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USS Healy (DD-672)
Encyclopedia
USS Healy (DD-672) was a Fletcher-class
destroyer
of the United States Navy
, named for Commander
Howard R. Healy
(1899–1942) who had distinguished himself on board during the Battle of the Coral Sea
.
Healy was launched
by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J.
, on 4 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Howard R. Healy, widow of the namesake; and commissioned
at New York Navy Yard on 3 September 1943, Commander J. C. Atkeson in command.
, Healy returned to New York 31 October. The ship departed for a week of coastal patrol on 10 November, and after meeting a convoy at sea steamed into Norfolk, Va.
on 18 November 1943. Two days later she cleared port en route to the Pacific
, and after transiting the Panama Canal
arrived San Francisco, Calif.
on 4 December. From there she proceeded to Pearl Harbor
, and after arrival on 11 December spent several weeks training in Hawai
ian waters with and other ships which would become the famous Task Force 58 (TF 58) under Vice Admiral
Marc Mitscher
.
. Until being detached from the group 1 February, Healy screened and Yorktown during devastating raids on installations on the target islands, including Kwajalein
. Healy was assigned 1 February to escort and to Majuro
, and rendezvoused with the carriers there 4 February.
Healys next major operation was the neutralization of Truk
, a major Japanese
naval base in the Pacific. Departing Majuro 12 February, the carrier group attacked Truk 17–18 February with striking thoroughness, sinking or rendering useless most of the shipping and aircraft and eliminating Truk as a major threat to the allied plans. After the raid Healy and the carriers steamed to the Marianas, fought off several air attacks 22 February, and delivered important strikes against Saipan
, Tinian
, and Guam
, America's next objectives in the Pacific.
Prior to the Marianas invasion, however, Healy screened Enterprise on a series of raids in the western Pacific designed to aid the coming operations. After a stop at Espiritu Santo
the ships struck the Palau Islands 30 March, and after beating off Japanese air raids launched an attack on Yap
and Ulithi
the next day. Enterprise planes attacked Woleai
1 April 1944, and returned to Majuro five days later. Healy put to sea again 14 April to screen Enterprise during strikes on New Guinea
, supporting operations and landings at Tanahmerah Bay
. Another heavy raid on the Japanese base at Truk 29–30 April completed this highly successful operation, and she returned to Majuro 4 May.
After a period of intensive training and preparation, she departed Majuro on 6 June for the invasion of the Marianas
, a spectacular amphibious operation to be carried out nearly 1,000 miles (1,800 km) from the nearest advance base, Eniwetok. Again acting as screening ship for the carriers, Healy supported softening-up raids 11–15 June and protected them during the period of direct support as Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner's Marines
went ashore on Saipan
on 15 June.
Two days later, Healy and the other ships steamed out to join Admiral Mitscher's carrier task force as the Japanese made preparations to close the Marianas for a decisive naval battle. The great fleets approached each other on 19 June for the biggest carrier engagement of the war: the Battle of the Philippine Sea
. As four large air raids hit the American dispositions, fighter cover from the ships of Healys task group and surface fire from the ships decimated the Japanese formations. With able assistance from American submarine
s, Mitscher succeeded in sinking two Japanese carriers in addition to inflicting fatal losses on the enemy naval air arm during "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" on 19 June. Healy helped rescue pilots from downed aircraft on 21 June, and arrived Eniwetok on 9 July. The Marianas invasion had been secured and the enemy threat turned back.
Getting underway again on 17 June, Healys carrier task force launched repeated strikes on Guam, steamed into the Carolines, and commenced strikes against the Palaus 25 July. Continuing to cruise with Task Force 58, Healy screened the carriers during strikes on the Bonin and Volcano Islands
on 4–5 August before returning to Eniwetok on 11 August 1944. Sailing again on 28 August, the group hit the Bonins, Palaus, and various targets in the Philippines
until 17 September. Healy was detached that date and joined a carrier task group for direct support of the Peleliu invasion
, the next step on the island road to Japan
.
on 21 September, and steamed to Ulithi to form an important task group for operations in the western Pacific. The giant force, numbering 17 carriers and supporting surface ships, rendezvoused at sea, and launched strikes against Okinawa on 10 October. Then on 12 October, the carriers moved toward their real objective—Formosa
. In a devastating 3 days of air attacks, carrier planes did much to destroy Formosa as a supporting base for the Japanese in the island battles to come. Japanese forces retaliated with heavy and repeated land-based air attacks. Healy brought down one bomber and assisted in downing many more during these attacks, in which and were damaged.
After protecting the retirement of the damaged ships ("CripDiv 1"), Healy resumed her screening duties for air attacks against Philippine installations 19 October. As troops stormed ashore at Leyte for the historic return to the Philippines, Healy and her carrier group began direct support of the operation, blasting airfields on southern Luzon
.
By 24 October, it was clear that the invasion of Leyte
had called forth one last giant effort on the part of the Japanese to annihilate the American fleet. Its three major fleet units moved toward the Philippines for the historic Battle for Leyte Gulf, intending to divert Admiral William F. Halsey's carriers to the northward and strike the assault forces in the gulf a two-pronged death blow. Healy joined Rear Admiral
Frederick C. Sherman
's Task Group 38.3 (TG 38.3), near Luzon 24 October which was attacked early in the day by land-based aircraft. Planes of the task group struck out at the ships of Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita
in the Sibuyan Sea
, sinking and damaging other heavy units of the Japanese forces.
While two other phases of the great engagement, the Battle of Surigao Strait and the Battle off Samar
, were being fought, Admiral Halsey deployed carrier forces northward to meet the decoy force of carriers under Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa
. Making contact on 25 October, the carriers, screened by Healy and other surface units, launched a series of strikes at the Japanese carrier group. Despite effective enemy anti-aircraft fire, the planes succeeded in sinking four carriers, and a damaged destroyer was later sunk by gunfire. The great sea battle was thus ended, with the invasion of Leyte secured and the Japanese fleet no longer an effective fighting unit.
Healy returned to Ulithi for replenishment on 30 October and sailed two days later with her task group for additional strikes on the Philippines. Strikes on 5 November crippled airfields on Luzon, hit shipping in Manila Bay
, and fought off air attacks by Japanese planes against the fleet. These operations continued until 2 December, with Healy splashing several of the attacking aircraft in the protection of her carriers. After a brief stay at Ulithi, the destroyer and her task group returned to Luzon for strikes against airfields from 14–16 December. After riding out the terrible typhoon which sank , , and , Healy searched for survivors from the lost ships before returning to Ulithi with her carrier group 24 December.
for a bold demonstration of the mobility of carrier-based air power. Attacking Formosa, Camranh Bay, Saigon, Hong Kong
, and Hainan
, the ships sailed out of the South China Sea 21 January, having sunk over 130,000 tons of shipping and destroyed numerous aircraft.
The carrier forces, after another stop at Ulithi, now turned their attention to Iwo Jima
. With Healy and other destroyers in the protective screen, carrier planes supplied close support for the invasion of the island
on 19 February, and continued for 3 days before departing for strikes against Japanese home air bases. Leaving the carrier group, Healy next was assigned to the battleships designated to bombard Iwo Jima, and remained off the island patrolling and screening from 4–27 March. She then sailed with by way of Saipan and Eniwetok to Pearl Harbor, arriving on 4 April 1945. From there the veteran destroyer steamed to San Francisco Bay
, where she arrived on 23 April.
After repairs and additional training, Healy again got underway for the combat zone 20 June 1945, departing the Hawaiian area on 2 August with and other ships for the western Pacific. The destroyer arrived Guam on 11 August, and en route from there to Iwo Jima heard the news that the war was over. Healy steamed off Japan with and other units preparatory to the formal surrender, then acted as harbor control vessel at Tokyo Bay
until after the ceremonies, departing on 5 September with passengers for the United States. She put them ashore at San Diego, Calif.
on 21 December 1945 and sailed from California
via the Panama Canal to New York, where she arrived on 17 January 1946. Subsequently, she sailed to Charleston, S.C. and decommissioned on 11 July 1946.
, the ship took part in training exercises including anti-submarine, air defense, and screening drills until 29 June 1953. During this time she visited various Caribbean
ports and convoyed shipping to and from the Panama Canal.
Healy put to sea on 29 June 1953 on a world cruise, stopping at San Diego and Pearl Harbor on the way to the Far East. The destroyer participated in operations with the 7th Fleet
patrolling off Communist China, and conducted coastal patrol off Korea
from 3 August to 3 December 1953. Rejoining her division, she then resumed her world cruise, visiting Hong Kong, Ceylon
, Egypt
, Italy
, and other countries before returning to Norfolk on 6 February 1954. The ship spent the remainder of 1954 on a midshipman training cruise to northern Europe
and on local exercises off Virginia
.
The destroyer joined the 6th Fleet in 1955, sailing on 5 November for the Mediterranean. She remained with the fleet protecting allied interests in that area until 26 February 1956, when she returned to Norfolk. After another cruise training midshipmen, which took her to northern Europe again, the ship returned to Annapolis
on 31 July 1956. Healy then participated in local operations, spent a month as training ship for Naval Mine Warfare School, Yorktown, Va., and arrived Norfolk on 19 March 1957. Moving to Philadelphia, the ship decommissioned on 11 March 1958.
Healy was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 December 1974. She was sold on 12 April 1976 and broken up for scrap.
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...
, named for 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...
Howard R. Healy
Howard R. Healy
Commander Howard R. Healy was an officer of the United States Navy who distinguished himself on board the aircraft carrier Lexington during the Battle of the Coral Sea...
(1899–1942) who had distinguished himself on board 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...
.
Healy was 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...
by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J.
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
, on 4 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Howard R. Healy, widow of the namesake; 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...
at New York Navy Yard on 3 September 1943, Commander J. C. Atkeson in command.
World War II
After completing her shakedown cruise 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...
, Healy returned to New York 31 October. The ship departed for a week of coastal patrol on 10 November, and after meeting a convoy at sea steamed into 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...
on 18 November 1943. Two days later she cleared port en route to the Pacific
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
, and after transiting the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
arrived San Francisco, Calif.
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...
on 4 December. From there she proceeded to 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...
, and after arrival on 11 December spent several weeks training in Hawai
Hawai
Hawai can mean:*Hawai, Tottori, town in Tottori Prefecture, Japan*Hawai, India, the administrative headquarters of Anjaw District, in Arunachal Pradesh, India*Hawai, New Zealand in New Zealand...
ian waters with and other ships which would become the famous Task Force 58 (TF 58) under Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Marc Mitscher
Marc Mitscher
Admiral Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific in the latter half of World War II.-Early life and career:...
.
January-September 1944
The Navy had begun its gigantic island campaign in the Pacific with the capture of the Gilberts, and Healy departed on 16 January 1944 for the second major operation, the capture of the Marshall IslandsGilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
In the Pacific Theater of World War II, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, from November 1943 through February 1944, were key strategic operations of the United States Pacific Fleet and Marine Corps in the Central Pacific. The campaign was preceded by a raid on Makin Island by U.S...
. Until being detached from the group 1 February, Healy screened and Yorktown during devastating raids on installations on the target islands, including Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
. Healy was assigned 1 February to escort and 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...
, and rendezvoused with the carriers there 4 February.
Healys next major operation was the neutralization of Truk
Operation Hailstone
Operation Hailstone was a massive naval air and surface attack launched on February 17–18, 1944, during World War II by the United States Navy against the Japanese naval and air base at Truk in the Caroline Islands, a pre-war Japanese territory.-Background:Truk was a major Japanese logistical base...
, a major Japanese
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
naval base in the Pacific. Departing Majuro 12 February, the carrier group attacked Truk 17–18 February with striking thoroughness, sinking or rendering useless most of the shipping and aircraft and eliminating Truk as a major threat to the allied plans. After the raid Healy and the carriers steamed to the Marianas, fought off several air attacks 22 February, and delivered important strikes against 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...
, 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....
, and Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, America's next objectives in the Pacific.
Prior to the Marianas invasion, however, Healy screened Enterprise on a series of raids in the western Pacific designed to aid the coming operations. After a stop at 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....
the ships struck the Palau Islands 30 March, and after beating off Japanese air raids launched an attack on Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
and 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. Enterprise planes attacked Woleai
Woleai
Woleai is a coral atoll of twenty-two islands in the eastern Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia and is located approximately west-northwest of Ifalik and northeast of Eauripik...
1 April 1944, and returned to Majuro five days later. Healy put to sea again 14 April to screen Enterprise during strikes on New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, supporting operations and landings at Tanahmerah Bay
Tanahmerah Bay
Tanahmerah Bay, or Tanah Merah Bay, is a bay on the north coast of New Guinea, in the Indonesian province of Papua, about 50 km northwest of the provincial capital of Jayapura ....
. Another heavy raid on the Japanese base at Truk 29–30 April completed this highly successful operation, and she returned to Majuro 4 May.
After a period of intensive training and preparation, she departed Majuro on 6 June for the invasion of the Marianas
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign
The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was an offensive launched by United States forces against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November, 1944 during the Pacific War...
, a spectacular amphibious operation to be carried out nearly 1,000 miles (1,800 km) from the nearest advance base, Eniwetok. Again acting as screening ship for the carriers, Healy supported softening-up raids 11–15 June and protected them during the period of direct support as Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner's 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...
went ashore on Saipan
Battle of Saipan
The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June-9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was...
on 15 June.
Two days later, Healy and the other ships steamed out to join Admiral Mitscher's carrier task force as the Japanese made preparations to close the Marianas for a decisive naval battle. The great fleets approached each other on 19 June for the biggest carrier engagement of the war: the Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
. As four large air raids hit the American dispositions, fighter cover from the ships of Healys task group and surface fire from the ships decimated the Japanese formations. With able assistance from American 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, Mitscher succeeded in sinking two Japanese carriers in addition to inflicting fatal losses on the enemy naval air arm during "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" on 19 June. Healy helped rescue pilots from downed aircraft on 21 June, and arrived Eniwetok on 9 July. The Marianas invasion had been secured and the enemy threat turned back.
Getting underway again on 17 June, Healys carrier task force launched repeated strikes on Guam, steamed into the Carolines, and commenced strikes against the Palaus 25 July. Continuing to cruise with Task Force 58, Healy screened the carriers during strikes on the Bonin and Volcano Islands
Volcano Islands
The Volcano Islands is a group of three Japanese islands south of the Bonin Islands that belong to the municipality of Ogasawara...
on 4–5 August before returning to Eniwetok on 11 August 1944. Sailing again on 28 August, the group hit the Bonins, Palaus, and various targets 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...
until 17 September. Healy was detached that date and joined a carrier task group for direct support of the Peleliu invasion
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...
, the next step on the island road to 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...
.
October-December 1944
The destroyer returned with her carrier group to Manus IslandManus 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...
on 21 September, and steamed to Ulithi to form an important task group for operations in the western Pacific. The giant force, numbering 17 carriers and supporting surface ships, rendezvoused at sea, and launched strikes against Okinawa on 10 October. Then on 12 October, the carriers moved toward their real objective—Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. In a devastating 3 days of air attacks, carrier planes did much to destroy Formosa as a supporting base for the Japanese in the island battles to come. Japanese forces retaliated with heavy and repeated land-based air attacks. Healy brought down one bomber and assisted in downing many more during these attacks, in which and were damaged.
After protecting the retirement of the damaged ships ("CripDiv 1"), Healy resumed her screening duties for air attacks against Philippine installations 19 October. As troops stormed ashore at Leyte for the historic return to the Philippines, Healy and her carrier group began direct support of the operation, blasting airfields on southern 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...
.
By 24 October, it was clear that the invasion of Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
had called forth one last giant effort on the part of the Japanese to annihilate the American fleet. Its three major fleet units moved toward the Philippines for the historic Battle for Leyte Gulf, intending to divert Admiral William F. Halsey's carriers to the northward and strike the assault forces in the gulf a two-pronged death blow. Healy joined Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Frederick C. Sherman
Frederick C. Sherman
Frederick Carl Sherman was an admiral of the United States Navy during World War II.Sherman was born in Port Huron, Michigan in 1888. His grandfather, Loren Sherman, was the longtime editor and publisher of The Daily Times in Port Huron...
's Task Group 38.3 (TG 38.3), near Luzon 24 October which was attacked early in the day by land-based aircraft. Planes of the task group struck out at the ships of Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita
Takeo Kurita
Vice Admiral was a vice-admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Early life:Kurita was born in Mito city, Ibaraki Prefecture in 1889. He was sent off to Etajima in 1905 and graduated from the 38th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1910, ranked 28th out of a class of...
in the Sibuyan Sea
Sibuyan Sea
The Sibuyan Sea is a small sea in the Philippines that separates the Visayas from the northern Philippine island of Luzon.-Description:It is bounded by the island of Panay to the south, Mindoro to the west, Masbate to the east, and to the north Marinduque and the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon Island.The...
, sinking and damaging other heavy units of the Japanese forces.
While two other phases of the great engagement, the Battle of Surigao Strait and the Battle off Samar
Battle off Samar
The Battle off Samar was the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, which took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines on 25 October 1944...
, were being fought, Admiral Halsey deployed carrier forces northward to meet the decoy force of carriers under Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa
Jisaburo Ozawa
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was the last Commander-in-Chief of Combined Fleet. Many military historians regard Ozawa as one of the most capable Japanese flag officers.-Biography:...
. Making contact on 25 October, the carriers, screened by Healy and other surface units, launched a series of strikes at the Japanese carrier group. Despite effective enemy anti-aircraft fire, the planes succeeded in sinking four carriers, and a damaged destroyer was later sunk by gunfire. The great sea battle was thus ended, with the invasion of Leyte secured and the Japanese fleet no longer an effective fighting unit.
Healy returned to Ulithi for replenishment on 30 October and sailed two days later with her task group for additional strikes on the Philippines. Strikes on 5 November crippled airfields on Luzon, hit shipping in Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
, and fought off air attacks by Japanese planes against the fleet. These operations continued until 2 December, with Healy splashing several of the attacking aircraft in the protection of her carriers. After a brief stay at Ulithi, the destroyer and her task group returned to Luzon for strikes against airfields from 14–16 December. After riding out the terrible typhoon which sank , , and , Healy searched for survivors from the lost ships before returning to Ulithi with her carrier group 24 December.
1945
After getting underway 30 December, Healy and her task group moved back to the Philippines. They attacked Formosa and Luzon until 8 January 1945, and then pushed into the South China SeaSouth China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
for a bold demonstration of the mobility of carrier-based air power. Attacking Formosa, Camranh Bay, Saigon, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
, the ships sailed out of the South China Sea 21 January, having sunk over 130,000 tons of shipping and destroyed numerous aircraft.
The carrier forces, after another stop at Ulithi, now turned their attention to 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...
. With Healy and other destroyers in the protective screen, carrier planes supplied close support for the invasion of the island
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...
on 19 February, and continued for 3 days before departing for strikes against Japanese home air bases. Leaving the carrier group, Healy next was assigned to the battleships designated to bombard Iwo Jima, and remained off the island patrolling and screening from 4–27 March. She then sailed with by way of Saipan and Eniwetok to Pearl Harbor, arriving on 4 April 1945. From there the veteran destroyer steamed to San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
, where she arrived on 23 April.
After repairs and additional training, Healy again got underway for the combat zone 20 June 1945, departing the Hawaiian area on 2 August with and other ships for the western Pacific. The destroyer arrived Guam on 11 August, and en route from there to Iwo Jima heard the news that the war was over. Healy steamed off Japan with and other units preparatory to the formal surrender, then acted as harbor control vessel at 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...
until after the ceremonies, departing on 5 September with passengers for the United States. She put them ashore at San Diego, Calif.
Naval Station San Diego
Naval Base San Diego is the largest base of the United States Navy on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of 54 ships and over 120 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched...
on 21 December 1945 and sailed from 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...
via the Panama Canal to New York, where she arrived on 17 January 1946. Subsequently, she sailed to Charleston, S.C. and decommissioned on 11 July 1946.
1951-1958
Healy remained in reserve until recommissioning at Charleston 3 August 1951. After shakedown training at Guantanamo Bay, CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the ship took part in training exercises including anti-submarine, air defense, and screening drills until 29 June 1953. During this time she visited various Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
ports and convoyed shipping to and from the Panama Canal.
Healy put to sea on 29 June 1953 on a world cruise, stopping at San Diego and Pearl Harbor on the way to the Far East. The destroyer participated in operations with the 7th 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...
patrolling off Communist China, and conducted coastal patrol off Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
from 3 August to 3 December 1953. Rejoining her division, she then resumed her world cruise, visiting Hong Kong, Ceylon
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and other countries before returning to Norfolk on 6 February 1954. The ship spent the remainder of 1954 on a midshipman training cruise to northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and on local exercises off Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
The destroyer joined the 6th Fleet in 1955, sailing on 5 November for the Mediterranean. She remained with the fleet protecting allied interests in that area until 26 February 1956, when she returned to Norfolk. After another cruise training midshipmen, which took her to northern Europe again, the ship returned to Annapolis
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
on 31 July 1956. Healy then participated in local operations, spent a month as training ship for Naval Mine Warfare School, Yorktown, Va., and arrived Norfolk on 19 March 1957. Moving to Philadelphia, the ship decommissioned on 11 March 1958.
Healy was stricken 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 December 1974. She was sold on 12 April 1976 and broken up for scrap.