the Solomons
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
through the end of 1943 and into 1944. As the Japanese sought to resupply their trapped garrisons on islands like Vella Lavella
Vella Lavella
Vella Lavella is an island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies to the west of New Georgia, but is considered one of the New Georgia Group...
, Arundel
Arundel Island
Arundel Island is an island, part of the New Georgia Islands in the Solomon Islands. It is located between Kolombangara and New Georgia, at . It is separated from Kolombangara by Blackett Strait....
, and Kolombangara
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
, they utilized destroyers as transports and supply ships in what became known as the "Tokyo Express
Tokyo Express
The Tokyo Express was the name given by Allied forces to the use of Imperial Japanese Navy ships at night to deliver personnel, supplies, and equipment to Japanese forces operating in and around New Guinea and the Solomon Islands during the Pacific campaign of World War II...
". These ships clashed with American cruisers and destroyers in a series of sharp, bitter night actions.
The Americans, meanwhile, kept up the pressure on the Japanese, subjecting their islands to nearly continual harassment from the sea and from the air. On the night of 29–30 June 1943, Waller, in company with three other destroyers and four cruisers, bombarded Vila-Stanmore plantation, Kolombangara, and the Shortland Islands
Shortland Islands
The Shortland Islands are group of islands belonging to the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, at . Named by John Shortland, they lie in the extreme northwest of the country's territory, close to the island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. The largest island is Shortland Island...
. Much of the firing was done in the teeth of a driving rainstorm which obscured visibility and precluded claims of damage to Japanese installations.
Kula Gulf, July 1943
Soon thereafter, on 6 July, a task group of three cruisers and four destroyers under Rear Admiral W. L. "Pug" AinsworthWalden L. Ainsworth
Walden Lee "Pug" Ainsworth was an admiral of the United States Navy. For his role in commanding destroyer and cruiser task forces in the Pacific during World War II, he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit.-Early life and career:Ainsworth was...
, tangled with 10 Japanese destroyers carrying troops and supplies to Kolombangara in the Battle of Kula Gulf
Battle of Kula Gulf
The naval Battle of Kula Gulf took place in the early hours of 6 July 1943 during World War II and was between United States and Japanese ships off the coast of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands.-Background:...
. In the fierce night action, two Japanese destroyers, Niizuki
Japanese destroyer Niizuki
Niizuki was an Akizuki-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy.On the night of 4–5 July 1943, Niizuki led a troop transport run to Kolombangara. With her radar she detected U.S. ships in Kula Gulf, and she, along with Yūnagi and , fired a salvo of torpedoes, which sank .On the night of 5–6...
and Nagatsuki, were sunk as was Helena
USS Helena (CL-50)
USS Helena was a St. Louis-class light cruiser of the United States Navy, damaged in the attack on Pearl Harbor, and subsequently active in the Pacific War until she was sunk at the battle of Kula Gulf in 1943...
(CL-50) which fell victim to the dreaded "Long Lance
Type 93 torpedo
The Type 93 was a -diameter torpedo of the Imperial Japanese Navy , launched from surface ships. It is commonly referred to as the Long Lance by most modern English-language naval historians, a nickname given it after the war by Samuel E. Morison, the chief historian of the U.S...
" torpedoes.
During efforts to save the surviving crew of Helena, Waller served in the force covering Woodworth
USS Woodworth (DD-460)
USS Woodworth was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Commander Selim E. Woodworth....
(DD-460) and Gwin
USS Gwin (DD-433)
USS Gwin , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the 3rd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lieutenant Commander William Gwin, an American Civil War officer who commanded river boats against Confederate forces in Alabama....
(DD-433) which were engaged in the primary rescue operations. Waller detected a submarine by her radar and went in to try to seek out the enemy craft. A three-hour search netted a contact, and Waller dropped depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s. Although the destroyer found no visible evidence that she had scored a kill, the commander of Task Group 36.2 (TG 36.2), Rear Admiral Aaron S. "Tip" Merrill
Aaron S. Merrill
Aaron Stanton Merrill also known as Tip Merrill was an American rear admiral during World War II who led American naval forces during the Solomon Islands campaign as well as the first admiral to use radar during wartime....
, commented that the probability of the submarine's destruction was good endorsement to Wallers action report.
Mistaken identity
The warship continued supporting operations in the Solomons by escorting troop and supply convoys. While screening TG 31.2—four destroyers and four fast transports (APDs) bound for Enogai Inlet, New Georgia—a search plane picked up what looked like four enemy ships near Kolombangara Island and radioed a contact report. Waller, as part of the covering force, changed course to intercept and soon sighted three ships lying low off the jungle coastline.Unbeknownst to Waller, these three "enemy" ships were, in reality, PT-157, PT-159, and PT-160, out on patrol, having unintentionally strayed north of their assigned patrol area. Waller, tracking as best she could opened fire at 20,000 yards, and other ships in company reported that she straddled and hit the "enemy". Fortunately, she had not. The PT boat
PT boat
PT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
s, suddenly thrown into a bad situation, loosed torpedoes at the attacking "enemy" and sped off to the southward. Again fortunately, Waller and her mates did not pursue the fleeing "enemy" but broke off action and returned to their duties covering the departing APDs, apparently satisfied that one had made a hit on the "Japanese destroyer". In the subsequent action report written up on 29 July, Wallers commanding officer wrote: "It has since been learned that these ships were probably our own PT boats."
Vela Lavella, August 1943
No such case of mistaken identity occurred in Wallers operations on 15 August, while covering the landings at Vella Lavella. At 08:00, approximately 10 Japanese dive bombers appeared on the destroyer's radar, 38 miles distant. She fired an umbrella barrage at the approaching enemy to keep the attackers at "arm's length" and claimed two "Vals."Later in the day, Waller again battled persistent Japanese planes, picking up on her radar eight torpedo planes heading in at low level. Director-controlled gunfire from the main battery 5 inch spat out fiery steel at the incoming Nakajima B5N
Nakajima B5N
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgwater, H.C. and Peter Scott. Combat Colours Number 4: Pearl Harbor and Beyond, December 1941 to May 1942. Luton, Bedfordshire, UK: Guideline Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-9539040-6-7....
"Kates" but knocked none down.
On the evening of 17 August, a Japanese air attack caused Waller and Philip
USS Philip (DD-498)
USS Philip , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral John W. Philip ....
(DD-498) to collide while undertaking evasive action; and Waller eventually steamed out of the combat area to undergo needed repairs. However, in October, she was back in the thick of the fighting.
Solomons campaign, October 1943 – February 1944
On the night of 1–2 October, Waller entered waters off Vella Lavella in an attempt to cut off the evacuation of Japanese troops from the island. Waller shot up six landing barges that night and four on the following, wreaking heavy destruction, along with her mates, on the smaller-sized "Tokyo Express". All told during this period, 46 enemy craft of this type met destruction at the hands of American destroyers, cruisers, and PT boats.Waller continued her convoy escort and support functions into the fall months. On 17–18 November, as American forces pushed towards Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
, Waller screened the 5th echelon of transports and supply ships. The total American force consisting of six destroyers, eight APDs, a fleet tug, and eight LST
Tank landing ship
Landing Ship, Tank was the military designation for naval vessels created during World War II to support amphibious operations by carrying significant quantities of vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto an unimproved shore....
s was crossing Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay is a major bay on the western side of the island of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea, at . It is a major subsistence fishing area for the people of Bougainville. It is named after Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein, wife of German Emperor William II.In November 1943, the...
, off the coast of Bougainville, when 10 Japanese torpedo planes swooped in low and fast at 03:00. The ships quickly put up a tremendous barrage of antiaircraft fire to discourage the Japanese attackers.
Flares and float lights dropped by the Japanese planes lit up the scene with an eerie light. Destroyer gunfire sent tracer streaks across the night sky, and one "Betty" spun into the sea off the port bow of Pringle
USS Pringle (DD-477)
USS Pringle , a , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Vice Admiral Joel R. P. Pringle .Pringle was laid down by the Charleston Navy Yard, on 31 July 1941; launched on 2 May 1942, sponsored by Mrs. John D. H. Kane; and commissioned on 15 September 1942, with Lieutenant Commander Harold O...
(DD-477). Another attacker, roaring in low and fast at 03:30, flew into a veritable hail of flak and crashed, trailing flames into the sea astern of Conway (DD-507). The torpedoes launched by the doomed aircraft failed to hit their mark and sped off past the American ships. Two minutes later, however, another "Betty" drew blood from the American force by torpedoing McKean (APD-5), which later sank. When the smoke of battle had cleared, Waller picked up eight Japanese aviators.
The warship soon was back off Torokina
Torokina
Torokina is a coastal village on the island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. It is located on the western coast of that island, at ....
, Bougainville, on the shore of Empress Augusta Bay, with the 7th echelon of support ships. On 23 November, she shelled Marine Island.
She and her sister ships bombarded enemy positions on Buka Island
Buka Island
Buka Island is the second largest island in the Papua New Guinean province of Bougainville.- History :Buka was first occupied by humans in paleolithic times, some 30,000 years ago...
and in the Choiseul Bay
Choiseul Bay
Choiseul Bay is a bay in the northwestern part of Choiseul Island, Solomon Islands, at ....
area on 1 February 1944. At 06:25, enemy shore batteries on Buka opened fire on the American men-of-war. Waller immediately served up a round of return fire at the Japanese guns which silenced one enemy battery. About a fortnight later, during the Green Island invasion, the ship set out, in company with
Saufley
USS Saufley (DD-465)
USS Saufley , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Lieutenant Richard Saufley....
(DD-465),
Renshaw
USS Renshaw (DD-499)
USS Renshaw , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy of that name, in honor of Commander William B. Renshaw.Renshaw was laid down 7 May 1942 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey; launched on 13 October 1942, sponsored by Miss Dorothy Lillian Renshaw; and...
(DD-499), and
Philip, to bombard the Japanese 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...
station at Cape St. George
Cape St. George
Cape St. George is the southernmost point on the island of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, at . It was the namesake for the Battle of Cape St. George, fought on 26 November 1943, between New Ireland and Buka....
and the Borpop and Namatanai
Namatanai
Namatanai is a town on the island province of New Ireland in Papua New Guinea. It is the second largest settlement on the island and connected to the largest and provincial capital of Kavieng by the Boluminski Highway. In 2005, Namantanai was estimated to have a population of 1300 people.During...
airfields. However, inclement weather hampered the spotting of shot, and it was impossible to ascertain the effectiveness of the raid.
Marianas campaign, June – August 1944
Meanwhile, the Allied war effort continued to gain momentum; and, in June, American forces struck at the MarianasMariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
. Waller, having sailed to the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
for a rest period, departed Pearl Harbor and passed the 180th Meridian
180th meridian
The 180th meridian or antimeridian is the meridian which is 180° east or west of the Prime Meridian passing through the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. It is common to both east longitude and west longitude. It is used as the basis for the International Date Line because it for the most part passes...
on 5 June 1944. She escorted TG 51.18 via Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
to 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...
. TG 51.18, an expeditionary force reserve whose mission was to support the occupation of the Marianas was slated to land on whatever island the situation might dictate Saipan, 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...
, or 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....
.
Saipan was designated its target, and Waller began to bombard Japanese positions on that island. On the evening of 18 June, the warship received orders to give fire support in two areas to assist the marines in repelling an enemy tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
attack. At 17:55, in company with Pringle, she entered Magicienne Bay
Magicienne Bay
Magicienne Bay, also known as Laulau Bay, is a large bay on the southeast of the island Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. It covers nearly one sixth of the island's east coast, from Saipan International Airport in the south to the popular, yet isolated, Laulau Beach in the north. The village...
. Waller closed the beach to get a better view but was unable to distinguish any tanks—American or Japanese. At 17:58, all engines were stopped to give the watch a better look at the shore. Suddenly, three minutes later, enemy shore guns opened up on the two destroyers.
Waller and Pringle both leapt ahead at full speed, heading in an easterly direction as their funnels belched forth a large amount of oily, black smoke. Splashes from near misses rose on both sides of the ships as they disappeared into the thick, boiling smoke. Waller fired several salvoes in return; but, as her action report noted, "possibly the terrain favored the Japanese, and no good point of aim was offered the director pointer."
American forces returned to Guam in the summer of 1944, and Waller took part in these operations by serving as screening unit for the forces landing on the island. She then conducted fire support and screening missions off Tinian as that island fell to the American naval steamroller in August. Following these operations, the ship returned to the west coast for a refit which lasted through the early fall of 1944.
Philippines campaign, November 1944 – April 1945
She joined the 7th Fleet on 27 November for operations in the Philippine Islands. Shortly after noon that day the Japanese seemingly celebrated Wallers return to the battle zones by launching a suicide-plane raid by 15 planes. During the fracas, Waller shot down one intruder and assisted in splashing another.On the night of 27–28 November, the destroyer led the four ships of Destroyer Division 43 (DesDiv 43) in a night sweep into Ormoc Bay
Ormoc Bay
Ormoc Bay is a bay on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. The bay is an inlet of the Camotes Sea. The city of Ormoc lies at the head of the bay and exports rice, copra and sugar. The World War II Battle of Ormoc Bay took place from November 11 until mid-December in Ormoc Bay during late 1944....
, preparatory to American landings there. Her mission was one of the first penetrations of these waters since the Americans had been forcibly ejected from the Philippines almost three years before. While bombarding Japanese troop concentrations, she kept on the lookout for whatever small Japanese coastal naval craft might be encountered. The ships poured shells onto the shores around the bay for an hour, before they proceeded into the Camotes Sea
Camotes Sea
The Camotes Sea is a small sea within the Philippine archipelago, between the Eastern Visayas and the Central Visayas. It is bordered by the islands of Leyte to the north and east, Bohol to the south, and Cebu to the west. The sea is connected to the Visayan Sea to the northwest, and to the Bohol...
in search of shipping.
An Allied patrol plane radioed a message to the division noting that a surfaced Japanese submarine—later determined to be I-46—was south of Pacijan Island, heading for Ormoc Bay.
The division reversed course to intercept; and, at 01:27, Wallers radar picked up the target just off the northeast coast of Ponson Island
Ponson Island
Ponson Island is an island located in the province of Cebu, located east of Cebu Island and west of Leyte Island.Pilar, Cebu is the island's sole municipality....
. Firing all batteries that would bear, the destroyer steamed directly for the submarine—passing the word to "stand by to ram." Countermanding this order at the last minute because the submarine looked like she was already severely damaged, Waller instead continued to pump 40-millimeter and 5 inch shellfire into the enemy submersible which attempted a weak and ineffective return fire with her deck guns. At 01:45, as Waller doubled back for a second pass, the submarine's bow rose up towards the sky; and she sank, stern first.
Waller remained in the Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
area until 2 December, after making a second sweep into the Camotes Sea on the night of 29–30 November in search of a reported 10-ship Japanese 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...
. While she found no trace of the convoy, she nevertheless located and smashed six enemy barges with gunfire. Also during the Ormoc Bay raids, the ship came under Japanese air attack on both Ormoc Bay excursions on one occasion, three bombs fell within a few hundred yards of the destroyer.
In mid-December, Waller participated in the invasion 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:...
as a unit of the covering force of battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s, escort carrier
Escort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
s, cruisers, and destroyers. On 15 December, this force repulsed a heavy 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....
attack in the Sulu Sea
Sulu Sea
The Sulu Sea is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipelago. Borneo is found to the southwest and Visayas to the northeast.Sulu Sea contains a number of...
. Waller again downed one and helped to destroy another Japanese attacker. One of the planes, a twin-engined "Betty," was attempting a suicide run on Waller before heavy antiaircraft fire splashed her.
Early in January 1945, Waller shifted the scene of her operations to Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
, as American forces were landing there. While thus engaged, she scored hits on two suicide boats and poured some 3,000 rounds of ammunition at both air and surface targets. While she did not down a single plane, she damaged a countless number at the height of the heavy Japanese suicide raids.
February and March 1945 again found Waller escorting and screening the vital Allied transports and cargo vessels. When American forces splashed ashore at Basilan
Basilan
The Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
, Waller was off the beaches as flagship of the task group and received additional fire-support assignments at Tawi Tawi and Jolo
Jolo
Jolo may refer to:* Jolo Island* Jolo, Sulu* Jolo, West Virginia* Jolo is also the nickname of Swedish author Jan Olof Olsson....
, in the Sulu Archipelago
Sulu Archipelago
The Sulu Archipelago is a chain of islands in the southwestern Philippines. This archipelago is considered to be part of the Moroland by the local rebel independence movement. This island group forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea....
, during April.
Indonesia and China, May – December 1945
A joint AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n-American effort against Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
kept Waller busy from May to July. Waller participated in this campaign by escorting convoys to Tarakan Island
Tarakan Island
Tarakan is an island off the coast of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is a marshy island situated in the eastern Celebes Sea, off the northeastern coast of Borneo. The island occupies an area of .-Petroleum:...
, Brunei Bay
Brunei Bay
Brunei Bay is the gateway to Brunei and Borneo. It is located 4°45'-5°02'N, 114°58'-115°10'E; east of Bandar Seri Begawan. The Brunei portion of the bay is in two sections separated by a finger of Sarawak about 6km wide at the coast...
, and Balikpapan
Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo, Indonesia, in the East Kalimantan province, a resource-rich region well known for its timber, mining, and petroleum export products. Two harbors, Semayang and Kariangau , and the Sepinggan International Airport are the main...
, as well as by covering minesweeping operations in the Miri
Miri
Miri is a city in northern Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is the second largest city in Sarawak, with a population of about 300,000, and the government administrative centre of Miri District in Miri Division....
-Lulong area, below Brunei Bay. She then rejoined the 3d Fleet early in August to be in readiness for the projected invasion of the Japanese home islands
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
. But while en route toward Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, escorting a convoy, Waller received the most welcome news that the Japanese had accepted the unconditional surrender terms of the Potsdam Declaration
Potsdam Declaration
The Potsdam Declaration or the Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender is a statement calling for the Surrender of Japan in World War II. On July 26, 1945, United States President Harry S...
.
Returned to the 7th Fleet once more, Waller entered Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, on 19 September for a tour with the reconstituted Yangtze Patrol
Yangtze Patrol
The Yangtze Patrol, from 1854 to 1945, was a prolonged naval operation to protect American interests in the Yangtze River's treaty ports. Initially the patrol was carried out by ships of the United States Navy's East India and Asiatic Squadrons. In 1922, the "YangPat" was established as a formal...
force and was one of the first American warships to make port at that Chinese city. A fortnight later, the destroyer neutralized a Japanese suicide-boat garrison base when a 21-man landing force from the ship assisted local Chinese authorities in disarming an estimated 2,700 Japanese at Tinghai.
While returning to Shanghai on 9 October, Waller fouled a Japanese-moored "Shanghai"-type contact mine. Three officers and 22 men were wounded, and the ship sustained enough structural damage to warrant a drydocking at Kiangnan Dock and Engineering Works
Jiangnan Shipyard
Jiangnan Shipyard is a historic shipyard located in Shanghai, China. The shipyard has been state owned since its founding in 1865 and is now operated by Jiangnan Shipyard Co. Ltd. Before 2009, the shipyard was located to the south of central Shanghi Jiangnan Shipyard is a historic shipyard...
at Shanghai. Following this period of repairs, the ship supervised minesweeping operations and supplied provisions and water to the ships engaged in the sweeps which netted some 60 mines
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
. In addition, she provided Yangtze
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
pilots for incoming vessels and monitored all shipping traffic passing her patrol station in the Yangtze estuary. The ship departed Chinese waters on 12 December bound for the United States, and after a stop at Pearl Harbor arrived at San Diego 18 days later.
Korean War – Vietnam War
Placed out of commission soon thereafter and attached to the 6th Naval District, Waller remained in reserve at Charleston, S.C.Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, until the onset of 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...
. Selected as one of the Fletcher-class units to be converted to escort destroyers, Waller was redesignated DDE-466 on 26 March 1949 and was recommissioned at Charleston on 5 July 1950. Following shakedown, she joined Escort Destroyer Squadron 2 as flagship on 28 January 1951.
On 14 May of that year, Waller headed west to participate in the Korean War and, upon arrival near the "Land of the Morning Calm
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
", immediately joined Task Force 95 (TF 95) as it was proceeding to Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
harbor. For 10 days, she fired shore bombardment missions against North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n targets, hurling some 1,700 rounds of 5 inch shells on enemy positions. During the following summer, the destroyer acted as an escort for 7th Fleet units exercising in waters off Okinawa before returning to the seaborne blockade lanes in October 1951 for a two-week tour of duty before again returning to the United States.
From 1951 to late 1956, Waller participated in many Antisubmarine warfare (ASW) exercises off the east coast and made two extensive deployments to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
and two to 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...
. She entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
late in 1956 and was again modified—this time with extensive alterations in her ASW battery. She rejoined the Fleet soon thereafter and, after a Mediterranean deployment in 1957, joined Destroyer Squadron 28 (DesRon 28), as a unit of ASW Task Force Alfa.
Her classification reverted to DD-466, 30 June 1962. Subsequently joining DesRon 36 on 1 July 1964 Waller made numerous Mediterranean deployments over the next four years. On 6 September 1968, the destroyer departed Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
with DesDiv 362 for Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese waters. Arriving in October, she reported immediately to the "gunline" and took up patrol duties on Yankee Station
Yankee Station
Yankee Station was a point in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam used by the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of Task Force 77 to launch strikes in the Vietnam War. While its official designation was "Point Yankee," it was universally referred to as Yankee Station...
in the Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...
, off Qui Nhon
Qui Nhon
Qui Nhơn , also Quy Nhơn, is a coastal city in Binh Dinh province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of 286 km². Quy Nhon is the capital of Bình Định province. As of 2009 its population was 280,900. Historically, the commercial activities of the city...
, South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
.
Supporting Korean troops, her 5 inch gunfire did extensive damage to Viet Cong bunkers and storage areas, before she moved south to a station off Phan Thiet
Phan Thiết
Phan Thiết town is the capital of Binh Thuan province, in southeastern Vietnam. Phan Thiet is a municipality in central, south central sector, however, the development plan to 2025, it would be municipality Southeast Vietnam. The population of Phan Thiết city in 2005 is roughly 350,000 and is...
where she supported the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
173rd Airborne Brigade. During this deployment, she destroyed numerous Viet Cong structures rest camps and the like as well as interdicted the movement of Viet Cong supply traffic by destroying trails.
After having fired 2,400 rounds and completing her gunline assignment, Waller received a "well done" from Commander, Task Unit 70.8.9: "Wallers ability to meet all commitments is indeed noteworthy."
Proceeding to Yankee Station, Waller joined Intrepid (CVS-11) for attack carrier escort duties and upon this carrier's departure, joined Ranger (CVA-61) to conduct similar missions After 109 consecutive days of this duty, the veteran destroyer started for home on 2 March 1969. After a brief tour as a Naval Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
training ship on the east coast Waller was decommissioned and struck from the Navy list
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on 15 July 1969. She was authorized to be disposed of, as a target, on 2 February 1970; she was sunk off Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, 17 June 1970.
Honors
Waller received 12 battle stars for her World War IIWorld 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 and two each for Korean and Vietnam service.
USS Waller also participated in the Cuban missile blockade in October 1962. The ship detected a Russian submarine and dropped a hand grenade over board to insist that it surface which it did.