Destroyer Squadron 23
Encyclopedia
Destroyer Squadron
23 is a flotilla
of United States Navy
destroyer
s based out of San Diego, California
. The squadron consists of the following ships:
DESRON 23 is best known for its actions during World War II, most notably the Battle of Cape St. George
, under the command of then-Commodore Arleigh Burke
. Currently, the DESRON is assigned to Carrier Strike Group Eleven
, which includes , and Carrier Air Wing Eleven
.
, with Captain M.J. Gilliam in command. The original vessels of the squadron were , , , , , , and .
On June 29, 1943, Destroyer Squadron 23 became part of Admiral William F. Halsey's Third Fleet. Less USS Aulick, Destroyer Squadron 23 assumed duty on patrol and escort in the Southwest Pacific.
Destroyer Squadron 23 earned its reputation—and a Presidential Unit Citation—under its second commodore, Captain Arleigh Burke
, who assumed command on October 23, 1943. On November 24, 1943, during the Battle of Cape St. George
, the squadron engaged six enemy destroyers. In what has been described by tacticians as "near perfect surface actions", the squadron sank four enemy destroyers, and damaged two, one badly, without injury to themselves.
Destroyer Squadron 23's operations in the Pacific continued through the Liberation of the Philippines. The squadron returned to the United States on October 19, 1945 and were presented the Presidential Unit Citation by Admiral Burke and Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal
.
Presidential Unit Citation:
In February 1946, the squadron was inactivated and the ships were sent to Charleston, South Carolina
for lay-up.
On April 4, 1956, the squadron was reactivated as Destroyer Division 231 under the command of Captain E. K. Wakefield, with , , , and . The squadron was rededicated as the "Little Beavers" on December 12, 1956 by Rear Admiral Chester Wood, Commander Cruiser Destroyer Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet in ceremonies at Long Beach, California
.
cartoon strip. This cartoon was very popular during the squadron's operations in World War II.
Due to the high tempo of operations during the squadron's operations in the South Pacific, the ships' crews often said they were busy as beavers. This sentiment led to an illustrated painting by a crewman named James Bowler on the side of one of USS Claxton's torpedo tubes. The painting depicted Little Beaver shooting an arrow at Japan's Prime Minister Tōjō
.
During an inspection of USS Claxton, then-Commodore Arleigh Burke observed the painting. He liked it so much that he adopted the logo (minus Tojo) for use by the entire squadron and it remains in use to this day.
DESRON
A destroyer squadron is a naval squadron or flotilla usually consisting of destroyers rather than other types of vessel. In some navies other vessels, such as frigates, may be included. In English the word "squadron" tends to be used for larger and "flotilla" for smaller vessels, both may be used...
23 is a flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
of United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s based out of San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The squadron consists of the following ships:
- USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110)USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110)USS William P. Lawrence is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer built by Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. She is the 60th ship in her class....
- USS Spruance (DDG-111)USS Spruance (DDG-111)USS Spruance is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer currently in service with the United States Navy. She is the 61st ship in her class.-Overview:...
- USS Curts (FFG-38)USS Curts (FFG-38)USS Curts , twenty-ninth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates, was named for Admiral Maurice Curts ....
- USS Vandegrift (FFG-48)USS Vandegrift (FFG-48)USS Vandegrift is an of the United States Navy. The ship was named for General Alexander A. Vandegrift , 18th Commandant of the Marine Corps....
DESRON 23 is best known for its actions during World War II, most notably the Battle of Cape St. George
Battle of Cape St. George
The Battle of Cape St. George was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on 25 November 1943, between Cape St. George, New Ireland, and Buka Island . It was the last engagement of surface ships in the Solomon Islands campaign.-Background:Americans had landed troops on...
, under the command of then-Commodore Arleigh Burke
Arleigh Burke
Admiral Arleigh Albert '31-knot' Burke was an admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean War, and who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.-Early life and naval career:Burke was born in Boulder,...
. Currently, the DESRON is assigned to Carrier Strike Group Eleven
Carrier Strike Group Eleven
Carrier Strike Group Eleven, abbreviated CSG-11 or CARSTRKGRU 11, is one of six U.S. Navy carrier strike groups currently assigned to the U.S. Pacific Fleet. U.S...
, which includes , and Carrier Air Wing Eleven
Carrier Air Wing Eleven
Carrier Air Wing Eleven is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.-Mission:...
.
History
Destroyer Squadron 23 was activated May 11, 1943 at the Boston Navy YardBoston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
, with Captain M.J. Gilliam in command. The original vessels of the squadron were , , , , , , and .
On June 29, 1943, Destroyer Squadron 23 became part of Admiral William F. Halsey's Third Fleet. Less USS Aulick, Destroyer Squadron 23 assumed duty on patrol and escort in the Southwest Pacific.
Destroyer Squadron 23 earned its reputation—and a Presidential Unit Citation—under its second commodore, Captain Arleigh Burke
Arleigh Burke
Admiral Arleigh Albert '31-knot' Burke was an admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean War, and who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.-Early life and naval career:Burke was born in Boulder,...
, who assumed command on October 23, 1943. On November 24, 1943, during the Battle of Cape St. George
Battle of Cape St. George
The Battle of Cape St. George was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on 25 November 1943, between Cape St. George, New Ireland, and Buka Island . It was the last engagement of surface ships in the Solomon Islands campaign.-Background:Americans had landed troops on...
, the squadron engaged six enemy destroyers. In what has been described by tacticians as "near perfect surface actions", the squadron sank four enemy destroyers, and damaged two, one badly, without injury to themselves.
Destroyer Squadron 23's operations in the Pacific continued through the Liberation of the Philippines. The squadron returned to the United States on October 19, 1945 and were presented the Presidential Unit Citation by Admiral Burke and Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal
James Forrestal
James Vincent Forrestal was the last Cabinet-level United States Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense....
.
Presidential Unit Citation:
- For extraordinary heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces during the Solomon Islands Campaign, from 1 November 1943 to February 23, 1944... Destroyer Squadron Twenty-three operated in daring defiance of repeated attacks by hostile air groups, closing the enemy's strongly fortified shores to carry out sustained bombardments against Japanese coastal defenses and render effective cover and fire support for the major invasion operations in this area ... The brilliant and heroic record achieved by Destroyer Squadron Twenty-three is a distinctive tribute to the valiant fighting spirit of the individual units in this indomitable combat group of each skilled and courageous ship's company...
In February 1946, the squadron was inactivated and the ships were sent to Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
for lay-up.
On April 4, 1956, the squadron was reactivated as Destroyer Division 231 under the command of Captain E. K. Wakefield, with , , , and . The squadron was rededicated as the "Little Beavers" on December 12, 1956 by Rear Admiral Chester Wood, Commander Cruiser Destroyer Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet in ceremonies at Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
.
Mascot
The mascot of Destroyer Squadron 23 is Little Beaver, a character made famous by Fred Harmon's Red RyderRed Ryder
Red Ryder was a popular long-running Western comic strip created by Stephen Slesinger and artist Fred Harman. Beginning Sunday, November 6, 1938, Red Ryder was syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association, expanding over the following decade to 750 newspapers, translations into ten languages and...
cartoon strip. This cartoon was very popular during the squadron's operations in World War II.
Due to the high tempo of operations during the squadron's operations in the South Pacific, the ships' crews often said they were busy as beavers. This sentiment led to an illustrated painting by a crewman named James Bowler on the side of one of USS Claxton's torpedo tubes. The painting depicted Little Beaver shooting an arrow at Japan's Prime Minister Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army , the leader of the Taisei Yokusankai, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II, from 17 October 1941 to 22 July 1944...
.
During an inspection of USS Claxton, then-Commodore Arleigh Burke observed the painting. He liked it so much that he adopted the logo (minus Tojo) for use by the entire squadron and it remains in use to this day.
Commodores
Commodores of the Little Beavers over the years:- M. J. Gillian (May 1943 - October 1943)
- Arleigh A. Burke, later Chief of Naval Operations (October 1943 - March 1944)
- T. B. Duncan (March 1944 - July 1945)
- W. C. Ford (August 1945 - February 1946)
- Decommissioned (February 1946 - April 1956)
- E. K. Wakefield (April 1956 - April 1957)
- Harry D. Sturr, World War II submarine commander (April 1957 - April 1958)
- J. E. Smith (April 1958 - May 1959)
- T. H. Morton (May 1959 - February 1960)
- T. D. Cunningham (February 1960 - July 1960)
- J. L. Kelly, Jr. (July 1960 - June 1961)
- F. E. McIntire (June 1961 - September 1962)
- Robert A. Schelling (September 1962 - July 1963)
- C. R. Dwyer (July 1963 - December 1964)
- J. C. Hill (December 1964 - November 1965)
- L. E. Davis, Jr. (November 1965 - July 1967)
- R. E. Spreen (July 1967 - July 1968)
- J. J. Doak (July 1968 - January 1970)
- W. H. Rogers (January 1970 - May 1971)
- G. M. Neely (May 1971 - February 1973)
- Conolly (February 1973 - June 1974)
- Donald P. Roane (June 1974 - October 1976)
- Stuart D. Landersman (October 1976 - November 1978)
- M. L. Treiber (November 1978 - March 1981)
- G. C. Flynn (March 1981 - April 1983)
- W. H. Kersting (April 1983 - June 1985)
- T. A. Barthold (June 1985 - May 1987)
- W. E. Kelly (May 1987 - March 1989)
- W. R. Schmidt (March 1989 - March 1991)
- R. L. Miller (March 1991 - December 1992)
- Thomas E. Utegaard (December 1992 - July 1994)
- K. P. Green (July 1994 - July 1995)
- Barry M. CostelloBarry M. CostelloVice Admiral Barry M. Costello was the Commander, US Third Fleet of the United States Navy , May 2005 - May 2007.-Biography:He is native of Rutland, Vermont. He attended College of the Holy Cross and was commissioned an Ensign through the NROTC Program in 1973...
(July 1995 - February 1997) - P. M. Garrett (February 1997 - July 1998)
- C. W. Patten (July 1998 - July 2000)
- R. S. Riche (July 2000- July 2002)
- Charles W. Martoglio (July 2002 - September 2003)
- Gordan E. Van Hook, Bronze StarBronze Star MedalThe Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
recipient for his actions on (September 2003 - July 2005) - Michael E. Smith (July 2005 – November 2006)
- Adam S. Levitt (November 2006 - May 2008)
- Troy A. Stoner (May 2008 - July 2009)
- James L. Autrey (July 2009 - December 2009)
- Jesse Wilson (December 2009 – present)