The third
USS Lamson (DD-367) was a
Mahan-classThe Mahan-class destroyers served in the United States Navy before and during World War II.The 18 ships were built by various shipyards between 1935 and 1937. The last two ships, USS Dunlap and USS Fanning were modified slightly and sometimes referred to as the Dunlap-class...
destroyerIn 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, short-range but powerful attackers .Before World War II, destroyers were light vessels without the endurance...
in the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was named for
Roswell Hawkes LamsonRoswell Hawks Lamson was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
.
Lamson was laid down 20 March 1934 by
Bath Iron WorksBath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
Corp., Bath, Maine; launched 17 June 1936; sponsored by Miss Francis W. Andrews; and commissioned 21 October 1936, Commander H. E. Paddock in command.
After shakedown in the
AtlanticThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
and
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts...
,
Lamson departed
Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 234,403 as of the 2000 census, it is Virginia's second-largest incorporated city behind its eastern neighbor, Virginia Beach....
16 June 1937 for the
PacificThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Tepre Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. It extends from the Arctic in the north to Antarctica in the south, bounded by Asia and...
.
The third
USS Lamson (DD-367) was a
Mahan-classThe Mahan-class destroyers served in the United States Navy before and during World War II.The 18 ships were built by various shipyards between 1935 and 1937. The last two ships, USS Dunlap and USS Fanning were modified slightly and sometimes referred to as the Dunlap-class...
destroyerIn 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, short-range but powerful attackers .Before World War II, destroyers were light vessels without the endurance...
in the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was named for
Roswell Hawkes LamsonRoswell Hawks Lamson was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
.
History
Lamson was laid down 20 March 1934 by
Bath Iron WorksBath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
Corp., Bath, Maine; launched 17 June 1936; sponsored by Miss Francis W. Andrews; and commissioned 21 October 1936, Commander H. E. Paddock in command.
After shakedown in the
AtlanticThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
and
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts...
,
Lamson departed
Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 234,403 as of the 2000 census, it is Virginia's second-largest incorporated city behind its eastern neighbor, Virginia Beach....
16 June 1937 for the
PacificThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Tepre Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. It extends from the Arctic in the north to Antarctica in the south, bounded by Asia and...
. Arriving
San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego , named after Saint Didacus , is the second-largest city in California and the ninth largest city in the United States, located along the Pacific Ocean on the west coast of the United States. The US Census Bureau estimates the city's population at 1,279,329 as of 2008...
, 1 July, the destroyer performed exercises and tactical training operations until she sailed for
Pearl HarborPearl Harbor is a 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...
5 October 1939.
Lamson continued training operations from her
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
an base for the next 2 years.
She was returning to Pearl Harbor from patrol duty during the
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of 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
attack 7 December 1941The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Japanese navy against the United States' naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941 , later resulting in the United...
. After a search for the Japanese task force, the destroyer patrolled Hawaiian waters and steamed to Johnston Island to rescue civilians. Departing Pearl Harbor 6 January 1942,
Lamson arrived Pago Pago,
SamoaSamoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa , is a country governing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and Savai'i...
, 2 weeks later for ASW patrols, then was assigned to the
ANZAC SquadronThe ANZAC Squadron, also called the Allied Naval Squadron, was an Allied naval warship task force which was tasked with defending northeast Australia and surrounding area in early 1942 during the Pacific Campaign of World War II...
in the South Pacific.
During early March she arrived in the Fiji Islands to join the expanded ASW screen which was formed to keep the South Pacific supply lines open. After 6 months of patrol and screening operations,
Lamson saw action 22 October when, with
MahanThe second USS Mahan was the lead ship of her class of destroyers in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan.-History:...
, she attacked Japanese picket boats stationed between
GilbertThe Gilbert Islands are a chain of 16 atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of the 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...
and Ellice Islands. The two destroyers made a coordinated attack beating off enemy air raids and sank two enemy craft.
On 30 November,
Lamson joined Rear Admiral Wright’s Task Force 67 during the
Battle of TassafarongaThe Battle of Tassafaronga, sometimes referred to as the Fourth Battle of Savo Island or, in Japanese sources, as the , was a nighttime naval battle that took place November 30, 1942 between United States Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy warships during the Guadalcanal campaign...
. One Japanese destroyer was sunk and one damaged while the American force lost one cruiser and three damaged.
Lamson returned to operate in the South Pacific for the next 8 months, screening convoys en route to
GuadalcanalGuadalcanal is a 2,510-square mile island in the Pacific Ocean and a province of the Solomon Islands. The World War II Guadalcanal Campaign took place on and around the island...
. Constantly at sea on patrol and ASW screen, the destroyer assisted other units as they paved the way for the Allied advance across the Pacific.
Arriving
Milne BayMilne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea, at . The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne....
19 August 1943,
Lamson joined Destroyer Squadron 5, the forerunner of the mighty 7th Fleet, to engage in the
New GuineaNew Guinea, located north of Australia, is the world's second largest island. It became separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known as the Torres Strait flooded after the last glacial period. The name Papua has long been associated with the island...
operations. In the landings at
LaeLae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
and inschhaven during September, she joined in the preinvasion bombardment, gave fire support after the landings, and escorted to the island reinforcement convoys needed to spearhead the drive toward
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of 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...
.
After 2 months of escort duty,
Lamson joined three other destroyers 29 November and penetrated 160 miles into enemy territory to bomb
MadangMadang is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century....
, the main Japanese naval base on New Guinea. On 15 December she engaged in preinvasion bombardment of Arawe,
New BritainNew Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier Strait, and from New Ireland by the St. George's Channel...
, and, during the landings at
Cape GloucesterCape Gloucester is a headland, in the northwest of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at . It was the site of the Battle of Cape Gloucester, part of Operation Cartwheel, in 1943....
11 days later, downed two “Vals.” Continuing the New Guinea operation, the destroyer bombarded Saidor 2 January 1944.
After a brief overhaul at
Mare IslandMare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
and training at Pearl Harbor,
Lamson arrived Eniwetok 8 August to join the 5th Fleet. For the next 2 months she engaged in patrol duty and ASW screen in the
Marshall IslandsThe Marshall Islands , officially 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. This nation of roughly 62,000 people is located north of Nauru and...
before reassignment to the 7th Fleet.
Departing Hollandia 25 October,
Lamson steamed to the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
to serve as picket, patrol and screening ship for the massive Leyte assault. Throughout November the destroyer beat off numerous suicide plan attacks aimed at convoys bringing supplies to the Philippines. While screening a convoy off
Ormoc BayOrmoc 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....
,
Lamson downed two “Dinahs” before a third crashed into her superstructure, killing 25 of the destroyer’s crew and injuring 54 others.
She arrived Puget Sound Navy Yard 16 January 1945 for extensive repairs. Returning Eniwetok 10 May,
Lamson operated for the rest of the war on patrol and air-sea rescue work off
Iwo JimaIwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which makes up the southern end of the Ogasawara Islands. The island is located 1,200 kilometers south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
. A fitting climax to
Lamson's fine war record came on 3 September, when she arrived Chichi Jima to supervise the surrender of the Bonin Islands. Following occupation duty at Sasebo, Japan for 1 month, the destroyer departed Japan 29 October for San Diego, arriving there 29 November.
Fate
However,
Lamson was still destined to play a valuable role in America’s progress as she arrived
Bikini AtollBikini Atoll is an atoll in one of the Micronesian Islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands. It consists of 23 islands surrounding a lagoon...
later in May 1946 to participate in
Operation CrossroadsOperation Crossroads was a series of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in the summer of 1946. Its purpose was to test the effect of nuclear weapons on naval ships...
. The destroyer was sunk in Test Able, the atomic explosion 2 July 1946.
Lamson received five battle stars for World War II service.
External links
- http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/367.htm