USS Coghlan (DD-606)
Encyclopedia
USS Coghlan (DD-606) was a Benson-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during World War II
. She was the second ship named for Joseph Bulloch Coghlan
.
Coghlan was launched 12 February 1942 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
, San Francisco, California
; sponsored by Mrs. G. Coghlan; commissioned 10 July 1942, Lieutenant Commander
B. F. Tompkins in command; and reported to the Pacific Fleet
.
and Kodiak, Alaska
, arriving 13 October for convoy and patrol duty. She supported Army
landings on Amchatka 12 January 1943, and participated in the bombardment of Gibson Island
at the entrance of Chicago Harbor 18 February. On 20 February, she aided in the sinking of a Japan
ese merchantman. On 15 March she cleared Dutch Harbor with a force to patrol against Japanese shipping south and west of Kiska to prevent reinforcement of Japanese-held Attu
. On 26 March, her group turned a larger Japanese force back in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands
. In this action, Coghlan screened , and laid smoke for . She bombarded Holtz and Chicago harbors 26 April, and with the southern support group covered the landings on Attu from 11 May to 2 June. Overhauled at San Francisco in July, Coghlan returned to Adak on 13 August for 2 final weeks on patrol in the Aleutian Islands.
Coghlan sailed 25 August 1943 for Pearl Harbor, arriving 1 September. After taking part in the raids on Baker
and Tarawa Islands from 15 to 17 September and the attack on Wake Island
on 5 October, Coghlan replenished at Pearl Harbor and sailed on 31 October for escort and screening duties in the assault on the Gilbert Islands
. She returned to Pearl Harbor 11 December.
Coghlan sailed from Pearl Harbor 22 January 1944 to screen aircraft carrier
s giving air coverage to the landings in the Marshall Islands
. She returned, screening transports, to Pearl Harbor 8 March for overhaul. On her next cruise, from 14 to 22 April, she escorted a carrier to sea on its way to Majuro
, returning to Pearl Harbor 22 April. On 24 May, she sailed for Eniwetok, where she joined the screen of landing ships bound for the invasion of Saipan
on 15 June. Coghlan gave fire support and patrolled off the island until 23 June. After replenishing at Eniwetok, the destroyer returned to Saipan 17 July to support the landings at Tinian 24 July. After offering fire support until the island was secured 1 August, Coghlan sailed for a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor.
Coghlan arrived at Manus
8 October, and sailed for the operations in the Philippines
6 November. She conducted convoy escort duty from Humboldt Bay
and Palau
to Leyte
, and supported the landings at Ormoc Bay
on 7 and 8 December, firing in the heavy kamikaze
attack on the first day. On 9 January 1945 she entered Lingayen Gulf
for patrol and screening operations in support of the landings. She continued to operate in the Philippines until 8 April, when she cleared San Pedro Bay for a stateside overhaul. She returned to Pearl Harbor 22 July, and on 26 August arrived at Okinawa for occupation duty, carrying passengers, mail, and light freight between Okinawa and Japan. On 23 October she sailed for Pearl Harbor, San Diego
, and Charleston, South Carolina
, where she arrived 2 December.
After overhaul and a year of inactivity, Coghlan was decommissioned and placed in reserve 31 March 1947. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 July 1971 and sold for scrap in 1974.
Benson class destroyer
The Benson class was a class of 30 destroyers of the U.S. Navy built 1939–1943. The first ship of the class was the . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Benson class....
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...
in the 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...
during 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...
. She was the second ship named for Joseph Bulloch Coghlan
Joseph Coghlan
Rear Admiral Joseph Bulloch Coghlan was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War and the Spanish–American War.-Biography:...
.
Coghlan was launched 12 February 1942 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Bethlehem Steel Corporation Shipbuilding Division was created in 1905 when Bethlehem Steel Corporation acquired the San Francisco shipyard Union Iron Works in 1905...
, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
; sponsored by Mrs. G. Coghlan; commissioned 10 July 1942, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
B. F. Tompkins in command; and reported to the Pacific Fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
.
Service history
Coghlan sailed from San Francisco 22 September 1942 for Pearl HarborPearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
and Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
, arriving 13 October for convoy and patrol duty. She supported 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...
landings on Amchatka 12 January 1943, and participated in the bombardment of Gibson Island
Gibson Islands
The Gibson Islands are a group of small islands that extend for 0.3 mi into the mouth of Chichagof Harbor on the northeast side of Attu Island in the Aleutians West Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. The islands were named in July 1855 by the North Pacific Surveying Expedition for Lt....
at the entrance of Chicago Harbor 18 February. On 20 February, she aided in the sinking of a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese merchantman. On 15 March she cleared Dutch Harbor with a force to patrol against Japanese shipping south and west of Kiska to prevent reinforcement of Japanese-held Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
. On 26 March, her group turned a larger Japanese force back in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands
Battle of the Komandorski Islands
The Battle of the Komandorski Islands was one of the most unusual engagements of World War II. It was a naval battle which took place on 27 March 1943 in the North Pacific area of the Pacific Ocean, near the Soviet Komandorski Islands.-Background:...
. In this action, Coghlan screened , and laid smoke for . She bombarded Holtz and Chicago harbors 26 April, and with the southern support group covered the landings on Attu from 11 May to 2 June. Overhauled at San Francisco in July, Coghlan returned to Adak on 13 August for 2 final weeks on patrol in the Aleutian Islands.
Coghlan sailed 25 August 1943 for Pearl Harbor, arriving 1 September. After taking part in the raids on Baker
Baker Island
Baker Island is an uninhabited atoll located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean about southwest of Honolulu. The island lies almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia, and is a possession of the United States. Its nearest neighbor is Howland Island, to the north.Located at...
and Tarawa Islands from 15 to 17 September and the attack on Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
on 5 October, Coghlan replenished at Pearl Harbor and sailed on 31 October for escort and screening duties in the assault on the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
. She returned to Pearl Harbor 11 December.
Coghlan sailed from Pearl Harbor 22 January 1944 to screen aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s giving air coverage to the landings in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. She returned, screening transports, to Pearl Harbor 8 March for overhaul. On her next cruise, from 14 to 22 April, she escorted a carrier to sea on its way to Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
, returning to Pearl Harbor 22 April. On 24 May, she sailed for Eniwetok, where she joined the screen of landing ships bound for the invasion of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
on 15 June. Coghlan gave fire support and patrolled off the island until 23 June. After replenishing at Eniwetok, the destroyer returned to Saipan 17 July to support the landings at Tinian 24 July. After offering fire support until the island was secured 1 August, Coghlan sailed for a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor.
Coghlan arrived at Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
8 October, and sailed for the operations in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
6 November. She conducted convoy escort duty from Humboldt Bay
Teluk Yos Sudarso
Yos Sudarso Bay also known earlier as Humboldt Bay is a small bay in Indonesia. It is on the north coast of New Guinea, about 50 kilometers west of the border between Indonesia's province of Papua and the country of Papua New Guinea...
and Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
to Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
, and supported the landings at Ormoc Bay
Ormoc Bay
Ormoc Bay is a bay on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. The bay is an inlet of the Camotes Sea. The city of Ormoc lies at the head of the bay and exports rice, copra and sugar. The World War II Battle of Ormoc Bay took place from November 11 until mid-December in Ormoc Bay during late 1944....
on 7 and 8 December, firing in the heavy kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attack on the first day. On 9 January 1945 she entered Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
for patrol and screening operations in support of the landings. She continued to operate in the Philippines until 8 April, when she cleared San Pedro Bay for a stateside overhaul. She returned to Pearl Harbor 22 July, and on 26 August arrived at Okinawa for occupation duty, carrying passengers, mail, and light freight between Okinawa and Japan. On 23 October she sailed for Pearl Harbor, San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, and 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...
, where she arrived 2 December.
After overhaul and a year of inactivity, Coghlan was decommissioned and placed in reserve 31 March 1947. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 1 July 1971 and sold for scrap in 1974.