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USS Boyd (DD-544)
Encyclopedia
USS Boyd (DD-544) was a of the United States Navy
, named for Joseph Boyd
, who took part in Stephen Decatur
's expedition into Tripoli
harbor during the First Barbary War
.
Boyd was launched
29 October 1942 by Bethlehem Steel
Co., San Pedro, California, sponsored by Mrs. C. W. Styer, wife of Captain Styer, and commissioned
8 May 1943, Lieutenant Commander Ulysses S. G. Sharp, Jr. in command.
14 July 1943. After additional training she took part in the occupation of Baker Island
(1 September 1943) and then joined the Fast Carrier Task Force
as a screening vessel for the Wake Island
raid (5–6 October) and the Gilbert Islands
landings (19 November–8 December). During the bombardment of Nauru Island (8 December) Boyd was damaged by a Japanese shore battery while on a rescue mission. As a result she had to return to Espiritu Santo
, New Hebrides
, for repairs.
Following repairs Boyd arrived at Pearl Harbor 23 March 1944. She joined Task Force 58 (TF 58) for
She then joined TF 38 for the strikes against Okinawa (10 October), northern Luzon and Formosa (11–14 October), and Luzon (15 October), which preceded the Leyte landings
. After taking part in the Battle for Leyte Gulf (24–25 October) she screened the carriers launching strikes against Luzon (5–6, 13–14, and 19–25 November).
Between 31 December 1944 and 22 January 1945 Boyd served as an escort vessel. She then took part in the 24 January 1945 bombardment of Iwo Jima
and in the occupation of the island
(19 February–1 March). She arrived off Okinawa 95 March and remained there on screening duty until 30 June. She then rejoined the 3rd Fleet for strikes against the Japanese home islands (10 July–7 August). One of the first vessels to return to the United States after the Japanese surrender, Boyd departed Okinawa 7 September and underwent overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard (25 September–28 November). She then moved to San Diego
, arriving 14 January 1948 and was placed out of commission in reserve 15 January 1947.
Recommissioned 24 November 1950, the destroyer reported to the Pacific Fleet. Following training off the west coast, Boyd departed for Korea
28 May 1951. She remained there, serving with TF 77 and on the Formosa Strait Patrol, until returning to San Diego 21 December 1951. Boyd departed San Diego 12 July 1952 for her second Korean tour. She served on the Wonsan
blockade and took part in the amphibious demonstration off Kojo
(6–15 October). She departed Korean waters in late January and arrived at San Diego 16 February 1953. After the end of the Korean fighting Boyd continued operations along the west coast and made three Far Eastern tours.
Boyd received 11 battle stars for World War II
and five for her Korean War
service.
, and transferred to Turkey
. She served in the Turkish Navy
as TCG Iskenderun (D-343). In 1981, she was stricken and scrapped.
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 Joseph Boyd
Joseph Boyd
Joseph Boyd was a sailor in the United States Navy, who took part in Stephen Decatur's expedition into Tripoli harbor during the First Barbary War....
, who took part in Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur, Jr. , was an American naval officer notable for his many naval victories in the early 19th century. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester county, the son of a U.S. Naval Officer who served during the American Revolution. Shortly after attending college Decatur...
's expedition into Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
harbor 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...
.
Boyd was 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...
29 October 1942 by Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
Co., San Pedro, California, sponsored by Mrs. C. W. Styer, wife of Captain Styer, 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...
8 May 1943, Lieutenant Commander Ulysses S. G. Sharp, Jr. in command.
History
As a unit of the Pacific Fleet, Boyd departed for Pearl HarborPearl 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...
14 July 1943. After additional training she took part in the occupation of Baker Island
Baker Island
Baker Island is an uninhabited atoll located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean about southwest of Honolulu. The island lies almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia, and is a possession of the United States. Its nearest neighbor is Howland Island, to the north.Located at...
(1 September 1943) and then joined the Fast Carrier Task Force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
as a screening vessel for the Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
raid (5–6 October) and the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
landings (19 November–8 December). During the bombardment of Nauru Island (8 December) Boyd was damaged by a Japanese shore battery while on a rescue mission. As a result she had to return to Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
, 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...
, for repairs.
Following repairs Boyd arrived at Pearl Harbor 23 March 1944. She joined Task Force 58 (TF 58) for
- the HollandiaLanding at HollandiaThe Landing at Hollandia was a battle of the Western New Guinea campaign of World War II. American and allied forces undertook an amphibious landing on 22 April 1944 at Hollandia on northern coast of Dutch New Guinea...
landings (21–24 April); - Truk-SatawanSatawanSatawan Atoll is part of the Mortlock Islands in the Caroline Islands, administratively part of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Captain James Mortlock discovered two sets of islands on 19 and 27 November 1795. Confusingly, both were later called Mortlock Islands...
-PonapePohnpeiNot to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
raid (29 April–1 May); - Saipan landingsBattle of SaipanThe Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June-9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was...
(11–24 June); - 1st Bonins raid (15–16 June);
- Battle of the Philippine SeaBattle of the Philippine SeaThe Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
(19–20 June); - 2d Bonins raid (24 June);
- 3d Bonins raid (3–4 July);
- invasion of Guam (12 July–15 August);
- PalauPalauPalau , 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...
-YapYapYap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
-UlithiUlithiUlithi 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...
, raid (25–27 July); - 4th Bonins raid (4–5 August);
- occupation of the southern Palaus (9–24 September),
- and MorotaiMorotaiMorotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
landings (15 September).
She then joined TF 38 for the strikes against Okinawa (10 October), northern Luzon and Formosa (11–14 October), and Luzon (15 October), which preceded the Leyte landings
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
. After taking part in the Battle for Leyte Gulf (24–25 October) she screened the carriers launching strikes against Luzon (5–6, 13–14, and 19–25 November).
Between 31 December 1944 and 22 January 1945 Boyd served as an escort vessel. She then took part in the 24 January 1945 bombardment of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
and in the occupation of the island
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
(19 February–1 March). She arrived off Okinawa 95 March and remained there on screening duty until 30 June. She then rejoined the 3rd Fleet for strikes against the Japanese home islands (10 July–7 August). One of the first vessels to return to the United States after the Japanese surrender, Boyd departed Okinawa 7 September and underwent overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard (25 September–28 November). She then moved to San Diego
Naval Station San Diego
Naval Base San Diego is the largest base of the United States Navy on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of 54 ships and over 120 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched...
, arriving 14 January 1948 and was placed out of commission in reserve 15 January 1947.
Recommissioned 24 November 1950, the destroyer reported to the Pacific Fleet. Following training off the west coast, Boyd departed for 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...
28 May 1951. She remained there, serving with TF 77 and on the Formosa Strait Patrol, until returning to San Diego 21 December 1951. Boyd departed San Diego 12 July 1952 for her second Korean tour. She served on the Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
blockade and took part in the amphibious demonstration off Kojo
Kojo
Kojo may refer to:* A variant for the Akan name for males born on Monday* The servant of Nandywog in Ruth Plumly Thompson's The Purple Prince of Oz* King Kojo, a novel by Ruth Plumly Thompson with illustrations by Marge...
(6–15 October). She departed Korean waters in late January and arrived at San Diego 16 February 1953. After the end of the Korean fighting Boyd continued operations along the west coast and made three Far Eastern tours.
Boyd received 11 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...
and five for her 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...
service.
TCG Iskenderun (D-343)
On 1 October 1969, Boyd was decommissioned, stricken from the Naval Vessel RegisterNaval 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...
, and transferred to 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...
. She served in the Turkish Navy
Turkish 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...
as TCG Iskenderun (D-343). In 1981, she was stricken and scrapped.