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USS Grayson (DD-435)
Encyclopedia
USS Grayson (DD-435), a Gleaves-class
destroyer
, is the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Rear Admiral
Cary Travers Grayson
, who served as personal physician and aide to President Woodrow Wilson
during World War I
. He also served as chairman of the American Red Cross
from 1935 until his death 15 February 1938.
Grayson was laid down 17 July 1939 by the Charleston Navy Yard, South Carolina, launched 7 August 1940; sponsored by Mrs. Alice Gertrude Gordon Grayson Harrison (Mrs. George Leslie Harrison), widow of Rear Admiral Grayson; and commissioned 14 February 1941, Lieutenant Commander
Thomas M. Stokes in command.
along the New England
coast and in Chesapeake Bay
, Grayson joined Destroyer Division 22 (DesDiv 22) of the Atlantic Fleet. On 28 August the new destroyer be became flagship
of Destroyer Squadron 11 (DesRon 11) operating in the Caribbean
out of Guantanamo Bay
. She reported for neutrality patrol in the North Atlantic waters between Newfoundland and Iceland
on 26 October.
After ten months patrolling and protecting convoy
s in the icy North Atlantic, Grayson was ordered to the Pacific to join an American fleet battered but resolutely carrying the war to the enemy. She sailed from San Diego
on 2 April 1942 as part of aircraft carrier
Hornet
's escort and rendezvoused at sea 13 April with Enterprise
(CV-6) under Admiral
William F. Halsey, Jr. From this fast carrier force, steaming less than 800 miles from the Japanese home islands, General
Jimmy Doolittle
launched his famed B-25 raid, the Doolittle raid
on Tokyo
, 18 April, bringing war to the enemy's own land.
The task group sailed into Pearl Harbor
on 25 April. Grayson departed almost immediately for repairs in California
, but soon returned to the Pacific war.
via Tongatapu
on 7 August 1942, the carriers launched their planes to cover Marine
landings there, America's first major blow of the war on the road to Japan; and then operated in the area to block Japanese reinforcements. As they maneuvered off Guadalcanal, Enterprise was hit by Japanese bombs 24 August in an action filled half-hour which saw Grayson down two planes and damage a third. The task group dispersed, Enterprise returning to Pearl Harbor for repairs, and Grayson joined Task Force 11 (TF 11), built around Saratoga
(CV-3) under Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher
. Action soon followed. Sighting a Japanese submarine
on the surface the next day, 25 August, Grayson closed for the kill. After expending 46 depth charge
s — her entire supply — in a series of five attacks, the destroyer saw a huge air bubble and oil slick rise to the surface indicating that they had sunk an Imperial submarine.
The battle-proven ship and crew remained in the bitterly contested waters around Guadalcanal for nearly eight months in a variety of duties. The Grayson convoyed troop transports loaded with reinforcements from Nouméa
and other staging areas to Guadalcanal, patrolled in "The Slot", served as a radar picket ship, and performed valuable rescue work. On 18 October she picked up 75 survivors from Meredith
(DD-434), sunk by aerial torpedo
16 October, and helped escort the barge Vireo, loaded with desperately needed fuel and ammunition, to Guadalcanal.
, arriving 24 September. She accounted for at least four and possible two more Japanese barges loaded with evacuees from Kolombangara
during three nights of action, 30 September – 3 October, with DesRon 21 under Commander
A. D. Chandler. After 3 months of patrol duty, Grayson sailed for Puget Sound Navy Yard 16 December for overhaul.
, 10 February 1944. Patrol duty in the Solomons, Carolines, and Marshalls occupied her the following 6 months. On 30 March Grayson supported initial assault landings on Pityilu Island
, Admiralties, from 22 to 24 April she was fighter-director ship for the landings at Tanahmerah Bay
, Dutch New Guinea. She bombarded Biak Island on 27 May and Noemfoor Island on 2 July prior to invasion landings.
On 1 September 1944 Grayson joined TG 38, for carrier strikes against the enemy in the Palau Islands, scene of the next major invasion. She returned to Seeadler Harbor
on 30 September. She again sailed 2 October for a major strike against Okinawa and the Philippines
. Japanese planes harassed the withdrawal, and on 15 October Grayson rescued 194 men from the torpedoed light cruiser
Houston
(CL-81), who was towed safely to Ulithi
.
Prom Ulithi, Grayson sailed straight to Saipan
, where on 3 November she took up radar picket and lifeguard duty. Finally Grayson was ordered home, reaching Seattle 9 June 1945 for her first real rest since the war began.
. After brief training she sailed for the United States. transiting the Panama Canal 8 October, she put in at Charleston, South Carolina
, 16 October. Eleven days later the battle-scarred "tin can" hosted over 5,000 visitors as a grateful and jubilant public paid tribute on Navy Day
. Grayson remained at Charleston until decommissioned, 4 February 1947, and was placed in reserve. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1972 and sold 12 June 1974 and broken up for scrap.
Grayson received 13 battle stars for World War II service.
In 1965, Grayson — via stock footage
— appeared in Gilligan's Island
episode “Forget Me Not” steaming alongside USS Emmons
(DD-457), representing U.S. Navy ships looking for the stranded castaways.
Gleaves class destroyer
The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class...
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 Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Cary Travers Grayson
Cary Travers Grayson
Admiral Cary Travers Grayson was a surgeon in the United States Navy who served a variety of roles from personal aide to President Woodrow Wilson to chairman of the American Red Cross.-Career:Grayson was born to Dr...
, who served as personal physician and aide to President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He also served as chairman of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
from 1935 until his death 15 February 1938.
Grayson was laid down 17 July 1939 by the Charleston Navy Yard, South Carolina, launched 7 August 1940; sponsored by Mrs. Alice Gertrude Gordon Grayson Harrison (Mrs. George Leslie Harrison), widow of Rear Admiral Grayson; and commissioned 14 February 1941, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Thomas M. Stokes in command.
Atlantic escort duty, transfer to Pacific and Doolittle Raid
After shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
along the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast and in Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
, Grayson joined Destroyer Division 22 (DesDiv 22) of the Atlantic Fleet. On 28 August the new destroyer be became 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...
of Destroyer Squadron 11 (DesRon 11) operating in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
out of Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
. She reported for neutrality patrol in the North Atlantic waters between Newfoundland and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
on 26 October.
After ten months patrolling and protecting convoy
Convoy
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...
s in the icy North Atlantic, Grayson was ordered to the Pacific to join an American fleet battered but resolutely carrying the war to the enemy. She sailed from 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...
on 2 April 1942 as part of aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
Hornet
USS Hornet (CV-8)
USS Hornet CV-8, the seventh ship to carry the name Hornet, was a of the United States Navy. During World War II in the Pacific Theater, she launched the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and participated in the Battle of Midway and the Buin-Faisi-Tonolai Raid...
's escort and rendezvoused at sea 13 April with Enterprise
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...
(CV-6) under Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
William F. Halsey, Jr. From this fast carrier force, steaming less than 800 miles from the Japanese home islands, General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Jimmy Doolittle
Jimmy Doolittle
General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...
launched his famed B-25 raid, the Doolittle raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
on Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, 18 April, bringing war to the enemy's own land.
The task group sailed into 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...
on 25 April. Grayson departed almost immediately for repairs in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, but soon returned to the Pacific war.
Guadalcanal
Grayson again found herself with a fast carrier force as she sailed from Pearl Harbor 15 July to escort Enterprise and Hornet. Reaching GuadalcanalGuadalcanal
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...
via Tongatapu
Tongatapu
Tongatapu is the main island of the Kingdom of Tonga and the location of its capital Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with approximately 71,260 residents , 70.5% of the national population...
on 7 August 1942, the carriers launched their planes to cover Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
landings there, America's first major blow of the war on the road to Japan; and then operated in the area to block Japanese reinforcements. As they maneuvered off Guadalcanal, Enterprise was hit by Japanese bombs 24 August in an action filled half-hour which saw Grayson down two planes and damage a third. The task group dispersed, Enterprise returning to Pearl Harbor for repairs, and Grayson joined Task Force 11 (TF 11), built around Saratoga
USS Saratoga (CV-3)
USS Saratoga was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the fifth ship to bear her name. She was commissioned one month earlier than her sister and class leader, , which is the third actually commissioned after and Saratoga...
(CV-3) under Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher
Frank Jack Fletcher
Frank Jack Fletcher was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War II. Fletcher was the operational commander at the pivotal Battles of Coral Sea and of Midway. He was the nephew of Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher.-Early life and early Navy career:Fletcher was born in Marshalltown, Iowa...
. Action soon followed. Sighting a Japanese submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
on the surface the next day, 25 August, Grayson closed for the kill. After expending 46 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 — her entire supply — in a series of five attacks, the destroyer saw a huge air bubble and oil slick rise to the surface indicating that they had sunk an Imperial submarine.
The battle-proven ship and crew remained in the bitterly contested waters around Guadalcanal for nearly eight months in a variety of duties. The Grayson convoyed troop transports loaded with reinforcements from Nouméa
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,...
and other staging areas to Guadalcanal, patrolled in "The Slot", served as a radar picket ship, and performed valuable rescue work. On 18 October she picked up 75 survivors from Meredith
USS Meredith (DD-434)
USS Meredith , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Jonathan Meredith, a United States Marine Corps Sergeant who served during the First Barbary War....
(DD-434), sunk by aerial torpedo
Aerial torpedo
The aerial torpedo, airborne torpedo or air-dropped torpedo is a naval weapon, the torpedo, designed to be dropped into water from an aircraft after which it propels itself to the target. First used in World War I, air-dropped torpedoes were used extensively in World War II, and remain in limited...
16 October, and helped escort the barge Vireo, loaded with desperately needed fuel and ammunition, to Guadalcanal.
Kolombangara
Returning to Pearl Harbor 15 April 1943 for overhaul, Grayson continued on to the States for further repairs and finally sailed to New CaledoniaNew Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, arriving 24 September. She accounted for at least four and possible two more Japanese barges loaded with evacuees from Kolombangara
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
during three nights of action, 30 September – 3 October, with DesRon 21 under 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...
A. D. Chandler. After 3 months of patrol duty, Grayson sailed for Puget Sound Navy Yard 16 December for overhaul.
1944
Grayson soon returned to the Pacific, putting in at Majuro Atoll, Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, 10 February 1944. Patrol duty in the Solomons, Carolines, and Marshalls occupied her the following 6 months. On 30 March Grayson supported initial assault landings on Pityilu Island
Pityilu Island
Pityilu Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and part of the Admiralty Islands. It is off the northern coast of Manus Island and is nearly 4.8 km long and varies in width from 76 to 198 metres.-History:...
, Admiralties, from 22 to 24 April she was fighter-director ship for the landings at Tanahmerah Bay
Tanahmerah Bay
Tanahmerah Bay, or Tanah Merah Bay, is a bay on the north coast of New Guinea, in the Indonesian province of Papua, about 50 km northwest of the provincial capital of Jayapura ....
, Dutch New Guinea. She bombarded Biak Island on 27 May and Noemfoor Island on 2 July prior to invasion landings.
On 1 September 1944 Grayson joined TG 38, for carrier strikes against the enemy in the Palau Islands, scene of the next major invasion. She returned to Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor, also known as Port Seeadler, is located on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea and played an important role in World War II...
on 30 September. She again sailed 2 October for a major strike against Okinawa and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Japanese planes harassed the withdrawal, and on 15 October Grayson rescued 194 men from the torpedoed light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
Houston
USS Houston (CL-81)
USS Houston , a Cleveland-class light cruiser, was the third vessel in the United States Navy named after the city of Houston, Texas. She was active in the Pacific War for several months, then crippled in an attack in October 1944....
(CL-81), who was towed safely to 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...
.
Prom Ulithi, Grayson sailed straight to 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...
, where on 3 November she took up radar picket and lifeguard duty. Finally Grayson was ordered home, reaching Seattle 9 June 1945 for her first real rest since the war began.
End of World War II and fate
Grayson returned to Pearl Harbor 1 September 1945, the day of the signing of the Articles of Surrender in Tokyo BayTokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
. After brief training she sailed for the United States. transiting the Panama Canal 8 October, she put in at 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...
, 16 October. Eleven days later the battle-scarred "tin can" hosted over 5,000 visitors as a grateful and jubilant public paid tribute on Navy Day
Navy Day
Several nations observe or have observed a Navy Day to recognize their navy. The term is also used in Britain to mean an open day at a dockyard such as HMNB Portsmouth, when the public can visit military ships and see air displays, roughly along the lines of an American Fleet Week .- Argentina...
. Grayson remained at Charleston until decommissioned, 4 February 1947, and was placed in reserve. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval 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...
on 1972 and sold 12 June 1974 and broken up for scrap.
Grayson received 13 battle stars for World War II service.
In 1965, Grayson — via stock footage
Stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
— appeared in Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
episode “Forget Me Not” steaming alongside USS Emmons
USS Emmons (DD-457)
USS Emmons was a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral George F. Emmons ....
(DD-457), representing U.S. Navy ships looking for the stranded castaways.