USS DUNLAP DD-384

A Tin Can Sailors Destroyer History

USS DUNLAP DD-384

The Tin Can Sailor, October 2000

Built by the United Shipyard of New York, the DUNLAP (DD-384) was launched on 18 April 1936. She was commissioned on 12 June 1937 and was operating out of Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on 7 December 1941.

On 1 February 1942 she was off Wotje Atoll in the Marshall Islands when she spotted an enemy gunboat and quickly sent it to the bottom. An hour later, her gunfire ran a second gunboat aground and in short order beached an enemy auxiliary and left two hangars and a row of buildings ashore in flames as she laid a screen of smoke and retired. On the way, she rescued a pilot and radioman from a downed plane. By year’s end she was operating out of Noumea, New Caledonia, and spent the first half of 1943 in exercises and on escort duty in the South Pacific.

On 27 July 1943 the DUNLAP got underway to escort transports to Guadalcanal and on 1 August escorted two LSTs and a sub-chaser to Rendova Island. Five days later she and five other destroyers were dispatched to Vella Gulf to intercept a Japanese cruiser and three destroyers. The Americans split into two groups, one consisting of the DUNLAP, CRAVEN (DD-382), and MAURY (DD-401) and the other, the LANG (DD-399), STERRETT (DD-407), and STACK (DD-406). The DUNLAP’s group attacked first with torpedoes, and as the torpedoes struck home, the second group opened fire. Group one also brought their guns to bear and when the destroyers ceased firing, the entire enemy force had been sunk.

On 9 August 1943 in the Gizo Strait, the DUNLAP and GRIDLEY (DD-380) sank one enemy barge and damaged another. Four days later, while on patrol off Guadalcanal, the DUNLAP and JOHN PENN (AP-51) came under heavy air attack during which an enemy torpedo sank the PENN. Following a return to the West Coast and operations in the Aleutian Islands, she was on her way back to the Western Pacific in December. In January and February 1944 she screened carriers during strikes against Wotje, Taroa, and Eniwetok.

While steaming with the SARATOGA (CV-3) in March, three of the DUNLAP’s crew went into the water to rescue three survivors of a downed plane from the carrier. Later in the month the DUNLAP began operations with the British Eastern Fleet out of Colombo, Ceylon.

In May two British Barracudas collided in mid-air, and the DUNLAP and CUMMINGS (DD-365) rushed to the scene where only two of three crash victims they pulled from the water survived. In July 1944 the destroyer escorted the BALTIMORE (CA-68) and later the CUMMINGS, which carried President Roosevelt on a fishing trip to Auk Bay, Alaska.

By September she was back in the war firing on coastal defense guns and other targets on Wake Island. On 9 October 1944, as a massive U.S. force assembled for a return to the Philippines, the DUNLAP was with Task Group 30.2 headed for Marcus Island to create a diversion. In her group were three cruisers and the FANNING (DD-385), CASE (DD-370), CUMMINGS, CASSIN (DD-372), and DOWNES (DD-375).

When their ruse was successfully completed, the task group got underway to rendezvous with units of the Third Fleet for strikes against Luzon and to support MacArthur’s landings at Leyte on the 20th. Five days later she screened Task Group 38.1 as its carrier planes attacked enemy ships fleeing from their defeat at the Battle for Leyte Gulf and rescued three American airmen.

At 2351 on 11 November the DUNLAP began her first bombardment mission against Iwo Jima hitting enemy aircraft installations and airfields and ships in the boat basin before retiring. She returned to bombard Iwo in December when she sank one LST, badly damaged another, caused the beaching of a freighter, and silenced several shore batteries.

In January 1945 during strikes against Iwo, the DUNLAP and CUMMINGS assisted the FANNING in sinking an enemy ship, and later that month she destroyed several enemy freighters. Beginning in March she patrolled off Iwo during its occupation and downed an enemy plane on 21 May. On 19 June she sank three enemy vessels attempting to evacuate Chichi Jima and picked up fifty-two survivors. The end of hostilities brought Japanese officers to the deck of the DUNLAP for the surrender of the Bonin Islands on 3 September 1945. By the end of the month she was headed for home, arriving finally in Norfolk where she was decommissioned on 14 December 1945. She was sold for scrap on 31 December 1947.

USS DUNLAP DD-384 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, March 2016

Dunlap (DD-384) was launched 18 April 1936 by United Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Corp, New York, N.Y.; sponsored by Mrs. Robert H. Dunlap, widow of Brigadier General Dunlap; and commissioned 12 June 1937, Commander A. E. Schrader in command.

Dunlap operated along the east coast on training duty, and in June 1938 served as escort at Philadelphia for SS Kungsholm, carrying the Crown Prince of Sweden. On 1 September she got underway for the west coast; except for a cruise to the Caribbean and east coast for a fleet problem and overhaul in the first 6 months of 1939, Dunlap served along the west coast until 2 April 1940 when she sailed for Pearl Harbor, her new home port.

On 7 December 1941 Dunlap was at sea bound for Pearl Harbor with TF 8 after ferrying planes to Wake Island. She entered Pearl Harbor next day and patrolled in the Hawaiian area until 11 January 1942 when she sortied with TF 8 for air strikes on the Marshals, returning 5 February. After taking part in the raid on Wake Island of 24 February, she continued to patrol in the Hawaiian area until 22 March, then escorted convoys between various ports on the west coast until returning to Pearl Harbor 22 October 1942.

Dunlap arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia, 5 December 1942 and operated from that base on training and patrol duty, and as escort for convoys to the Fiji, Tonga, and New Hebrides Islands until arriving at Guadalcanal 30 July 1943 for duty in the Solomons. On the night of 6-7 August she was sent with five other destroyers to intercept a Japanese force carrying reinforcements to Kolombangara. In the resulting Battle of Vella Gulf, a brilliant night torpedo action, the ably-handled task group sank three Japanese destroyers and drove the fourth back to its base at Buin. They suffered no damage themselves.

After overhaul at San Diego, Dunlap sailed 23 November 1943 for patrol duty out of Adak until 16 December when she left for Pearl Harbor, arriving 5 days later. She joined the 5th Fleet to screen carriers in strikes of the Marshall Islands operations from 19 January to 4 March 1944, then touched at Espiritu Santo briefly before sailing for Fremantle, Australia, to rendezvous with the British Eastern Fleet. After training here and at Trincomalee, Ceylon, she took part in the strikes on the Soerabaja area of Java on 17 May, and next day sailed for Pearl Harbor, arriving 10 June.

Dunlap returned to San Francisco 7 July 1944 to join the screen for Baltimore (CA-68) carrying President F. D. Roosevelt for conferences and inspections with top Pacific commanders of Pearl Harbor and Alaskan bases. Detached from this task group at Seattle 12 August, Dunlap returned to Pearl Harbor. She sailed 1 September, bombarded Wake Island 3 September, and arrived at Saipan 12 September for duty with the Marianas Patrol and Escort Group.

Dunlap took part in the bombardment of Marcus Island on 9 October. On 16 October 1944 she rendezvoused with the 3d Fleet units for strikes on Luzon, then supported the landings at Leyte. When the Japanese forces made a three-pronged attack on the Philippines, she was underway for Ulithi but reversed course to screen TG 38.1 in its attacks of 25 and 26 October on the enemy fleeing after the decisive Battle for Leyte Gulf. Dunlap arrived at Ulithi 29 October for patrol duty and took part in the daring bombardments on Iwo Jima in November and December 1944 and January 1945. She returned to Iwo Jima 19 March to support its occupation, and until the end of the war patrolled to intercept Japanese ships attempting to evacuate the Bonins. On 19 June she sank an enemy craft attempting to evacuate Chichi Jima, picking up 52 survivors. Japanese officers came on board 31 August to discuss surrender terms for the Bonin Islands, and returned on 3 September to sign the surrender.

Dunlap sailed for Iwo Jima 19 September 1945, touched at San Pedro, Calif., and arrived at Houston, Tex., for Navy Day. She arrived at Norfolk 7 November where she was decommissioned 14 December 1945 and was sold 31 December 1947.

Dunlap received six battle stars for World War II service.