USS McCord (DD-534)
Encyclopedia
USS McCord (DD-534) was a World War II
-era Fletcher-class
destroyer
in the service of the United States Navy
, named after Commander
Frank C. McCord
.
McCord was laid down 17 March 1942 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
, San Francisco, California
; launched 10 January 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Frank C. McCord, widow of Commander McCord; and commissioned 19 August 1943, Comdr. W. T. Kenny, in command.
27 November 1943, joined the Pacific Fleet in time for operations in the Marshall Islands
and Marianas, and remained in continuous action through the Palau
, Philippines
, Iwo Jima
, and Okinawa campaigns.
She arrived off Kwajalein
as a unit of Task Force 51 (TF 51), 30 January 1944. During Operation “Flintlock”, she screened transports and provided rapid close support fire. On 15 February the task force sortied from Kwajalein to Eniwetok Atoll for operation “Catchpole”. McCord at first screened the minesweepers as they cleared the passages into the 388 square miles (1,004.9 km²) lagoon and then screened the bombardment group as Engebi Island, containing the Atoll’s only airfield, was secured, 17–18 February. On the 21st, she steamed back to the southern end of the lagoon for the bombardment of Eniwetok and Parry Island.
By mid-March McCord had rendezvoused with TF 39 in the Bismarck Archipelago
and for 2 weeks she cruised in the Ysabel Channel in support of landings at Emirau Island
, 21 March. She next escorted replacement troops from Purvis Bay
, Florida Island, to Emirau. Returning to Purvis Bay at the end of April, she departed 1 May to escort tankers to refueling positions in the Solomons area. On 11 June, after 2 weeks of antisubmarine patrols in the area around Bougainville
and New Georgia
, she arrived off New Ireland
to bombard an enemy tank repair installation, resuming escort duties upon its destruction. Interrupting her escort service between the Admiralties
and the Solomons on 23 July, she joined TF 52 at Saipan
and took part in the shelling of Tinian
.
The Palau Islands offensive was next. She arrived off Peleliu
11 September and remained through the 30th to support the forces landed on the 15th. On her arrival at Manus 4 October, McCord joined CarDiv 22, 7th Fleet, as it prepared for operations in the central Philippines. She arrived at her assigned operating area east of the Philippines as landings were made at Suluan and Dinagat
, 17 October. On the 25th her task unit, 77.4.1, came under constant air attack as the Battle off Samar raged 100 miles (160.9 km) to the north. Escaping damage, McCord protected her unit’s carriers and rescued their pilots. She returned to Manus 3 November, but was back off Leyte by the 16th to prevent enemy surface forces from attacking Allied forces, installations, and shipping in the central Philippines.
On 6 December, at Ulithi
, McCord joined the fast carrier force, TF 38. The force sortied from that island on the 10th and steamed to the Philippines to support the Mindoro
landings by launching strikes against enemy airfields and harbors in the northern and central islands. Back at Ulithi by the 24th, they sortied again on the 30th. First they struck at Taiwan
, 3–6 January 1945. Then, in quick succession, they raided enemy installations and shipping in Indochina
, southern Taiwan, the China
coast, the Philippines, eastern Taiwan, and Okinawa. Constantly moving and always ready for targets of opportunity, the force’s strikes were successful. While in the South China Sea
on the 11th and 12th they sank or damaged almost 200,000 tons of enemy shipping.
The force returned to Ulithi 23 January, remaining until 10 February. On the 16th, strikes were launched against Tokyo
itself; on the 18th against Chichi Jima; and on the 20th against Iwo Jima in support of the marine units landed on the 19th. By the 24th, the planes from TF 58 were back over Tokyo and on the 25th they flew against defense installations in the Nagoya-Kobe
area.
During March, McCord continued to operate in the screen of TG 58.4 as it concentrated its efforts against Okinawa and southern Kyūshū
in preparation for the amphibious assault on the former 1 April. She remained in the Ryūkyū area until 12 May when she escorted South Dakota
(BB-57) to Guam
. She returned to Okinawa on the 27th for a final 2 weeks of combat. TG 58.4 then retired to Leyte Gulf, arriving 13 June.
McCord departed 4 days later for the west coast and a navy yard overhaul. On 8 July she arrived at Puget Sound
, where she was docked when the Japanese surrender was announced. On 7 September she steamed to San Diego, reporting on the 15th to the Inactive Fleet.
Decommissioning 15 January 1947, she remained berthed at San Diego until recommissioning 1 August 1951. Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, McCord departed San Diego 1 November and reported to ComDesRon 28 at Norfolk on the 17th. For the next year she operated along the east coast, cruising as far north as Halifax
Nova Scotia
and as far south as the British West Indies
.
On 10 January 1953 the destroyer once again got underway for a western Pacific war zone. By 15 February she was off the west coast of Korea
operating with carriers in TF 95. She remained in the Yellow Sea
combat zone until mid-March when she received a week’s availability at Sasebo. On 26 March she joined TF 77 as it ranged the east coast of Korea providing shore bombardment and fire support services where needed by the U.N. forces. Departing the battleline 17 April, McCord, joined TG 96.7in exercises off Okinawa. She rejoined TF 77, 14 May, and remained in the Sea of Japan
operations area until 5 June when her Korean deployment terminated and she got underway for the United States.
Steaming via Subic Bay, Singapore
, Aden
, Suez
, and Gibraltar
, she arrived at Norfolk, Virginia
6 August. During the next months she operated off the southern east coast and in the Caribbean
. She decommissioned 9 June 1954 and was berthed at Norfolk, where, as a unit of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, she has remained into 1969.
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...
, named after 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...
Frank C. McCord
Frank C. McCord
Frank C. McCord was a commander of the United States Navy.-Biography:Commander Frank C. McCord was born at Vincennes, Indiana. He was appointed Midshipman on July 5th, 1907.From 1925 on, his career focused on naval aviation...
.
McCord was laid down 17 March 1942 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Bethlehem Steel Corporation Shipbuilding Division was created in 1905 when Bethlehem Steel Corporation acquired the San Francisco shipyard Union Iron Works in 1905...
, San Francisco, California
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...
; launched 10 January 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Frank C. McCord, widow of Commander McCord; and commissioned 19 August 1943, Comdr. W. T. Kenny, in command.
History
McCord, departing San DiegoSan 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...
27 November 1943, joined the Pacific Fleet in time for operations in 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...
and Marianas, and remained in continuous action through the Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
, 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...
, 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...
, and Okinawa campaigns.
She arrived off 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...
as a unit of Task Force 51 (TF 51), 30 January 1944. During Operation “Flintlock”, she screened transports and provided rapid close support fire. On 15 February the task force sortied from Kwajalein to Eniwetok Atoll for operation “Catchpole”. McCord at first screened the minesweepers as they cleared the passages into the 388 square miles (1,004.9 km²) lagoon and then screened the bombardment group as Engebi Island, containing the Atoll’s only airfield, was secured, 17–18 February. On the 21st, she steamed back to the southern end of the lagoon for the bombardment of Eniwetok and Parry Island.
By mid-March McCord had rendezvoused with TF 39 in the Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
and for 2 weeks she cruised in the Ysabel Channel in support of landings at Emirau Island
Emirau Island
Emirau Island, also called Emira, is an island in the Bismarck Archipelago located at . It is currently part of the New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea. The local language is a dialect of the Mussau-Emira language...
, 21 March. She next escorted replacement troops from Purvis Bay
Purvis Bay
Purvis Bay is located in the Florida Islands, which are part of the Solomon Islands. The bay was used by the US Navy during World War Two....
, Florida Island, to Emirau. Returning to Purvis Bay at the end of April, she departed 1 May to escort tankers to refueling positions in the Solomons area. On 11 June, after 2 weeks of antisubmarine patrols in the area around Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
and 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...
, she arrived off New Ireland
New Ireland (island)
New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 7,404 km² in area. It is the largest island of the New Ireland Province, lying northeast of the island of New Britain. Both islands are part of the Bismarck Archipelago, named after Otto von Bismarck, and they are separated by...
to bombard an enemy tank repair installation, resuming escort duties upon its destruction. Interrupting her escort service between the Admiralties
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
and the Solomons on 23 July, she joined TF 52 at 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...
and took part in the shelling of 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....
.
The Palau Islands offensive was next. She arrived off Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
11 September and remained through the 30th to support the forces landed on the 15th. On her arrival at Manus 4 October, McCord joined CarDiv 22, 7th Fleet, as it prepared for operations in the central Philippines. She arrived at her assigned operating area east of the Philippines as landings were made at Suluan and Dinagat
Dinagat Island
' is a province in the Philippines, located on the south side of Leyte Gulf. Leyte is to its west, across Surigao Strait, and Mindanao is to its south...
, 17 October. On the 25th her task unit, 77.4.1, came under constant air attack as the Battle off Samar raged 100 miles (160.9 km) to the north. Escaping damage, McCord protected her unit’s carriers and rescued their pilots. She returned to Manus 3 November, but was back off Leyte by the 16th to prevent enemy surface forces from attacking Allied forces, installations, and shipping in the central Philippines.
On 6 December, at 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...
, McCord joined the fast carrier force, TF 38. The force sortied from that island on the 10th and steamed to the Philippines to support the Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
landings by launching strikes against enemy airfields and harbors in the northern and central islands. Back at Ulithi by the 24th, they sortied again on the 30th. First they struck at Taiwan
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...
, 3–6 January 1945. Then, in quick succession, they raided enemy installations and shipping in Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
, southern Taiwan, the China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
coast, the Philippines, eastern Taiwan, and Okinawa. Constantly moving and always ready for targets of opportunity, the force’s strikes were successful. While in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
on the 11th and 12th they sank or damaged almost 200,000 tons of enemy shipping.
The force returned to Ulithi 23 January, remaining until 10 February. On the 16th, strikes were launched against Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
itself; on the 18th against Chichi Jima; and on the 20th against Iwo Jima in support of the marine units landed on the 19th. By the 24th, the planes from TF 58 were back over Tokyo and on the 25th they flew against defense installations in the Nagoya-Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
area.
During March, McCord continued to operate in the screen of TG 58.4 as it concentrated its efforts against Okinawa and southern Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
in preparation for the amphibious assault on the former 1 April. She remained in the Ryūkyū area until 12 May when she escorted South Dakota
USS South Dakota (BB-57)
USS South Dakota was a battleship in the United States Navy from 1942 until 1947. The lead ship of her class, South Dakota was the third ship of the US Navy to be named in honor of the 40th state. During World War II, she first served in a fifteen-month tour in the Pacific theater, where she saw...
(BB-57) to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. She returned to Okinawa on the 27th for a final 2 weeks of combat. TG 58.4 then retired to Leyte Gulf, arriving 13 June.
McCord departed 4 days later for the west coast and a navy yard overhaul. On 8 July she arrived at Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
, where she was docked when the Japanese surrender was announced. On 7 September she steamed to San Diego, reporting on the 15th to the Inactive Fleet.
Decommissioning 15 January 1947, she remained berthed at San Diego until recommissioning 1 August 1951. Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, McCord departed San Diego 1 November and reported to ComDesRon 28 at Norfolk on the 17th. For the next year she operated along the east coast, cruising as far north as Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
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...
and as far south as 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...
.
On 10 January 1953 the destroyer once again got underway for a western Pacific war zone. By 15 February she was off the west coast of Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
operating with carriers in TF 95. She remained in the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
combat zone until mid-March when she received a week’s availability at Sasebo. On 26 March she joined TF 77 as it ranged the east coast of Korea providing shore bombardment and fire support services where needed by the U.N. forces. Departing the battleline 17 April, McCord, joined TG 96.7in exercises off Okinawa. She rejoined TF 77, 14 May, and remained in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
operations area until 5 June when her Korean deployment terminated and she got underway for the United States.
Steaming via Subic Bay, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
, Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
, and Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, she arrived at 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....
6 August. During the next months she operated off the southern east coast and in 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...
. She decommissioned 9 June 1954 and was berthed at Norfolk, where, as a unit of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, she has remained into 1969.