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USS McCalla (DD-488)
Encyclopedia
USS McCalla (DD-488), a Gleaves-class
destroyer
, was the second ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Bowman H. McCalla
, who served during the Spanish-American War
and would eventually attain the rank of Rear Admiral
.
McCalla was laid down 15 September 1941 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey
; launched 20 March 1942; sponsored by Mary MacArthur (Mrs. Arthur MacArthur
), the daughter of R.Adm. McCalla; and commissioned 27 May 1942, Lieutenant Commander W. G. Cooper, in command.
from Cape May, New Jersey
, 19 July 1942. On 3 August, she formally reported at Norfolk for brief antisubmarine (ASW) employment along the mid Atlantic coast. Two weeks later she escorted oilers to Aruba
and continued on to the Pacific, reporting to Commander, South Pacific Area
(ComSoPac) 28 September at Nouméa
.
McCalla immediately joined in the campaign for the Solomons
. On 7 October she Joined Task Force 64 (TF 64), Rear Admiral
Norman Scott's cruiser
force, then protecting transports carrying supplies and reinforcements to marines
on Guadalcanal
. Ordered to search for and destroy enemy ships and landing craft
, the force patrolled primarily north of the island. On the nights of 11 and 13 October, they encountered a Japanese force off Cape Esperance
under Rear Admiral Aritomo Gotō
convoying reinforcements to Guadalcanal. In the ensuing battle
both forces accomplished their missions, but the cost to the Japanese was greater. Admiral Gotō was killed, heavy cruiser
Furutaka
and destroyer Fubuki
were lost, and heavy cruiser Aoba
was forced to return to Japan for repairs. In addition, as they attempted to rescue survivors the next day, two Japanese destroyers, Murakumo
and Natsugumo
, were sunk by aircraft from Henderson Field
. Admiral Scott's force lost destroyer Duncan
(DD-485), while damage to Boise
(CL-47) required navy yard repairs. McCalla rescued 195 of Duncan's crew, and captured three Japanese sailors.
As the campaign for Guadalcanal
extended, McCalla's anti-shipping activities continued. On 2 November, she depth charge
d an area in which submarine contact had been made. On the 25th, she was cruising off Tassafaronga Point
when a number of landing boats were reported maneuvering along the coast; McCalla destroyed 40 of the Japanese craft.
, New Hebrides
, and Solomon Islands
performing plane guard, escort and antisubmarine patrol duties. Toward the end of June the New Georgia campaign
began. McCalla departed Efate
on the 26th to escort troop transports to Rendova Island
. On the 30th, after the landings, the force was attacked by Japanese aircraft. As the first wave, torpedo planes, pressed in, McCawley
(APA-4) was mortally torpedoed. McCalla's guns splashed one with two possibles; in the second wave, dive bomber
s, they splashed one and assisted with another kill. She then rescued 98 of McCawley's crew.
By 5 July, McCalla was back in the New Georgia
area to screen the landing of Marine Raiders
at Rice Anchorage. On the 9th, she took part in the bombardment of Munda
airfield and then returned to escort and antisubmarine work.
At the end of September McCalla and Patterson
(DD-392) collided, with serious damage to McCalla's bow
. Temporary repairs were effected at Purvis Bay
, Florida Island, before she departed for shipyard repairs at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
. While en route, she rescued 868 survivors of the torpedoed troop transport SS Cape San Juan.
to resume ASW operations and escort assignments in the Marshalls
. On 24 April she returned to Pearl Harbor
for aircraft carrier
group exercises and upon her return to Majuro, 30 May, was attached to fast carrier TF 58. Until the end of October she operated as a unit in the fast carrier screen, participating in strikes on the Marianas
, Bonins, Palaus, Philippines
, Formosa
, and Okinawa.
McCalla returned to escort work 24 October and for the next four months conducted convoys between ports on Ulithi
, Eniwetok, Pelelieu, Manus
, and Leyte. At Leyte in mid-February 1945 she commenced interisland escort duties in the Philippines, extending her range to the Netherlands East Indies in June. Early in July she received her last World War II assignment, mopping-up operations in the western Carolines
.
On the 22nd, she got underway for Portland, Oregon
, arriving 9 August for overhaul preparatory to deactivation. By the end of January 1946 she was en route to Charleston, South Carolina
. There she decommissioned 17 May and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
McCalla received 10 battle stars for World War II service.
. She took several short cruises up and down the Atlantic coast with a nucleus Turkish crew aboard for training purposes. Then, in the spring of 1949 she sailed for Turkey
where she decommissioned 29 April 1949, transferred to the Turkish Navy and recommissioned the same day as TCG Giresun (D 345). Giresun was stricken and scraped in 1973.
Gleaves class destroyer
The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class...
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...
, was the second ship 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...
to be named for Bowman H. McCalla
Bowman H. McCalla
Rear Admiral Bowman H. McCalla was an officer in the United States Navy, who was noted for his roles in the Spanish-American War and putting down the Boxer Rebellion.-Biography:...
, who served during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and would eventually attain the rank of 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"...
.
McCalla was laid down 15 September 1941 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey
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....
; launched 20 March 1942; sponsored by Mary MacArthur (Mrs. Arthur MacArthur
Arthur MacArthur III
Arthur MacArthur III was a United States Navy officer, whose active-duty career extended from the Spanish-American War through World War I. He was the elder brother of General Douglas MacArthur ....
), the daughter of R.Adm. McCalla; and commissioned 27 May 1942, Lieutenant Commander W. G. Cooper, in command.
1942
During shakedown McCalla undertook her first war assignment, escorting a New York-bound convoyConvoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
from Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States...
, 19 July 1942. On 3 August, she formally reported at Norfolk for brief antisubmarine (ASW) employment along the mid Atlantic coast. Two weeks later she escorted oilers to Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
and continued on to the Pacific, reporting to Commander, South Pacific Area
South Pacific Area
The South Pacific Area was a multinational U.S.-led military command active during World War II. It was a part of the U.S. Pacific Ocean Areas under Admiral Chester Nimitz.Instructions to the senior U.S...
(ComSoPac) 28 September at Nouméa
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
.
McCalla immediately joined in the campaign for the Solomons
Solomon Islands campaign
The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942...
. On 7 October she Joined Task Force 64 (TF 64), 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"...
Norman Scott's cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
force, then protecting transports carrying supplies and reinforcements to 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...
on 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...
. Ordered to search for and destroy enemy ships and landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
, the force patrolled primarily north of the island. On the nights of 11 and 13 October, they encountered a Japanese force off Cape Esperance
Cape Esperance
Cape Esperance is the northernmost point on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. The Battle of Cape Esperance, one of several naval engagements fought in the waters north of the island during the World War II Guadalcanal campaign, took its name from this point...
under Rear Admiral Aritomo Gotō
Aritomo Goto
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Early career:Gotō was born in Ibaraki prefecture in 1888. He graduated from the 38th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1910, ranked 30th out of a class of 149 cadets. As a midshipman, he served on the cruiser and...
convoying reinforcements to Guadalcanal. In the ensuing battle
Battle of Cape Esperance
The Battle of Cape Esperance, also known as the Second Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 11–12 October 1942, and was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and United States Navy...
both forces accomplished their missions, but the cost to the Japanese was greater. Admiral Gotō was killed, heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
Furutaka
Japanese cruiser Furutaka
was the lead ship in the two-vessel Furutaka-class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was named after Mount Furutaka, located on Etajima, Hiroshima immediately behind the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy.-Design:...
and destroyer Fubuki
Japanese destroyer Fubuki
was the lead ship of twenty-four destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into services, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world. They served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, and remained formidable weapons systems well...
were lost, and heavy cruiser Aoba
Japanese cruiser Aoba
was the lead ship in the two-vessel Aoba-class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. It is named after Mount Aoba, a volcano located behind Maizuru, Kyoto.-Background:...
was forced to return to Japan for repairs. In addition, as they attempted to rescue survivors the next day, two Japanese destroyers, Murakumo
Japanese destroyer Murakumo
was a Fubuki class was the fifth of twenty-four destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world...
and Natsugumo
Japanese destroyer Natsugumo
was the fifth of ten destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Supplementary Naval Expansion Program .-History:...
, were sunk by aircraft from Henderson Field
Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)
Henderson Field is a former military airfield on Guadacanal, Solomon Islands during World War II. Today it is Honiara International Airport.-Japanese construction:...
. Admiral Scott's force lost destroyer Duncan
USS Duncan (DD-485)
|...
(DD-485), while damage to Boise
USS Boise (CL-47)
USS Boise was a United States Navy Brooklyn-class light cruiser. The cruiser was named for Boise, the capital city of the state of Idaho....
(CL-47) required navy yard repairs. McCalla rescued 195 of Duncan's crew, and captured three Japanese sailors.
As the campaign for Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
extended, McCalla's anti-shipping activities continued. On 2 November, she depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
d an area in which submarine contact had been made. On the 25th, she was cruising off Tassafaronga Point
Tassafaronga Point
Tassafaronga Point is a point on the north shore of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. The Battle of Tassafaronga, one of several naval engagements fought in the waters north of the island during the World War II Guadalcanal campaign, took its name from this point....
when a number of landing boats were reported maneuvering along the coast; McCalla destroyed 40 of the Japanese craft.
1943
During the first half of 1943 McCalla sailed among the FijiFiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
, and Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
performing plane guard, escort and antisubmarine patrol duties. Toward the end of June the New Georgia campaign
Battle of New Georgia
The New Georgia Campaign was a series of battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied grand strategy in the South Pacific...
began. McCalla departed Efate
Éfaté
Efate is an island in the Agean Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in The Republic of Maliki. It is also known as Île Vate. It is the most populous island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most inhabitants of Efate live in Port Vila, the national...
on the 26th to escort troop transports to Rendova Island
Rendova Island
Rendova Island is an island, part of the New Georgia Islands of Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea. There are two indigenous languages spoken on Rendova Island: the Austronesian language Ughele in the north, and the Papuan language Touo in the south.The black-sand...
. On the 30th, after the landings, the force was attacked by Japanese aircraft. As the first wave, torpedo planes, pressed in, McCawley
USS McCawley (APA-4)
USS McCawley was a McCawley-class attack transport that served with the U.S. Navy during World War II. Named after Charles G. McCawley, eighth Commandant of the U.S...
(APA-4) was mortally torpedoed. McCalla's guns splashed one with two possibles; in the second wave, 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, they splashed one and assisted with another kill. She then rescued 98 of McCawley's crew.
By 5 July, McCalla was back in the New Georgia
New Georgia
New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.-Geography:This island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province...
area to screen the landing of Marine Raiders
Marine Raiders
The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare, particularly in landing in rubber boats and operating behind the lines...
at Rice Anchorage. On the 9th, she took part in the bombardment of Munda
Munda (Solomon Islands)
Munda is the largest settlement on the island of New Georgia in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, and consists of a number of villages...
airfield and then returned to escort and antisubmarine work.
At the end of September McCalla and Patterson
USS Patterson (DD-392)
USS Patterson , a , was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Daniel Todd Patterson, an officer of the US Navy that served in the Quasi-War with France, First Barbary War, and the War of 1812....
(DD-392) collided, with serious damage to McCalla's bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
. Temporary repairs were effected at Purvis Bay
Purvis Bay
Purvis Bay is located in the Florida Islands, which are part of the Solomon Islands. The bay was used by the US Navy during World War Two....
, Florida Island, before she departed for shipyard repairs at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
. While en route, she rescued 868 survivors of the torpedoed troop transport SS Cape San Juan.
1944 – 1946
Ready for war duty again by 8 January 1944, McCalla got underway for the South Pacific. A month later she was at MajuroMajuro
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...
to resume ASW operations and escort assignments in the Marshalls
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...
. On 24 April she returned 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...
for aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
group exercises and upon her return to Majuro, 30 May, was attached to fast carrier TF 58. Until the end of October she operated as a unit in the fast carrier screen, participating in strikes on the 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...
, Bonins, Palaus, 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...
, 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...
, and Okinawa.
McCalla returned to escort work 24 October and for the next four months conducted convoys between ports on 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...
, Eniwetok, Pelelieu, 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...
, and Leyte. At Leyte in mid-February 1945 she commenced interisland escort duties in the Philippines, extending her range to the Netherlands East Indies in June. Early in July she received her last World War II assignment, mopping-up operations in the western Carolines
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
.
On the 22nd, she got underway for Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, arriving 9 August for overhaul preparatory to deactivation. By the end of January 1946 she was en route to 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...
. There she decommissioned 17 May and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
McCalla received 10 battle stars for World War II service.
TCG Giresun (D 345)
Recommissioned 11 December 1948, McCalla prepared for transferring to the Turkish NavyTurkish Navy
The Turkish Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.- Ottoman fleet after Mudros :Following the demise of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, on November 3, 1918, the fleet commander of the Ottoman Navy, Liva Amiral Arif Pasha, ordered all flags to be...
. She took several short cruises up and down the Atlantic coast with a nucleus Turkish crew aboard for training purposes. Then, in the spring of 1949 she sailed for Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
where she decommissioned 29 April 1949, transferred to the Turkish Navy and recommissioned the same day as TCG Giresun (D 345). Giresun was stricken and scraped in 1973.