USS McCoy Reynolds (DE-440)
Encyclopedia
USS McCoy Reynolds (DE-440) was a acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II
. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy
, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket
. Post-war, after operating in the Pacific Ocean
battle areas, her crew members returned home proudly with four battle stars to their credit for World War II and one for the Korean War
.
McCoy Reynolds (DE-440) was named in honor of McCoy Reynolds
who was awarded the Silver Star
posthumously for his gallant bravery during the Guadalcanal Campaign
.
McCoy Reynolds (DE 440) was laid down by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Newark, New Jersey
, 18 November 1943; launched 22 February 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Tilden Reynolds; and commissioned at Brooklyn Navy Yard
2 May 1944, Lt. Comdr. Edwin K. Winn in command.
off Bermuda
, McCoy Reynolds departed Norfolk, Virginia
, 11 July to escort to the Panama Canal Zone
. arriving 16 July. She transited the canal 26 July: reached San Diego, California
, 6 August; and, between 13 and 19 August, screened transports and supply ships to the Hawaiian Islands
.
to the Palau
s. From 20 to 24 September she screened shore bombardment ships aiding the conquest of Peleliu
by U.S. marines. On 25 September, en route to join task force
TF 57 out of Guam
, McCoy Reynolds made underwater contact with a suspected submarine
, and for 2 hours launched four depth charge
attacks without results. At 0203 26 September, she picked up a contact on surface radar
at about 9,000 yards. Five minutes later it disappeared; however, at 0213 her sonar
regained contact at a range of 2,500. At 0219 she launched the first of seven vigorous, intensive attacks with hedgehogs
and depth charges on the target, probably . Four hours later, a violent underwater explosion was felt, and her lookouts spotted an oil slick which by noon covered an area of 2 square miles (5.2 km²).
TG 30.8 east of Luzon
as they refueled hard-hitting carriers of the Fast Carrier Task Force. She escorted two merchant troopships, to Leyte Gulf
11 to 14 November, sailed in convoy 15 November, and arrived at Kossol, Palaus, the 18th. With , she began a sonar search at 1055 19 November for a submarine that had been spotted in the western entrance to Kossol Roads
. Four hours later she made contact and closed to attack with hedgehogs and depth charges. McCoy Reynolds and Conklin made a total of eight attacks until an underwater explosion occurred and oil and debris gushed to the surface at about 1745, marking the sinking of .
and Marshalls
and conducted antisubmarine patrols out of Ulithi
and Manus
. She departed Ulithi 26 March to screen the Logistics Support Group of the Fifth Fleet's Fast Carrier Task Force during the Okinawa campaign. During her third escort mission on 12 May McCoy Reynolds went to the aid of , struck by two kamikazes the day before, with heavy losses and serious damage. McCoy Reynolds guarded the carrier to Ulithi, arriving 14 May, then returned to the Logistics Support Group, with whom she experienced the typhoon of 5 June which severely damaged more than 20 ships of the fleet.
. On 12 July she captured two enemy soldiers attempting to escape from the island in a dugout canoe
. On 9 September she rescued two survivors of an U.S. Army fighter which had flamed out off Hagushi
. She made passenger, freight, and mail runs from Okinawa to Nagasaki and Sasebo
until 15 October when she sailed for Saipan
, Pearl Harbor
, and San Diego, California.
Arriving San Diego 5 November, she decommissioned there 31 May 1946 and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She recommissioned 29 March 1951, Lt. Comdr. Peter S. Smith in command.
.
Sailing via Midway Island and Yokosuka, Japan, she arrived off the eastern coast of Korea
17 May. The next day she began shore bombardment at Songjin, and on 21 May she destroyed a North Korea
n railroad train. She alternated duty off Korea with escort runs from Japan
to Okinawa and with Formosa
patrol duty until departing 20 August for Pearl Harbor, arriving the 29th.
18 January and after exercises with the Royal Thai Navy
carried out training operations in the South China Sea
. After serving as station ship at Hong Kong
20 March to 12 May, she exercised in the South China Sea and Gulf of Siam until making passage to Pearl Harbor, 29 June to 11 July.
McCoy Reynolds sailed 31 May 1955 for surveillance patrols off the Carolines
and service as a search and rescue ship in the mid Pacific, returning to Pearl Harbor 22 October. She participated in antisubmarine warfare, escort, and (other training until sailing for the U.S. West Coast 24 August 1956.
, 31 August, underwent overhaul at Hunter's Point
and decommissioned at Treasure Island, California
, 7 February 1957. Under the Military Assistance Program, she was loaned to the Government of Portugal
, with whom she serves as Corte Real (F 334). Struck from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register
1 November 1968, she was sold to Portugal the next month.
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...
. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy
Convoy
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...
, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
. Post-war, after operating in the Pacific Ocean
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...
battle areas, her crew members returned home proudly with four battle stars to their credit for World War II and one for the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
McCoy Reynolds (DE-440) was named in honor of McCoy Reynolds
McCoy Reynolds
-Marine Corps career:Reynolds enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve at Louisville, Kentucky, January 23, 1942.-Awarded the Silver Star:He was killed in action on Guadalcanal November 25, 1942 after boldly exposing himself to destroy a Japanese machinegun nest in fighting to defend Henderson Field...
who was awarded the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
posthumously for his gallant bravery during the Guadalcanal Campaign
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...
.
McCoy Reynolds (DE 440) was laid down by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, 18 November 1943; launched 22 February 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Tilden Reynolds; and commissioned at Brooklyn Navy Yard
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
2 May 1944, Lt. Comdr. Edwin K. Winn in command.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
After shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
off Bermuda
Bermuda
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...
, McCoy Reynolds 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....
, 11 July to escort to the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
. arriving 16 July. She transited the canal 26 July: reached 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...
, 6 August; and, between 13 and 19 August, screened transports and supply ships to the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
.
Sinking of Japanese submarine RO-47
Sailing 3 September, McCoy Reynolds escorted ships via the AdmiraltiesAdmiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
to the Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
s. From 20 to 24 September she screened shore bombardment ships aiding the conquest of Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
by U.S. marines. On 25 September, en route to join task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
TF 57 out of 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...
, McCoy Reynolds made underwater contact with a suspected 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...
, and for 2 hours launched four 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...
attacks without results. At 0203 26 September, she picked up a contact on surface radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
at about 9,000 yards. Five minutes later it disappeared; however, at 0213 her sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
regained contact at a range of 2,500. At 0219 she launched the first of seven vigorous, intensive attacks with hedgehogs
Hedgehog (weapon)
The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
and depth charges on the target, probably . Four hours later, a violent underwater explosion was felt, and her lookouts spotted an oil slick which by noon covered an area of 2 square miles (5.2 km²).
Sinking of Japanese submarine I-37
Arriving Guam 28 September, McCoy Reynolds served on convoy and escort duty; 25 and 26 October she screened ships of task groupTask force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
TG 30.8 east of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
as they refueled hard-hitting carriers of the Fast Carrier Task Force. She escorted two merchant troopships, to Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
11 to 14 November, sailed in convoy 15 November, and arrived at Kossol, Palaus, the 18th. With , she began a sonar search at 1055 19 November for a submarine that had been spotted in the western entrance to Kossol Roads
Kossol Roads
Kossol Roads, Palau is a large body of reef-enclosed water north of Babeldaob. During World War II, it was used by the United States Navy as the location of a floating resupply and repair base....
. Four hours later she made contact and closed to attack with hedgehogs and depth charges. McCoy Reynolds and Conklin made a total of eight attacks until an underwater explosion occurred and oil and debris gushed to the surface at about 1745, marking the sinking of .
Guarding against air attack
Through March 1945, McCoy Reynolds escorted convoys in the MarianasMariana 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...
and 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...
and conducted antisubmarine patrols out of 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...
and Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
. She departed Ulithi 26 March to screen the Logistics Support Group of the Fifth Fleet's Fast Carrier Task Force during the Okinawa campaign. During her third escort mission on 12 May McCoy Reynolds went to the aid of , struck by two kamikazes the day before, with heavy losses and serious damage. McCoy Reynolds guarded the carrier to Ulithi, arriving 14 May, then returned to the Logistics Support Group, with whom she experienced the typhoon of 5 June which severely damaged more than 20 ships of the fleet.
Capture and rescue operations
After a convoy run to and from Ulithi, McCoy Reynolds carried out antisubmarine and antiair patrols off Okinawa during the closing weeks of the Pacific warPacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. On 12 July she captured two enemy soldiers attempting to escape from the island in a dugout canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
. On 9 September she rescued two survivors of an U.S. Army fighter which had flamed out off Hagushi
Hagushi
Hagushi bay was the primary unloading point for American supplies during the invasion of Okinawa during World War II. The bay, at the mouth of the Bishi River , was the dividing line between the First and Sixth US Marine divisions, which landed on the Hagushi beaches to the north, and the Seventh...
. She made passenger, freight, and mail runs from Okinawa to Nagasaki and Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
until 15 October when she sailed for 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...
, 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 San Diego, California.
Arriving San Diego 5 November, she decommissioned there 31 May 1946 and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She recommissioned 29 March 1951, Lt. Comdr. Peter S. Smith in command.
Reactivation for Korean War
Following shakedown, she departed San Diego 8 July and arrived Pearl Harbor the 14th. She operated out of Pearl Harbor until 3 May 1952 when she deployed for the Far EastFar East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
.
Sailing via Midway Island and Yokosuka, Japan, she arrived off the eastern coast of 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...
17 May. The next day she began shore bombardment at Songjin, and on 21 May she destroyed a North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n railroad train. She alternated duty off Korea with escort runs from 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...
to Okinawa and with 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...
patrol duty until departing 20 August for Pearl Harbor, arriving the 29th.
Operations with Royal Thai Navy
McCoy Reynolds operated out of Pearl Harbor during the next 16 months and deployed to the Far East 4 January 1954. She reached Manila BayManila 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...
18 January and after exercises with the Royal Thai Navy
Royal Thai Navy
The Royal Thai Navy is the navy of Thailand and part of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, it was established in the late 19th century. Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse is "The Father of Royal Thai Navy". Similar to the organizational structure of the United States, the Royal Thai Navy includes the...
carried out training operations in the South China Sea
South 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...
. After serving as station ship at 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...
20 March to 12 May, she exercised in the South China Sea and Gulf of Siam until making passage to Pearl Harbor, 29 June to 11 July.
McCoy Reynolds sailed 31 May 1955 for surveillance patrols off the 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...
and service as a search and rescue ship in the mid Pacific, returning to Pearl Harbor 22 October. She participated in antisubmarine warfare, escort, and (other training until sailing for the U.S. West Coast 24 August 1956.
Final decommissioning
She arrived San Francisco, CaliforniaSan 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...
, 31 August, underwent overhaul at Hunter's Point
Hunters Point, San Francisco, California
Bayview-Hunters Point or The Bayview, is a neighborhood in the southeastern corner of San Francisco, California, United States. The decommissioned Hunters Point Naval Shipyard is located within its boundaries and Candlestick Park is on the southern edge....
and decommissioned at Treasure Island, California
Treasure Island, California
Treasure Island is an artificial island in the San Francisco Bay between San Francisco and Oakland, and an emerging neighborhood of San Francisco....
, 7 February 1957. Under the Military Assistance Program, she was loaned to the Government of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, with whom she serves as Corte Real (F 334). Struck from the U.S. 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...
1 November 1968, she was sold to Portugal the next month.