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USS Izard (DD-589)
Encyclopedia
USS Izard (DD-589), a Fletcher-class
destroyer
, was a ship of the United States Navy
named for Lieutenant Ralph Izard (1785–1822),
Izard was launched
8 August 1942 by the Charleston Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. Robert E. Lee III, great-granddaughter of Lt. Ralph Izard; and commissioned
15 May 1943, Commander Earl K. Van Swearingen in command.
U-boat
off the coast of The Carolinas
, Izard departed Norfolk
14 September 1943 and sailed for Pearl Harbor
via the Panama Canal Zone
and San Diego
. Arriving Pearl Harbor 4 October she spent the next 6 weeks training and standing plane guard duty.
As the Pacific Fleet started its mighty sweep across Micronesia
Izard sortied 10 November 1943 from Pearl Harbor with Rear Admiral Charles Alan Pownall
's Carrier Force (TF-50) for the Gilbert Islands operations
, and for the next month provided air, surface and antisubmarine
protection for Makin Island
.
After taking part in the bombardment of Nauru
Island 8 December 1943 Izard retired to Havannah Harbor, Efate
. Here she trained and rehearsed for the fleet's next target—the Marshall Islands
. Izard sortied from Funafuti
Harbor, Ellice Island, 23 January 1944 with Rear Admiral Forrest Sherman
's Carrier Task Group to provide air cover for the assault and capture of Kwajalein
. At 04:40 29 January the carriers launched their first strikes toward Kwajalein
. By that afternoon the fleet had delivered many devastating blows on the enemy. By 4 February Izard had entered Majuro
Atoll, recently captured from the Japanese, and dropped anchor. Here she joined Admiral Raymond Spruance's Truk Striking Force and Admiral Marc Mitscher
's Fast Carrier Task Force
(TF 58/38) for strikes on Truk (17–18 February 1944). The first strike was launched at 06:42 17 February and after 2 days the carrier planes had destroyed auxiliary cruisers Aikoku Maru and Eiyosumi Maru; destroyer Fumizuki; submarine tender
s Rio de Janeiro Maru and Heian Maru; aircraft ferry Fujikawa Maru, 6 tanker
s and 17 more marus; total tonnage about 200,000. Planes from Enterprise
(CV-6) also sunk destroyers Oite
and Agano
. On the first day of the strikes while Admiral Mitscher's planes were at work, Admiral Spruance's group, including Izard, conducted a round-the-atoll search to catch escaping vessels. They sunk light cruiser
Katori
, destroyer Maikaze
, and sub chaser SC-24. After 18 February Truk lost its usefulness as a fleet anchorage or advanced naval base for the Japanese. In addition, the 250 to 275 planes destroyed or damaged was a severe blow to the Japanese air force.
Izard screened the carriers launching strikes in the Tinian
-Saipan
area 22 February, retiring to Majuro the 26th and Pearl in mid-March. From March through August she operated in support of the 5th Fleet operations in New Guinea
and the Marianas. Izard was part of the screen for Admiral J.J. "Jocko" Clark
's Carrier Task Group TG 58.1 during the Battle of the Philippine Sea
(19–20 June 1944) which broke the enemy's once-mighty naval air arm.
Izard continued in support of fast carriers launching strike after strike against the enemy. On 4 July 1944 it was in a group of three cruisers and four destroyers that bombarded the airfield at Iwo Jima
. During the first part of October she joined Admiral John S. McCain
's task group for strikes on Okinawa and Formosa
. During the following months she supported the Leyte operation
and participated in the Battle of Lingayen Gulf
. There she was next to the Columbia
(CL-56) when the Columbia was hit by a kamikaze
. At one point, she sailed through the eyewall of a Pacific storm that had 50 knot winds. In February 1945 she was supposed to head for refitting, but another ship needed replacement as part of the Iwo Jima attack. She sailed with one other ship to Iwo Jima, arrived on the second day of the invasion, and was assigned duty during the Battle of Iwo Jima
rendering fire support, screening, and radar picket duty until 27 March. She fired 3,600 five inch rounds at Iwo Jima during the battle, firing from South of the island.
Izard steamed for Eniwetok 28 March arriving 2 April. Joining a convoy
she steamed east, reaching Pearl Harbor
on the day of FDR
's death, hearing the news as she was sailing in the channel at Pearl on her arrival. She then quickly resumed sailing and arrived at Bremerton
for refitting on 20 April, 1945. Izard sailed for Pearl Harbor 30 June and in August joined the Northern Pacific Force at Adak, Alaska
. The last of August, the Izard sailed for Honshū
, Japan, and after the war continued to operate in northern Japan, liberating prisoners-of-war
and demobilizing Japanese army and navy units until 15 November.
Izard returned to Seattle the last of November and 2 April 1946 steamed to San Diego. Izard decommissioned there 31 May 1946 and joined the Reserve Fleet
. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
1 May 1968, was sold 2 April 1970 and broken up for scrap.
Fletcher class destroyer
The Fletcher class were a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. The class was designed in 1939 as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
, was a 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...
named for Lieutenant Ralph Izard (1785–1822),
Izard was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
8 August 1942 by the Charleston Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. Robert E. Lee III, great-granddaughter of Lt. Ralph Izard; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
15 May 1943, Commander Earl K. Van Swearingen in command.
History
After shakedown interrupted by a search for a GermanGermany
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-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
off the coast of The Carolinas
The Carolinas
The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. Together, the two states + have a population of 13,942,126. "Carolina" would be the fifth most populous state behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida...
, Izard departed Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
14 September 1943 and sailed 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...
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...
and 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...
. Arriving Pearl Harbor 4 October she spent the next 6 weeks training and standing plane guard duty.
As the Pacific Fleet started its mighty sweep across Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
Izard sortied 10 November 1943 from Pearl Harbor with Rear Admiral Charles Alan Pownall
Charles Alan Pownall
Charles Alan Pownall was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and Governor of Guam . He was the third military Governor and first naval Governor of Guam following the United States recapture of the island from the Japanese...
's Carrier Force (TF-50) for the Gilbert Islands operations
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
, and for the next month provided air, surface and antisubmarine
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...
protection for Makin Island
Makin Island
Makin Island may refer to:* Butaritari, an atoll in Kiribati* Makin * USS Makin Island...
.
After taking part in the bombardment of Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
Island 8 December 1943 Izard retired to Havannah Harbor, Efate
Éfaté
Efate is an island in the Agean Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in The Republic of Maliki. It is also known as Île Vate. It is the most populous island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most inhabitants of Efate live in Port Vila, the national...
. Here she trained and rehearsed for the fleet's next target—the Marshall Islands
Marshall 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...
. Izard sortied from Funafuti
Funafuti
Funafuti is an atoll that forms the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 4,492 , making it the most populated atoll in the country. It is a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide, with a surface of...
Harbor, Ellice Island, 23 January 1944 with Rear Admiral Forrest Sherman
Forrest Sherman
Forrest Percival Sherman was an admiral in the United States Navy and the youngest man to serve as Chief of Naval Operations until Admiral Elmo Zumwalt became Chief of Naval Operations in 1970....
's Carrier Task Group to provide air cover for the assault and capture of Kwajalein
Battle of Kwajalein
The Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought from 31 January-3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of...
. At 04:40 29 January the carriers launched their first strikes toward Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
. By that afternoon the fleet had delivered many devastating blows on the enemy. By 4 February Izard had entered 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...
Atoll, recently captured from the Japanese, and dropped anchor. Here she joined Admiral Raymond Spruance's Truk Striking Force and Admiral Marc Mitscher
Marc Mitscher
Admiral Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific in the latter half of World War II.-Early life and career:...
's Fast Carrier Task Force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
(TF 58/38) for strikes on Truk (17–18 February 1944). The first strike was launched at 06:42 17 February and after 2 days the carrier planes had destroyed auxiliary cruisers Aikoku Maru and Eiyosumi Maru; destroyer Fumizuki; submarine tender
Submarine tender
A submarine tender is a type of ship that supplies and supports submarines.Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies, nor to carry a full array of maintenance equipment and...
s Rio de Janeiro Maru and Heian Maru; aircraft ferry Fujikawa Maru, 6 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 and 17 more marus; total tonnage about 200,000. Planes from 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) also sunk destroyers Oite
Japanese destroyer Oite (1924)
was the sixth vessel of the Kamikaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.-History:Construction of the...
and Agano
Japanese cruiser Agano
|-External links:*Tabular record:...
. On the first day of the strikes while Admiral Mitscher's planes were at work, Admiral Spruance's group, including Izard, conducted a round-the-atoll search to catch escaping vessels. They sunk 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...
Katori
Japanese cruiser Katori
was the lead ship of the Katori class of three light cruisers which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. It is named after the noted Shinto shrine Katori Shrine in Chiba prefecture, Japan.-Background:...
, destroyer Maikaze
Japanese destroyer Maikaze
Maikaze was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy.On 17 February 1944, while evacuating convoys to Yokosuka from Truk following Allied attack on Truk, Maikaze, the cruiser , and the auxiliary cruiser Akagi Maru were sunk by gunfire from the cruisers and 40 miles northwest of Truk...
, and sub chaser SC-24. After 18 February Truk lost its usefulness as a fleet anchorage or advanced naval base for the Japanese. In addition, the 250 to 275 planes destroyed or damaged was a severe blow to the Japanese air force.
Izard screened the carriers launching strikes in the 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....
-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...
area 22 February, retiring to Majuro the 26th and Pearl in mid-March. From March through August she operated in support of the 5th Fleet operations in 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...
and the Marianas. Izard was part of the screen for Admiral J.J. "Jocko" Clark
Joseph J. Clark
Admiral Joseph James "Jocko" Clark, USN was an admiral in the United States Navy, who commanded aircraft carriers during World War II. A native of Oklahoma, Clark was a member of the Cherokee tribe...
's Carrier Task Group TG 58.1 during the Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
(19–20 June 1944) which broke the enemy's once-mighty naval air arm.
Izard continued in support of fast carriers launching strike after strike against the enemy. On 4 July 1944 it was in a group of three cruisers and four destroyers that bombarded the airfield at 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...
. During the first part of October she joined Admiral John S. McCain
John S. McCain, Sr.
John Sidney "Slew" McCain Sr. was a U.S. Navy admiral. He held several command assignments during the Pacific campaign of World War II....
's task group for strikes on Okinawa and Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. During the following months she supported the Leyte operation
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
and participated in the Battle of 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...
. There she was next to the Columbia
USS Columbia (CL-56)
was one of 26 United States Navy light cruisers completed during or shortly after World War II. The ship, the sixth US Navy ship to bear the name, was named for the city of Columbia, South Carolina. Columbia was commissioned in July 1942, and saw service in several campaigns in the Pacific...
(CL-56) when the Columbia was hit by 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....
. At one point, she sailed through the eyewall of a Pacific storm that had 50 knot winds. In February 1945 she was supposed to head for refitting, but another ship needed replacement as part of the Iwo Jima attack. She sailed with one other ship to Iwo Jima, arrived on the second day of the invasion, and was assigned duty during the Battle of Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
rendering fire support, screening, and radar picket duty until 27 March. She fired 3,600 five inch rounds at Iwo Jima during the battle, firing from South of the island.
Izard steamed for Eniwetok 28 March arriving 2 April. Joining a 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...
she steamed east, reaching 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 the day of FDR
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's death, hearing the news as she was sailing in the channel at Pearl on her arrival. She then quickly resumed sailing and arrived at Bremerton
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
for refitting on 20 April, 1945. Izard sailed for Pearl Harbor 30 June and in August joined the Northern Pacific Force at Adak, Alaska
Adak, Alaska
Adak , formerly Adak Station, is a city in the Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 326. It is the westernmost municipality in the United States and the southernmost city in Alaska. The city is the former location of the Adak Army Base and Adak...
. The last of August, the Izard sailed for Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, Japan, and after the war continued to operate in northern Japan, liberating prisoners-of-war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
and demobilizing Japanese army and navy units until 15 November.
Izard returned to Seattle the last of November and 2 April 1946 steamed to San Diego. Izard decommissioned there 31 May 1946 and joined the Reserve Fleet
Reserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
. She was stricken 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...
1 May 1968, was sold 2 April 1970 and broken up for scrap.