USS Gridley (DD-380)-- Part 6: Operations Around the Philippines

1944

After screening aircraft carriers during the attacks on Okinawa and Formosa,  the Gridley joined the American forces for the Philippines Campaign.  While protecting large ships off Luzon 28 October 1944, she and the destroyer USS Helm detected and sank the Japanese submarine I-51 with a series of devastating depth charge attacks.

In the following days. the Gridley fought off Japanese kamikazes and returned to Ulithi with damaged carriers Franklin and Belleau Wood  on 2 November.

1945

The Gridley was soon at sea again, clearing Ulithi 5 November with the fast  carrier task force for the Leyte operation.  She later joined a group of escort carriers and served as a bombardment and patrol ship during the landings at Lingayen Gulf  until 10 February 1945.

After stopping again at Ulithi, the Gridley escorted the battleship USS Mississippi en route to Pearl Harbor and then sailed via San Diego and the Panama Canal for New York, where she arrived 30 March 1945.  She entered New York Navy Yard  the next day for much-needed repairs and after finishing her overhaul, departed the United States 22 June 1945 and served in Europe from July 1945 to January 1946.

She was decommissioned  on 18 April 1945 and sold for scrap in August 1947.

During her service, the Gridley earned ten Battle Stars.

--GreGen

USS Gridley (DD-380)-- Part 4: Operations in the Pacific

In the fall of 1942, the Gridley performed escort duty  in the Fijis and New Hebrides  On 13 July 1943, she  guarded high-speed transports rescuing survivors of the cruiser USS Helena.  Next, the ship was involved with the attacks on Tambatuni, New Georgia, where  she bombarded shore installations near the landing areas.

Next the Gridley  and six other destroyers destroyed Japanese landing barges at Vella Gulf 10 August then screened the carrier USS Saratoga during air operations in the Solomons until 25 August,  Then back to Pearl Harbor and San Diego where much needed repairs were made from 11 September to  26 October 1943.

Next destination were the Gilbert Islands and the attack on Makin Island.

In 1944 she was involved in the offensive operations in the Marshall Islands acting as a screening ship for the Saratoga again.  The islands of Wotje and Eniwetok and then to the New Hebrides and on to the developing  New Guinea offensive.

--GreGen

USS Gridley (DD-380)-- Part 3: Back and Fort, Pearl Harbor and Alaska

The Gridley was built at Boston Navy yard and fitted out there before cruising in the Caribbean and then through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean.  Then back to the east coast and then back to the west coast again in 1939, where she became the flagship of destroyer Division 11.

In April 1940, the ships of Division 11 moved to Hawaii and operated in those waters.

The Gridley left Pearl Harbor on November 28, 1941, as part of the anti-submarine screen for the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise out to Wake Island and then were going back to Pearl Harbor and approaching it  on the morning of December 7 when they heard the base was under attack.

The Gridley entered the harbor the next day to protect against further attacks.

During the next five months, she was involved with escorting transports and repair ships to and from Pearl Harbor and areas in the South Pacific.  In June 1942, the Gridley operated in Alaskan waters and participated in the bombardment of Kiska 7 August 1942.

While there, she served as the flagship of noted destroyerman  Commander Frederick Moosbrugger.

--GreGen

USS Gridley (DD-380)-- Part 2: General Characteristics

LAUNCHED:    1 December 1936

COMMISSIONED:   24 June 1937

DECOMMISSIONED:   18 April 1946

************************************

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

LENGTH:  340 feet 10 inches

BEAM:  35 feet 10 inches

DRAFT:   12 feet 9 inches

SPEED:  38.5 knots

COMPLEMENT:  158

ARMAMENT:

four 5-inch guns, four .50 caliber machine guns, sixteen 21-inch torpedo tubes

--GreGen

USS Gridley (DD-380)-- Part 1: The Gridley Class of Destroyers

The USS Gridley (DDG-101) was the featured current U.S. warship for the month of October 2021.  It is the fourth Navy ship named for Charles Vernon Gridley (of the "You may fire when ready, Gridley" fame).

The first USS Gridley was a Wickes-class destroyer (DD-92) launched in 1918 and decommissioned  in 1922.  I wrote about that one in November's Cooter's History Thing blog.  The USS Gridley (DD-380) was the second ship to bear the name.  I will write about it here since it fought in World War II.

The USS Gridley (DD-380) was the lead ship of her class of destroyers.  There were just four destroyers in her class.  The other three:

USS Craven (DD-382)  1937-1946  (Named after Tunis Craven USN, killed at Battle of Mobile Bay)

USS McCall  (DD-400)  1938-1945  (Named after Edward McCall who fought in the War of 1812)

USS Maury  (DD-401) 1938-1945  (Named after Matthey Maury, USN and CSN)

--GreGen

USS Helm (DD-338)-- Part 4: Iwo Jima, Formosa, Leyte Gulf

After the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Helm and the fast carriers she protected attacked Japanese islands at Bonin and Volcano and supported the invasion of Guam.  On 25 July 1944 they began attacks on the Palau Islands.  Then came Iwo Jima.  The Helm sank a small Japanese freighter on 2 September.

Then came Okinawa, 10 October and Formosa.  Japanese retaliation came strong and on 12 October, the Helm's 5-inch guns shot down a Japanese bomber and assisting in the destruction of several others.  After Formosa, Task Force 38 returned to Leyte and the Japanese made one last attempt to destroy the American fleet in what is known as the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

After victory here, the Helm and carriers resumed supporting ground operations on Leyte.  During this time, they were attacked by aircraft and on  28 October 1944, they had a submarine attack where the Helm and Gridley used depth charges to sink the Japanese submarine I-46.

On 30 October, two of the group's carriers, the Franklin and Belleau Wood were badly damaged by kamikazes.

--GreGen

Herbert F. Rommel-- Part 2: At Pearl Harbor on USS Oklahoma

That day, December 7, 1941, Rommel was on board the USS Oklahoma and preparing to attend a pistol match when he heard an explosion.  He remembered: "I went to see what was going on.  As I reached the deck, I saw a plane with bright red balls beneath its wings fly right over me.

"The officer of the deck sounded air defense on the bugle.  I ran off toward the turret.  On the way, I grabbed the intercom and announced over the loudspeaker, 'This is a real air raid.  This is no (expletive deleted)'"

Afterwards, he served on the USS Gridley (DD-380) for the next three years and was awarded 12 battle stars and a Bronze Star.

He was promoted in ranks and eventually commanded the USS Wilkes at the end of the war.  Mr. Rommel said, "That was the most damn fun I ever had."

After that he became commanding officer of the Washington Navy Yard and later commanded five different ships.

He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 66, Site 6321.

--GreGen