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USS Gilmer (DD-233)
Encyclopedia
USS Gilmer (DD-233/APD-11) was a Clemson-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during World War II
. She was the first ship named for Secretary of the Navy
Thomas Walker Gilmer
.
Gilmer was launched 24 May 1919 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation; sponsored by Mrs. Elizabeth Gilmer Miles, Secretary Gilmer's granddaughter; and commissioned 30 April 1920, Lieutenant, junior grade
Harold J. Wright commanding.
in 1926 to protect American lives and property during the guerrilla war led by Augusto César Sandino
, an escort voyage to Havana
guarding President
Calvin Coolidge
in in 1928, and disaster relief work in the Caribbean during the same year.
Decommissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
31 August 1938, Gilmer recommissioned 25 September 1939 following the outbreak of World War II and was attached to the Atlantic Fleet
Destroyer Division as flagship
. She conducted patrols and exercises in the Atlantic and Caribbean until reaching San Diego, California
4 November 1940 and continued these duties along the Pacific coast until the United States entered the war.
when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor
on 7 December 1941. She immediately began antisubmarine patrol and escort duties and continued her missions until entering drydock 13 November 1942. She was redesignated as a high speed transport, APD-11, on 22 January 1943 following conversion. She sailed from Seattle, Washington
29 January via San Diego for Pearl Harbor
, arriving 13 February, and subsequently escorted merchantmen to Espiritu Santo
, where she moored 9 March and commenced amphibious training exercises with the 4th Marine Raiders
Battalion.
On 5 April, Gilmer sailed from Tulagi
and as flagship of Transport Division 16 engaged in antisubmarine patrols in those waters. She called at Noumea
22 April, and put in at Townsville, Australia, 8 May, making two round trip escort voyages thence to Brisbane
13 May-22 June 1943. Escort and patrolling from Australia to New Guinea
continued until 4 September 1943, when Gilmer participated in the Allied assault on the Huon Peninsula
near Lae
, New Guinea, and patrolled off Buna
, New Guinea. She supported American and Australian forces in the New Guinea campaign, and made frequent escort voyages thence to Australia and return. On 26 December 1943, she landed troops of the 1st Marine Division at Cape Gloucester
, New Britain
, and stood by to support landings at Finschhafen
3 days later. On 2 January 1944, elements of the 126th Infantry were landed at Saidon. Gilmer engaged in patrols of Buna, Cape Sudest
, and Australia and bombarded Humboldt Bay
, New Guinea, 22 April 1944 when Army
forces began the assault.
On 12 May the ship sailed from Hollandia to embark underwater demolition teams (UDT) at Pearl Harbor and debarked them 14 June 1944 at the initial assault on Saipan
. Two days later she discovered and sank four Japanese cargo ships, taking 24 prisoners, escaping serious damage. Tinian Town was bombarded 23 June and UDT operations off that island continued until 14 July when Gilmer, along with , formed an offensive antisubmarine warfare group and sank in 18°18' N, 146°26' E.
Gilmer sailed from Tinian 12 August for Pearl Harbor and until January 1945 conducted demolition and reconnaissance training with UDT teams in Hawaiian waters. She sailed 10 January as flagship for rehearsal exercises at Ulithi
, and on 16 February closed Iwo Jima
for the initial amphibious assaults. UDT teams were landed on the eastern and western beaches, and Gilmer screened as the big ship bombarded Japanese defenses on Iwo Jima. Patrolling and screening activities continued through 24 February, when Gilmer sailed for Leyte, arriving four days later. After touching Ulithi, she took part in the Okinawa operation, closing that island 25 March 1945 as flagship of the UDT's. The next day, a kamikaze
hit her galley deckhouse, killing one and wounding three crewmen. Gilmer supported the invasion until 9 April when she sailed for repairs at Pearl Harbor, but returned to Okinawa 4 July to recommence patrolling duties.
Following antisubmarine screening assignments for convoys bound from the Philippines to Okinawa, Gilmer moored at Nagasaki 13 September after Japan's surrender to carry prisoners of war from there to Okinawa. She sailed from that island 15 October to escort a convoy to Hong Kong, arriving 22 October, and sailed again 2 days later to escort troopships carrying the Chinese 13th Army to Chinwangtao. After further escort and patrol voyages along the China coast, Gilmer sailed from Tsingtao
26 November for the United States and finally moored in the U.S. again at Philadelphia 11 January 1946.
25 February 1946. She was sold for scrapping 3 December 1946.
Clemson class destroyer
The Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.The Clemson-class ships were commissioned by the United States Navy from 1919 to 1922, built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, New York Shipbuilding...
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...
in 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...
during 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...
. She was the first ship named for Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
Thomas Walker Gilmer
Thomas Walker Gilmer
Thomas Walker Gilmer was an American statesman.-Personal life:Gilmer was born to George and Eliza Gilmer at their farm, "Gilmerton", in Albemarle County, Virginia. He was taught by private tutors in Charlottesville and Staunton, and studied law in Liberty , Virginia.Gilmer practiced law in...
.
Gilmer was launched 24 May 1919 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation; sponsored by Mrs. Elizabeth Gilmer Miles, Secretary Gilmer's granddaughter; and commissioned 30 April 1920, Lieutenant, junior grade
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...
Harold J. Wright commanding.
Service history
From 27 August 1920 to 11 August 1923, Gilmer made two round trip transatlantic voyages out of New York to European and Mediterranean ports. She subsequently engaged in training exercises along the Eastern seaboard, in the Caribbean, and out of West Coast ports until 1938. This varied duty was highlighted by a cruise to NicaraguaNicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
in 1926 to protect American lives and property during the guerrilla war led by Augusto César Sandino
Augusto César Sandino
Augusto Nicolás Calderón Sandino was a Nicaraguan revolutionary and leader of a rebellion against the U.S. military occupation of Nicaragua between 1927 and 1933...
, an escort voyage to Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
guarding President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
in in 1928, and disaster relief work in the Caribbean during the same year.
Decommissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
31 August 1938, Gilmer recommissioned 25 September 1939 following the outbreak of World War II and was attached to the Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
Destroyer Division as flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
. She conducted patrols and exercises in the Atlantic and Caribbean until reaching San Diego, California
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...
4 November 1940 and continued these duties along the Pacific coast until the United States entered the war.
World War II
Gilmer was at sea off Puget SoundPuget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
on 7 December 1941. She immediately began antisubmarine patrol and escort duties and continued her missions until entering drydock 13 November 1942. She was redesignated as a high speed transport, APD-11, on 22 January 1943 following conversion. She sailed from 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...
29 January via San Diego for 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...
, arriving 13 February, and subsequently escorted merchantmen 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....
, where she moored 9 March and commenced amphibious training exercises with the 4th Marine Raiders
Marine Raiders
The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare, particularly in landing in rubber boats and operating behind the lines...
Battalion.
On 5 April, Gilmer sailed from Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
and as flagship of Transport Division 16 engaged in antisubmarine patrols in those waters. She called at Noumea
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
22 April, and put in at Townsville, Australia, 8 May, making two round trip escort voyages thence to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
13 May-22 June 1943. Escort and patrolling from Australia to New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
continued until 4 September 1943, when Gilmer participated in the Allied assault on the Huon Peninsula
Huon Peninsula
Huon Peninsula is a large rugged peninsula on the island of New Guinea in Morobe Province, eastern Papua New Guinea. It is named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec who discovered it along with his personal assistant and porter, Henry Ole. The peninsula is dominated by the steep...
near Lae
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
, New Guinea, and patrolled off Buna
Buna, Papua New Guinea
Buna is a village in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. It was the site in part, of the Battle of Buna-Gona during World War II, when it constituted a variety of native huts and a handful of houses with a airstrip...
, New Guinea. She supported American and Australian forces in the New Guinea campaign, and made frequent escort voyages thence to Australia and return. On 26 December 1943, she landed troops of the 1st Marine Division at Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester is a headland, in the northwest of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at . During World War II, the Japanese captured New Britain, and had driven most of Cape Gloucester's native population out to construct two airfields...
, New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
, and stood by to support landings at Finschhafen
Finschhafen
Finschhafen is a district on the northeast coast of the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. It is named after the port of the same name.The port was discovered in 1884 by the German researcher Otto Finsch. In 1885 the German colony of German New Guinea created a town on the site and named it...
3 days later. On 2 January 1944, elements of the 126th Infantry were landed at Saidon. Gilmer engaged in patrols of Buna, Cape Sudest
Cape Sudest
Cape Sudest is a Cape in Papua New Guinea, next to Oro Bay. There was an important U.S military base there in World War II. It was situated in Oro Province, about a mile south of Harigo....
, and Australia and bombarded Humboldt Bay
Teluk Yos Sudarso
Yos Sudarso Bay also known earlier as Humboldt Bay is a small bay in Indonesia. It is on the north coast of New Guinea, about 50 kilometers west of the border between Indonesia's province of Papua and the country of Papua New Guinea...
, New Guinea, 22 April 1944 when 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...
forces began the assault.
On 12 May the ship sailed from Hollandia to embark underwater demolition teams (UDT) at Pearl Harbor and debarked them 14 June 1944 at the initial assault on Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
. Two days later she discovered and sank four Japanese cargo ships, taking 24 prisoners, escaping serious damage. Tinian Town was bombarded 23 June and UDT operations off that island continued until 14 July when Gilmer, along with , formed an offensive antisubmarine warfare group and sank in 18°18' N, 146°26' E.
Gilmer sailed from Tinian 12 August for Pearl Harbor and until January 1945 conducted demolition and reconnaissance training with UDT teams in Hawaiian waters. She sailed 10 January as flagship for rehearsal exercises at 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...
, and on 16 February closed 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...
for the initial amphibious assaults. UDT teams were landed on the eastern and western beaches, and Gilmer screened as the big ship bombarded Japanese defenses on Iwo Jima. Patrolling and screening activities continued through 24 February, when Gilmer sailed for Leyte, arriving four days later. After touching Ulithi, she took part in the Okinawa operation, closing that island 25 March 1945 as flagship of the UDT's. The next day, a kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
hit her galley deckhouse, killing one and wounding three crewmen. Gilmer supported the invasion until 9 April when she sailed for repairs at Pearl Harbor, but returned to Okinawa 4 July to recommence patrolling duties.
Following antisubmarine screening assignments for convoys bound from the Philippines to Okinawa, Gilmer moored at Nagasaki 13 September after Japan's surrender to carry prisoners of war from there to Okinawa. She sailed from that island 15 October to escort a convoy to Hong Kong, arriving 22 October, and sailed again 2 days later to escort troopships carrying the Chinese 13th Army to Chinwangtao. After further escort and patrol voyages along the China coast, Gilmer sailed from Tsingtao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
26 November for the United States and finally moored in the U.S. again at Philadelphia 11 January 1946.
Fate
Decommissioned 5 February 1946, her name was struck from the Navy listNaval 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...
25 February 1946. She was sold for scrapping 3 December 1946.
External links
- http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/233.htm