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USS Stormes (DD-780)
Encyclopedia
USS Stormes (DD-780), an Allen M. Sumner-class
destroyer
, is the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Commander
Max Clifford Stormes
, who was killed in action during the night of 14 and 15 November 1942, when Preston (DD-379)
was sunk in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
. Comdr. Stormes was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross
as "his coolness and courage in the face of grave danger, inspired his men to supreme efforts of determination and endurance to carry on the attack.".
Stormes (DD-780) was laid down on 15 February 1944 by Todd-Pacific Shipyards Inc., Seattle, Washington
; launched on 4 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. M. C. Stormes; and commissioned on 27 January 1945, Comdr. William N. Wylie in command.
Stormes arrived at Pearl Harbor on 30 April and sailed the next day as escort for Louisville (CL-28)
en route to Okinawa, via Guam
. The two ships arrived at Hagushi anchorage on 23 May and joined the 5th Fleet. The destroyer was immediately assigned to the antiaircraft screen. She spent the night in the anchorage and took her position in the screen the next day. The ship underwent her first air raid that evening. The weather was bad on the morning of 25 May with poor visibility and intermittent rain squalls. At 0905, a Japanese plane was sighted as it passed between two Navy planes and headed for Ammen (DD-527)
directly ahead of Stormes. At the last moment, the plane turned and crashed into Stormes's aft torpedo mount. Its bomb exploded in the magazine under her number three 5-inch mount. The ship was on fire, and sea water poured through holes in the hull. By noon, repair parties had extinguished the fires and plugged the holes. Twenty-one members of the crew were killed and 15 injured.
The battered destroyer slowly made her way back to Kerama Retto. She remained there until 5 July when she moved to Buckner Bay to enter a floating drydock. The ship left drydock on 13 August and was sufficiently seaworthy for the long trip back to the United States, even though only her port shaft was in commission. Stormes stood out of Buckner Bay on 17 August and steamed, via Saipan, Eniwetok, and Pearl Harbor, to San Francisco. She arrived at Hunters Point on 17 September and began a three-month overhaul.
The destroyer held refresher training in the San Diego area and, in January 1946, sailed for the east coast. She arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on 14 January, and, before continuing to Norfolk, acted as a plane guard for aircraft carriers holding shakedown operations in the area.
Stormes arrived at Norfolk on 1 February and spent the remainder of the month preparing for Operation "Frostbite" which was to take place in March. Midway (CVB-41), a tanker, Stormes, and two other destroyers, moved into an area between Greenland, Labrador, and Hudson Strait in March to test carrier operations in sub-zero temperatures. Upon completion of the operation, Stormes steamed to the Brooklyn Navy Yard
for upkeep. On 11 April, she sailed to Casco Bay, Maine, for training and returned for a major overhaul. On 22 July, she sailed to Guantanamo Bay for refresher training and returned to Norfolk on 9 September. In October 1946, the destroyer escorted the Philippine Sea (CV-47)
to Guantanamo Bay for the carrier's shakedown.
In January 1947, Stormes participated in an exercise at Guantanamo Bay and returned to the Caribbean the following month for a fleet exercise. The destroyer carried out routine fleet duties from her Norfolk base until 1950. In August, she sailed to Charleston, South Carolina
, for inactivation.
. In December 1950, she began a three-month yard overhaul at Charleston which was followed by a six-week shakedown cruise. In May 1951, the destroyer sailed to the west coast and was routed onward to join the 7th Fleet off Korea.
Stormes operated with Task Force 77, shelling enemy lines, screening large fleet units, rescuing downed pilots, and performing antisubmarine duties until January 1952 when she returned to Norfolk.
Stormes made a midshipman cruise to England and France that summer and then operated along the Atlantic seaboard until June 1953 when she entered the Norfolk Navy Yard for a four-month yard period and its subsequent shakedown. In February 1954, the destroyer embarked on a world cruise which took her to Naples, Suez, Port Said, Aden, Colombo, Singapore, Yokosuka, Sasebo, Midway, and Pearl Harbor. She reached San Francisco in July and returned to Norfolk in August.
Stormes sailed, on 4 January 1955, for the Caribbean to participate in Operation “Springboard 55.” She operated with Valley Forge (CVS-45) in Antisubmarine Group 3 from 4 January to August. The destroyer participated in a NATO exercise in early September and then continued local operations until February 1956 when she entered the Norfolk Navy-Yard. Stormes left the shipyard in May and sailed to Guantanamo Bay for refresher training which lasted until July. From then to November, the ship participated in local exercises to maintain her state of readiness in anticipation of an overseas tour.
On 7 November, Stormes sailed with Destroyer Division 261 and arrived at Naples, Italy, a month later where she was attached to the 6th Fleet. She served with the fast carriers in the Mediterranean until returning to Norfolk on 20 February 1957. The ship operated along the east coast until 3 September when she sailed as part of an attack carrier strike force for Operation “Seaspray.” After crossing the North Atlantic, the ships arrived at the River Clyde
, Scotland, where a number of NATO ships were waiting to take part in Operation “Strikeback.”
The operation ended in late September, and the destroyer sailed to Gibraltar to join the 6th Fleet for her second tour which ended at Norfolk on 22 December 1957.
Stormes remained in port until 27 January 1958 when she embarked on a two-week exercise with other ships of DesDiv 261. The remainder of the year and part of 1959 saw the destroyer taking part in local and fleet operations from New York to the Caribbean. On 7 August 1959, she sailed for her third tour with the 6th Fleet which terminated upon her return to Norfolk on 26 February 1960. The ship entered the Navy Yard on 3 June for a FRAM II conversion which lasted until 5 January 1961. On the 24th, she sailed for Guantanamo Bay where she held refresher training, gunnery practice, and participated in group exercises.
Stormes sailed for Norfolk, via Key West, and arrived there on 1 April. She operated with fleet units on the east coast and in the Caribbean for the remainder of the year. The highlight of the year's activities came in November when Stormes was designated to recover a spacecraft carrying a chimpanzee named Enos. The spacecraft landed approximately 30 miles from the destroyer. Stormes, aided by an aircraft which had the capsule in sight, recovered it and Enos who was in good health. She spent the next year operating with Task Group Alpha, a hunter-killer group developing the antisubmarine readiness of the Fleet.
On 9 November 1962, Stormes joined the Cuban Blockade and continued that duty until the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis
. She then resumed her regular operations. In August of the following year, “the 780” became the first United States ship to visit Santa Marta, Colombia, since 1880. In the latter part of 1963, she underwent an overhaul. She operated with Task Group Alpha in 1964 until October when she participated in Operation “Steel-pike.” Her task group acted as the hunter-killer group that preceded the main body of ships as they crossed the Atlantic.
Stormes continued operating with Task Group Alfa until May 1965 when she was ordered to patrol the coastal waters of the Dominican Republic
during the revolution there. When relieved of patrol duty, she returned to Norfolk and prepared for a deployment period. She was with the 6th Fleet from June to August and returned to her homeport in early September. On 1 June 1966, Stormes stood out of Norfolk with DesRon 32 for a six and one-half month deployment to the western Pacific.
in July 1968 to hold antisubmarine warfare operations as part of UNITAS IX and to visit ports in Puerto Rico
, Brazil
, and St. Lucia. After resuming her normal operations from Norfolk in September, Stormes deployed to the Mediterranean with DesRon 32 on 6 January 1969. The six-month tour ended upon her return to Norfolk on 31 May. The remainder of the year and into June 1970, she operated from her homeport as a dedicated participant of the Squeeze Play ASW exercises.
When Stormes returned to Norfolk from her last east coast port call on 18 June, she began preparing for inactivation.
Stormes was placed out of commission, in reserve, on 5 December 1970. She was struck from the Navy list on 16 February 1972. Stormes was sold to Iran
on 16 February 1972 and serves that country's government as Palang (DDG-9).
Stormes received one battle star for World War II, three for service in Korea, and one for service in Vietnam.
Allen M. Sumner class destroyer
The Allen M. Sumner class was a group of 58 destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Another twelve ships were completed as destroyer minelayers...
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...
, is the only 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 Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Max Clifford Stormes
Max Clifford Stormes
Max Clifford Stormes was a World War II American naval commander.-Biography:Born in Big Flats, New York, Stormes was appointed midshipman on 15 June 1920 and graduated on 15 May 1924...
, who was killed in action during the night of 14 and 15 November 1942, when Preston (DD-379)
USS Preston (DD-379)
USS Preston was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the fifth Navy ship named for Lieutenant Samuel W. Preston ....
was sunk in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sometimes referred to as the Third and Fourth Battles of Savo Island, the Battle of the Solomons, The Battle of Friday the 13th, or, in Japanese sources, as the , took place from 12–15 November 1942, and was the decisive engagement in a series of naval battles...
. Comdr. Stormes was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
as "his coolness and courage in the face of grave danger, inspired his men to supreme efforts of determination and endurance to carry on the attack.".
Stormes (DD-780) was laid down on 15 February 1944 by Todd-Pacific Shipyards Inc., Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
; launched on 4 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. M. C. Stormes; and commissioned on 27 January 1945, Comdr. William N. Wylie in command.
World War II
Stormes was fitted out at Seattle and departed there on 14 February for the San Diego Bay area where she held her shakedown training. Upon completion of her shakedown, she sailed on 1 April for Bremerton for a post-shakedown overhaul. Dock trials were held on the morning of the 22nd; and, that afternoon, the destroyer put to sea, en route to Hawaii.Stormes arrived at Pearl Harbor on 30 April and sailed the next day as escort for Louisville (CL-28)
USS Louisville (CA-28)
USS Louisville — a Northampton-class heavy cruiser — was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Louisville, Kentucky...
en route to Okinawa, 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...
. The two ships arrived at Hagushi anchorage on 23 May and joined the 5th Fleet. The destroyer was immediately assigned to the antiaircraft screen. She spent the night in the anchorage and took her position in the screen the next day. The ship underwent her first air raid that evening. The weather was bad on the morning of 25 May with poor visibility and intermittent rain squalls. At 0905, a Japanese plane was sighted as it passed between two Navy planes and headed for Ammen (DD-527)
USS Ammen (DD-527)
USS Ammen , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Daniel Ammen .Ammen was laid down on 29 November 1941 at San Francisco, California, by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation; launched on 17 September 1942; sponsored by Miss Eva Ammen; and commissioned on 20 March...
directly ahead of Stormes. At the last moment, the plane turned and crashed into Stormes's aft torpedo mount. Its bomb exploded in the magazine under her number three 5-inch mount. The ship was on fire, and sea water poured through holes in the hull. By noon, repair parties had extinguished the fires and plugged the holes. Twenty-one members of the crew were killed and 15 injured.
The battered destroyer slowly made her way back to Kerama Retto. She remained there until 5 July when she moved to Buckner Bay to enter a floating drydock. The ship left drydock on 13 August and was sufficiently seaworthy for the long trip back to the United States, even though only her port shaft was in commission. Stormes stood out of Buckner Bay on 17 August and steamed, via Saipan, Eniwetok, and Pearl Harbor, to San Francisco. She arrived at Hunters Point on 17 September and began a three-month overhaul.
The destroyer held refresher training in the San Diego area and, in January 1946, sailed for the east coast. She arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on 14 January, and, before continuing to Norfolk, acted as a plane guard for aircraft carriers holding shakedown operations in the area.
Stormes arrived at Norfolk on 1 February and spent the remainder of the month preparing for Operation "Frostbite" which was to take place in March. Midway (CVB-41), a tanker, Stormes, and two other destroyers, moved into an area between Greenland, Labrador, and Hudson Strait in March to test carrier operations in sub-zero temperatures. Upon completion of the operation, Stormes steamed to the 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...
for upkeep. On 11 April, she sailed to Casco Bay, Maine, for training and returned for a major overhaul. On 22 July, she sailed to Guantanamo Bay for refresher training and returned to Norfolk on 9 September. In October 1946, the destroyer escorted the Philippine Sea (CV-47)
USS Philippine Sea (CV-47)
USS Philippine Sea was one of 24 s built during and shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the first US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for the 1944 Battle of the Philippine Sea. Philippine Sea was commissioned in May 1946, too late to serve in World War II...
to Guantanamo Bay for the carrier's shakedown.
In January 1947, Stormes participated in an exercise at Guantanamo Bay and returned to the Caribbean the following month for a fleet exercise. The destroyer carried out routine fleet duties from her Norfolk base until 1950. In August, she sailed 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...
, for inactivation.
Korean War
However, she was reactivated in September due to the Korean WarKorean 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...
. In December 1950, she began a three-month yard overhaul at Charleston which was followed by a six-week shakedown cruise. In May 1951, the destroyer sailed to the west coast and was routed onward to join the 7th Fleet off Korea.
Stormes operated with Task Force 77, shelling enemy lines, screening large fleet units, rescuing downed pilots, and performing antisubmarine duties until January 1952 when she returned to Norfolk.
Stormes made a midshipman cruise to England and France that summer and then operated along the Atlantic seaboard until June 1953 when she entered the Norfolk Navy Yard for a four-month yard period and its subsequent shakedown. In February 1954, the destroyer embarked on a world cruise which took her to Naples, Suez, Port Said, Aden, Colombo, Singapore, Yokosuka, Sasebo, Midway, and Pearl Harbor. She reached San Francisco in July and returned to Norfolk in August.
Stormes sailed, on 4 January 1955, for the Caribbean to participate in Operation “Springboard 55.” She operated with Valley Forge (CVS-45) in Antisubmarine Group 3 from 4 January to August. The destroyer participated in a NATO exercise in early September and then continued local operations until February 1956 when she entered the Norfolk Navy-Yard. Stormes left the shipyard in May and sailed to Guantanamo Bay for refresher training which lasted until July. From then to November, the ship participated in local exercises to maintain her state of readiness in anticipation of an overseas tour.
On 7 November, Stormes sailed with Destroyer Division 261 and arrived at Naples, Italy, a month later where she was attached to the 6th Fleet. She served with the fast carriers in the Mediterranean until returning to Norfolk on 20 February 1957. The ship operated along the east coast until 3 September when she sailed as part of an attack carrier strike force for Operation “Seaspray.” After crossing the North Atlantic, the ships arrived at the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
, Scotland, where a number of NATO ships were waiting to take part in Operation “Strikeback.”
Operation Strikeback
Operation Strikeback was a major naval exercise of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that took place over a ten-day period in September 1957....
The operation ended in late September, and the destroyer sailed to Gibraltar to join the 6th Fleet for her second tour which ended at Norfolk on 22 December 1957.
Stormes remained in port until 27 January 1958 when she embarked on a two-week exercise with other ships of DesDiv 261. The remainder of the year and part of 1959 saw the destroyer taking part in local and fleet operations from New York to the Caribbean. On 7 August 1959, she sailed for her third tour with the 6th Fleet which terminated upon her return to Norfolk on 26 February 1960. The ship entered the Navy Yard on 3 June for a FRAM II conversion which lasted until 5 January 1961. On the 24th, she sailed for Guantanamo Bay where she held refresher training, gunnery practice, and participated in group exercises.
Stormes sailed for Norfolk, via Key West, and arrived there on 1 April. She operated with fleet units on the east coast and in the Caribbean for the remainder of the year. The highlight of the year's activities came in November when Stormes was designated to recover a spacecraft carrying a chimpanzee named Enos. The spacecraft landed approximately 30 miles from the destroyer. Stormes, aided by an aircraft which had the capsule in sight, recovered it and Enos who was in good health. She spent the next year operating with Task Group Alpha, a hunter-killer group developing the antisubmarine readiness of the Fleet.
On 9 November 1962, Stormes joined the Cuban Blockade and continued that duty until the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
. She then resumed her regular operations. In August of the following year, “the 780” became the first United States ship to visit Santa Marta, Colombia, since 1880. In the latter part of 1963, she underwent an overhaul. She operated with Task Group Alpha in 1964 until October when she participated in Operation “Steel-pike.” Her task group acted as the hunter-killer group that preceded the main body of ships as they crossed the Atlantic.
Stormes continued operating with Task Group Alfa until May 1965 when she was ordered to patrol the coastal waters of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
during the revolution there. When relieved of patrol duty, she returned to Norfolk and prepared for a deployment period. She was with the 6th Fleet from June to August and returned to her homeport in early September. On 1 June 1966, Stormes stood out of Norfolk with DesRon 32 for a six and one-half month deployment to the western Pacific.
Vietnam
While in WestPac, her primary duty was plane guard for Constellation (CVA-64) in the Tonkin Gulf. At one time, she was called on to provide gunfire support to ground forces ashore for a three-day period. She returned to Norfolk, via the Mediterranean, on 17 December 1966. After east coast operations in the spring and summer of 1967, Stormes deployed to the 6th Fleet from 14 November 1967 to 23 April 1968. She sailed to South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
in July 1968 to hold antisubmarine warfare operations as part of UNITAS IX and to visit ports in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and St. Lucia. After resuming her normal operations from Norfolk in September, Stormes deployed to the Mediterranean with DesRon 32 on 6 January 1969. The six-month tour ended upon her return to Norfolk on 31 May. The remainder of the year and into June 1970, she operated from her homeport as a dedicated participant of the Squeeze Play ASW exercises.
When Stormes returned to Norfolk from her last east coast port call on 18 June, she began preparing for inactivation.
Stormes was placed out of commission, in reserve, on 5 December 1970. She was struck from the Navy list on 16 February 1972. Stormes was sold to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
on 16 February 1972 and serves that country's government as Palang (DDG-9).
Stormes received one battle star for World War II, three for service in Korea, and one for service in Vietnam.