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USS Metcalf (DD-595)
Encyclopedia
USS Metcalf (DD-595), a Fletcher-class
destroyer
, was a ship of the United States Navy
named for Boatswain
's Mate James Metcalf, who served on the schooner
Enterprise
during the First Barbary War
.
Metcalf was laid down by Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Wash.
, 10 August 1943; launched
25 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Harold C. Pound; and commissioned
18 November 1944, Commander David L. Martineau in command.
, Metcalf was assigned to the Pacific Fleet for duty. The destroyer departed Bremerton, Wash., 19 February 1945 for the Carolines via Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii
, arriving Ulithi
16 March.
Just in time to join the armada of warships staging there for the Okinawa campaign
, Metcalf operated with escort carrier
Group 3. From 27 March her group furnished close air support for the landings at Kerama Retto
(26 March) and Okinawa (1 April), and made raids on the neighboring Japanese-held islands until 20 April. During this period the ship rescued half a dozen pilots and crewmembers of downed carrier planes. She also performed radar
picket and screen operations.
Metcalf departed on the 20th for the Philippines
via Guam
, reporting to commander, 7th Fleet, at Leyte 30 April. The destroyer spent May and June convoying the fast cruiser
s and transports being assembled for the Borneo
invasion.
On 9 June Metcalf arrived off Brunei Bay
, Borneo, for 2 days patrol of the South China Sea
before beginning shore bombardment in support of the Australia
n landing at Brunei Bay the 10th. After action off Miri-Lutong, south of Brunei Bay, from 19 to 21 June, she reached Balikpapan
on the 27th for operations with Task Force 74 (TF 74) prior to the main landing by Australian troops 1 July.
Metcalf reported to commander, Philippine sea frontier, 4 August for duty escorting convoy
s between the Philippines and Okinawa. She was one day out of Okinawa in antisubmarine
formation for Convoy 10K-204 when the Japanese capitulated.
Assigned to the newly formed North China Force, the destroyer departed Okinawa 4 September to participate in the landing of Army
occupation forces at Korea. Metcalf joined Shields
(DD-596), Hart
(DD-594), and Conner
(DD-582) in leading Task Unit 78.1.15 (TU 78.1.15) into Jinsen 8 September through the mine
-infested Yellow Sea
. She stood ready to provide fire support for the landing troops the next day if needed.
On 12 September Metcalf got underway through the Yellow Sea for operations supporting the occupation of China
. Her ports of call included Dairen, Ching-wang-tao, Taku
, Chefoo
, Shanghai
, and Hong Kong
.
In early 1946 Metcalf steamed for the west coast, via Pearl Harbor, arriving San Diego to report in March to the 16th (Inactive Reserve) Fleet. She decommissioned March 1946, and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet there. After berthing at Long Beach, Calif.
, from 1 July 1951 into 1960, Metcalf moved to Stockton, Calif.
.
Metcalf was stricken 2 January 1971; she was sold 6 June 1972 and broken up for scrap.
Metcalf received three battle stars for World War II
service.
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...
, was a 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...
named for Boatswain
Boatswain
A boatswain , bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The boatswain supervises the other unlicensed members of the ship's deck department, and typically is not a watchstander, except on vessels with small crews...
's Mate James Metcalf, who served on the schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Enterprise
USS Enterprise (1799)
The third USS Enterprise, a schooner, was built by Henry Spencer at Baltimore, Maryland, in 1799, and placed under the command of Lieutenant John Shaw...
during the First Barbary War
First Barbary War
The First Barbary War , also known as the Barbary Coast War or the Tripolitan War, was the first of two wars fought between the United States and the North African Berber Muslim states known collectively as the Barbary States...
.
Metcalf was laid down by Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Wash.
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
, 10 August 1943; 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...
25 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Harold C. Pound; 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...
18 November 1944, Commander David L. Martineau in command.
History
Following shakedown off San Diego, Calif.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...
, Metcalf was assigned to the Pacific Fleet for duty. The destroyer departed Bremerton, Wash., 19 February 1945 for the Carolines via 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...
, 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...
, arriving 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...
16 March.
Just in time to join the armada of warships staging there for the Okinawa campaign
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
, Metcalf operated with escort carrier
Escort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
Group 3. From 27 March her group furnished close air support for the landings at Kerama Retto
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
(26 March) and Okinawa (1 April), and made raids on the neighboring Japanese-held islands until 20 April. During this period the ship rescued half a dozen pilots and crewmembers of downed carrier planes. She also performed 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...
picket and screen operations.
Metcalf departed on the 20th for 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...
via 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...
, reporting to commander, 7th Fleet, at Leyte 30 April. The destroyer spent May and June convoying the fast 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...
s and transports being assembled for the Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
invasion.
On 9 June Metcalf arrived off Brunei Bay
Brunei Bay
Brunei Bay is the gateway to Brunei and Borneo. It is located 4°45'-5°02'N, 114°58'-115°10'E; east of Bandar Seri Begawan. The Brunei portion of the bay is in two sections separated by a finger of Sarawak about 6km wide at the coast...
, Borneo, for 2 days patrol of 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...
before beginning shore bombardment in support of the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n landing at Brunei Bay the 10th. After action off Miri-Lutong, south of Brunei Bay, from 19 to 21 June, she reached Balikpapan
Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo, Indonesia, in the East Kalimantan province, a resource-rich region well known for its timber, mining, and petroleum export products. Two harbors, Semayang and Kariangau , and the Sepinggan International Airport are the main...
on the 27th for operations with Task Force 74 (TF 74) prior to the main landing by Australian troops 1 July.
Metcalf reported to commander, Philippine sea frontier, 4 August for duty escorting 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...
s between the Philippines and Okinawa. She was one day out of Okinawa in antisubmarine
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...
formation for Convoy 10K-204 when the Japanese capitulated.
Assigned to the newly formed North China Force, the destroyer departed Okinawa 4 September to participate in the landing of Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
occupation forces at Korea. Metcalf joined Shields
USS Shields (DD-596)
USS Shields , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Purser Thomas Shields , who fought in the Battle of New Orleans....
(DD-596), Hart
USS Hart (DD-594)
USS Hart , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy of that name, in honor of Lieutenant Patrick H...
(DD-594), and Conner
USS Conner (DD-582)
USS Conner was a of the United States Navy, the second Navy ship to be named in honor of Commodore David Conner , who led U.S. Naval forces during the first part of the Mexican-American War....
(DD-582) in leading Task Unit 78.1.15 (TU 78.1.15) into Jinsen 8 September through the mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
-infested Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
. She stood ready to provide fire support for the landing troops the next day if needed.
On 12 September Metcalf got underway through the Yellow Sea for operations supporting the occupation of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Her ports of call included Dairen, Ching-wang-tao, Taku
Taku Forts
The Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
, Chefoo
Yantai
Yantai is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Located on the southern coast of the Bohai Sea and the eastern coast of the Laizhou Bay, Yantai borders the cities of Qingdao and Weihai to the southwest and east respectively.The largest fishing...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, and 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...
.
In early 1946 Metcalf steamed for the west coast, via Pearl Harbor, arriving San Diego to report in March to the 16th (Inactive Reserve) Fleet. She decommissioned March 1946, and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet there. After berthing at Long Beach, Calif.
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, from 1 July 1951 into 1960, Metcalf moved to Stockton, Calif.
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
.
Metcalf was stricken 2 January 1971; she was sold 6 June 1972 and broken up for scrap.
Metcalf received three battle stars for 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...
service.