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USS Lang (DD-399)
Encyclopedia
The first USS Lang (DD-399) was a Benham-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during World War II
. She was named for John Lang
.
, 5 April 1937; launched 27 August 1938; sponsored by Mrs. William D. Leahy, wife of Admiral
William D. Leahy
, Chief of Naval Operations
; and commissioned 30 March 1939, Lieutenant Commander
Felix L. Johnson in command.
Lang departed New York 12 August 1939 guarding President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s passage to Campobello
, Newfoundland
, and Nova Scotia
. The President came on board the 24th at Sandy Hook, New Jersey
, for transit to Fort Hancock
. In November, the destroyer left Newport, Rhode Island
, for Galveston, Texas
, and duty on the Gulf Patrol. Transferred to the Pacific, she reached San Diego
18 March 1940 and Pearl Harbor
2 April, where she participated in fleet problems and training exercises. She voyaged between the west coast and Hawaii throughout the remainder of 1940 and into early 1941 engaged in escort duties and training.
In June 1941 she returned to the Caribbean
and Atlantic coast for carrier and antisubmarine training. In December she acted as screen and plane guard during flight operations for Yorktown
and Ranger
off the Maine
coast and Bermuda
.
, for patrols with ships of the Royal Navy
, then sailed for the British West Indies
in January 1942. In transit she answered a distress call from torpedoed SS Empire Wildebeeste, and rescued 34 survivors. She left Bermuda 18 March for Casco Bay, Maine, and thence sailed 26 March escorting TF 39 which included carrier Wasp
. The force rendezvoused with three British ships 3 April and entered Scapa Flow, Scotland, the next day. The destroyer then became a part of Force “W”, sailing between England
and the Mediterranean to deliver desperately needed Spitfire
s to the island of Malta
. After two such missions, Lang returned to Norfolk 28 May and was transferred to San Diego a month later.
As flagship
for DesDiv 15, part of TF 18, Lang departed San Diego 1 July to join in shore bombardment exercises off Tonga
in preparation for the Guadalcanal
-Tulagi
landings. Three weeks later she screened Wasp as the carrier launched her aircraft in the first American land offensive of the Pacific war.
, Lang carried out patrol and escort missions in the continuing effort to reconquer the Solomons. On 22 January and 24 January 1943 she bombarded Japan
ese positions near Kokumbona
, Guadalcanal. In July, Lang and four other destroyers sailed for Kula Gulf
escorting six APDs
to the New Georgia
landings. Early on the 18th, the American force sighted and attacked three Japanese destroyers forcing them to retire behind a smokescreen. The ships completed their mission and sailed for Purvis Bay, Florida, from which Lang and two other destroyers escorted five LCIs
to the landings at Onaiavisi, New Georgia, 31 July. During enemy air attack here Lang downed one aircraft.
Langs next mission, in company with five other destroyers, was to destroy enemy forces in Vella Gulf
, part of the “Tokyo Express
” route. On the nights of 6 August and 7 August her task group sank three Japanese destroyers, Kawakaze
, Arashi
, and Hagikaze
, which had been attempting to reinforce Kolombangara
. Two nights later the vessels conducted a sweep in the same area and drove off three groups of Japanese troop barges. After 3 months of continued escort duty. Lang joined TF 50 for the invasion of the Gilberts 23 November to 30 November, bombarded Nauru
9 December, and early in the new year bombarded Roi, Namur
, and Abraham
.
, returning to escort duties 15 March 1944. During the summer she again operated with TF 58 during the Marianas campaign, screening the fast carrier force. She returned to Tulagi
on 17 August after the victory in the Marianas.
Lang next sailed to Wewak, New Guinea, 31 August to lay a minefield and bombard shore positions. She then escorted two reinforcement convoys bound for Morotai 16 September to 3 October through heavy enemy air attacks. On 8 October she took torpedoed Shelton (DE-407)
in tow, and brought her in to Morotai
before the ship capsized and sank.
Lang departed Hollandia
10 October for the Leyte Gulf
operation. Though she came under six kamikaze
attacks, the ship suffered no damage and shot down one enemy plane. She departed the battle area for Manus
on 31 October, and on Christmas Day sailed with TF 78 for the Lingayen Gulf
landings, where she was attacked by kamikazes. Lang downed one plane. She returned to Leyte Gulf 16 January 1945 to escort a resupply echelon to Lingayen, patrolled the entrance to Lingayen until 28 January, then sailed to train in the Solomons for the Okinawa assault.
Departing Ulithi
27 March as flagship for ComDesDiv 4, Lang screened the transports of TF 53 to Okinawa. Under air attack from 12 April to 29 April, Lang again incurred no damage and accounted for another kamikaze. From 29 April to 17 May she screened three escort carriers providing direct air support for Okinawa operations, and then screened other flight operations near Okinawa to 11 June.
Lang departed the Pacific battle zones in June and arrived in San Francisco
3 July for repairs. En route to New York she rescued two downed pilots 25 August. She decommissioned 16 October 1945; was sold to George Nutman, Inc., Brooklyn, New York, 20 December; and scrapped 31 October 1947.
Benham class destroyer
Ten Benham-class destroyers were commissioned into United States Navy during 1938 and 1939. Much of their design is based upon the previous Gridley- and Bagley-class destroyers...
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 John Lang
John Lang (sailor)
John Lang was a sailor in the United States Navy.Born in Curaçao, Dutch West Indies, Lang was a resident of New Brunswick, New Jersey. Lang was a seaman on board Wasp during her engagement with HMS Frolic 18 October 1812...
.
History
Lang was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Kearny, New JerseyKearny, 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....
, 5 April 1937; launched 27 August 1938; sponsored by Mrs. William D. Leahy, wife of Admiral
Admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
William D. Leahy
William D. Leahy
Fleet Admiral William Daniel Leahy was an American naval officer, building his reputation through administration and staff work. As Chief of Naval Operations he was the senior officer in Navy, overseeing the preparations for war. After retiring from the Navy he was appointed by his close friend...
, Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
; and commissioned 30 March 1939, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (United States)
Lieutenant commander is a mid-ranking officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade of O-4 and NATO rank code OF-3...
Felix L. Johnson in command.
Lang departed New York 12 August 1939 guarding President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s passage to Campobello
Campobello
Campobello may refer to:* Campobello, South Carolina* Campobello di Mazara, Sicily, Italy* Campobello di Licata, Sicily, Italy* Campobello Island, New Brunswick-People with the surname:...
, 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 Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. The President came on board the 24th at Sandy Hook, New Jersey
Sandy Hook, New Jersey
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit, approximately 6.0 miles in length and varying between 0.10 and 1 miles wide in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, along the Atlantic Ocean coast of eastern New Jersey in the United States. The barrier spit encloses the southern entrance of Lower New York Bay...
, for transit to Fort Hancock
Fort Hancock
Fort Hancock may refer to:* Fort Hancock, Texas, a census-designated place in Hudspeth County, Texas* Fort Hancock, New Jersey, a fort on the Sandy Hook beach of New Jersey* Fort Hancock, U.S. Life Saving Station, located in Highlands, New Jersey...
. In November, the destroyer left 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...
, for Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, and duty on the Gulf Patrol. Transferred to the Pacific, she reached San Diego
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...
18 March 1940 and 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...
2 April, where she participated in fleet problems and training exercises. She voyaged between the west coast and Hawaii throughout the remainder of 1940 and into early 1941 engaged in escort duties and training.
In June 1941 she returned to 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...
and Atlantic coast for carrier and antisubmarine training. In December she acted as screen and plane guard during flight operations for Yorktown
USS Yorktown (CV-5)
was an aircraft carrier commissioned in the United States Navy from 1937 until she was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. She was named after the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 and the lead ship of the Yorktown class which was designed after lessons learned from operations with the large...
and Ranger
USS Ranger
USS Ranger is a historic name in the United States Navy, and has been used by one ship of the Continental Navy and nine ships of the U.S. Navy:* The first was an 18-gun ship sloop built in 1777 and commanded by John Paul Jones...
off the Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
coast and Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
.
1942
She next sailed to Port Royal, Nova ScotiaPort Royal, Nova Scotia
Port Royal was the capital of Acadia from 1605 to 1710 and is now a town called Annapolis Royal in the western part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Initially Port Royal was located on the north shore of the Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia, at the site of the present reconstruction of the...
, for patrols with ships of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, then sailed for the British West Indies
British West Indies
The British West Indies was a term used to describe the islands in and around the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire The term was sometimes used to include British Honduras and British Guiana, even though these territories are not geographically part of the Caribbean...
in January 1942. In transit she answered a distress call from torpedoed SS Empire Wildebeeste, and rescued 34 survivors. She left Bermuda 18 March for Casco Bay, Maine, and thence sailed 26 March escorting TF 39 which included carrier Wasp
USS Wasp (CV-7)
USS Wasp was a United States Navy aircraft carrier. The eighth Navy ship of that name, she was the sole ship of her class. Built to use up the remaining tonnage allowed to the U.S. for aircraft carriers under the treaties of the time, she was built on a reduced-size version of the Yorktown-class...
. The force rendezvoused with three British ships 3 April and entered Scapa Flow, Scotland, the next day. The destroyer then became a part of Force “W”, sailing between England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the Mediterranean to deliver desperately needed Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s to the island of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. After two such missions, Lang returned to Norfolk 28 May and was transferred to San Diego a month later.
As flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
for DesDiv 15, part of TF 18, Lang departed San Diego 1 July to join in shore bombardment exercises off Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
in preparation for the 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...
landings. Three weeks later she screened Wasp as the carrier launched her aircraft in the first American land offensive of the Pacific war.
1943
Operating from the New HebridesNew Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
, Lang carried out patrol and escort missions in the continuing effort to reconquer the Solomons. On 22 January and 24 January 1943 she bombarded 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 positions near Kokumbona
Kokumbona
Kokumbona is a village on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.It was a Japanese base during World War II and the site of a United States Marine Corps amphibious landing on 19 August 1942....
, Guadalcanal. In July, Lang and four other destroyers sailed for Kula Gulf
Kula Gulf
Kula Gulf is a waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the islands of Kolombangara to the west, Arundel Island to the southwest, and New Georgia to the south and east. To the north, it opens into New Georgia Sound...
escorting six APDs
High speed transport
High Speed Transports were converted destroyers and destroyer escorts used to support amphibious operations in World War II and afterward. They received the US Hull classification symbol APD; "AP" for transport and "D" for destroyer....
to the New Georgia
New Georgia
New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.-Geography:This island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province...
landings. Early on the 18th, the American force sighted and attacked three Japanese destroyers forcing them to retire behind a smokescreen. The ships completed their mission and sailed for Purvis Bay, Florida, from which Lang and two other destroyers escorted five LCIs
Landing Craft Infantry
The Landing craft, Infantry or LCI were several classes of sea-going amphibious assault ships of the Second World War utilized to land large numbers of infantry directly onto beaches. They were developed in response to a British request for a vessel capable of carrying and landing substantially...
to the landings at Onaiavisi, New Georgia, 31 July. During enemy air attack here Lang downed one aircraft.
Langs next mission, in company with five other destroyers, was to destroy enemy forces in Vella Gulf
Vella Gulf
Vella Gulf is a waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the islands of Vella Lavella to the northwest, Kolombangara to the southeast, and Ghizo to the south...
, part of the “Tokyo Express
Tokyo Express
The Tokyo Express was the name given by Allied forces to the use of Imperial Japanese Navy ships at night to deliver personnel, supplies, and equipment to Japanese forces operating in and around New Guinea and the Solomon Islands during the Pacific campaign of World War II...
” route. On the nights of 6 August and 7 August her task group sank three Japanese destroyers, Kawakaze
Japanese destroyer Kawakaze
was the ninth of ten s, and the third to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle Two Program .-History:The Shiratsuyu class destroyers were modified versions of the , and were designed to accompany the Japanese main striking force and to conduct both day and night torpedo attacks...
, Arashi
Japanese destroyer Arashi
Arashi was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy.The Arashi ship played a vital role in World War II by inadvertently guiding US attack planes to the Japanese carrier fleet at the Battle of Midway. It had been separated from the fleet during an attack on the USS Nautilus and was steaming to join them...
, and Hagikaze
Japanese destroyer Hagikaze
Hagikaze was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Participating at the Battle of Midway, the heavily damaged was scuttled by her two torpedoes, Kaga being fatally damaged by US aircraft of during the battle....
, which had been attempting to reinforce Kolombangara
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
. Two nights later the vessels conducted a sweep in the same area and drove off three groups of Japanese troop barges. After 3 months of continued escort duty. Lang joined TF 50 for the invasion of the Gilberts 23 November to 30 November, bombarded 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...
9 December, and early in the new year bombarded Roi, Namur
Roi-Namur
Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands.Occupied by Japanese forces prior to World War II, it was the target of the U.S. 4th Marine Division in the Battle of Kwajalein, in February 1944....
, and Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
.
1944
Then she joined TF 58 for the occupation of KwajaleinKwajalein
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...
, returning to escort duties 15 March 1944. During the summer she again operated with TF 58 during the Marianas campaign, screening the fast carrier force. She returned to 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...
on 17 August after the victory in the Marianas.
Lang next sailed to Wewak, New Guinea, 31 August to lay a minefield and bombard shore positions. She then escorted two reinforcement convoys bound for Morotai 16 September to 3 October through heavy enemy air attacks. On 8 October she took torpedoed Shelton (DE-407)
USS Shelton (DE-407)
The USS Shelton was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Ensign James A. Shelton, , she was the first of two U.S...
in tow, and brought her in to Morotai
Morotai
Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
before the ship capsized and sank.
Lang departed 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....
10 October for the 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...
operation. Though she came under six 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....
attacks, the ship suffered no damage and shot down one enemy plane. She departed the battle area 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...
on 31 October, and on Christmas Day sailed with TF 78 for the 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...
landings, where she was attacked by kamikazes. Lang downed one plane. She returned to Leyte Gulf 16 January 1945 to escort a resupply echelon to Lingayen, patrolled the entrance to Lingayen until 28 January, then sailed to train in the Solomons for the Okinawa assault.
Departing 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...
27 March as flagship for ComDesDiv 4, Lang screened the transports of TF 53 to Okinawa. Under air attack from 12 April to 29 April, Lang again incurred no damage and accounted for another kamikaze. From 29 April to 17 May she screened three escort carriers providing direct air support for Okinawa operations, and then screened other flight operations near Okinawa to 11 June.
Lang departed the Pacific battle zones in June and arrived in San Francisco
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...
3 July for repairs. En route to New York she rescued two downed pilots 25 August. She decommissioned 16 October 1945; was sold to George Nutman, Inc., Brooklyn, New York, 20 December; and scrapped 31 October 1947.