.gif)
USS La Vallette (DD-448)
Encyclopedia
USS La Vallette (DD-448) was a World War II
-era Fletcher-class
destroyer
in the service of the United States Navy
. She was the second Navy ship named after Rear Admiral
Elie A. F. La Vallette
.
La Vallette was laid down 27 November 1941 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
, Kearny, New Jersey
; launched 21 June 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Lucy La Vallette Little, great-granddaughter of Rear Admiral LaVallette; and commissioned 12 August 1942, Lieutenant Commander
H. H. Henderson in command.
and Atlantic, La Vallette departed New York
16 December 1942 for the Panama Canal
and Pacific duty. First contact with the enemy came 29 January 1943 as she screened Task Force 18 (TF18) off Guadalcanal
, when La Vallette’s guns splashed three of a wave of attacking planes.
Attacked again 30 January while guarding Chicago
(CA-29), she shot down six Japan
ese Mitsubishi G4M
“Bettys”, but was struck by a torpedo. With 22 dead, she was towed to drydock at Espiritu Santo
for temporary repairs, then sailed to Mare Island Navy Yard, arriving 1 April.
Completely repaired, La Vallette left 6 August for Pearl Harbor
, where she joined a carrier force for a strike on Marcus Island 31 August before returning to patrol duty in the Solomon Islands
. On the nights of 1 and 2 October, she contacted Japanese troop barges off Kolombangara
, of which she sank four and damaged two. La Vallette carried out escort and screening assignments during the Gilbert
landings, and in strikes against Kwajalein
and Wotje, during which she splashed another enemy aircraft. Brief repairs at San Francisco followed, after which she returned to the South Pacific.
On 1 February 1944 she fired in the preinvasion bombardment of Roi, part of the Kwajalein complex; in April she hit Aitape
, and on 2 July supported the landings on Noemfoor
, off New Guinea
. Constant patrol and escort operations were conducted between these invasions.
Assigned to escort convoys during the first assaults on the Philippines
, La Vallette had already left Leyte Gulf
with a convoy bound to reload at Hollandia
before the vast and decisive Battle of Leyte Gulf
erupted; but she returned to the Philippines by 5 December, when she splashed a kamikaze
in Surigao Strait
. She covered five more landings. in the Philippines during December and January 1945, then joined the screen for minesweepers clearing Manila Bay
. On 14 February in Mariveles Harbor, La Vallette was extensively damaged by a mine. With six dead and 23 wounded, she was towed to drydock at Subic Bay
, then sailed for Hunters Point Navy Yard where she was completely repaired. On 7 August she sailed for San Diego, California
, where she decommissioned 16 April 1946, and entered the Reserve Fleet, where she remained at least into 1969. In 1974 she was sold to Peru
for parts.
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...
-era Fletcher-class
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...
in the service 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...
. She was the second Navy ship named after 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"...
Elie A. F. La Vallette
Elie A. F. La Vallette
Elie Augustus Frederick La Vallette was one of the first rear admirals appointed in the United States Navy when President Abraham Lincoln created the rank in July 1862.-Biography:...
.
La Vallette was laid down 27 November 1941 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
The Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company was a United States shipyard, active from 1917 to 1949. During World War II, it built ships as part of the U.S. Government's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Operated by a subsidiary of the United States Steel Corporation, the shipyard was located at...
, Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
; launched 21 June 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Lucy La Vallette Little, great-granddaughter of Rear Admiral LaVallette; and commissioned 12 August 1942, 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...
H. H. Henderson in command.
History
After training and escort duty in the CaribbeanCaribbean
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...
and Atlantic, La Vallette departed New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
16 December 1942 for 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...
and Pacific duty. First contact with the enemy came 29 January 1943 as she screened Task Force 18 (TF18) off 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...
, when La Vallette’s guns splashed three of a wave of attacking planes.
Attacked again 30 January while guarding Chicago
USS Chicago (CA-29)
USS Chicago was a Northampton-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy that served in the Pacific Theater in the early years of World War II. She was the second US Navy ship to be named after the city of Chicago, Illinois...
(CA-29), she shot down six 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...
ese Mitsubishi G4M
Mitsubishi G4M
The Mitsubishi G4M 一式陸上攻撃機, 一式陸攻 Isshiki rikujō kōgeki ki, Isshikirikkō was the main twin-engine, land-based bomber used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. The Allies gave the G4M the reporting name Betty...
“Bettys”, but was struck by a torpedo. With 22 dead, she was towed to drydock at Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
for temporary repairs, then sailed to Mare Island Navy Yard, arriving 1 April.
Completely repaired, La Vallette left 6 August 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...
, where she joined a carrier force for a strike on Marcus Island 31 August before returning to patrol duty in 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...
. On the nights of 1 and 2 October, she contacted Japanese troop barges off Kolombangara
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
, of which she sank four and damaged two. La Vallette carried out escort and screening assignments during the Gilbert
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...
landings, and in strikes against 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...
and Wotje, during which she splashed another enemy aircraft. Brief repairs at San Francisco followed, after which she returned to the South Pacific.
On 1 February 1944 she fired in the preinvasion bombardment of Roi, part of the Kwajalein complex; in April she hit Aitape
Aitape
Aitape is a small town of about 8,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun Province. It is a coastal settlement that is almost equidistant from the provincial capitals of Wewak and Vanimo, and marks the midpoint of the highway between these two capitals...
, and on 2 July supported the landings on Noemfoor
Noemfoor
Numfor is one of the Biak Islands in Papua province, Indonesia. It was the site of conflict between Japanese and the Allied forces during World War II, and was major airbase for both sides.-Geography:The island is situated just north of the large Cenderawasih Bay...
, off 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...
. Constant patrol and escort operations were conducted between these invasions.
Assigned to escort convoys during the first assaults on 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...
, La Vallette had already left 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...
with a convoy bound to reload at Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
before the vast and decisive Battle of Leyte Gulf
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
erupted; but she returned to the Philippines by 5 December, when she splashed 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....
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...
. She covered five more landings. in the Philippines during December and January 1945, then joined the screen for minesweepers clearing Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
. On 14 February in Mariveles Harbor, La Vallette was extensively damaged by a mine. With six dead and 23 wounded, she was towed to drydock at Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. It was the largest U.S...
, then sailed for Hunters Point Navy Yard where she was completely repaired. On 7 August she sailed 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...
, where she decommissioned 16 April 1946, and entered the Reserve Fleet, where she remained at least into 1969. In 1974 she was sold to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
for parts.