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USS Halligan (DD-584)
Encyclopedia
USS Halligan (DD-584) was a of the United States Navy
, named for Rear Admiral John Halligan, Jr. (1876–1934).
Halligan was laid down 9 November 1942 by Boston Navy Yard
, Boston, Massachusetts; launched
19 March 1943, sponsored by Mrs. John Halligan, widow of Admiral Halligan, and commissioned
19 August 1943, Commander C. E. Cortner in command.
Halligan in mid-November joined carrying President Franklin D. Roosevelt
and his party en route to the historic Teheran Conference. She served as part of the escort screen to Casablanca
, then for the next few weeks conducted anti-submarine operations off North Africa. She rejoined Iowa 11 December and steamed to the United States, arriving Charleston, South Carolina
, 17 December.
, 4 January 1944, and arrived Pearl Harbor
11 January. As part of Task Force 52 (TF 52), she sailed 22 January for the invasion of the Marshall Islands
. Between 31 January and 25 February she operated as a screen and patrol ship during the Kwajalein operations
, and she screened and patrolled in the forward area until returning to Pearl Harbor 22 May.
Halligan next joined the screening group for escort carrier
s and , carrying Army
fighters for support of the Saipan
operation. After launching planes 22 June, the task group was attacked the next day by Japanese dive bomber
s.
After a period at Pearl Harbor, Halligan departed 15 September for Eniwetok and Manus
, Admiralties. Arriving Seeadler Harbor
3 October, she joined a task force forming for the invasion of the Philippines
. Departing 14 October, she entered Leyte Gulf
20 October and was soon in the thick of the fighting as Japanese planes tried unsuccessfully to dislodge the landing forces. While guarding the transports, she survived almost continuous air attacks; at one point two bombs passed between her stacks and struck the water without exploding. On 25 October she shot down at least two attacking aircraft, one a two-engined bomber. Later that same day, she departed Leyte to screen the battered escort carriers of "Taffy 3", withdrawing from their courageous battle against Japanese forces off Samar. She joined the carriers 26 October and steamed to Manus, Admiralties, arriving 1 November. While at Manus, she supported rescue operations following the explosion of 10 November. Two days later she sailed for Leyte, and she finished the year screening for escort carriers between Leyte and the Admiralties.
at Lingayen Gulf
. Operating as part of Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf
's powerful support forces, she departed the Palau
s 1 January 1945, transited Surigao Strait
3 January, and steamed through the Sulu Sea
bound for the western coast of Luzon
. Penetrating deep into enemy-held territory, the fleet was subjected to extensive kamikaze
attacks. was severely hit 4 January; and after her survivors were rescued, the burning carrier was sunk by torpedo
es fired by . The following day Japanese planes resumed their attacks; despite withering anti-aircraft fire which shot down most of the attackers, suicide planes damaged several ships during an afternoon attack. Halligan shot down one kamikaze 5 January, then sent rescue and repair parties to assist damaged .
Arriving off Lingayen Gulf 7 January, Halligan screened escort carriers and patrolled in search of enemy submarine
s during the important Lingayen landings 9 January. She remained off the Luzon coast until 17 January when she sailed for Leyte as part of the screen for six escort carriers. Arriving Leyte Gulf 22 January, she sailed for Ulithi
the next day and arrived 25 January to prepare for the invasion of Iwo Jima
.
Assigned duty as fire support and shore bombardment ship, Halligan departed Ulithi 10 February; and, after conducting simulated shore bombardment at Tinian
, Marianas
, she departed Saipan 12 February for Iwo Jima. On 17 February she served as lifeguard ship north of Iwo Jima
during preinvasion air strikes. At dawn she sighted and took under fire a Japanese twin-engined bomber, which attacked the ship from the port bow. Hit repeatedly by accurate gunfire, the attacker dropped a large bomb which landed about 100 yards off the port bow and failed to explode. Burning as it passed over the ship, the enemy plane crashed more than a mile away.
Halligan closed to within 2,700 yards (2.5 km) of the shore of Iwo Jima 19 February; and, as the first wave of Marines
headed for the beach, she joined other ships in providing a heavy support barrage. Her guns destroyed a Japanese shore battery, and she spent much of D-Day
pounding assigned target areas in support of the main landings. Later that day she joined other destroyers screening for escort carriers, and during the remainder of her duty off Iwo Jima she served as a screen and plane guard ship for offshore carrier operations.
One of the last destroyers to return from the Iwo Jima operation, Halligan arrived Ulithi in mid-March. She was soon underway again, this time as part of the mighty fleet steaming for the invasion of Okinawa
—gateway to the heart of the Japanese Empire. Assigned to a fire support unit, she arrived off the southwestern part of Okinawa 25 March and began patrolling between Okinawa and Kerama Retto
. In addition she covered minesweeper
s during sweep operations through waters which had been heavily mined with irregular patterns.
Halligan continued her offshore patrols 26 March. At about 18:35 a tremendous explosion rocked the ship, sending smoke and debris 200 feet in the air. The destroyer had hit a moored mine
head on, exploding the forward magazines and blowing off the forward section of the ship including the bridge, back to the forward stack. PC-1128 and USS LSM(R)-194
arrived soon after the explosion to aid survivors. Ensign Richard L. Gardner, the senior surviving officer who was uninjured organized rescue parties and directed the evacuation of the living to waiting rescue vessels. Finally, he gave the order to abandon ship as the smoking hulk drifted helplessly.
The gallant Halligan, veteran of so many important operations in the Pacific, lost half of her crew of 300 in the disaster; and only 2 of her 21 officers survived. The abandoned destroyer drifted aground on Tokashiki
a small island west of Okinawa, the following day. There the hulk was further battered by pounding surf and enemy shore batteries. Her name was struck from the Navy List
28 April 1945, and in 1957 her hulk was donated to the government of the Ryukyu Islands
.
Halligan received six battle stars for World War II service.
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...
, named for Rear Admiral John Halligan, Jr. (1876–1934).
Halligan was laid down 9 November 1942 by Boston Navy Yard
Boston 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...
, Boston, Massachusetts; 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...
19 March 1943, sponsored by Mrs. John Halligan, widow of Admiral Halligan, 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...
19 August 1943, Commander C. E. Cortner in command.
World War II
After shakedown off BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
Halligan in mid-November joined carrying President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
and his party en route to the historic Teheran Conference. She served as part of the escort screen to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, then for the next few weeks conducted anti-submarine operations off North Africa. She rejoined Iowa 11 December and steamed to the United States, arriving 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...
, 17 December.
1944
Assigned to duty in the Pacific, Halligan departed Charleston 21 December, reached San Diego, CaliforniaSan 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...
, 4 January 1944, and arrived Pearl Harbor
Pearl 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...
11 January. As part of Task Force 52 (TF 52), she sailed 22 January for the invasion of 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...
. Between 31 January and 25 February she operated as a screen and patrol ship during the Kwajalein operations
Battle of Kwajalein
The Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought from 31 January-3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of...
, and she screened and patrolled in the forward area until returning to Pearl Harbor 22 May.
Halligan next joined the screening group for escort carrier
Escort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
s and , carrying Army
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
fighters for support of the 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...
operation. After launching planes 22 June, the task group was attacked the next day by Japanese dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s.
After a period at Pearl Harbor, Halligan departed 15 September for Eniwetok and 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...
, Admiralties. Arriving Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor, also known as Port Seeadler, is located on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea and played an important role in World War II...
3 October, she joined a task force forming for the invasion of 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...
. Departing 14 October, she entered Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
20 October and was soon in the thick of the fighting as Japanese planes tried unsuccessfully to dislodge the landing forces. While guarding the transports, she survived almost continuous air attacks; at one point two bombs passed between her stacks and struck the water without exploding. On 25 October she shot down at least two attacking aircraft, one a two-engined bomber. Later that same day, she departed Leyte to screen the battered escort carriers of "Taffy 3", withdrawing from their courageous battle against Japanese forces off Samar. She joined the carriers 26 October and steamed to Manus, Admiralties, arriving 1 November. While at Manus, she supported rescue operations following the explosion of 10 November. Two days later she sailed for Leyte, and she finished the year screening for escort carriers between Leyte and the Admiralties.
1945
Halligans next assignment was supporting the invasion of LuzonBattle of Luzon
The Battle of Luzon was a land battle fought as part of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II by the Allied forces of the U.S., its colony The Philippines, and Mexico against forces of the Empire of Japan. The battle resulted in a U.S. and Filipino victory...
at 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...
. Operating as part of Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf
Jesse B. Oldendorf
Jesse Bartlett "Oley" Oldendorf was an admiral in the United States Navy, famous for defeating a Japanese force in the Battle of Leyte Gulf during World War II...
's powerful support forces, she departed the 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...
s 1 January 1945, transited Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait is a body of water in the Philippines located between the islands of Mindanao and Leyte. This strait connects the Bohol Sea with Leyte Gulf and is regularly crossed by ferries that transport goods and people between Visayas and Mindanao...
3 January, and steamed through the Sulu Sea
Sulu Sea
The Sulu Sea is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipelago. Borneo is found to the southwest and Visayas to the northeast.Sulu Sea contains a number of...
bound for the western coast of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. Penetrating deep into enemy-held territory, the fleet was subjected to extensive 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....
attacks. was severely hit 4 January; and after her survivors were rescued, the burning carrier was sunk by torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es fired by . The following day Japanese planes resumed their attacks; despite withering anti-aircraft fire which shot down most of the attackers, suicide planes damaged several ships during an afternoon attack. Halligan shot down one kamikaze 5 January, then sent rescue and repair parties to assist damaged .
Arriving off Lingayen Gulf 7 January, Halligan screened escort carriers and patrolled in search of enemy submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s during the important Lingayen landings 9 January. She remained off the Luzon coast until 17 January when she sailed for Leyte as part of the screen for six escort carriers. Arriving Leyte Gulf 22 January, she sailed for Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
the next day and arrived 25 January to prepare for the invasion of Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
.
Assigned duty as fire support and shore bombardment ship, Halligan departed Ulithi 10 February; and, after conducting simulated shore bombardment at Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, Marianas
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
, she departed Saipan 12 February for Iwo Jima. On 17 February she served as lifeguard ship north of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
during preinvasion air strikes. At dawn she sighted and took under fire a Japanese twin-engined bomber, which attacked the ship from the port bow. Hit repeatedly by accurate gunfire, the attacker dropped a large bomb which landed about 100 yards off the port bow and failed to explode. Burning as it passed over the ship, the enemy plane crashed more than a mile away.
Halligan closed to within 2,700 yards (2.5 km) of the shore of Iwo Jima 19 February; and, as the first wave of 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...
headed for the beach, she joined other ships in providing a heavy support barrage. Her guns destroyed a Japanese shore battery, and she spent much of D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
pounding assigned target areas in support of the main landings. Later that day she joined other destroyers screening for escort carriers, and during the remainder of her duty off Iwo Jima she served as a screen and plane guard ship for offshore carrier operations.
One of the last destroyers to return from the Iwo Jima operation, Halligan arrived Ulithi in mid-March. She was soon underway again, this time as part of the mighty fleet steaming for the invasion of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
—gateway to the heart of the Japanese Empire. Assigned to a fire support unit, she arrived off the southwestern part of Okinawa 25 March and began patrolling between Okinawa and Kerama Retto
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
. In addition she covered minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
s during sweep operations through waters which had been heavily mined with irregular patterns.
Halligan continued her offshore patrols 26 March. At about 18:35 a tremendous explosion rocked the ship, sending smoke and debris 200 feet in the air. The destroyer had hit a moored mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
head on, exploding the forward magazines and blowing off the forward section of the ship including the bridge, back to the forward stack. PC-1128 and USS LSM(R)-194
USS LSM(R)-194
USS LSM-194 was a LSM-188 class Landing Ship Medium of the United States Navy during World War II, which took part in the Battle of Okinawa. LSM-194 was laid down at the Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, South Carolina on 21 November 1944. The ship was under the command of Lt.jg Allen M....
arrived soon after the explosion to aid survivors. Ensign Richard L. Gardner, the senior surviving officer who was uninjured organized rescue parties and directed the evacuation of the living to waiting rescue vessels. Finally, he gave the order to abandon ship as the smoking hulk drifted helplessly.
The gallant Halligan, veteran of so many important operations in the Pacific, lost half of her crew of 300 in the disaster; and only 2 of her 21 officers survived. The abandoned destroyer drifted aground on Tokashiki
Tokashiki
Tokashiki may refer to:* Katsuo Tokashiki, a former WBA Light flyweight champion* Tokashiki, Okinawa, an island located in Shimajiri district, Okinawa, Japan...
a small island west of Okinawa, the following day. There the hulk was further battered by pounding surf and enemy shore batteries. Her name was struck from the Navy List
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...
28 April 1945, and in 1957 her hulk was donated to the government of the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
.
Halligan received six battle stars for World War II service.