.gif)
USS Humphreys (DD-236)
Encyclopedia
USS Humphreys (DD-236/APD-12) was a Clemson-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during World War II
. She was named for Joshua Humphreys
, a pioneer US shipbuilder.
Humphreys was launched 28 July 1919 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation; sponsored by Miss Letitia A. Humphreys, great-granddaughter of Joshua Humphreys; and commissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
21 July 1920, Commander W. Baggaley in command.
waters, Humphreys sailed 14 August for special duty in the Mediterranean. For the next year she operated primarily in the eastern Mediterranean with Turkish
ships, protecting American and Turkish interests in the area during the conflict which followed the Russian Revolution
. Humphreys did surveying work and acted as station and communications ship. In November 1920 she evacuated civilians from the Crimea
during the last stages of the Russian civil war
, and, until August 1921, operated off Palestine
, Turkey, and Egypt
on maneuvers. She sailed from Constantinople
6 August 1921, arriving Newport, Rhode Island
23 August, and spent the rest of the year in training operations.
Humphreys spent the next 2 years on ship and fleet training exercises in Atlantic and Caribbean
waters. She sailed 21 January 1925 via the Panama Canal Zone
for San Diego, California
, and after her arrival 12 March took part in important fleet maneuvers off the California
coast. In June she returned to New York and her regular schedule of training in the Caribbean. Humphreys maintained this operational pattern until decommissioning at Philadelphia 10 January 1930, taking part in annual reserve training cruises during the summers 1926-29.
in October. From the Caribbean the ship returned to San Diego 8 November 1934 and for the next year took part in important carrier training exercises in the Pacific. Acting as screen ship and plane guard, Humphreys helped perfect the tactics of aircraft carrier
warfare which were to exert a strong influence on the coming war. She remained on the West Coast, with occasional voyages to Pearl Harbor
and Midway
, until she was decommissioned at San Diego on 14 September 1938.
Humphreys recommissioned once more 26 September 1939 as the beginning of the war in Europe necessitated an increase in America's readiness. Humphreys conducted shakedown off San Diego and sailed 13 November to join the Neutrality Patrol
in the Caribbean, designed to protect American shipping. During May and June 1940 the ship took part in a sound school at Newport to improve her antisubmarine capability, and sailed 4 December from Norfolk, Virginia
for San Diego, where she arrived 2 days before Christmas. There she continued Neutrality Patrol duty and engaged in antisubmarine training off California.
brought the United States into the war 7 December 1941. During the critical early months she operated as a coastal escort ship between San Pedro and Seattle, Washington
but in May she sailed northward to Kodiak, Alaska
, arriving 31 May 1942. In the bleak Aleutian Islands she escorted transports, patrolled American-held islands, and engaged in exercises with Honolulu
, Indianapolis
, and several destroyers. Humphreys arrived at San Francisco 11 November and entered Mare Island Navy Yard for conversion to high-speed transport.
She was reclassified APD-12 on 1 December 1942; and, following shakedown training, arrived at Pearl Harbor 31 December to prepare for duty in the western Pacific. After amphibious training in Hawaiian waters, the ship sailed to Noumea
22 January 1943 and began ferrying troops and supplies from advance bases to Guadalcanal
, Tulagi
, and Florida Island. During these critical months as the ship repeatedly steamed to the Solomon Islands
in support of amphibious assaults, she often fought off bombing and strafing attacks by Japanese aircraft.
After training landings Humphreys embarked elements of the 1st Cavalry Division at Nouméa and transported them to Townsville, Australia, in preparation for Operation Chronicle
, landings on Woodlark
and Kiriwina
Islands. Arriving Townsville 20 May 1943, the ship sailed for Milne Bay
21 June, and from there landed troops and equipment on Woodlark 23 June without enemy opposition. This first landing of the long New Guinea campaign was also the first for Admiral Daniel E. Barbey
's 7th Fleet Amphibious Force ("VII Phib"), and provided invaluable experience for the numerous amphibious operations to come.
Humphreys sailed to Brisbane
for repairs during July and August, and returned to Milne Bay
15 August 1943. There she prepared for VII Phib's next move up the coast of New Guinea to Lae. After putting their troops ashore early 4 September, the high-speed transports remained off the beach to protect landing craft from Japanese air attack. The Australian troops landed by Humphreys and the other ships soon took Lae, and the ship departed 7 September with casualties for Buna. On the 10th she returned with three other transports for a night sweep of Huon Gulf, driving away supply barges and bombarding Japanese positions around Lae.
Next on Barbey's amphibious timetable in New Guinea was Finschhafen
, where Humphreys and her sister ships carried out a surprise landing 22 September. After bringing reinforcements 8 days later, the ship took casualties to Buna 8 October and arrived at Goodenough Island 19 October for amphibious exercises.
Seizure of New Britain
was vital to the advance toward the Philippines as it provided control of the strategic Vitiaz
and Dampier Strait
s. The first step of the operation was to gain control of the harbor at Arawe
. Humphreys sailed with other amphibious units for southern New Britain, arriving 15 December; put ashore elements of the 112th Cavalry Regiment
in rubber boats to seize harbor islands; then stood offshore to provide gunfire support before retiring to Buna that afternoon.
Humphreys also took part in the Cape Gloucester
landings 26 December, remaining in the Cape Sudest
area into February 1944. She then sailed for the landings in the Admiralties 27 February, arriving off Los Negros 2 days later. Humphreys landed troops at Hyane; steamed to Cape Sudest; and, when resistance stiffened in early March, returned off Hyane with reinforcements.
In April the ship began preparations for the three-pronged amphibious attack on central New Guinea, the Hollandia operation. Humphreys landed troops at Humboldt Bay
22 April against light opposition, and remained off the beaches providing gunfire support. Following the assault, she returned to Buna and sailed 12 May for the United States.
She arrived at San Francisco 30 May, and was converted to carry "frogmen," the Navy's skilled Underwater Demolition Teams. Sailing again 30 July, Humphreys trained in Hawaiian waters before sailing to Manus 28 September to join the invasion fleet for the return to the Philippines. Sailing 12 October, she carried UDT Team No. 5 to the Leyte beaches 18 October, remaining close in to provide fire support during this reconnaissance. Next day she patrolled Leyte Gulf for Japanese submarines, and continued this work during the main landings 20 October 1944. The veteran ship assisted in shooting down a bomber 21 October before sailing in convoy for Manus.
The invasion of Luzon was next on Humphreys schedule. After stopping at Noumea
and Hollandia, she sortied from the Palaus 1 January 1945 with the Lingayen invasion group. Steaming through the Philippines the ships encountered suicide attacks
and shot down many planes. These attacks became more intense as Humphreys entered Lingayen Gulf
6 January; and next day as her UDT team swam ashore for vital reconnaissance work, the ship provided gunfire cover. She remained in the Gulf until sailing with a convoy 10 January, 1 day after the main landings.
The ship arrived at Ulithi 23 January 1945 and took on a new duty, screening logistics groups during at-sea replenishment and refueling of the wide-ranging carrier striking forces. She screened refueling operations for 5th Fleet escort carriers covering the Iwo Jima landings, then steamed on to Iwo Jima
itself 8 March 1945. There Humphreys acted as screening ship until arriving Leyte with a convoy 17 March.
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 named for Joshua Humphreys
Joshua Humphreys
Joshua Humphreys was an influential and successful ship builder in the United States.Humphreys was born in Haverford, Pennsylvania and died in the same place. He is the son of Daniel Humphreys and Hannah Wynne . He was brother to Charles Humphreys...
, a pioneer US shipbuilder.
Humphreys was launched 28 July 1919 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation; sponsored by Miss Letitia A. Humphreys, great-granddaughter of Joshua Humphreys; and commissioned 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,...
21 July 1920, Commander W. Baggaley in command.
1920s
After completing her shakedown training in New EnglandNew 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...
waters, Humphreys sailed 14 August for special duty in the Mediterranean. For the next year she operated primarily in the eastern Mediterranean with Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
ships, protecting American and Turkish interests in the area during the conflict which followed the Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
. Humphreys did surveying work and acted as station and communications ship. In November 1920 she evacuated civilians from the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
during the last stages of the Russian civil war
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, and, until August 1921, operated off Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Turkey, and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on maneuvers. She sailed from Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
6 August 1921, arriving Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
23 August, and spent the rest of the year in training operations.
Humphreys spent the next 2 years on ship and fleet training exercises in Atlantic and 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...
waters. She sailed 21 January 1925 via the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
for 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...
, and after her arrival 12 March took part in important fleet maneuvers off the 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...
coast. In June she returned to New York and her regular schedule of training in the Caribbean. Humphreys maintained this operational pattern until decommissioning at Philadelphia 10 January 1930, taking part in annual reserve training cruises during the summers 1926-29.
1930s
Humphreys recommissioned at Philadelphia 13 June 1932, and sailed 15 August for maneuvers on the West Coast. The ship took part in two fleet problems, vital tools in perfecting equipment and tactics, before sailing 19 April 1934 for New York. Upon her arrival 31 May Humphreys resumed her readiness operations on the East Coast, taking part in a fleet exercise off HaitiHaiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
in October. From the Caribbean the ship returned to San Diego 8 November 1934 and for the next year took part in important carrier training exercises in the Pacific. Acting as screen ship and plane guard, Humphreys helped perfect the tactics 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...
warfare which were to exert a strong influence on the coming war. She remained on the West Coast, with occasional voyages 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 Midway
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
, until she was decommissioned at San Diego on 14 September 1938.
Humphreys recommissioned once more 26 September 1939 as the beginning of the war in Europe necessitated an increase in America's readiness. Humphreys conducted shakedown off San Diego and sailed 13 November to join the Neutrality Patrol
Neutrality Patrol
At the beginning of World War II, when Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 started the hostilities in Europe, President Franklin D...
in the Caribbean, designed to protect American shipping. During May and June 1940 the ship took part in a sound school at Newport to improve her antisubmarine capability, and sailed 4 December from 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....
for San Diego, where she arrived 2 days before Christmas. There she continued Neutrality Patrol duty and engaged in antisubmarine training off California.
World War II
Humphreys was in San Diego when the Japanese attack on Pearl HarborAttack 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...
brought the United States into the war 7 December 1941. During the critical early months she operated as a coastal escort ship between San Pedro and 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...
but in May she sailed northward to Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
, arriving 31 May 1942. In the bleak Aleutian Islands she escorted transports, patrolled American-held islands, and engaged in exercises with Honolulu
USS Honolulu (CL-48)
USS Honolulu of the United States Navy was a Brooklyn-class light cruiser active in the Pacific War...
, Indianapolis
USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
USS Indianapolis was a of the United States Navy. She holds a place in history due to the circumstances of her sinking, which led to the greatest single loss of life at sea in the history of the U.S. Navy...
, and several destroyers. Humphreys arrived at San Francisco 11 November and entered Mare Island Navy Yard for conversion to high-speed transport.
She was reclassified APD-12 on 1 December 1942; and, following shakedown training, arrived at Pearl Harbor 31 December to prepare for duty in the western Pacific. After amphibious training in Hawaiian waters, the ship sailed to 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 January 1943 and began ferrying troops and supplies from advance bases 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...
, 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 Florida Island. During these critical months as the ship repeatedly steamed to the 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...
in support of amphibious assaults, she often fought off bombing and strafing attacks by Japanese aircraft.
After training landings Humphreys embarked elements of the 1st Cavalry Division at Nouméa and transported them to Townsville, Australia, in preparation for Operation Chronicle
Operation Chronicle
Operation Chronicle was the Allied invasion of Woodlark and Kiriwina Islands during World War II, in the South West Pacific as part of Operation Cartwheel. An early planning name for this operation was Operation Coronet...
, landings on Woodlark
Woodlark Island
Woodlark Island, known to its inhabitants simply as Woodlark or Muyua, is an island in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. It is called Murua by the inhabitants of some other islands in the province...
and Kiriwina
Kiriwina
Kiriwina is the largest of the Trobriand Islands, with an area of 290.5 km². It is part of the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. Most of the 12,000 people who live in the Trobriands live on Kiriwina. The Kilivila language, also known as Kiriwina, is spoken on the island...
Islands. Arriving Townsville 20 May 1943, the ship sailed for Milne Bay
Milne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
21 June, and from there landed troops and equipment on Woodlark 23 June without enemy opposition. This first landing of the long New Guinea campaign was also the first for Admiral Daniel E. Barbey
Daniel E. Barbey
Vice Admiral Daniel Edward Barbey was an officer in the United States Navy who served in World War I and World War II. A graduate of the Naval Academy, he participated in the 1912 United States occupation of Nicaragua and the 1915 United States occupation of Veracruz. While serving with the War...
's 7th Fleet Amphibious Force ("VII Phib"), and provided invaluable experience for the numerous amphibious operations to come.
Humphreys sailed 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...
for repairs during July and August, and returned to Milne Bay
Milne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
15 August 1943. There she prepared for VII Phib's next move up the coast of New Guinea to Lae. After putting their troops ashore early 4 September, the high-speed transports remained off the beach to protect landing craft from Japanese air attack. The Australian troops landed by Humphreys and the other ships soon took Lae, and the ship departed 7 September with casualties for Buna. On the 10th she returned with three other transports for a night sweep of Huon Gulf, driving away supply barges and bombarding Japanese positions around Lae.
Next on Barbey's amphibious timetable in New Guinea was 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...
, where Humphreys and her sister ships carried out a surprise landing 22 September. After bringing reinforcements 8 days later, the ship took casualties to Buna 8 October and arrived at Goodenough Island 19 October for amphibious exercises.
Seizure of 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...
was vital to the advance toward the Philippines as it provided control of the strategic Vitiaz
Vitiaz Strait
Vitiaz Strait is a strait between New Britain and the Huon Peninsula, northern New Guinea .The Vitiaz Strait was so named by Nicholai Nicholaievich Mikluho-Maklai to commemorate the Russian corvette Vitiaz in which he sailed from October 1870 by way of South America and the Pacific Islands reaching...
and Dampier Strait
Dampier Strait (Papua New Guinea)
Dampier Strait in Papua New Guinea separates Umboi Island and New Britain, linking the Bismarck Sea to the north with the Solomon Sea to the south, at ....
s. The first step of the operation was to gain control of the harbor at Arawe
Arawe
Arawe is located on the south coast of New Britain about from Cape Gloucester. A small harbour known as Arawe harbour provides an anchorage....
. Humphreys sailed with other amphibious units for southern New Britain, arriving 15 December; put ashore elements of the 112th Cavalry Regiment
112th Cavalry Regiment (United States)
The 112th Cavalry Regiment was a Texas National Guard Regiment that served in several Pacific campaigns during World War II.-Early history:...
in rubber boats to seize harbor islands; then stood offshore to provide gunfire support before retiring to Buna that afternoon.
Humphreys also took part in the 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...
landings 26 December, remaining in the 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....
area into February 1944. She then sailed for the landings in the Admiralties 27 February, arriving off Los Negros 2 days later. Humphreys landed troops at Hyane; steamed to Cape Sudest; and, when resistance stiffened in early March, returned off Hyane with reinforcements.
In April the ship began preparations for the three-pronged amphibious attack on central New Guinea, the Hollandia operation. Humphreys landed troops at 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...
22 April against light opposition, and remained off the beaches providing gunfire support. Following the assault, she returned to Buna and sailed 12 May for the United States.
She arrived at San Francisco 30 May, and was converted to carry "frogmen," the Navy's skilled Underwater Demolition Teams. Sailing again 30 July, Humphreys trained in Hawaiian waters before sailing to Manus 28 September to join the invasion fleet for the return to the Philippines. Sailing 12 October, she carried UDT Team No. 5 to the Leyte beaches 18 October, remaining close in to provide fire support during this reconnaissance. Next day she patrolled Leyte Gulf for Japanese submarines, and continued this work during the main landings 20 October 1944. The veteran ship assisted in shooting down a bomber 21 October before sailing in convoy for Manus.
The invasion of Luzon was next on Humphreys schedule. After stopping 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,...
and Hollandia, she sortied from the Palaus 1 January 1945 with the Lingayen invasion group. Steaming through the Philippines the ships encountered suicide attacks
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....
and shot down many planes. These attacks became more intense as Humphreys entered 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...
6 January; and next day as her UDT team swam ashore for vital reconnaissance work, the ship provided gunfire cover. She remained in the Gulf until sailing with a convoy 10 January, 1 day after the main landings.
The ship arrived at Ulithi 23 January 1945 and took on a new duty, screening logistics groups during at-sea replenishment and refueling of the wide-ranging carrier striking forces. She screened refueling operations for 5th Fleet escort carriers covering the Iwo Jima landings, then steamed on to 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...
itself 8 March 1945. There Humphreys acted as screening ship until arriving Leyte with a convoy 17 March.
Fate
As an important preliminary to the main landings on Okinawa, Humphreys took part in the assault of Keise Shima 31 March, screening LST's and performing escort duties until 3 April when she sailed for Ulithi. This last and largest of Pacific landings was then well underway, and the ship escorted resupply convoys from Ulithi to bitterly contested Okinawa until returning to Pearl Harbor 4 June 1945. From there she sailed to San Diego where she was reclassified DD-236 on 20 July 1945. Humphreys decommissioned 26 October 1945 and was sold for scrap 26 August 1946 to National Metal & Steel Corporation, Terminal Island, Calif.External links
- http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/236.htm