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USS Chevalier (DD-451)
Encyclopedia
USS Chevalier (DD-451), a Fletcher-class
destroyer
, was the first ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Lieutenant Commander Godfrey Chevalier
.
Chevalier was launched 11 April 1942 by Bath Iron Works
Corp., Bath, Maine
; sponsored by Mrs. G. DeC. Chevalier, commissioned 20 July 1942, Lt. Comdr. E. R. McLean, Jr. in command.
escort voyages: one coastwise, with tanker
s; a second, from Bermuda
to Norfolk, Virginia
and with one of the first reinforcement convoys for North Africa
. Sailing from Norfolk 17 December, Chevalier reached Efate
, New Hebrides
22 January 1943. On 27 January she sortied with Task Force
18 (TF 18) to cover the movement of troop transports to Guadalcanal
. On 29 and 30 January Chevalier joined in protective antiaircraft fire as her force came under intensive Japan
ese air attack in the Battle of Rennell Island
. Chevalier operated on patrol from Efate, and after 14 February from Espiritu Santo
.
On 7 May 1943 she escorted three minelayer
s as they mined Blackett Strait
, and Kula Gulf
, Solomon Islands
. The next night three Japanese destroyers, Kuroshio
, Oyashio
, and Kagero
, ran into the minefield and were severely damaged by the mines and then sunk by aircraft. Between 11 May and 14 May, Chevalier joined in the bombardment of Vila, and covered another minelaying operation in Kula Gulf
.
On 28 June 1943 the destroyer again sailed from Espiritu Santo as a part of the covering force for troops bound for landings at Rice anchorage to block Japanese movements from Vila to Munda
, Solomon Islands. The group entered Kula Gulf shortly before midnight, 1 July, and began to bombard Vila and Bairoko Harbor
, while the transports headed for the anchorage. During the operation the American force was attacked by three Japanese destroyers which launched torpedo
es, and retired at high-speed. One of the Japanese torpedoes hit Strong
(DD-467), tearing open her hull amidships on both sides. Chevalier deliberately rammed her bow into Strong' s port side and lay alongside for several minutes while Strong' s survivors crawled on board. Japanese shore batteries opened fire on the stricken ship, but Chevalier remained alongside until 241 survivors had come on board, while O'Bannon
(DD-450) delivered counterfire against the Japanese. Chevalier pulled clear of Strong at 01:22, and the stricken destroyer sank a minute later. Chevalier had torn a hole 10 by 2 feet in her bow, but it did not seriously impair her operating ability as it was well above her waterline. The destroyer returned to Espiritu Santo 8 July for repairs.
Repairs completed 22 July 1943, Chevalier operated throughout the Solomons on patrol and escort duty until 14 August. On 15 August the destroyer covered the landings at Vella Lavella
, Solomon Islands. On the 17th Chevalier and three other destroyers were dispatched to intercept four Japanese destroyers and several enemy barge
s who were attempting to reinforce Kolombangara
. After a brief encounter between the destroyers, in which neither side suffered to any great extent, the Japanese destroyers departed the area, abandoning the barges. The American forces turned their attention to this objective and sank or severely damaged all of them. The destroyer returned to Espiritu Santo 29 August and during September made an escort voyage to Sydney
, Australia
.
On 6 October 1943 Chevalier, O'Bannon, and Selfridge
(DD-357) intercepted nine Japanese destroyers and destroyer transports attempting to evacuate troops from Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands. Although greatly outnumbered, the American destroyers attacked. After firing half of their torpedoes and scoring several hits with gunfire, the group continued to steam into the line of fire of enemy torpedoes in order to keep their own guns bearing. At approximately 22:05 Chevalier was struck on the port bow by an enemy torpedo which tore her bow off to the bridge, throwing the ship entirely out of control. The destroyer O'Bannon which was following Chevalier could not avoid the damaged destroyer and rammed her in the after engine room, flooding that space and stopping Chevalier' s port shaft. While making preparations to abandon ship, Chevalier' s skipper ordered the torpedoes in her tubes to be fired at the Japanese destroyer Yugumo. The burning Japanese ship blew up soon after. By 23:26 it was apparent that Chevalier could not be saved and the order was given to abandon Ship. Her crew was picked up by O'Bannon' s boats, and Chevalier was sunk the following day by a torpedo from the USS La Vallette
. Her severed bow was located about a mile to the west and was sunk with depth charge
s. Chevalier lost 54 killed, and suffered 36 wounded.
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 the first 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 Lieutenant Commander Godfrey Chevalier
Godfrey Chevalier
Lt. Cdr. Godfrey DeCourcelles Chevalier, USN was a pioneering naval aviator of the United States Navy of World War I and the early 1920s....
.
Chevalier was launched 11 April 1942 by Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
Corp., Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
; sponsored by Mrs. G. DeC. Chevalier, commissioned 20 July 1942, Lt. Comdr. E. R. McLean, Jr. in command.
History
Between 3 October and 11 December 1942 Chevalier made three convoyConvoy
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...
escort voyages: one coastwise, with tanker
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
s; a second, from 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...
to 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....
and with one of the first reinforcement convoys for North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. Sailing from Norfolk 17 December, Chevalier reached Efate
Éfaté
Efate is an island in the Agean Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in The Republic of Maliki. It is also known as Île Vate. It is the most populous island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most inhabitants of Efate live in Port Vila, the national...
, 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...
22 January 1943. On 27 January she sortied with 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...
18 (TF 18) to cover the movement of troop transports to Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
. On 29 and 30 January Chevalier joined in protective antiaircraft fire as her force came under intensive 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...
ese air attack in the Battle of Rennell Island
Battle of Rennell Island
The Battle of Rennell Island took place on 29–30 January 1943, and was the last major naval engagement between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Guadalcanal campaign of World War II...
. Chevalier operated on patrol from Efate, and after 14 February from 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....
.
On 7 May 1943 she escorted three minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
s as they mined Blackett Strait
Blackett Strait
Blackett Strait is a waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the islands of Kolombangara to the north, and Arundel Island to the south...
, and Kula Gulf
Kula Gulf
Kula Gulf is a waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the islands of Kolombangara to the west, Arundel Island to the southwest, and New Georgia to the south and east. To the north, it opens into New Georgia Sound...
, Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. The next night three Japanese destroyers, Kuroshio
Japanese destroyer Kuroshio
was the third vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program .-Background:...
, Oyashio
Japanese destroyer Oyashio
was the fourth vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program .-Background:...
, and Kagero
Japanese destroyer Kagero
was the lead ship in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program .-Background:...
, ran into the minefield and were severely damaged by the mines and then sunk by aircraft. Between 11 May and 14 May, Chevalier joined in the bombardment of Vila, and covered another minelaying operation in Kula Gulf
Kula Gulf
Kula Gulf is a waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the islands of Kolombangara to the west, Arundel Island to the southwest, and New Georgia to the south and east. To the north, it opens into New Georgia Sound...
.
On 28 June 1943 the destroyer again sailed from Espiritu Santo as a part of the covering force for troops bound for landings at Rice anchorage to block Japanese movements from Vila to Munda
Munda (Solomon Islands)
Munda is the largest settlement on the island of New Georgia in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, and consists of a number of villages...
, Solomon Islands. The group entered Kula Gulf shortly before midnight, 1 July, and began to bombard Vila and Bairoko Harbor
Bairoko Harbor
Bairoko Harbor is situated along the northwestern shore of the island of New Georgia in the Solomon Islands.During World War II Japan used Bairoko Harbor to resupply its forces at Munda Point, an airstrip situated along the south coast of New Georgia...
, while the transports headed for the anchorage. During the operation the American force was attacked by three Japanese destroyers which launched torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es, and retired at high-speed. One of the Japanese torpedoes hit Strong
USS Strong (DD-467)
USS Strong , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral James H. Strong , who distinguished himself at the Battle of Mobile Bay....
(DD-467), tearing open her hull amidships on both sides. Chevalier deliberately rammed her bow into Strong
USS O'Bannon (DD-450)
USS O'Bannon , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon , the Marine Corps's "hero of Derna"....
(DD-450) delivered counterfire against the Japanese. Chevalier pulled clear of Strong at 01:22, and the stricken destroyer sank a minute later. Chevalier had torn a hole 10 by 2 feet in her bow, but it did not seriously impair her operating ability as it was well above her waterline. The destroyer returned to Espiritu Santo 8 July for repairs.
Repairs completed 22 July 1943, Chevalier operated throughout the Solomons on patrol and escort duty until 14 August. On 15 August the destroyer covered the landings at Vella Lavella
Vella Lavella
Vella Lavella is an island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies to the west of New Georgia, but is considered one of the New Georgia Group...
, Solomon Islands. On the 17th Chevalier and three other destroyers were dispatched to intercept four Japanese destroyers and several enemy barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s who were attempting to reinforce Kolombangara
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
. After a brief encounter between the destroyers, in which neither side suffered to any great extent, the Japanese destroyers departed the area, abandoning the barges. The American forces turned their attention to this objective and sank or severely damaged all of them. The destroyer returned to Espiritu Santo 29 August and during September made an escort voyage to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, 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...
.
On 6 October 1943 Chevalier, O'Bannon, and Selfridge
USS Selfridge (DD-357)
The second USS Selfridge was a in the United States Navy. She named for Rear Admiral Thomas O. Selfridge and his son, Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr...
(DD-357) intercepted nine Japanese destroyers and destroyer transports attempting to evacuate troops from Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands. Although greatly outnumbered, the American destroyers attacked. After firing half of their torpedoes and scoring several hits with gunfire, the group continued to steam into the line of fire of enemy torpedoes in order to keep their own guns bearing. At approximately 22:05 Chevalier was struck on the port bow by an enemy torpedo which tore her bow off to the bridge, throwing the ship entirely out of control. The destroyer O'Bannon which was following Chevalier could not avoid the damaged destroyer and rammed her in the after engine room, flooding that space and stopping Chevalier
USS La Vallette
Two ships of the United States Navy have borne the name USS La Vallette, named in honor of Rear Admiral Elie A. F. La Vallette., was a , launched in 1919 and scrapped in 1931, was a , launched in 1942 and struck in 1974...
. Her severed bow was located about a mile to the west and was sunk with 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...
s. Chevalier lost 54 killed, and suffered 36 wounded.
External links
- USS Chevalier website at Destroyer History Foundation
- navsource.org: USS Chevalier
- hazegray.org: USS Chevalier
- ASailorsDiary.com First-hand account of the sinking of the USS Chevalier