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The
following is
a brief
history of
one of
scores of
U.S.
destroyers,
which
distinguished
themselves
in World War
II . . .
perhaps just
typical of
all
destroyers
whose main
function was
to be “in
harms way.”
In honor of
Commander
Theodore
Gordon
Ellyson, the
USS ELLYSON
was
commissioned
DD-454 on
November 28,
1941 at the
New York
Navy Yard.
Named for
the pioneer
of U.S.
Naval
Aviation,
the ELLYSON
was built at
Kearney, New
Jersey with
a peacetime
precision,
which made
the ELLYSON
one of the
fastest
destroyers
ever to hit
the
waterways
for any
navy.
Commander J.
B. Rooney,
USN was
given first
command.
On January
4, 1942 the
ELLYSON left
New York in
a heavy
snowstorm
for
Chesapeake
Bay, the
beginning of
life for
another new
destroyer,
and for the
ELLYSON, six
months of
intensive
training and
patrol duty
along the
sub-
infested
Atlantic
coast. These
first
patrols saw
the ELLYSON
protecting
our shipping
from Halifax
to the West
Indies and
the Panama
Canal. Just
ten days
after
feeling the
first surge
of power in
her engines,
the ELLYSON
sighted a
lifeboat and
the sinking
hull of the
Norwegian
steamer “NORNESS,”
and was able
to rescue
twenty-four
officers and
men -- all
that were
left of
another
victim of
the
merciless
U-boat
reign. It
was in this
six month
period that
the ELLYSON
was a
workhorse
escort for
the ships
then
preparing
for, and
leaving to
make history
-- ships
like the
HORNET,
WASP,
RANGER,
IOWA,
WASHINGTON,
SOUTH
DAKOTA,
ALABAMA,
DUKE OF
YORK,
JUNEAU,
AUGUSTA,
TUSCALOOSA,
and
CLEVELAND
saw the
ELLYSON’s
wake before
they moved
to the sea
frontiers.
On June 15,
1942 in
Argentia,
Newfoundland,
Commander J.
L. Holloway,
USN broke
the broad
command
pennant of
Commander
Destroyer
Squadron TEN
in the
ELLYSON, and
she was to
remain a
flagship for
the
remainder of
the war.
Consisting
of the
HAMBLETON,
RODMAN,
EMMOMS,
MACOMB,
FORREST,
FITCH,
HOBSON and
CORRY,
Desron TEN
was to
become
famous in
the annals
of the
Atlantic war
as
sharpshooters
of the
Destroyer
Fleet.
July saw the
ELLYSON
escorting a
cargo of
army planes
to Africa,
leaving her
protectorate
to a relay
off Accra on
the Gold
Coast. Jobs
of this sort
became
standard
until
November
when D-Day
at
Casablanca
found the
ELLYSON
screening
our carriers
during the
actions
which
ensued. At
Fedela
during this
operation,
the ELLYSON
first showed
her
endowment of
good fortune
when, a few
minutes
after she
had pulled
away from a
refueling
tanker, and
the
HAMBLETON
came
alongside to
refuel, a
torpedo hit
the
HAMBLETON in
the engine
room spaces.
On February
6, 1943
Commander E.
W. Longton,
USN,
relieved
Commander J.
B. Rooney as
commanding
officer.
Shortly
thereafter,
and with
Captain T.
L. Lewis,
USN, as new
squadron
commander,
the ELLYSON
patrolled
the coast of
Newfoundland,
and on May
19th
reported
with the
SOUTH DAKOTA
for duty in
the British
Home Fleet.
Escort for
battleships
and convoys,
months of
vital naval
service were
performed in
protecting
Allied
shipping
from Iceland
to Murmansk
and the
Firth of
Forth; in
attempts at
luring the
TIRPITZ and
other major
German units
from their
Baltic
lairs; and
in
innumerable
anti-submarine
engagements.
On July 7th,
the ELLYSON
left Scapa
Flow for a
mock
invasion of
Southern
Norway --
two days
prior to the
invasion of
Sicily.
Back in
Iceland
shortly
afterwards,
an encounter
with an ice
floe slashed
a 4 by 20
foot hole in
her bow
during a
sham battle
between the
forces of
the “Blues”
and the
“Reds.”
Repairs by
the Navy’s
own Seabees
at Hvalfiord
fitted the
ship for sea
again.
Returning to
the States
in August,
the ELLYSON
left for
Argentia,
Newfoundland
for a
two-month
shakedown of
the IOWA. In
October the
ELLYSON left
for the
Mediterranean
with the
IOWA, the
battleship
carrying
President
Roosevelt
enroute to
the Teheran
Conference.
Before this
involved
journey was
over, the
ELLYSON was
seen in the
Azores,
Brazil,
Freetown,
Dakar and
Bermuda.
From January
through
March, the
ELLYSON
worked with
the RANGER,
TUSCALOOSA
and AUGUSTA
training for
the Normandy
Invasion. In
March,
Captain A.
F. Converse,
USN relieved
Captain T.
L. Lewis as
Commander
Destroyer
Squadron
TEN.
Arriving in
the
Mediterranean
on April
30th, the
ELLYSON, two
weeks later,
led a
hunter-killer
group to the
destruction
of the U-616
after 72
hours of the
longest and
most
persistent
sub chase in
history,
ending in a
spectacular
surface
engagement
and the
capturing of
thirty
survivors.
In Plymouth,
England on
May 24,
1944, the
ELLYSON
prepared for
an important
role in the
Invasion of
Normandy
where she
first showed
a remarkable
prowess for
shore-bombardment.
Particularly
outstanding
was close
fire-support
work in the
action at
Pointe du
Hoc, where
the ELLYSON
was a major
factor in
the final
victory of
our Rangers
over the
fanatical,
defending
Germans. It
was here,
too, that
the ELLYSON
was fired
upon for the
first time,
several
enemy shells
landing
nearby or
whining
through the
superstructure,
but never
quite
hitting.
While the
ELLYSON was
engaging
shore
batteries on
D-Day, a
nearby
sister ship,
the CORRY,
was mined
and sunk.
On D plus 1
ELLYSON (in
the
screening
section) was
the only
ship to
detect an
ME-109 on
the attack
and simply
shot it
down. One
Nazi plane
to go with
U-616 of
three weeks
earlier.
On June
25th, the
ELLYSON was
among the
attacking
ships at the
bombardment
of
Cherbourg,
knocking out
two major
enemy guns,
sinking
mines, and
laying smoke
screens for
harassed
larger units
like the
TEXAS,
QUINCY,
GLASGOW and
others in
the most
perilous and
spectacular
of all naval
bombardments.
At Southern
France, the
ELLYSON led
the
Destroyer
Fire Support
Group in
close on the
heels of the
minesweeps,
knocking out
innumerable
enemy troop
concentrations,
machine gun
nests, shore
batteries
and tanks
during a
one-sided
contest
which saw
the enemy
defenses
shattered
before they
had a chance
to resist
the
landings.
With Captain
R. A.
Larkin, USN
as Squadron
commander,
the ELLYSON,
in November
again
returned to
the States,
this time
for
conversion
to a
destroyer
minesweep
and new
designation,
DMS 19,
flagship of
a newly
formed and
now famous
Mine
Squadron
TWENTY,
composed of
the
converted
destroyers
HAMBLETON,
RODMAN,
EMMONS,
MACOMB,
FORREST,
FITCH,
HOBSON,
BUTLER,
JEFFERS,
HARDING and
GHERARDI.
Lieutenant
Commander R.
W. Mountrey,
USNR assumed
command to
lead the
ELLYSON
inspiringly
through the
most
perilous
period in
its career.
On March
23,1945, the
ELLYSON was
the first
invading
ship to
enter
Okinawa
waters,
leading the
advance
minesweeping
group into
the Kerama
Retto eight
days before
the
invasion.
During the
pre-invasion
days, the
ELLYSON
cleared the
waters ahead
of
battleships
and cruisers
of Task
Force 58 on
fire support
missions, at
night went
out on
picket duty,
and with
other
destroyer
minesweeps
acted as
supporting
ships for
the smaller
minesweeps
as
approaches
and inner
harbors were
swept. After
the landings
the ELLYSON
spent most
of her time
on the
all-important
and
ever-eventful
picket
stations and
screening
line. The
new squadron
was
everywhere,
performing
its new and
widely
varied tasks
with notable
mastery. The
combined
tasks as
minesweeps,
escorts,
pickets and
gunfire
support
ships took a
tremendous
toll,
however, and
of the
squadron of
twelve which
had left
Pearl Harbor
at the end
of February,
only three
survived the
onslaught.
Only one
ship was
sunk,
however. On
April 6th,
the EMMONS,
a great
favorite of
the
squadron,
fought a
historic and
gallant
battle
against more
than fifty
Kamikazes --
odds which
few fighting
men in all
history have
had to
surmount --
and after
shooting
down six
enemy planes
before
taking five
suicide hits
and four
near-misses,
besides-being
bombed and
still
burning, the
EMMONS was
forced to
abandon
ship, a
twisted,
charred and
still
burning
wreck, which
the ELLYSON
was ordered
to sink that
night while
another big
raid came in
from the
North.
In and out
of radar
picket duty,
ELLYSON and
what was
left of
MINRON 20
were needed
to help
guide
continuing
minesweeping
and shore
bombardment
operations.
On April 18
ELLYSON was
screening
minesweepers
of le Shima
and observed
a seemingly
minor fracas
consisting
of machine
gun and
rifle fire,
only to
learn a few
hours later
that the
beloved war
correspondent
Ernie Pyle
was fatally
hit by
Japanese
gunfire in
this
exchange.
Balancing
the U-Boat
sunk in the
Mediterranean,
three
Japanese
planes are
painted on
the
ELLYSON’s
bridge, all
splashed by
her guns.
The final
plane came
down in June
exploding
twenty- five
feet off the
bow in a
suicide
attack,
which killed
one man and
wounded six
more.
During July
1945, the
ELLYSON was
flagship of
a task group
commanded by
Captain
Wayne R.
Loud, USN,
which swept
7900 square
miles of the
East China
Sea, the
largest
minesweeping
operation
heretofore
registered
in the
records of
naval
warfare.
At the
completion
of the China
Sea
operation,
the ELLYSON
operated
with the
Third Fleet
off Tokyo,
and on
August 28th,
following
some YMS’s
and AM’s the
ELLYSON
appropriately
became the
first major
warship to
enter Tokyo
Bay, going
out and
reentering
later as
escort for
the SAN
DIEGO and
MISSOURI who
soon were to
make history
in the
peace-signing
ceremonies
which
followed.
Tokyo Bay
cleared, the
ELLYSON was
flagship of
a task group
which swept
the southern
approaches
and entrance
to the
Inland Sea,
Hiro Kuro
and
Hiroshima
harbors,
clearing the
way for the
forces of
occupation
which were
to follow.
When actions
came and the
ELLYSON took
a
high-ranking
professional
position in
war’s game
of give and
take, she
became known
as the
“MIGHTY E”
and more
affectionately
to the men
who fought
her, the
“Lady ELLY
MAE.” Four
years of
durable and
faithful
service to
the
freedom’s
cause has
earned an
earnest
sentiment.
USS ELLYSON
(DMS-19)
ex-DD-454,
earned four
Battle Stars
on the
European/African/Middle
Eastern Area
Service
Medal and
three Battle
Stars on the
Asiatic-Pacific
Area Service
Medal for
the
following
operations
and
engagements:
1 Star/North
African
Occupation
Algeria-Morocco
Landings –
8-11
November,
1942
1 Star/Class
“A”
Submarine
Assessment
-- 14 May,
1944
1
Star/Invasion
of Normandy
(including
the
bombardment
of Sherbourg)
– 6-25 June,
1944
1
Star/Invasion
of Southern
France - 15
August to 25
September,
1944
1
Star/Okinawa
Gunto
Operation
Assault and
Occupation
of Okinawa
Gunto -- 25
March to 10
June, 1945
1 Star/THIRD
Fleet
Operations
against
Japan – 5-31
July, 1945
1
Star/Minesweeping
Operations
Pacific
Tokyo Bay
(Honshu
Area) --
28-30
August, 1945
Bungo-Suido
(Honshu
Area) - 22
September to
31 October
1945
THE BRIEF
HISTORY OF
ASAKAZE
The day
after
ELLYSON’s
decommissioning
she was
transferred
to the
Japanese
Maritime
Self Defense
Force under
the Mutual
Defense
Assistance
Program. The
Japanese
renamed her
ASAKAZE.
When it
became too
costly to
return her
to the
States for
overhaul and
repair,
ASAKAZE was
scrapped in
1972 -- the
end of the
ship once
called
ELLYSON.
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