Subject: WWII-L Digest - 16 Jul 1994 to 17 Jul 1994

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 1994 00:00:53 -0400

There are 3 messages totalling 121 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. INF: USN Chronology 07-17-94
  2. INF: 50 Years Ago - 17-JUL-1944
  3. USS Hugh w. Hadley (DD-774)

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Date:    Sun, 17 Jul 1994 01:20:26 PST
From:    "Keller, Theron P." <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: USN Chronology 07-17-94

UNITED STATES NAVY CHRONOLOGY
from:
//byrd.mu.wvnet.edu/pub/history/military/wwii/naval_chronology/chr4(4,5).txt

1944
07/17 Mon.  Japanese naval vessel sunk:
             Minesweeper NO. 25, by submarine GABILAN (SS-252), off
              Honshu, Japan,
              33 d. 51'N., 138 d. 35'E.

Theron P. Keller
Logicon, Inc.
Dahlgren, VA  22448 USA
[email-masked]

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Date:    Sun, 17 Jul 1994 07:53:30 -0500
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: 50 Years Ago - 17-JUL-1944

On 17-JUL-1944, the following occurred -

World War II - The Battlefronts
-------------------------------
Western Front - The US 9th Division (VII Corps) advances rapidly along the
     Periers-St Lo road. The XIX Corps penetrates the German lines along the
     Vire river, near Rampan. The XXX Corps is advancing slowly towards
     Noyers; while the XII Corps units fail to reach Evrecy. Field-Marshal
     Rommel is severely wounded in the head during an air attack near
     Vimontiers. Rommel is temporarily replaced by Field-Marshal von Kluge,
     who also continues as Commander in Chief.

Italian Front - The US 34th Division makes little progress towards Leghorn.
     The 91st Division takes Prusacco and head on for Pontedera. In the
     British sector, the XIII Corps pursue the Germans as they withdraw
     towards Florence. The Polish II Corps attack Ancona.

Arctic - The British carriers Furious, Indefatigable and Formidable escorted
     by the battleship Duke of York attack the Tirpitz at anchorage at
     Kaafiord. The attacks are detected by the Germans who successfully
     conceal the Tirpitz with smoke.

New Guinea - In the Aitape beachhead area, the Americans succeed in making a
     continuous line along the Driniumor river; but the line is again broken
     by the Japanese during an attack at night.

Naval Dispatches
----------------
Japanese minesweeper sunk by submarine GABILAN (SS-252), off Honshu, Japan.

Japanese Politics
-----------------
Tokyo - Admiral Nomura replaces Shimada as Navy minister. Tojo resigns as
     Prime Minister and as Chief of Staff. General Kuniaki Koiso and Admiral
     Yonai are picked to form the new Cabinet. General Umezu becomes Chief of
     Staff. These changes are part of a growing desire by the Japanese to end
     the war.

The Homefront
-------------
Roosevelt Leaves Choice Of VP To Delegates - President Roosevelt has declined
     to dictate the renomination of Vice President Henry A. Wallace. Instead
     he chooses to leave the nomination of a Vice President up to the
     delegates themselves.

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Sources: "2194 Days of War" by Cesare Salmaggi and Alfredo Pallavisimi, "The
World Almanac Book Of WW II" by Peter Young, "United States Naval Chronology,
World War II" by Naval Historical Division - United States Navy, "Facts On
File Yearbook 1944, Person's Index Of World Events" edited by R.L. Lapica.

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John Davis  [email-masked]
Cary, N.C.
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Date:    Sun, 17 Jul 1994 14:26:53 EST
From:    Larry & Kim Jewell <[email-masked]>
Subject: USS Hugh w. Hadley (DD-774)

REPORT BY COMMANDING OFFICER OF USS HUGH W. HADLEY (DD-774) DATE 15 MAY 1945
:

U.S.S HUGH W. HADLEY (DD-774)
c/o Fleet Post Office
San Francisco, California

The U.S.S. HUGH W. HADLEY (DD-774) was assigned as RADAR PICKET SHIP AND FIGHTER DIRECTOR SHIP on Station #15 off Okinawa, Nansei Shoto, 10 May 1945. Ships in company were the U.S.S EVANS (DD-552), LCS 82, LCS 83 and LCM (R) 193 as support ships. The EVANS turned over the duties of Tactical Command to the HADLEY.

The MISSION of this group of ships was to detect and report approaching enemy aircraft, to control the assigned Combat Air Patrol, and to prevent enemy planes from reaching the transport area of Okinawa.

On the night of 10 May, an enemy plane attacked our formation at 1935 and was taken under fire by both ships. The EVANS reported seeing it destroyed. Throughout the night the ship was at General Quarters due to the threatening movements and a few attacks by enemy planes which were in the immediate vicinity of the formation.

At about 0755, numerous enemy planes were contacted by our instruments as coming toward the ship (and Okinawa) from the north, distance about 55 miles. One division of CAP was ordered out to intercept. Shortly thereafter, several enemy formations were detected, and the entire CAP was ordered out to intercept. Our Fighter Director Officer in CIC has estimated that the total number of enemy planes was 156 coming in a different heights in groups as follows: Raid ONE 36, Raid TWO 50, Raid THREE 20, Raid FOUR 20 to 30, Raid FIVE 20; Total 156 planes.

>From 0830 to 0900 the HADLEY was attacked by groups of planes coming in on both bows. Twelve enemy planes were shot down by the HADLEY's guns during this period, at times firing all guns in various directions. The EVANS which, at the time, was at a distance of about three miles to the northwest, was seen fighting off a number of planes by herself, several of which were seen to be destroyed. At 0900 the EVANS was hit and put out of action. At one time toward the close of the battle when friendly planes were closing to assist us, the four support ships were prevented from shooting down two friendlies whom they had taken under fire. One plane was seen to splash inside their formation due to their own gunfire. However, I am not able to give an accurate account of their action. They were very helpful in picking up my crew who were in the water, in coming alongside and removing wounded and in helping us to pump.

For 20 minutes, the HADLEY fought off the enemy single-handedly being separated from the EVANS, which was out of action, by three miles and the four small support ships by two miles. Finally, at 0920, ten enemy planes which had surrounded the HADLEY, four on our starboard bow under fire by the main battery and machine guns, four on the port bow under fire by the forward machine guns, and two astern under fire by the after machine guns, attacked the ship simultaneously. All ten planes were destroyed in a remarkable fight and each plane was definitely accounted for. As a result of this attack, the HADLEY was (1) Hit by a bomb aft (2) By a BAKA bomb seen to be released from a low flying BETTY (3) Was struck by a suicide plane aft (4) Hit by a suicide plane in rigging.

>From this point on, a truely amazing, courageous and efficient group of men and officers with utter disregard for their own personal safety approached the explosions and the fire with hoses and for fifteen minutes kept up this work. The torpedoes were jettisoned, weights removed from the starboard side, and finally, the fire was extinguished and the list and flooding controlled and the ship was saved. Although the ship was still in an extremely dangerous condition, one fireroom bulkhead held and she was finally towed safely to the IE SHIMA anchorage.

The total number of enemy planes destroyed by the HADLEY in this period of one hour and thirty-five minutes of continual firing was twenty-three. This number include twenty shot down to the water and three suicide hits.

Our mission was accomplished. The transports at the Okinawa anchorage were saved from an attack by one hundred and fifty-six enemy planes by the action of our ships. We bore the brunt of the enemy strength and absorbed what they had to throw at us. It was a proud day for destroyer men.

PERSONNEL PERFORMANCE AND CASUALTIES: 1. Killed in action and twenty-eight; wounded in action sixty-seven, missing in action none.

No Captain of a man of war ever had a crew who fought more valiantly against such overwhelming odds. Who can measure the degree of courage of men who stand at their guns in the face of diving planes that destroy them? Who can measure the degree of loyalty of a crew who risked death to save the ship from sinking when all seemed lost? I desire to record that the history of our Navy was enhanced on 11 May 1945. I am proud to record that I know of no record of a Destroyer's crew fighting for one hour and thirty-five minutes against overwhelming enemy aircraft attacks and destroying twenty-three planes. My crew accomplished their mission and displayed outstanding fighting abilities. I am recommending awards for the few men who displayed outstanding bravery above the deeds of their shipmates in separate correspondence. Destroyer men are good men and my officers and crew were good destroyer men.

B. J. Mullaney

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End of WWII-L Digest - 16 Jul 1994 to 17 Jul 1994
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