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USS Lamson (DD-367)
Encyclopedia
The third USS Lamson (DD-367) was a Mahan-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during World War II
. She was named for Roswell Hawkes Lamson
.
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 Atlantic
and Caribbean
, Lamson departed Norfolk, Virginia
16 June 1937 for the Pacific
. Arriving San Diego, California
, 1 July, the destroyer performed exercises and tactical training operations until she sailed for Pearl Harbor
5 October 1939. Lamson continued training operations from her Hawaii
an base for the next 2 years.
She was returning to Pearl Harbor from patrol duty during the Japan
ese attack 7 December 1941
. 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, Samoa
, 2 weeks later for ASW patrols, then was assigned to the ANZAC Squadron
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 Mahan
, she attacked Japanese picket boats stationed between 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 Tassafaronga
. 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 Guadalcanal
. 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 Bay
19 August 1943, Lamson joined Destroyer Squadron 5, the forerunner of the mighty 7th Fleet, to engage in the New Guinea
operations. In the landings at Lae
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 Japan
.
After 2 months of escort duty, Lamson joined three other destroyers 29 November and penetrated 160 miles into enemy territory to bomb Madang
, the main Japanese naval base on New Guinea. On 15 December she engaged in preinvasion bombardment of Arawe
, New Britain
, and, during the landings at Cape Gloucester
11 days later, downed two “Vals.” Continuing the New Guinea operation, the destroyer bombarded Saidor 2 January 1944.
After a brief overhaul at Mare Island
and training at Pearl Harbor, Lamson arrived at Eniwetok 8 August to join the 5th Fleet. For the next 2 months she engaged in patrol duty and ASW screen in the Marshall Islands
before reassignment to the 7th Fleet.
Departing Hollandia
25 October, Lamson steamed to the Philippines
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 Bay
, Lamson downed two “Dinahs” before a third crashed into her superstructure, killing 25 of the destroyer’s crew and injuring 54 others.
She arrived at the 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 Jima
. A fitting climax to Lamson's fine war record came on 3 September, when she arrived at 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.
_at_ormoc_bay.jpg)
later in May 1946 to participate in Operation Crossroads
. The destroyer was sunk in Test Able, the atomic explosion 2 July 1946.
Lamson received five battle stars for World War II service.
Mahan class destroyer
The Mahan-class destroyers served in the United States Navy before and during World War II. The lead ship of the class was named for Alfred T. Mahan, a US Naval officer and influential theorist on sea power....
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was named for Roswell Hawkes Lamson
Roswell Lamson
Roswell 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
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...
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 Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and 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...
, Lamson departed Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
16 June 1937 for the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Arriving San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, 1 July, the destroyer performed exercises and tactical training operations until she sailed for 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...
5 October 1939. Lamson continued training operations from her Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an base for the next 2 years.
She was returning to Pearl Harbor from patrol duty during the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese attack 7 December 1941
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. 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, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing 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 one of the biggest islands in...
, 2 weeks later for ASW patrols, then was assigned to the ANZAC Squadron
ANZAC Squadron
The 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 Mahan
USS Mahan (DD-364)
The 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 Gilbert
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
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 Tassafaronga
Battle of Tassafaronga
The 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 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...
. 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 Bay
Milne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
19 August 1943, Lamson joined Destroyer Squadron 5, the forerunner of the mighty 7th Fleet, to engage in the 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...
operations. In the landings at Lae
Lae
Lae, 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 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...
.
After 2 months of escort duty, Lamson joined three other destroyers 29 November and penetrated 160 miles into enemy territory to bomb Madang
Madang
Madang 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
Arawe
Arawe is located on the south coast of New Britain about from Cape Gloucester. A small harbour known as Arawe harbour provides an anchorage....
, New Britain
New Britain
New 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 and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
, and, during the landings at Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester is a headland, in the northwest of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at . During World War II, the Japanese captured New Britain, and had driven most of Cape Gloucester's native population out to construct two airfields...
11 days later, downed two “Vals.” Continuing the New Guinea operation, the destroyer bombarded Saidor 2 January 1944.
After a brief overhaul at Mare Island
Mare Island
Mare 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 at Eniwetok 8 August to join the 5th Fleet. For the next 2 months she engaged in patrol duty and ASW screen in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
before reassignment to the 7th Fleet.
Departing Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
25 October, Lamson steamed to 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...
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 Bay
Ormoc Bay
Ormoc Bay is a bay on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. The bay is an inlet of the Camotes Sea. The city of Ormoc lies at the head of the bay and exports rice, copra and sugar. The World War II Battle of Ormoc Bay took place from November 11 until mid-December in Ormoc Bay during late 1944....
, Lamson downed two “Dinahs” before a third crashed into her superstructure, killing 25 of the destroyer’s crew and injuring 54 others.
She arrived at the 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 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...
. A fitting climax to Lamson's fine war record came on 3 September, when she arrived at 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 at Bikini AtollBikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is an atoll, listed as a World Heritage Site, in the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands....
later in May 1946 to participate in Operation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads was a series of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946. It was the first test of a nuclear weapon after the Trinity nuclear test in July 1945...
. 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
- Tin Can 367 - review of book compiled by Richard A. Phelan, Lamsons Engineering Officer