USS Hailey DD-556
Source:  NavSource.Org
USS Johnston DD-557 - Sister ship - Lost in 1944 off  Samar.

USS Hailey DD-556    09/54 - 03/55

Hailey became a stopover; one Med trip and off to become an ET (of all things) since I didn't think there would be a paying civilian job for CPA and DD surface torpedo problem solutions.  The one thing I remember most is that before I got aboard, the crew was eating spaghetti twice a day, every day - something about the Supply Officer having a bad hair day.  In any case, just after my arrival as RD1, we gained a new SUPPOFF, a new SK1, SH1 and CS1.  In two weeks we were eating (really) steak and eggs and real meals.

Meanwhile, in Newport I had my red Harley.

Author's Note:  Years later I read Hailey's WWII history - a fine ship with a fine record.

History:

DD-556

HAILEY

(DD-556: dp. 2,050; 1. 376'5"; b. 39'7", dr. 17'9"; s. 35 k.; cpl. 273; a. 5 5", 10 40mm., 7 20mm., 10 21" tt.,2 dct., 6 dcp.; cl. FLETCHER)

HAILEY (DD-556) was launched 9 March 1943 by Seattle Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle, Wash.; sponsored by Mrs. Claude S. Gillette, wife of Rear Admiral Gillette; and commissioned 30 September 1943, Comdr. Parke H. Brady in command

After shakedown out of San Diego, HAILEY departed Seattle 13 December 1943 to join the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.  She sortied from Pearl Harbor 19 January 1944 screening a unit of Admiral R. K. Turner's Southern Attack Force for the assault and occupation of the Marshall Islands.  Arriving off the southern tip of Kwajalein Atoll, HAILEY joined the Southern Transport Screen and later stood offshore and pounded the enemy with her 5-inch guns.  She sailed from Kwajalein 15 February with the Eniwetok Expeditionary Group and arrived off Eniwetok next day to screen the heavy ships; then joined Admiral Oldendorf's Northern Support Group in battering strong enemy emplacements before retiring to Majuro Atoll screening Manila Bay.

After patrolling the Mussau-Emirau area, HAILEY spent most of April and May on antisubmarine patrol, intercepting barge traffic and providing daily fire support for Army operations in the New Guinea area.  Destroyer Division 94, consisting of HAGGARD, FRANKS, HAILEY, and JOHNSTON was moving northwesterly up from the Solomons 16 May.   About 2-1/2 hours before midnight they were steaming in scouting line some 125 miles east by north of Green Island. HAGGARD made a sonar contact on her starboard bow at a range of 2,800 yards.  It was 160 ton I-176.  Five separate attacks were made and between the last two a heavy underwater ripple explosion was heard.  The destroyers continued their search until the following evening without regaining contact but they recovered souvenirs of Japanese origin from a diesel oil slick that extended over 7 miles of ocean.

During the first part of June HAILEY took up screening and patrol duties east of Saipan in support of the Marianas operations.  She sortied from Eniwetok 1 July with Admiral Weyler's Battleship Division 3 for the pre-invasion bombardment and softening up of Guam, then joined Admiral Conolly's Southern Attack Force for the capture of Guam (21 July-l0 August l944) retiring to Eniwetok 9 August.  The remainder of August and September HAILEY screened a group of escort carriers furnishing air support for the seizure and occupation of Peleliu, Anguar, and Ngesebu Islands in the Palaus.

HAILEY next sortied from Seeadler Harbor, Manus Island, 12 October with Admiral F. B. Stump's "Taffy 2," the center formation of the three escort carrier groups off the entrance to Leyte Gulf.  While Admiral Oldendorf was crushing Admiral Nishumura's Southern Force in Surigao Strait 24 October, Admiral Kurita's Center Force arrived off Samar undetected in the early hours of 25 October with the aim of destroying the heavy concentration of amphibious ships.  In the face of overwhelming odds against a much superior force Admiral Sprague's three "Taffies" gallantly drove off Kurita's forces and defeated his mission thus stopping the most powerful surface fleet Japanese had sent to sea since the Battle of Midway.

The experienced destroyer next joined Admiral Halsey's Fast Carrier Task Force, as a unit of Rear Admiral Bogan's Task Group launching strikes on Formosa, before joining Captain Acuff's fueling group for the 3d Fleet.  In February 1945 HAILEY joined Admiral Marc A. Mitscher's Fast Carrier Task Force 58 and until the last of June participated in bombardments and strikes, inflicting much damage to the enemy on Okinawa and the Japanese home islands where "the fleet had come to stay."

Returning to the States in July, HAILEY decommissioned at San Diego 27 January 1946 and joined the Reserve Fleet.

HAILEY recommissioned at San Diego 27 April 1951, Lt. Comdr. Joseph E. Reedy in command.  After training in the San Diego area she transited the Panama Canal and joined units of the 2nd Fleet at Newport for duty.  HAILEY departed Newport 6 September 1952 and sailed via the Canal Zone to spend the next 4 months in Korean waters.   Joining fast Carrier Task Force 77, she took part in blockading operations and provided close fire support for our ground troops.  Departing Sasebo 5 February 1953, HAILEY returned to the East Coast once more to join the 2nd Fleet.

Between 8 September 1954 and 14 September l959 HAILEY made four deployments with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean.  When not deployed in the Mediterranean, she served as plane guard for carrier MONTEREY, training aviation cadets at Pensacola.  In addition, she was continuously engaged in antisubmarine training and destroyer tactics, becoming increasingly proficient as part of a fleet vital in preserving American freedom.   HAILEY decommissioned 3 November 1960 at Portsmouth, Va,, and joined the Reserve Fleet.  HAILEY was loaned to the government of Brazil 20 July 1961, and serves as PERNAMBUCO (D-30).

HAILEY received six stars for World War II service and two stars for Korean service.

DD-557

For those with interest - USS JOHNSTON history:

From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, Vol. III, 1968, Navy
Department, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History
Division, Washington, D.C.  Available at http://www.uss-salem.org/danfs/.

Page 555

JOHNSTON

John Vincent Johnston of Cincinnati, Ohio, entered the Navy in September 1861 as First Master in gunboat ST. LOUIS. He assisted in the Union gunboat attacks that captured strategic Fort Henry on the Tennessee River 6 February 1862.  The night of 1 April 1862 he was the Navy commander of a combined Army-Navy boat expedition from ST. LOUIS which landed and spiked the guns of Fort No. 1 above the Confederate stronghold, Island No. 10.  He was promoted to Acting Volunteer Lieutenant for gallantry in this expedition. After joining in the bombardments of Vicksburg, he took command of FORREST ROSE to patrol the Mississippi and its tributaries.  On 15 February 1864 his gunboat repelled the attack of confederate raiders, saving the town of Waterproof, La. and its federal garrison.  Lt. Johnston resigned from the naval service 23 June 1864 and died 23 April 1912 at St. Louis, Mo.


JOHNSTON DD-557

dp. 2,700 n.; l. 376'6"; b. 39'8"; dr. 17'9"; s. 35 k.; cpl. 273; a. 5.5", 10 40-mm., 7 20-mm., 10 21" tt; 6 dcp., 2 dct.; cl FLETCHER

The first JOHNSTON (DD-557) was laid down 6 May 1942 by the Seattle Tacoma Shipbuilding Co., Seattle, Wash.; launched 25 March 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Marie S. Klinger, great-niece of Lt. John Johnston; and commissioned 27 October 1943, Comdr. Ernest E. Evans in command.

The day JOHNSTON commissioned, Comdr. Evans made a speech to the crew: "This is going to be a fighting ship.  I intend to go in harm's way, and anyone who doesn't want to go along had better get off right now."  During the Marshall Islands campaign 3 months later, JOHNSTON bombarded the beaches at Kwajalein 1 February 1944, and made a 5-day bombardment of Eniwetok 17 to 22 February.  She gave direct support to invasion troops there, destroying several pillboxes and taking revetments along the beach under fire. En route to patrol duty in the Solomons 28 March 1944, she bombarded Kapingamarangi Atoll in the Carolines.  An observation tower, several blockhouses, pillboxes and dugouts along the beach were shelled.  Two days later she came into the mouth of the Maririca River, southeast of Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, Solomon Islands.   After laying a heavy barrage into that area, she took up antisubmarine patrol off Bougainville.  During this duty 15 May 1944, she depth charged and sank Japanese submarine I-16.

After 3 months of patrol in the Solomons, JOHNSTON sailed to the Marshalls to prepare for the invasion and capture of Guam in the Marianas.  On 21 July 1914 she teamed up with that Pearl Harbor "ghost", PENNSYLVANIA (BB-38), to bombard Guam.  The destroyer had sent in more than 4,000 rounds of shells by 29 July.  Her accurate gunfire shattered the enemy 4-inch battery installations, numerous pillboxes and buildings.  JOHNSTON next helped protect escort aircraft carriers providing air support for the invasion and capture of the Palau Islands.

Now the time had come for General MacArthur's long awaited return to the Philippines. Following replenishment at Seeadler Harbor, Manus, Admiralty Islands, she sailed 12 October 1944 to help protect the escort carriers maintaining air supremacy over eastern Leyte and the Gulf, sweeping the enemy off local airfields, giving troops direct support on the landing beaches from 20 October, and even destroying vehicle transport and supply convoys on the roads of Leyte itself.  JOHNSTON was operating with "Taffy 3" (Escort Carrier Task Unit 77.4.3) comprising Rear Admiral Clifton A. F. Sprague's flagship FANSHAW BAY (CVE-70), five other escort carriers, three destroyers including herself, and four destroyer-escorts. "Taffy 3" was one of the three units of Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague's Escort Carrier Task Group 77.4 known by their voice calls as "Taffy 1," "Taffy 2," and "Taffy 3."

The morning of 23 October 1944 American submarines detected and attacked units of the Japanese fleet coming in from the South China Sea toward the precarious Leyte Beachhead. The battleship-cruiser-destroyer Southern Force was decimated as it attempted to enter Leyte Gulf via Surigao Strait the night of 24-25 October 1944.  The more powerful battleship, cruiser, destroyer Center Force had been pounded by Admiral Halsey's attack carrier planes and presumably turned back from San Bernardino Straits.  Admiral Halsey then raced north with his attack carriers and heavy battleships to engage a Japanese carrier-battleship task force off Cape Engano.  This left JOHNSTON and her small escort carrier task unit lonely sentinels in north Leyte Gulf, east of Samar and off San Bernadino Strait.

As enemy ships fled the Battle of Surigao Strait at daybreak of 26 October 1944, the powerful Japanese Center Force slipped through San Bernadino Strait and into Leyte Gulf. It steamed along the coast of Samar directly for JOHNSTON's little task unit and the American invasion beachhead at Leyte, hoping to destroy amphibious shipping and American troops on shore.

One of the pilots flying patrol after dawn alert of 26 October 1944 reported the approach of Japanese Center Force.  Steaming straight for "Taffy 3" were 4 battleships, 7 cruisers, and at least 12 destroyers.  JOHNSTON's gunnery officer later reported "We felt like little David without a slingshot."  In less than a minute JOHNSTON was zigzagging between the six little escort carriers and the Japanese fleet and putting out a smoke screen over a 2,500-yard front to conceal the carriers from the enemy gunners:  "Even as we began laying smoke, the Japanese started lobbing shells at us and the JOHNSTON had to zigzag between the splashes.  We were the first destroyer to make smoke, the first to start firing, the first to launch a torpedo attack ...."

For the first 20 minutes, JOHNSTON was helpless as the enemy cruisers and battleships had her in range.  But the destroyer's 5-inch guns could not yet reach them.  She charged onward to close the enemy - first a line of seven destroyers; next, one light and three heavy cruisers, then the four battleships.  To the east appeared three other cruisers and several destroyers.

As soon as range closed, JOHNSTON opened her 5-inch battery on the nearest cruiser, scoring damaging hits.  About this time an 8-inch shell landed right off her bow, its red dye splashing the face of JOHNSTON's gunnery officer, Lt. Robert C. Hagen.  He mopped the dye from his eyes while remarking: "Looks like somebody's mad at us!"   In 5 furious minutes JOHNSTON pumped 200 rounds at the enemy, then Comdr. Evans ordered "Fire torpedoes !"  The destroyer got off 10 torpedoes then whipped around to retire behind a heavy smoke screen.  When she came out of the smoke a minute later, Japanese cruiser KUMANO could be seen burning furiously from torpedo hits.  KUMANO later sank.  But JOHNSTON took three 14-inch shell hits from a battleship, followed closely by three 6-inch shells from a light cruiser:  "It was like a puppy being smacked by a truck.   The hits resulted in the loss of all power to the steering engine, all power to the three 5-inch guns in the after part of the ship, and rendered our gyro compass useless."  Through "sheer providence", a rainstorm came up; and JOHNSTON "ducked into it" for a few minutes of rapid repairs and salvage work.

At 7:50 a.m., Admiral Sprague ordered destroyers to make a torpedo attack.  But JOHNSTON had already expended torpedoes.  With one engine, he couldn't keep up with the others:  "But that wasn't Comdr. Evans' way of fighting:  'We'll go in with the destroyers and provide fire support', he boomed."  JOHNSTON went in, dodging salvos and blasting back.  As she charged out of blinding smoke, pointed straight at the bridge of gallant HEERMANN (DD-532),  "All engines back full!"  bellowed Comdr. Evans.  That meant one engine for JOHNSTON who could hardly do more than slow down.  But HEERMANN's two engines backed her barely out of the collision course - JOHNSTON missed her by less than 10 feet.  Now there was so much smoke that Evans ordered no firing unless the gunnery officer could see the ship.  "At  8:20, there suddenly appeared out of the smoke a 30,000-ton KONGO-class battleship, only 7,000 yards off our port beam.  I took one look at the unmistakable pagoda mast, muttered, 'I sure as hell can see that!" and opened fire.  In 40 seconds we got off 30 rounds, at least 15 of which hit the pagoda superstructure.  The BB belched a few 14-inchers at us, but, thank God, registered only clean misses."

JOHNSTON soon observed GAMBIER BAY (CVE-73) under fire from a cruiser:  "Comdr. Evans then gave me the most courageous order I've ever heard: 'Commence firing at that cruiser, draw her fire on us and away from GAMBIER BAY."  JOHNSTON scored four hits in a deliberate slug match with a heavy cruiser, then broke off the futile battle as the Japanese destroyer squadron was seen closing rapidly on the American escort carriers.
JOHNSTON outfought the entire Japanese destroyer squadron, concentrating on the lead ship until the enemy quit cold, then concentrated on the second destroyer until the remaining enemy units broke off to get out of effective gun range before launching torpedoes, all of which went wild.

JOHNSTON took a hit which knocked out one forward gun, damaged another, and her bridge was rendered untenable by fires and explosions resulting from a hit in her 40-mm ready ammunition locker.  Evans shifted his command to JOHNSTON's fantail, yelling orders through an open hatch to men turning her rudder by hand.  At one of her batteries a Texan kept calling "More shells! More shells!"  Still the destroyer battled desperately to keep the Japanese destroyers and cruisers from reaching the five surviving American carriers:  "We were now in a position where all the gallantry and guts in the world couldn't save us, but we figured that help for the carrier must be on the way, and every minute's delay might count.  By 9:30 we were going dead in the water; even the Japanese couldn't miss us.  They made a sort of running semi-circle around our ship, shooting at us like a bunch of Indians attacking a prairie schooner.  Our lone engine and fire room was knocked out; we lost all power, and even the indomitable skipper knew we were finished.  At 9:45 he gave the saddest order a captain can give: 'Abandon Ship.'  At 10:10 Johnston rolled over and began to sink.  A Japanese destroyer came up to 1,000 yards and pumped a final shot into her to make sure she went down.  A survivor saw the Japanese captain salute her as she went down.  That was the end of JOHNSTON."

From JOHNSTON's complement of 327, only 141 were saved.  Of 186 lost, about 50 were killed by enemy action, 45 died on rafts from battle injuries; and 92, including Comdr. Evans, were alive in the water after JOHNSTON sank, but were never heard from again.

HOEL (DD-533) and SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (DE-113) also sacrificed themselves to save the escort carriers and to protect the landings at Leyte.  Two of four Japanese heavy cruisers were sunk by combined surface and air attacks; and Rear Admiral Clifton A. F. Sprague was soon amazed by the sight of the retirement of Kurita's entire fleet.  By this time planes of "Taffy 2" and Taffy 1" and every available unit of the Fleet were headed to assisting the fighting "Taffy 3."  But JOHNSTON and her little escort carrier task unit had stopped Admiral Kurita's powerful Center Force in the Battle off Samar, inflicting a greater loss than they suffered.

JOHNSTON's supreme courage and daring in the Battle off Samar won her the Presidential Unit Citation as a unit of "Taffy 3" (Task Unit 77.4.3).  Comdr. Ernest E. Evans was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal Honor:  "The skipper was a fighting man from the soles of his broad feet to the ends of his straight black hair.   He was an Oklahoman and proud of the Indian blood he had in him.  We called him - though not to his face - the Chief.  The JOHNSTON was a fighting ship, but he was the heart and soul of her."

In addition to the Presidential Unit Citation, JOHNSTON received six battle stars for service in World War II.

Author's Note:

This was a major surface engagement primarily of seven American DD and DEs against the formidable battleship/cruiser/destroyer force it opposed.   Had the Japanese ships not been opposed in such audacious manner that they thought they were fighting a major cruiser force (which generally guard large carrier task groups), it is entirely possible our troop landings would have been in desperate straits.   There are other renditions of this engagement; one is found in the on-line book of YNCS(SS) Robert Jon Cox, USN:  The Battle Off Samar - Taffy III at Leyte Gulf.  This descriptive is written by time-line indexing - it is a step-by-step, blow-by-blow detailed offering.  For those with relatives, friends and shipmates among the heroic lost and survivors, you may find this to be powerful reading ...  found at http://www.bosamar.com/

/AB

USN Years
Electronic Technician (Convertee) School