USS SMALLEY DD-565

A Tin Can Sailors Destroyer History

USS SMALLEY DD-565

The Tin Can Sailors, October 2002

Launched on 27 October 1943, the SMALLEY (DD-565) was commissioned at Seattle, Washington, on 31 March 1944. Underway on 7 June, she escorted three troop transports to Hawaii. From there, she escorted the INTREPID (CV-11) to Eniwetok in the Marshalls and back to Pearl. On the return trip, the carrier was loaded with wounded marines from the landings on Saipan. On 3 August, with DesRon 57, the SMALLEY sailed for the Aleutians where the principal enemy was the weather. Rough seas, high winds, rain, sleet, and ice regularly curtailed  operations. On 21 November 1944, she and the other destroyers in her squadron attacked Matsuwa Island, the first of four successful sweeps against enemy installations in the Kurile Islands. During the attack on Matsuwa, the SMALLEY fired 466 rounds in the bombardment of buildings, tents, machine gun emplacements, and an air strip . She made three more bombardment missions during her Aleutian tour and then, on 18 April 1945 was ordered back to Hawaii.

On 11 May she joined the ROWE (DD-564) and STODDARD (DD-566) in screening the carrier TICONDEROGA (CV-14) to Ulithi. En route, planes from the TICONDEROGA struck Taroa Island. During this raid, the SMALLEY rescued a crewman from a downed torpedo plane.

On 4 June 1945, the SMALLEY arrived off Okinawa to support the Allied struggle for the bitterly contested island. From 5 to 17 June, she provided antiaircraft support for the radar picket destroyers, which came under night attack on three occasions. She also patrolled for submarines, provided air defense of the transport area, screened a reconnaissance mission to Kume Shima, and rescued survivors from the WILLIAM D. PORTER (DD-579), which was sunk on picket station.

After the Okinawa Campaign and a rest in Leyte, the SMALLEY was assigned to the fast carrier task force of Admiral Halsey’s Third Fleet and participated in the repeated attacks against the Japanese home islands of Honshu and Hokkaido from 1 July to the end of the war. While on duty with DesDiv 113, she participated in an anti-shipping sweep around Ogasawara Gunto and a bombardment of shore installations on Chichi Jima on 23 July 1945. Operating with Task Force 38 she controlled standby Combat Air Patrols and, among other things, supplied emergency rations and medical supplies to repatriated POWs. She served with the Fifth Fleet and Eastern Japan Force for the final stages of the occupation and was back home at year’s end. In January 1947 she was decommissioned and placed in reserve at the Charleston Naval Shipyard.

The SMALLEY was brought back to active duty on 3 July 1951 with the outbreak of the Korean War. Newport, Rhode Island, became her new home port and base of operations until 19 May 1953 when she sailed for Korea. On 2 July, the SMALLEY entered the Korean combat zone as plane guard for the PRINCETON (CVA-37). She continued to operate with the carriers of Task Force 77 as they carried out the famous “Cherokee” strikes until the armistice on 27 July 1953. In early September 1953 the SMALLEY got underway with the POINT CRUZ (CVE-119) bound for Inchon and Operation Kite. The five-day operation involved transporting 5,000 Indian troops from the flight deck of the POINT CRUZ by helicopter to the demilitarized zone ashore. With the completion of Operation Kite, the SMALLEY rejoined Task Force 77 in the East China Sea, where on 18 September her crew rescued two occupants of a downed helicopter from the carrier YORKTOWN (CVA-10). Remaining in the area until early November, she performed such diverse tasks as ferrying 110 Marines from Sasebo, Japan, to Pusan, Korea, and assisting a South Korean fishing vessel in distress, taking aboard the boat’s twenty-nine-man crew who had been adrift without food or water for ten days. She returned to Newport in January 1954.

Routine operations out of Newport and in the Caribbean occupied her until July 1955 when she got underway for northern Europe and a Mediterranean cruise. She visited England, Denmark, Finland, Scotland, Spain, France, and Turkey and worked with ships of both the Danish and British fleets before heading for home in November 1955.

A Caribbean cruise was the highlight of 1956 followed in 1957 by a deployment with the Mideast Force showing the flag in ports along the eastern coast of Africa and along the shores of the Persian Gulf. She visited Sierra Leone, Capetown, and Mombasa en route to Karachi, Pakistan before returning to the Persian Gulf. The SMALLEY began the voyage home in April. Following a yard period in June, she left Charleston for the Philadelphia Naval Yard, where she was decommissioned in August 1957.  The SMALLEY was assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until struck from the navy’s list on 1 April 1965 and sold to the Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation in January 1966.

USS SMALLEY DD-565 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, April 2016

Smalley (DD-565) was laid down on 14 February 1943 by the Taconia Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle, Wash.; launched on 27 October 1943; sponsored by Miss Lina A. Mayo; and commissioned on 31 March 1944, Comdr. P. H. Horn in command.

Following shakedown, the ship and one destroyer got underway on 7 June 1944 to escort three troop transports to Hawaii. The convoy arrived at Pearl Harbor on 11 July 1944. On the 28th, the ship’s complement manned the rail for President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he steamed into Pearl Harbor on board cruiser, Baltimore (CA-68).

On 8 August, Smalley sailed for the Aleutians. On 21 November 1944, the destroyer fired on buildings, tents, machine gun emplacements, and an airstrip on Matsuwa Island in the Japanese Kurils. In the bombardment, she fired 466 rounds. She later made three more similar bombardment missions during her Aleutian tour. On 18 April 1945, Smalley received orders back to Hawaii.

On 11 May, she joined Rowe (DD-564) and Stoddard (DD-566) in screening aircraft carrier, Ticonderoga (CV-14), to Ulithi Atoll. A week later, planes from Ticonderoga struck Taroa Island. During this raid, Smalley rescued a crewman from a downed torpedo plane.

On 4 June 1945, Smalley arrived off Okinawa to help the Allied struggle for that bitterly contested island. Smalley was assigned close support radar picket duty. Her duty was twofold: antisubmarine patrolling and air defense of the transport area. Following this mission, she participated in the final assault on the Japanese home islands by offensive surface sweeps, control of Combat Air Patrol, reconnaissance missions, and shore bombardment. Her final shore bombardment occurred on 23 July 1945 when she shelled Chichi Jima.

Smalley returned to the United States in October 1945; and, a little over two years later, in January 1947, she was decommisioned. The ship was placed in the United States Atlantic Reserve Fleet at the Charleston (S.C.) Naval Shipyard.

The Korean conflict prompted the recommissioning of Smalley on 3 July 1951. After refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Smalley sailed to Newport, R.I., arriving at her new homeport on 10 December 1951. Smalley spent all of 1952 on additional training coupled with maintenance and calibration of equipment; and, after a yard period in Boston in the spring of 1953, she sailed on 19 May for Korea. On 2 July, Smalley entered the Korean Combat Zone acting as plane guard for Princeton (CVA-37). Smalley continued operating with TF 77 as the carriers of the force carried out the famous “Cherokee” strikes until the signing of the armistice on 27 July 1953.

Smalley remained in the former combat zone until early November. She performed sueh diverse tasks as ferrying 110 Marines from Sasebo, Japan, to Pusan, Korea, and assisting a South Korean fishing vessel in distress. In the latter case, she took on board the vessel’s 29 men.

Smalley departed the Far East in November 1953 and returned to Newport on 15 January 1954. Her route homeward included calls at Hong Kong, Singapore, Ceylon, Saudi Arabia, Aden, Port Said, Piraeus, Cannes, and Gibraltar.

Smalley remained home ported in Newport, R.I., until July 1955 when she got underway for a northern Europe and a Mediterranean cruise. She visited England, Denmark, Finland, Scotland, Spain, France, and Turkey and worked with units of both the Danish and the British Fleets. Smalley sailed for home on 15 November and arrived in Newport on the 28th.

The year 1956 saw a cruise in Caribbean waters followed by a yard period. Then, in 1957, Smalley left Newport on what was to be her last operational assignment: a cruise with the Mideast Force showing the flag in ports along the eastern coast of Africa and along the shores of the Persian Gulf. En route to her new assignment, Smalley visited Sierra Leone, Capetown, and Mombasa (Kenya) before arriving at Karachi, Pakistan, on 10 February. Following two return trips to Bahrein in the Persian Gulf, she departed the area in April and, after calling once again at Mombasa, Capetown, Freetown, and Sierra Leone, Smalley returned home. On 12 June, Smalley went into drydock at the Charleston Naval Shipyard; and, on 23 August 1957, Smalley departed her homeport for the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. She was decommissioned there and entered the United States Atlantic Reserve Fleet where she remained until she was struck from the Navy list on 1 April 1965 and sold to the Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation.

Smalley was awarded three battle stars for her World War II operations and one star for Korea.