USS ROBERT H. SMITH DD-735

A Tin Can Sailors Destroyer History

USS ROBERT H. SMITH DD-735

The Tin Can Sailor, April 1993

Robert Holmes Smith, born in Harrellsville, NC., 8 August 1898, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy 6 June 1919. After duty in various surface ships, he served with the Submarine Service for 17 years.

He commanded BONITA, was an instructor at the New London Submarine School, a member of the Naval Academy staff, Submarine Gunnery Officer with the Bureau of Navigation, Navigation Officer in PENNSYLVANIA, and Chief of Staff for Submarine Division, Atlantic Patrol Force.

Following promotion to captain, he commanded SPERRY in the Pacific from May 1942 to January 1943, and was Commander of Squadron 2, Pacific Submarine Fleet, when he died in an airplane crash in California 21 January 1943.

ROBERT H. SMITH (DD-735) was laid down 10 January 1944 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; launched 25 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Robert Holmes Smith; redesignated DM-23 on 19 July 1944; and commissioned 4 August 1944, Comdr. Henry Farrow in command.

Following shakedown off Bermuda, the new destroyer minelayer transited the Panama Canal with a Pacific-bound convoy 28 November, arriving at San Pedro 9 December and Pearl Harbor 21 December.

On 27 January, ROBERT H. SMITH sailed as escort for a convoy of the 5^th Amphibious Corps bound for Iwo Jima. During final amphibious rehearsals off Saipan, she rescued the crew of a downed B-29. She arrived off Iwo Jima early in the morning of D-Day, 19 February 1945. For most of the next 3 weeks, she served on radar picket station 50 miles north of the island, controlling CAP and reporting radar contacts. She also bombarded enemy shore positions and acted as a screening ship for the night retirement formations.

ROBERT H. SMITH departed Iwo Jima 9 March; escorted a group of merchantmen as far as Saipan; and then sailed for Ulithi, arriving there 13 March. On 25 March, she arrived off Kerama Retto with a group of Minesweepers. During the pre-assault period, when she was twice attacked by Kamikazes, ROBERT H. SMITH acted as support ship for Minesweepers, as radar picket ship, and as screening ship in night retirement formations. During the landings she screened for the transport area; then departed 5 April with a convoy for Guam. On her return 21 April, she undertook 6 weeks of radar picket duty, undergoing numerous air attacks and splashing five enemy planes.

On June 4 ROBERT H. SMITH completed her radar picket duty. She spent a few more days screening the Okinawa transport area and supporting the amphibious attack on Iheya Shima.

On 13 June, ROBERT H. SMITH began a long series of operations supporting minesweeping groups clearing an East China Sea area near Miyako Shima in the southern Ryukyus. Air Support was provided by a group of escort carriers with ROBERT H. SMITH acting as primary fighter director ship.

The operation lasted until 25 June. The next area to be swept was located in the central part of the East China Sea about 100 miles east of Shanghai. In that operation, the ship acted as radar buoy layer and small craft supply ship, in addition to her fighter director activities.

In July, ROBERT H. SMITH departed Okinawa for a large minefield in the northern part of the East China Sea about 100 miles southwest of Kyushu. However, scarcely a third of the area had been swept when the Japanese offer of surrender was accepted.

ROBERT H. SMITH and other ships were suddenly recalled and sent to the Yellow Sea to sweep a channel to the occupation ports of Korea for the 7th Amphibious Corps. It later became the task of ROBERT H. SMITH to lead the transport convoy through that channel on 7 September 1934.

The group then proceeded to Sasebo to clear mines for the sea approaches to the ex-Japanese naval base for transports carrying occupation troops for Kyushu, Japan. After working in the Sasebo area for a few weeks, during which the ship was forced to ride out several typhoons, she joined a group of larger minesweepers in an operation in the Van Diemen Strait just south of Kyushu.

She then operated with a minesweeping force in the Yellow Sea and made a courier run from Sasebo to Kiirun to support minesweepers working in the straits of Formosa, returning to Sasebo by way of Shanghai.

On 17 January 1946, ROBERT H. SMITH sailed for the United States, reaching San Francisco 7 February 1946. On 29 January 1947, she was placed out of commission in reserve and attached to the San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet.

She remained a part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet until 1971, when after, being surveyed, she was found to be unfit for further service. ROBERT H. SMITH was stricken from the Navy list 26 February 1971.

ROBERT H. SMITH earned five battle stars for World War II service.

A Tin Can Sailors Destroyer History

USS ROBERT H. SMITH DD-735

The Tin Can Sailor October 2014

The ROBERT H. SMITH (DD-735) was laid down on 10 January 1944 by Maine’s Bath Iron Works and launched 25 May 1944. On 19 July 1944, she was reclassified as DM-23, lead ship of a class of light minelayers and commissioned 4 August 1944. She was headed for the Pacific that fall and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 21 December.

She began 1945 escorting a convoy of the 5th Amphibious Corps bound for Iwo Jima. En route, she rescued the crew of a downed B-29 during amphibious rehearsals off Saipan. Arriving off Iwo Jima early on D-day, 19 February 1945, she spent most of the next three weeks on radar picket station 50 miles north of Iwo, monitoring combat air patrol flights (CAP) and reporting radar contacts. During the days, she also bombarded enemy shore positions and at night screened the retirement formations.

The SMITH left Iwo on 9 March to escort a group of merchantmen to Saipan before steaming on to Kerama Retto via Ulithi, with a group of minesweepers on 25 March. There, she was twice attacked by kamikazes while serving as a minesweeper support ship, then on the radar picket line and screening formations at night. She continued as a screening ship during the pre-assault period and for the landings in the transport area. After escorting a convoy to Guam on 5 April she was back off Iwo on the 21st to serve on radar picket duty for six weeks as she fought off numerous air attacks, splashing five enemy planes in the process.

When the SMITH’s radar picket duties ended in early June, she went on to screen ships in the Okinawa transport area and support the amphibious attack on Iheya Point. By 13 June, she was supporting minesweeping groups clearing a section of the East China Sea near Miyako Shima in the southern Ryukyus. The SMITH next served as the primary fighter-director ship for air support provided by a group of escort carriers until 25 June. The next area to be swept for mines was in the central East China Sea about 100 miles east of Shanghai. During that operation, the ship laid radar buoys and served as a small craft supply ship, in addition to her fighter director activities.

In July, the SMITH was underway for Okinawa and a large minefield about 100 miles southwest of Kyushu. She had scarcely swept a third of the area when she received word of the Japanese surrender. She and other ships were immediately recalled and sent to the Yellow Sea to sweep a channel for the 7th Amphibious Corps en route to the occupied ports of Korea. During operations on 7 September 1945, the SMITH led a transport convoy through that channel. Her group then proceeded to Sasebo to clear mines from the approaches to that former Japanese naval base which was to be used by transports carrying occupation troops to Kyushu. While in the Sasebo area, the ship managed to ride out several typhoons, then joined a group of larger minesweepers in an operation in the Van Diemen Strait just south of Kyushu. She subsequently served with a minesweeping force in the Yellow Sea and as a courier from Sasebo to Kiirun to support minesweepers working in the straits of Formosa.

On 17 January 1946 the SMITH left the Far East for San Francisco, arriving on 7 February 1946. The following 29 January 1947, she was placed out of commission in reserve and attached to the San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was reclassified as a fast minelayer, MMD-23, on 1 January 1969, but was struck from the navy register on 26 February 1971, and finally sold for scrap in November 1973 by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service.

When a survey found her to be unfit for further service, the ROBERT H. SMITH was stricken from the navy register on 26 February 1971.

USS ROBERT H. SMITH DD-735 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, August 2015

Robert H. Smith (DD-735) was laid down 10 January 1944 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; launched 25 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Robert Holmes Smith; redesignated DM-23 on 19 July 1944; and commissioned 4 August 1944, Comdr. Henry Farrow in command.

Following shakedown off Bermuda, the new destroyer minelayer transited the Panama Canal with a Pacific-bound convoy 28 November, arriving at San Pedro 9 December and Pearl Harbor 21 December.

On 27 January Robert H. Smith sailed as escort for a convoy of the 5th Amphibious Corps bound for Iwo Jima. During final amphibious rehearsals off Saipan, she rescued the crew of a downed B-29. She arrived off Iwo Jima early in the morning of D-day, 19 February 1945. For most of the next 3 weeks, she served on radar picket station 50 miles north of the island, controlling CAP and reporting radar contacts. She also bombarded enemy shore positions and acted as a screening ship for the night retirement formations.

Robert H. Smith departed Iwo Jima 9 March; escorted a group of merchantmen as far as Saipan; and then sailed for Ulithi, arriving there 13 March. On 25 March she arrived off Kerama Retto with a group of minesweepers. During the pre-assault period, when she was twice attacked by kamikazes, Robert H. Smith acted as support ship for minesweepers, as radar picket ship, and as screening ship in night retirement formations. During the landings she screened the transport area; then departed 5 April with a convoy for Guam. On her return 21 April, she undertook 6 weeks of radar picket duty, undergoing numerous air attacks and splashing five enemy planes. On 4 June Robert H. Smith completed her radar picket duty. She spent a few more days screening the Okinawa transport area and supporting the amphibious attack on Iheya Point.

On 13 June Robert H. Smith began a long series of operations supporting minesweeping groups clearing an East China Sea area near Miyako Shima in the southern Ryukyus. Air Support was provided by a group of escort carriers with Robert H. Smith acting as primary fighter director ship. The operation lasted until 25 June. The next area to be swept was located in the central part of the East China Sea about 100 miles east of Shanghai. In that operation the ship acted as radar buoy layer and small craft supply ship, in addition to her fighter director activities.

In July, Robert H. Smith departed Okinawa for a large minefield in the northern part of the East China Sea about 100 miles southwest of Kyushu. However, scarcely a third of the area had been swept when the Japanese offer of surrender was accepted.

Robert H. Smith and other ships were suddenly recalled and sent to the Yellow Sea to sweep a channel to the occupation ports of Korea for the 7th Amphibious Corps. It later became the task of Robert H. Smith to lead the transport convoy through that channel on 7 September 1945. The group then proceeded to Sasebo to clear mines from the sea approaches to the ex-Japanese naval base for transports carrying occupation troops for Kyushu, Japan. After working in the Sasebo area for a few weeks, during which the ship was forced to ride out several typhoons, she joined a group of larger minesweepers in an operation in the Van Diemen Strait just south of Kyushu. She then operated with a minesweeping force in the Yellow Sea, and made a courier run from Sasebo to Kiirun to support minesweepers working in the straits of Formosa, returning to Sasebo by way of Shanghai.

On 17 January 1946 Robert H. Smith sailed for the United States, reaching San Francisco 7 February 1946. On 29 January 1947, she was placed out of commission in reserve and attached to the San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet.

She remained a part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet until 1971, when after being surveyed, she was found to be unfit for further service. Robert H. Smith was stricken from the Navy list 26 February 1971.

Robert H. Smith earned five battle stars for World War II service.