Task Force 44
Encyclopedia
Task Force 44 was an Allied
naval
task force
during the Pacific Campaign
of World War II
. The task force consisted of warships from the Royal Australian Navy
(RAN) and United States Navy
and was generally assigned as a striking force to defend northeast Australia and the surrounding area from any attacks by Axis
forces, particularly from the Empire of Japan
.
The task force was created on April 22, 1942 from the ANZAC Squadron
as part of United States Army
General Douglas MacArthur
's South West Pacific Area (command). The unit's first commander was Royal Australian Navy
Rear Admiral John Gregory Crace
. From 13 June 1942 the task force was commanded Rear Admiral Victor A.C. Crutchley VC RN.
The unit saw action during the Battle of the Coral Sea
, in which it helped turn back a Japanese attempt to invade Port Moresby
, Papua New Guinea
. The Force was temporarily redesignated Task Group 17.3 during the battle. The task force later, under Victor Crutchley, assisted with the initial stages of the Guadalcanal Campaign
along with escorting of Allied convoys around the northeast Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Coral Sea areas. In August 1942, the unit participated in the Battle of Savo Island
. The next month, the unit served with the US Navy Task Force 18, centered on the aircraft carrier . On March 15, 1943 the organization was redesignated as Task Force 74 under the United States Seventh Fleet
.
In mid-1944, Commodore John Augustine Collins was made commander of the Australian-US Navy
Task Force 74, and commander of the Australian Naval Squadron, with HMAS Australia
as his flagship. He became the first graduate of the RAN College to command a naval squadron
in action, during the bombardment of Noemfoor
, on 2 July 1944.
Commodore Collins was badly wounded in the first kamikaze attack in history, which hit Australia on 21 October 1944, in the lead up to the Battle of Leyte Gulf
. He did not resume his command until July 1945. When the war ended Collins was the RAN's representative at the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay
.
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
naval
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
during the Pacific Campaign
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The task force consisted of warships from the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
(RAN) and 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...
and was generally assigned as a striking force to defend northeast Australia and the surrounding area from any attacks by Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
forces, particularly from the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
.
The task force was created on April 22, 1942 from the ANZAC Squadron
ANZAC Squadron
The ANZAC Squadron, also called the Allied Naval Squadron, was an Allied naval warship task force which was tasked with defending northeast Australia and surrounding area in early 1942 during the Pacific Campaign of World War II...
as part of United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
's South West Pacific Area (command). The unit's first commander was Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
Rear Admiral John Gregory Crace
John Gregory Crace
Vice Admiral Sir John Gregory Crace KBE, CB , also known as Jack Crace, was an Australian who came to prominence as an officer of the Royal Navy . Crace nevertheless spent a great deal of his career with the Royal Australian Navy...
. From 13 June 1942 the task force was commanded Rear Admiral Victor A.C. Crutchley VC RN.
The unit saw action during the Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
, in which it helped turn back a Japanese attempt to invade Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. The Force was temporarily redesignated Task Group 17.3 during the battle. The task force later, under Victor Crutchley, assisted with the initial stages of the Guadalcanal Campaign
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
along with escorting of Allied convoys around the northeast Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Coral Sea areas. In August 1942, the unit participated in the Battle of Savo Island
Battle of Savo Island
The Battle of Savo Island, also known as the First Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval forces...
. The next month, the unit served with the US Navy Task Force 18, centered on the aircraft carrier . On March 15, 1943 the organization was redesignated as Task Force 74 under the United States Seventh Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
.
In mid-1944, Commodore John Augustine Collins was made commander of the Australian-US 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...
Task Force 74, and commander of the Australian Naval Squadron, with HMAS Australia
HMAS Australia (1927)
HMAS Australia was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy . One of two Kent-subclass ships ordered for the RAN in 1924, Australia was laid down in Scotland in 1925, and entered service in 1928...
as his flagship. He became the first graduate of the RAN College to command a naval squadron
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
in action, during the bombardment of Noemfoor
Battle of Noemfoor
The Battle of Noemfoor was a battle of World War II that took place on the island of Noemfoor, in Dutch New Guinea, between 2 July and 31 August 1944. United States and Australian forces attacked to capture Japanese bases on the island.-Background:...
, on 2 July 1944.
Commodore Collins was badly wounded in the first kamikaze attack in history, which hit Australia on 21 October 1944, in the lead up to the Battle of Leyte Gulf
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
. He did not resume his command until July 1945. When the war ended Collins was the RAN's representative at the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
.
Ships of the Force
- Heavy CruiserHeavy cruiserThe heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
s USS ChicagoUSS Chicago (CA-29)USS Chicago was a Northampton-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy that served in the Pacific Theater in the early years of World War II. She was the second US Navy ship to be named after the city of Chicago, Illinois...
, HMAS Australia - Light CruiserLight cruiserA light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
HMAS HobartHMAS Hobart (1939)HMAS Hobart was a Modified Leander class light cruiser which served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. Originally constructed for the Royal Navy as HMS Apollo, the ship entered service in 1936, and was sold to Australia two years later... - DestroyerDestroyerIn 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 USS PerkinsUSS Perkins (DD-377)The second USS Perkins was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for George Hamilton Perkins....
, WhippleUSS Whipple (DD-217)USS Whipple , a Clemson-class destroyer was the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of Captain Abraham Whipple , who served in the Continental Navy....
, FarragutUSS Farragut (DD-348)The third USS Farragut , named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut USN , was the lead ship of her class of destroyers in the United States Navy.-History:...
(from 7 May 1942), WalkeUSS Walke (DD-416)USS Walke was a World War II-era in the service of the United States Navy, named after Rear Admiral Henry A. Walke USN...
(from 7 May), HenleyUSS Henley (DD-391)USS Henley , a Bagley-class destroyer, was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain Robert Henley, an officer in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France, the War of 1812 and the Second Barbary War....
from 14 May, HelmUSS Helm (DD-388)USS Helm was a Bagley-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Rear Admiral James Meredith Helm. Helm received 11 battle stars for her World War II service in the Pacific.-Pre-war:...
(from 19 May), SelfridgeUSS Selfridge (DD-357)The second USS Selfridge was a in the United States Navy. She named for Rear Admiral Thomas O. Selfridge and his son, Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr...
(from 21 May), PattersonPatterson-Places:Canada*Patterson, New Brunswick*Patterson Settlement, New Brunswick*Patterson Siding, New Brunswick*Patterson, Ontario*Pattersons Corners, Ontario*Patterson, Quebec*Patterson Township, Ontario*Patterson, Calgary a neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta....
(from ???)