- USS Longshaw (DD-559)
USS "Longshaw" (DD-559), a "Fletcher"-class
destroyer , was a ship of theUnited States Navy named for Dr.William Longshaw, Jr. (1839–1865), who served in the Navy and was killed during the Civil War."Longshaw" was laid down
16 June 1942 bySeattle Tacoma Shipbuilding Co. ,Seattle, Wash. ; launched4 June 1943 , sponsored by Mrs. E. Richards; and commissioned4 December 1943 , Commander D. T. Birtwell in command.History
Following shakedown off the west coast, "Longshaw" sailed from San Francisco
18 February 1944 , viaPearl Harbor , for the Marshalls arrivingKwajalein 4 March . Assigned to the 5th Fleet, the destroyer got underway forMajuro 15 March , where she then conducted a patrol offWotje andMaleolap Islands until the 21st. The ship stood out from Majuro the next day, screening the replenishment group for theFast Carrier Task Force (Task Force 38/58) during strikes onPalau ,Yap ,Ulithi , andWoleai ,30 March and1 April , returning to Majuro on the 6th. Six days later, she sailed again, steaming via Manus forHollandia , escorting the same task group as planes from the flattops pounded theNew Guinea coast to support landings by GeneralDouglas MacArthur 's troops. "Longshaw" return to Pearl Harbor9 May for minor repairs and training.Getting underway for the Marianas on the 30th, escorting part of the northern attack force, the destroyer arrived off
Saipan 15 June . For the next 2 months, except for a brief voyage toEniwetok , she remained there, screening the escort carriers providing air support for the invasion and also operating as a rescue ship for downed aviators. Sailing to Eniwetok on22 August , "Longshaw" departed on the 29th to guard the carriers of Task Group 38.3 (TG 38.3) during strikes against targets on Palau,Mindanao , andLuzon in support of the assault on thePalau s, the steppingstone to thePhilippines .On
9 September , in company with other ships of her task group, the destroyer attacked a convoy of Japaneselugger s off Mindanao, herself destroying three small coastal vessels. She continued to support carrier operations against Japanese in the Philippines until proceeding to Ulithi2 October ."Longshaw" sortied with TG 38.3,
6 October for intensified airstrikes in preparation for the Philippines invasion. Planes from the carriers hit airfields onOkinawa , Luzon, and Formosa, 10 to13 October . "Longshaw", in the screen, shot down one Japanesetorpedo bomber during the furious Formosa air battle on the 12th. The fast carriers continued their operations in support of the invasion of Leyte, hitting the Philippines airfields steadily until the night of24 October , when the mighty armada turned northward to engage the Japanese northern force the next day in theBattle off Cape Engaño . In a series of crushing airstrikes, American naval aircraft sank the remnants of Japan's carrier force.Based at Ulithi, "Longshaw" operated with TG 38.3 through the end of the year, screening the carriers in airstrikes at enemy bases on Okinawa, Formosa, and Luzon, helping to clear the way for the invasion of the latter island in January. On the night of 9–
10 January 1945 , the destroyer accompanied the fast carriers throughBashi Channel between the Philippines and Formosa, entering theSouth China Sea . For the next 10 days, TF 38 operated unchecked, launching attacks at Japanese installations inFrench Indochina , Formosa, and theChina coast, includingHong Kong andHainan . After returning throughBalintang Channel , the flattops pounded Okinawa once more,22 January , before retiring to Ulithi on the 26th."Longshaw" departed Ulithi
10 February with a night-fighter direction team on board. Sailing with the fast carrier force, she served as a fighter-direction and radar picket vessel during the airstrikes onTokyo , 17 to18 February ; and, for the remainder of the month, escorted TG 58.5, the night carrier group in actions offIwo Jima . Returning to Ulithi12 March , the destroyer stood out for Okinawa on the 21st, escorting the support and bombardment unit for the invasion. Arriving25 March , the ship shelled enemy targets ashore in support of American troops. Serving in this capacity throughout April and into May, the ship's crew performed magnificently. On call for naval gunfire support day or night, "Longshaw" remained continuously on station supplying her much needed firepower, despite steady attacks by Japanese suicide planes.Fate
On the morning of
18 May 1945 , following a grueling 4-day period of fire support, "Longshaw", en route to her patrol area, ran aground on acoral reef just south ofNaha airfield. Other attempts to free her failing, shortly before noon tug "Arikara" (ATF-98) arrived, and was taking "Longshaw" in tow when Japanese shore batteries opened up. The stranded destroyer attempted to fight back as best she could; but, as she opened fire, her bow was completely blown off by a hit in the forward magazine. When efforts to save her appeared hopeless, "Longshaw"'s skipper, Comdr. O. W. Becker, ordered "Abandon Ship", 86 of her crew, including the captain, died with their ship. Later in the afternoon, "Longshaw", battered beyond salvaging, was destroyed by gunfire and torpedoes from U.S. ships."Longshaw" received nine
battle star s forWorld War II service.References
*DANFS|http://history.navy.mil/danfs/l8/longshaw.htm
External links
* [http://history.navy.mil/danfs/l8/longshaw.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Longshaw"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/559.htm navsource.org: USS "Longshaw"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd559txt.htm hazegray.org: USS "Longshaw"]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.