|
USS COOPER was laid down at the end of August 1943, at
the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock yard in Kearny. In just under six
months, she was ready for launching. Commissioning ceremonies were held
less than two months later. DD-695 was named for Lt. Elmer Glenn Cooper,
a naval aviator who was killed in a seaplane crash off the coast of
California in 1938.
After a comparatively short shakedown and training
period, COOPER left Boston Navy Yard for Pearl Harbor, completing the
long voyage in just over a month. She was immediately dispatched to the
advanced base at Ulithi, where the new destroyer joined a carrier screen
heading for the Philippines. She returned to Ulithi later in November
for minor repairs, then sailed back to Leyte.
Operating out of San Pedro Bay, the new destroyer was
assigned to screening duties and shore bombardment when a new role
appeared. The beachhead at Leyte was being held against strong
opposition. Across the island, the Japanese controlled the superb bay at
Ormoc. Heavily defended by shore batteries and the sprawling airfield at
Tacloban, Ormoc was used to feed reinforcements to the Imperial forces
fighting off the American landing forces. American air power was
grounded through much of the winter months by abominable weather;
Japanese pilots were airborne over the bay, however. The flight was a
short one for the defenders of Ormoc.
Transports visited Ormoc nightly, bringing in tons of
supplies and scores of troops. The traffic was largely uninterrupted.
American naval planners began to fear that another "Tokyo
Express", like the one that threatened operations off Guadalcanal,
might turn Leyte into a bloodbath. Destroyers were ordered into the bay
to destroy whatever vessels might be harbored there, then bombard shore
installations.
By the time USS COOPER took her turn in the bay, three
sweeps had been staged into the enemy-held anchorage. They had all
failed to close down the resupply operation. This time, three destroyers
would clean out the bay.
On December 2, 1944, USS ALLEN M. SUMNER (DD-692),
flagship of DESDIV 120, led USS MOALE (OD-693) and USS COOPER through
Surigao Strait to attack the five transports that were reported to be
landing troops at Ormoc.
Almost from the moment the three destroyers entered
the bay, things went wrong. The weather had cleared slightly, and swarms
of aircraft were over the harbor, waiting to attack the American
vessels. Some Japanese pilots flew dozens of sorties from local fields,
landing only long enough to refuel and re-arm between attacks on the
American warships. The destroyers fired at targets around the harbor,
frequently using radar direction, and, despite damage from strafing
aircraft, the destroyers accounted for the Japanese escort destroyer UN
KUWA, at least five small freighters, and ten aircraft. With relatively
minor loss, the attack seemed to be a success. Then, the unthinkable
happened.
COOPER had taken KUWA under fire some time after
midnight, as the destroyers entered the bay. DD-695 fired at the escort
for nine minutes, devastating the ship. As COOPER turned to engage
another target detected on radar, she fired three rounds. She never had
a chance to observe the results. A torpedo launched by either the
mortally wounded KUWA or the Japanese escort TAKE, struck the destroyer
on her starboard side, breaking her in half. Less than thirty seconds
later, COOPER went down, taking almost two hundred of her crew with her.
The remaining destroyers fought their way out of the
fully alerted bay. Navy PBY "Catalina" amphibians, the
ubiquitous "Black Cats", rescued the remainder of COOPER's
crew.
USS COOPER was awarded one battle star for her service
in World War II.
|
