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USS Mannert L. Abele (DD-733)
Encyclopedia
USS Mannert L. Abele (DD-733), an Allen M. Sumner-class
destroyer
, is the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Mannert Lincoln Abele
, a World War II
submarine
commander who posthumously received the Navy Cross
for his heroism in the Pacific Theater
. The destroyer was the first US warship sunk by a Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka
.
, Bath, Maine
, on 9 December 1943; launched on 23 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Mannert L. Abele; and commissioned at Boston, Massachusetts on 4 July 1944, Commander
Alton E. Parker in command.
After shakedown off Bermuda
, Abele served as a training ship for destroyer crews in Chesapeake Bay
before departing Norfolk on 16 October for duty in the Pacific. Steaming via San Diego, she reached Pearl Harbor on 17 November for two weeks of intensive training. She sailed in convoy
for the western Pacific on 3 December, but returned two weeks later for conversion to a fighter director ship. She received special radio and radar equipment and completed radar picket training before departing on 27 January 1945 for the invasion of Iwo Jima.
Assigned to the transport screen of Vice Admiral
Richmond K. Turner
's Task Force 51 (TF 51), she steamed via Eniwetok and Saipan and screened ships of the assault force during amphibious landings on 19 February. The next day, she joined the fire support group for shore bombardment and close support gunfire operations. During the next 28 hours, she blasted numerous enemy gun emplacements, blockhouses, and caves. In addition, she provided night illumination and harassing fire in support of ground operations by the 5th Marine Division. She resumed screening and radar picket duty at dusk 21 February.
On 3-4 March and again from 8-10 March, Abele served on the bombardment line as effective naval firepower provided valuable support for the marines' ground campaign. On 10 March, she steamed to Ulithi, arriving on the 12th.
Abele departed on 20 March for radar picket duty off Ulithi and the next day she joined TF 54, Rear Admiral Milton L. Deyo’s Gunfire and Covering Force, for the invasion of Okinawa. She reached the Ryukyus on 24 March, and during the next week she screened heavy shore bombardment ships during preinvasion operations from Kerama Retto to le Shima. In addition, she pounded enemy positions and supported UDT
operations at proposed assault beaches on Okinawa.
As American troops stormed the beaches on 1 April, Abele provided close fire support before beginning radar picket patrols northeast of Okinawa later that day. On 3 April, three Japanese planes attacked her, but the destroyer shot down two of the raiders. Released from picket duty on 5 April, she resumed screen patrols off the beaches. On 6 April, she helped shoot down an attacking twin‑engined bomber.
The next day, Mannert L. Abele joined TF 54 to protect the transports off Okinawa from ships of the Surface Special Attack Force, including the Japanese battleship
, steaming south from Japan in a last desperate effort to destroy superior American seapower. However, hard-hitting planes of the Fast Carrier Task Force
wiped out the enemy’s thrust with furious bomb and torpedo strikes, sinking six Japanese ships and damaging the four surviving destroyers.
Abele resumed radar picket duty on 8 April, patrolling station No. 14 about 70 nmi (80.6 mi; 129.6 km) northwest of Okinawa, accompanied by LSM(R)-189 and LSM(R)-190
. Midway through the afternoon watch on 12 April, Abele caught the full fury of the kamikaze. Three "Vals" attacked at 13:45, but lethal gunfire drove off two and set fire to the third which failed in an attempt to crash into LSM(R)-189. By 14:00, between 15 and 25 additional planes “had come down from the North and the ship was completely surrounded.” Except for one light bomber which challenged and was damaged by the destroyer’s fire, the enemy kept outside her gun range for more than half an hour.
At about 14:40, three Zeroes broke orbit and closed to attack. Abele drove off one and shot down another about 4000 yd (3,657.6 m) out. Despite numerous hits from 5‑inch and light anti-aircraft fire, and spewing smoke and flame, the third kamikaze crashed into the starboard side and penetrated the after engine room where it exploded. LSM(R)-189}s captain, James M. Stewart, reported, "It is difficult to say what it was that hit the DD 733. This officer personally saw what appeared to be two (2) planes orbiting in a northerly direction from the DD 733, and then suddenly, what appeared to be, one plane, accelerated at a terrific rate, too fast for us to fire at. This plane dove at an angle of approximately 30 degrees, starting at about four miles [7.5 km] away. Since we had no air search radar, the above statements are merely my own conclusions." (This may have been one of the earliest intelligence reports of the Ohka kamikaze aircraft).
Immediately, Mannert L. Abele began to lose headway. The downward force of the blast, which had wiped out the after engineering spaces, broke the destroyer’s keel midships, abaft No. 2 stack. The bridge lost control and all guns and directors lost power.
A minute later, at about 14:46, Abele took a second and fatal hit from a Ohka that struck the starboard waterline abreast the forward fireroom. Its 2600 lb (1,179.3 kg) warhead exploded, buckling the ship, and “cutting out all power, lights, and communications.”
Almost immediately, Abele broke in two, her midship section obliterated. Her bow and stern sections sank rapidly. As survivors clustered in the churning waters enemy planes bombed and strafed them. However, LSM(R)-189 and LSM(R)-190, praised by Commander Parker as “worth their weight in gold as support vessels”, shot down two of the remaining attackers, repulsed further attacks, and rescued the survivors.
Mannert L. Abele was the first of three radar pickets hit by an Ohka, but the only ship sunk by one during the Okinawa campaign. Despite the enemy’s desperate efforts, the radar pickets successfully completed their mission, thus insuring the success of the campaign. Capt. Frederick Moosbrugger
, picket force commander, acclaimed their hazardous duty, “...a symbol of supreme achievement in our naval traditions.” And, paraphrasing Sir Winston Churchill
, he wrote: “Never in the annals of our glorious naval history have naval forces done so much with so little against such odds for so long a period.”
Allen M. Sumner class destroyer
The Allen M. Sumner class was a group of 58 destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Another twelve ships were completed as destroyer minelayers...
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...
, is the only 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...
to be named for Mannert Lincoln Abele
Mannert L. Abele
Lieutenant Commander Mannert Lincoln Abele, USN was a World War II submarine commander who posthumously received the Navy Cross for his heroism in the Pacific Theater.-Biography:...
, a 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...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
commander who posthumously received the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for his heroism in the Pacific Theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
. The destroyer was the first US warship sunk by a Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka
Ohka
The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka was a purpose-built, rocket powered human-guided anti-shipping kamikaze attack plane employed by Japan towards the end of World War II...
.
History
Mannert L. Abele was laid down by Bath Iron WorksBath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
, Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
, on 9 December 1943; launched on 23 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Mannert L. Abele; and commissioned at Boston, Massachusetts on 4 July 1944, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Alton E. Parker in command.
After shakedown off 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...
, Abele served as a training ship for destroyer crews in Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
before departing Norfolk on 16 October for duty in the Pacific. Steaming via San Diego, she reached Pearl Harbor on 17 November for two weeks of intensive training. She sailed in 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...
for the western Pacific on 3 December, but returned two weeks later for conversion to a fighter director ship. She received special radio and radar equipment and completed radar picket training before departing on 27 January 1945 for the invasion of Iwo Jima.
Assigned to the transport screen of Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Richmond K. Turner
Richmond K. Turner
-Footnotes:...
's Task Force 51 (TF 51), she steamed via Eniwetok and Saipan and screened ships of the assault force during amphibious landings on 19 February. The next day, she joined the fire support group for shore bombardment and close support gunfire operations. During the next 28 hours, she blasted numerous enemy gun emplacements, blockhouses, and caves. In addition, she provided night illumination and harassing fire in support of ground operations by the 5th Marine Division. She resumed screening and radar picket duty at dusk 21 February.
On 3-4 March and again from 8-10 March, Abele served on the bombardment line as effective naval firepower provided valuable support for the marines' ground campaign. On 10 March, she steamed to Ulithi, arriving on the 12th.
Abele departed on 20 March for radar picket duty off Ulithi and the next day she joined TF 54, Rear Admiral Milton L. Deyo’s Gunfire and Covering Force, for the invasion of Okinawa. She reached the Ryukyus on 24 March, and during the next week she screened heavy shore bombardment ships during preinvasion operations from Kerama Retto to le Shima. In addition, she pounded enemy positions and supported UDT
Underwater Demolition Team
The Underwater Demolition Teams were an elite special-purpose force established by the United States Navy during World War II. They also served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War...
operations at proposed assault beaches on Okinawa.
As American troops stormed the beaches on 1 April, Abele provided close fire support before beginning radar picket patrols northeast of Okinawa later that day. On 3 April, three Japanese planes attacked her, but the destroyer shot down two of the raiders. Released from picket duty on 5 April, she resumed screen patrols off the beaches. On 6 April, she helped shoot down an attacking twin‑engined bomber.
The next day, Mannert L. Abele joined TF 54 to protect the transports off Okinawa from ships of the Surface Special Attack Force, including the Japanese battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, steaming south from Japan in a last desperate effort to destroy superior American seapower. However, hard-hitting planes of the 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...
wiped out the enemy’s thrust with furious bomb and torpedo strikes, sinking six Japanese ships and damaging the four surviving destroyers.
Abele resumed radar picket duty on 8 April, patrolling station No. 14 about 70 nmi (80.6 mi; 129.6 km) northwest of Okinawa, accompanied by LSM(R)-189 and LSM(R)-190
USS LSM(R)-190
USS LSM-190 was a United States Navy LSM-188-class Landing Ship Medium . She was built at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, South Carolina and was commissioned on 21 November 1944. LSM-190 took part in the Battle of Okinawa from 7 April–May 4, 1945. She was hit and sunk by a Japanese suicide plane...
. Midway through the afternoon watch on 12 April, Abele caught the full fury of the kamikaze. Three "Vals" attacked at 13:45, but lethal gunfire drove off two and set fire to the third which failed in an attempt to crash into LSM(R)-189. By 14:00, between 15 and 25 additional planes “had come down from the North and the ship was completely surrounded.” Except for one light bomber which challenged and was damaged by the destroyer’s fire, the enemy kept outside her gun range for more than half an hour.
At about 14:40, three Zeroes broke orbit and closed to attack. Abele drove off one and shot down another about 4000 yd (3,657.6 m) out. Despite numerous hits from 5‑inch and light anti-aircraft fire, and spewing smoke and flame, the third kamikaze crashed into the starboard side and penetrated the after engine room where it exploded. LSM(R)-189}s captain, James M. Stewart, reported, "It is difficult to say what it was that hit the DD 733. This officer personally saw what appeared to be two (2) planes orbiting in a northerly direction from the DD 733, and then suddenly, what appeared to be, one plane, accelerated at a terrific rate, too fast for us to fire at. This plane dove at an angle of approximately 30 degrees, starting at about four miles [7.5 km] away. Since we had no air search radar, the above statements are merely my own conclusions." (This may have been one of the earliest intelligence reports of the Ohka kamikaze aircraft).
Immediately, Mannert L. Abele began to lose headway. The downward force of the blast, which had wiped out the after engineering spaces, broke the destroyer’s keel midships, abaft No. 2 stack. The bridge lost control and all guns and directors lost power.
A minute later, at about 14:46, Abele took a second and fatal hit from a Ohka that struck the starboard waterline abreast the forward fireroom. Its 2600 lb (1,179.3 kg) warhead exploded, buckling the ship, and “cutting out all power, lights, and communications.”
Almost immediately, Abele broke in two, her midship section obliterated. Her bow and stern sections sank rapidly. As survivors clustered in the churning waters enemy planes bombed and strafed them. However, LSM(R)-189 and LSM(R)-190, praised by Commander Parker as “worth their weight in gold as support vessels”, shot down two of the remaining attackers, repulsed further attacks, and rescued the survivors.
Mannert L. Abele was the first of three radar pickets hit by an Ohka, but the only ship sunk by one during the Okinawa campaign. Despite the enemy’s desperate efforts, the radar pickets successfully completed their mission, thus insuring the success of the campaign. Capt. Frederick Moosbrugger
Frederick Moosbrugger
Frederick Moosbrugger was an officer of the United States Navy eventually attaining the rank of vice admiral. He is best known for his service in World War II as a highly successful commander of destroyer squadrons....
, picket force commander, acclaimed their hazardous duty, “...a symbol of supreme achievement in our naval traditions.” And, paraphrasing Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, he wrote: “Never in the annals of our glorious naval history have naval forces done so much with so little against such odds for so long a period.”