.gif)
USS De Haven (DD-469)
Encyclopedia
USS De Haven (DD-469) was a Fletcher-class
destroyer
of the United States Navy
, the first Navy ship named for Lieutenant
Edwin J. De Haven USN (1819–1865). De Haven was the first Fletcher-class ship lost in World War II
, having been in commission only 133 days.
De Haven was laid down by the Bath Iron Works
Corporation at Bath, Maine
on 27 September 1941, launched
on 28 June 1942 by Miss H. N. De Haven, granddaughter of Lieutenant De Haven, and commissioned
on 21 September 1942, Commander
Charles E. Tolman
in command.
and reached Tongatapu
, Tonga Islands, 28 November 1942 to escort a convoy
of troopships to Guadalcanal
to relieve the Marines
who had been there since the invasion landings in August. De Haven screened the transports off Guadalcanal from 7 to 14 December, then sailed out of Espiritu Santo
and Nouméa
in the continuing Solomon Islands operations
. She patrolled in the waters of the Southern Solomons to stop the "Tokyo Express
", the nightly effort to supply the beleaguered Japanese
troops still fighting on the invaded islands, and took part in two bombardments of Kolombangara
island during January 1943.
On 1 February 1943, De Haven screened six LCT
s and a seaplane tender
establishing a beachhead at Marovo
on Guadalcanal. While escorting two of the landing craft
back to their base in the afternoon, De Haven was warned of an impending air attack by Japanese aircraft supporting Operation Ke
. She sighted nine unidentified planes and opened fire as six swung sharply toward her. She shot down three of these planes, but not before all six had dropped their bombs. De Haven was hit by three bombs and further damaged by a near miss. One bomb hit the superstructure squarely, killing the commanding officer at once. All way was lost after the first hit and the ship began to settle rapidly, sinking about 2 miles east of Savo Island
. One of the LCTs she had escorted rescued the survivors. De Haven lost 167 killed and 38 wounded.
Fletcher class destroyer
The Fletcher class were a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. The class was designed in 1939 as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types...
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...
of 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...
, the first Navy ship named for Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Edwin J. De Haven USN (1819–1865). De Haven was the first Fletcher-class ship lost in 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...
, having been in commission only 133 days.
De Haven was laid down by the Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
Corporation at Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
on 27 September 1941, launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 28 June 1942 by Miss H. N. De Haven, granddaughter of Lieutenant De Haven, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 21 September 1942, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Charles E. Tolman
Charles E. Tolman
Charles E. Tolman was an officer in the United States Navy.Born in Concord, Massachusetts, Tolman entered the United States Naval Academy in the summer of 1921 and graduated on 4 June 1925. After serving in battleship , he was transferred to in 1926...
in command.
Service history
De Haven sailed from Norfolk, Va.Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
and reached Tongatapu
Tongatapu
Tongatapu is the main island of the Kingdom of Tonga and the location of its capital Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with approximately 71,260 residents , 70.5% of the national population...
, Tonga Islands, 28 November 1942 to escort a convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
of troopships to Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
to relieve the Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
who had been there since the invasion landings in August. De Haven screened the transports off Guadalcanal from 7 to 14 December, then sailed out of Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
and Nouméa
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
in the continuing Solomon Islands operations
Solomon Islands campaign
The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942...
. She patrolled in the waters of the Southern Solomons to stop the "Tokyo Express
Tokyo Express
The Tokyo Express was the name given by Allied forces to the use of Imperial Japanese Navy ships at night to deliver personnel, supplies, and equipment to Japanese forces operating in and around New Guinea and the Solomon Islands during the Pacific campaign of World War II...
", the nightly effort to supply the beleaguered Japanese
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
troops still fighting on the invaded islands, and took part in two bombardments of Kolombangara
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
island during January 1943.
On 1 February 1943, De Haven screened six LCT
Landing craft tank
The Landing Craft, Tank was an amphibious assault ship for landing tanks on beachheads. They were initially developed by the British Royal Navy and later by the United States Navy during World War II in a series of versions. Initially known as the "Tank Landing Craft" by the British, they later...
s and a seaplane tender
Seaplane tender
A seaplane tender is a ship that provides facilities for operating seaplanes. These ships were the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the First World War.-History:...
establishing a beachhead at Marovo
Marovo
Marovo can refer to:*Marovo Island, an island in the Solomon Islands*Marovo Lagoon, a lagoon in the Solomon Islands.*Marovo language, a language spoken on islands in and around the lagoon....
on Guadalcanal. While escorting two of the landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
back to their base in the afternoon, De Haven was warned of an impending air attack by Japanese aircraft supporting Operation Ke
Operation Ke
was the largely successful withdrawal of Japanese forces from Guadalcanal at the conclusion of the Guadalcanal Campaign of World War II. The operation took place between 14 January and 7 February 1943, and involved both army and navy forces under the overall direction of the Japanese Imperial...
. She sighted nine unidentified planes and opened fire as six swung sharply toward her. She shot down three of these planes, but not before all six had dropped their bombs. De Haven was hit by three bombs and further damaged by a near miss. One bomb hit the superstructure squarely, killing the commanding officer at once. All way was lost after the first hit and the ship began to settle rapidly, sinking about 2 miles east of Savo Island
Savo Island
Savo Island is a volcanic island in the Solomon Islands group in the South Pacific ocean. It is located to the northeast of the northern tip of Guadalcanal Island at . Politically, Savo Island is a part of the Solomons' Central Province. The indigenous language of Savo is the Savosavo language.The...
. One of the LCTs she had escorted rescued the survivors. De Haven lost 167 killed and 38 wounded.