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USS Howard (DD-179)
Encyclopedia
USS Howard (DD–179) was a Wickes class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during World War II
. She was named for Charles W. Howard, who was killed in the Civil War aboard USS New Ironsides.
Howard was launched by Union Iron Works
San Francisco, California
, 26 April 1919; sponsored by Marion Filmer, and commissioned 29 January 1920 at Mare Island
, with Commander
B. M. Stewart in command.
. After initial tactical maneuvers and gunnery training, she departed San Diego on 3 May for Topolobampo
, Mexico
. She rejoined her destroyer flotilla on 17 May to participate in intensive and prolonged operations in the San Diego area, including torpedo
practice, patrol
, battle practices, and exercises with submarine
s. Howard decommissioned on 27 May 1922.
Recommissioned 29 August 1940, Howard was converted to a minesweeper
and reclassified DMS-7. She sailed from San Diego in mid October, arrived at Norfolk, Virginia
, on the 29th, and proceeded on 19 November for duty in the Caribbean
. She remained there until 17 May 1941 conducting minesweeping assignments and patrol duty enforcing the Neutrality Act. Howard returned to Norfolk on 19 May and participated in exercises along the Chesapeake Bay
until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 plunged the United States
into World War II.
ed transport
s and tanker
s in the Caribbean and western Atlantic
, keeping supply lanes open despite German
U-boats. Plans called for an invasion of North Africa
in 1942, a massive and hazardous amphibious operation projected across thousands of miles of ocean
. In October, Howard joined Admiral Hewitt
's Western Naval Task Force at Norfolk. She sailed on 24 October and screened during the Atlantic crossing. As troops landed on 8 November she performed both minesweeping and screening duties. During the first phase of the Naval Battle of Casablanca
that day, Howard screened Augusta as the cruiser
engaged shore batteries and dueled with . The destroyer then remained off Casablanca
and Safi
while the American soldiers
consolidated their beachhead
s and moored with victorious naval units at Casablanca 16 November 1942. After performing anti-submarine patrol duties she returned to Norfolk on 29 December.
During most of 1943, Howard plied the convoy lanes of the Atlantic and Caribbean protecting Allied ships from submarine
and air attack. She steamed to the West Indies, Panama
, Newfoundland
, and Iceland
on this duty, a key part of which was protecting the oil tankers so vital to the conduct of the war.
As the tempo of operations against Japan
increased, Howard was transferred to the western Pacific
theater, sailing from Norfolk on 21 November 1943, and arriving at San Diego on 7 December. After repairs and training, the ship sailed 25 March, escorting ships to Pearl Harbor
and Majuro
. She screened a returning convoy to Pearl Harbor, arriving there on 24 April, and there began preparations for the gigantic invasion of the Marianas. Joining Admiral
Richmond Turner's hard-fighting amphibious task force, Howard sortied on 29 May and arrived off Saipan
via Eniwetok on 13 June. The ship swept minefields during the day and conducted patrol and harassing fire by night until the landings on 15 June. Howard then was assigned to screen transport
s, and made two shuttle voyages to Eniwetok and back to the Marianas before returning to Pearl Harbor on 10 August 1944. In capturing the Marianas, the Navy had taken a long stride toward Japan and, as a bonus, had wiped out enemy naval air strength while smashing the Imperial Japanese Navy
's attempt to defend the strategic island group.
Howards next operation was the long-awaited invasion of the Philippines
, slated for October on the island of Leyte. Following training in the Hawaiian Islands
she arrived at Eniwetok on 24 September, and steamed to Leyte Gulf on 17 October. Once more she carried out dangerous minesweeping duties, clearing paths in Surigao Strait
and Leyte Gulf
, despite heavy weather. Her task completed, she departed on 24 October for Manus
with the invasion underway and during the first phase of the giant fleet battle for Leyte Gulf, which ended in a decisive victory for the U.S. Navy.
Training operations in the Admiralties
occupied the ship for the next two months, but she sailed again from Manus on 23 December to take part in the next phase of the Philippines operation, the invasion of Luzon
. She rendezvoused at Leyte Gulf 30 December, and departed in convoy for Lingayen Gulf
, 2 January 1945. During this voyage through the Philippines, the Japanese made desperate kamikaze
s, with Howard splashing one attacker and assisting in destroying many others. Unchecked, the invasion force drove on to the goal, arriving 6 January. The minesweepers began their work under almost constant air attack; and, by the time troops landed on 9 January three of Howards sister ships had been lost. But the assault could not be blocked and proved another of a long series of outstanding amphibious victories, success assured. The veteran minecraft departed to arrive Leyte Gulf 15 January 1945 and Ulithi
5 February.
As the American amphibious sweep surged ever closer to Japan, Howard sailed from Tinian
on 13 February with the invasion force for Iwo Jima
. Assuming her customary role in advance of the landings, she commenced exploratory sweeps off the island on 16 February, fighting off numerous air attacks. After the assault 19 February the ship acted as a screening ship, arriving at Saipan
on 2 March. Following another period of screening duty off Iwo Jima later in March, Howard arrived at Pearl Harbor via Guam
on 4 April 1945.
Newer ships now took the 25-year-old veteran's duty on the front lines. Reclassified AG-106 on 5 June 1945, she escorted submarines in Hawaiian waters and acted as plane guard for carrier
operations before sailing for the United States on 2 October. Transiting the Panama Canal
, Howard arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, on 2 November and decommissioned there on 30 November 1945. In 1946, Howard was sold to Northern Metals Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and scrapped.
, being appointed mate in October 1862. As acting ensign, he served on board and was in charge of the deck when that ship was attacked by Confederate torpedo boat in Charleston Harbor, on the night of 5 October 1863. Mounting the rail, he ordered the sentries to fire on the approaching enemy, and while exposed he received a mortal wound. He died 5 days later and was honored by being appointed acting master after his death "for gallant conduct in face of the enemy."
Wickes class destroyer
The Wickes-class destroyers were a group of 111 destroyers built by the United States Navy in 1917-1919. Along with the 6 preceding Caldwell class and 155 subsequent Clemson-class destroyers, they formed the "flush-deck" or "four-stack" class. Only a few were completed in time to serve in World...
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 named for Charles W. Howard, who was killed in the Civil War aboard USS New Ironsides.
Howard was launched by Union Iron Works
Union Iron Works
Union Iron Works, located in San Francisco, California, on the southeast waterfront, was a central business within the large industrial zone of Potrero Point, for four decades at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries.-History:...
San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, 26 April 1919; sponsored by Marion Filmer, and commissioned 29 January 1920 at Mare Island
Mare Island
Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
, with 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...
B. M. Stewart in command.
Service history
Howard departed San Francisco on 1 March 1920 to join the Pacific Destroyer force at San Diego, CaliforniaSan 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...
. After initial tactical maneuvers and gunnery training, she departed San Diego on 3 May for Topolobampo
Topolobampo
Topolobampo is a port on the Gulf of California in northwestern Sinaloa, Mexico. It is the fourth-largest town in the municipality of Ahome , reporting a 2005 census population of 6,032 inhabitants....
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. She rejoined her destroyer flotilla on 17 May to participate in intensive and prolonged operations in the San Diego area, including 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...
practice, patrol
Patrol
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as police officers or soldiers, that are assigned to monitor a specific geographic area.- Military :...
, battle practices, and exercises with 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...
s. Howard decommissioned on 27 May 1922.
Recommissioned 29 August 1940, Howard was converted to a minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
and reclassified DMS-7. She sailed from San Diego in mid October, arrived at 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....
, on the 29th, and proceeded on 19 November for duty 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...
. She remained there until 17 May 1941 conducting minesweeping assignments and patrol duty enforcing the Neutrality Act. Howard returned to Norfolk on 19 May and participated in exercises along the 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...
until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 plunged the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
into World War II.
World War II
Howard was underway on 8 December on escort duty, and in the months that followed, 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...
ed transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
s and 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 in the Caribbean and western Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, keeping supply lanes open despite German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
U-boats. Plans called for an invasion of 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...
in 1942, a massive and hazardous amphibious operation projected across thousands of miles of ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
. In October, Howard joined Admiral Hewitt
Hewitt
- People :In science:* Carl Hewitt, US scientist* Edwin Hewitt, mathematician* John Hewitt , British and South African herpetologist and museum curator* Paul G...
's Western Naval Task Force at Norfolk. She sailed on 24 October and screened during the Atlantic crossing. As troops landed on 8 November she performed both minesweeping and screening duties. During the first phase of the Naval Battle of Casablanca
Naval Battle of Casablanca
The Naval Battle of Casablanca was a series of naval engagements fought between American ships covering the invasion of North Africa and Vichy French ships defending the neutrality of French Morocco in accordance with the Second Armistice at Compiègne during World War II...
that day, Howard screened Augusta as the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
engaged shore batteries and dueled with . The destroyer then remained off Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
and Safi
Safi, Morocco
Safi is a city in western Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of the Doukkala-Abda Region, it has a population of 282,227 , but is also the centre of an agglomeration which has an estimated 793,000 inhabitants ....
while the American soldiers
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...
consolidated their beachhead
Beachhead
Beachhead is a military term used to describe the line created when a unit reaches a beach, and begins to defend that area of beach, while other reinforcements help out, until a unit large enough to begin advancing has arrived. It is sometimes used interchangeably with Bridgehead and Lodgement...
s and moored with victorious naval units at Casablanca 16 November 1942. After performing anti-submarine patrol duties she returned to Norfolk on 29 December.
During most of 1943, Howard plied the convoy lanes of the Atlantic and Caribbean protecting Allied ships from 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...
and air attack. She steamed to the West Indies, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
, 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 this duty, a key part of which was protecting the oil tankers so vital to the conduct of the war.
As the tempo of operations against 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...
increased, Howard was transferred to the western Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
theater, sailing from Norfolk on 21 November 1943, and arriving at San Diego on 7 December. After repairs and training, the ship sailed 25 March, escorting ships to 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...
and Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
. She screened a returning convoy to Pearl Harbor, arriving there on 24 April, and there began preparations for the gigantic invasion of the Marianas. Joining 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"...
Richmond Turner's hard-fighting amphibious task force, Howard sortied on 29 May and arrived off 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...
via Eniwetok on 13 June. The ship swept minefields during the day and conducted patrol and harassing fire by night until the landings on 15 June. Howard then was assigned to screen transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
s, and made two shuttle voyages to Eniwetok and back to the Marianas before returning to Pearl Harbor on 10 August 1944. In capturing the Marianas, the Navy had taken a long stride toward Japan and, as a bonus, had wiped out enemy naval air strength while smashing the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
's attempt to defend the strategic island group.
Howards next operation was the long-awaited invasion of 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...
, slated for October on the island of Leyte. Following training in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
she arrived at Eniwetok on 24 September, and steamed to Leyte Gulf on 17 October. Once more she carried out dangerous minesweeping duties, clearing paths in Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait is a body of water in the Philippines located between the islands of Mindanao and Leyte. This strait connects the Bohol Sea with Leyte Gulf and is regularly crossed by ferries that transport goods and people between Visayas and Mindanao...
and Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
, despite heavy weather. Her task completed, she departed on 24 October for Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
with the invasion underway and during the first phase of the giant fleet battle for Leyte Gulf, which ended in a decisive victory for the U.S. Navy.
Training operations in the Admiralties
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
occupied the ship for the next two months, but she sailed again from Manus on 23 December to take part in the next phase of the Philippines operation, the invasion of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. She rendezvoused at Leyte Gulf 30 December, and departed in convoy for Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
, 2 January 1945. During this voyage through the Philippines, the Japanese made desperate 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....
s, with Howard splashing one attacker and assisting in destroying many others. Unchecked, the invasion force drove on to the goal, arriving 6 January. The minesweepers began their work under almost constant air attack; and, by the time troops landed on 9 January three of Howards sister ships had been lost. But the assault could not be blocked and proved another of a long series of outstanding amphibious victories, success assured. The veteran minecraft departed to arrive Leyte Gulf 15 January 1945 and 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...
5 February.
As the American amphibious sweep surged ever closer to Japan, Howard sailed from Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
on 13 February with the invasion force for 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...
. Assuming her customary role in advance of the landings, she commenced exploratory sweeps off the island on 16 February, fighting off numerous air attacks. After the assault 19 February the ship acted as a screening ship, arriving at 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...
on 2 March. Following another period of screening duty off Iwo Jima later in March, Howard arrived at Pearl Harbor via Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
on 4 April 1945.
Newer ships now took the 25-year-old veteran's duty on the front lines. Reclassified AG-106 on 5 June 1945, she escorted submarines in Hawaiian waters and acted as plane guard for 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...
operations before sailing for the United States on 2 October. Transiting the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, Howard arrived 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,...
, on 2 November and decommissioned there on 30 November 1945. In 1946, Howard was sold to Northern Metals Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and scrapped.
Namesake
Charles W. Howard volunteered for service in the U.S. Navy during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, being appointed mate in October 1862. As acting ensign, he served on board and was in charge of the deck when that ship was attacked by Confederate torpedo boat in Charleston Harbor, on the night of 5 October 1863. Mounting the rail, he ordered the sentries to fire on the approaching enemy, and while exposed he received a mortal wound. He died 5 days later and was honored by being appointed acting master after his death "for gallant conduct in face of the enemy."