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USS Morris (DD-417)
Encyclopedia
USS Morris (DD-417), a World War II
-era Sims-class destroyer
in the service of the United States Navy
, was named after Commodore Charles Morris
.
Morris was laid down at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 7 June 1938; launched on 1 June 1939, sponsored by Mrs. Charles R. Nutter, great-granddaughter of Commodore Morris; and commissioned on 5 March 1940, with Commander
H. B. Jarrett in command.
into World War II
, she entered Charleston Navy Yard, where she was equipped with the first fire control radar
for a destroyer
. By 3 January 1942, she was underway for Pearl Harbor
, rejoining her squadron there at the end of February.
Attached to Task Force 17 (TF 17), the destroyer sailed on 16 March for Noumea
, and into her first major enemy engagement, the Battle of the Coral Sea
. Prior to the battle, she guarded the carriers of the task force as their planes struck at enemy shipping in Tulagi Harbor and in the Louisiade Archipelago
. From 4–8 May, she splashed one enemy plane and damaged two while screening and , and when the latter was heavily damaged, pulled alongside to rescue some 500 survivors. Damage received during the rescue forced her back to Pearl Harbor where hurried repairs put her back into condition for the Battle of Midway
a month later. In that action she again pulled alongside Yorktown to rescue over 500 survivors.
Morriss next action came in late August, when she joined TF 61 in support of the Guadalcanal Campaign
. For the next 2 months, she screened carriers and patrolled among the Solomon Islands
. On 25 October, following a 3-day independent sweep through the Gilbert Islands
, she rejoined TF 17 and took part in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
. During the action, she destroyed six aircraft and once more came to the rescue of , from which she took on 550 survivors. As in other rescue operations her superstructure was damaged, but, after repairs at Espiritu Santo
, she was back in the Guadalcanal area, first operating with and then as supply unit escort to .
In May 1943, Morris departed the southern Pacific and sailed north to support the capture and occupation of Attu Island
and Kiska
, the Aleutian
end of the Japan
ese ribbon defense. Then she returned to San Francisco, California
for a 7-week overhaul. In November, she again joined an air support group escorting , , and in the Gilberts offensive, during which she went to aid Liscome Bay. As the task forces pressed further into the central Pacific, Morris sailed with them into the Marshall Islands
. On 30 January 1944, she led a column of warships in a shore bombardment mission against Wotje Atoll
. Thence she steamed to Kwajalein Atoll, where, while providing close fire support off Namur
, she wiped out a Japanese counterattack force from an adjacent island. In mid-February she departed Kwajalein and moved with TG 51.11 to support the seizure and occupation of Eniwetok. Arriving on 17 February, she continued carrier operations until 24 February, when she sailed for Pearl Harbor.
Morris returned to combat in April 1944, when as a unit of the 7th Fleet
she took part in all the western New Guinea
landings, beginning with Hollandia
. In May and June she give fire support in the Toem-Wakde
-Sarmi
areas and then during the Biak Island operation. In July, she went against enemy guns on Noemfoor Island and then at Cape Sansapor. In August, she participated in operations against Halmahera
and Morotai
and then began preparations for the initial invasion of the Philippines
.
On 16 October, with TG 8.6, she got underway for Leyte Gulf
. Safely delivering her charges, transports with the first reinforcement groups aboard, on the 21st, she took up anti-aircraft station and, for several days, experienced meetings with the newest Japanese tactics: the kamikaze
. Throughout the next month she continued to escort troops and supplies to Leyte. With the dawn of the new year, 1945, she was en route north for the Luzon
operations. Arriving within the week she participated in pre-invasion bombardment and then provided fire support during the landings on 9 January. For 18 days she patrolled, bombarded shore positions, and fought off kamikaze
s.
Detached from the 7th Fleet after Luzon, Morris rejoined the 5th Fleet and prepared for Okinawa. On 1 April, she arrived off Kerama Retto
with TG 51.11. For the next 5 days, she escorted transports and oilers and cruised in various assigned sectors on antiaircraft and antisubmarine patrols. On 6 April, while patrolling station A-11, a Nakajima B5N
"Kate", carrying either a heavy bomb or torpedo, closed in on her. Morriss guns scored hits and set the plane afire, but could not stop it. Shortly after 1815, it crashed into the ship on the portside, between the Nos. 1 and 2 guns. Fires caused by the explosions spread quickly. Two hours were needed to bring them under control with another 30 minutes to extinguish them. Morris then returned to Kerama Retto
where temporary repairs somewhat corrected her demolished bow
and subsequent draft of 18 feet 3 inches, her large protrusion of plating on the starboard side, and her damaged steering.
On 22 May, she started out across the Pacific, and on 18 June entered the San Francisco Naval Shipyard
. Declared neither seaworthy nor habitable, she was decommissioned on 9 November. Struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 28 November, she was stripped of gear and sold to Franklin Shipwrecking on 2 August 1947, then resold to the National Metal and Steel Corporation in Los Angeles, California
on 17 July 1949, where she was scrapped.
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 Sims-class destroyer
Sims class destroyer
The Sims-class consisted of 12 destroyers in the United States Navy, built in seven various shipyards, and commissioned in 1939 and 1940. It was the last United States destroyer class completed prior to World War II. All Sims-class ships saw action in World War II, and seven survived the war...
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...
, was named after Commodore Charles Morris
Charles Morris (naval officer)
Commodore Charles Morris, USN was a United States naval officer and administrator whose service extended through the first half of the 19th century.-Biography:...
.
Morris was laid down at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 7 June 1938; launched on 1 June 1939, sponsored by Mrs. Charles R. Nutter, great-granddaughter of Commodore Morris; and commissioned on 5 March 1940, with Commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
H. B. Jarrett in command.
Service history
Morris, flagship of Destroyer Squadron 2 (DesRon 2), followed her shakedown with routine training schedules until the summer of 1941 when she joined the North Atlantic Patrol. With the entry of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
into 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 entered Charleston Navy Yard, where she was equipped with the first fire control radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
for a 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...
. By 3 January 1942, she was underway 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...
, rejoining her squadron there at the end of February.
Attached to Task Force 17 (TF 17), the destroyer sailed on 16 March for Noumea
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
, and into her first major enemy engagement, the Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
. Prior to the battle, she guarded the carriers of the task force as their planes struck at enemy shipping in Tulagi Harbor and in the Louisiade Archipelago
Louisiade Archipelago
The Louisiade Archipelago is a string of ten larger volcanic islands frequently fringed by coral reefs, and 90 smaller coral islands located 200 km southeast of New Guinea, stretching over more than and spread over an ocean area of between the Solomon Sea to the north and the Coral Sea to...
. From 4–8 May, she splashed one enemy plane and damaged two while screening and , and when the latter was heavily damaged, pulled alongside to rescue some 500 survivors. Damage received during the rescue forced her back to Pearl Harbor where hurried repairs put her back into condition for the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
a month later. In that action she again pulled alongside Yorktown to rescue over 500 survivors.
Morriss next action came in late August, when she joined TF 61 in support of the Guadalcanal Campaign
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
. For the next 2 months, she screened carriers and patrolled among 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 25 October, following a 3-day independent sweep through the Gilbert Islands
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...
, she rejoined TF 17 and took part in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or in Japanese sources as the , was the fourth carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial...
. During the action, she destroyed six aircraft and once more came to the rescue of , from which she took on 550 survivors. As in other rescue operations her superstructure was damaged, but, after repairs 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....
, she was back in the Guadalcanal area, first operating with and then as supply unit escort to .
In May 1943, Morris departed the southern Pacific and sailed north to support the capture and occupation of Attu Island
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
and Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
, the Aleutian
Aleutian
Aleutian may refer to:*The Aleut people, the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, the Pribilof Islands, the Shumagin Islands, and the far western part of the Alaska Peninsula in Alaska and of Kamchatka Krai, Russia....
end of the 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 ribbon defense. Then she returned to 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...
for a 7-week overhaul. In November, she again joined an air support group escorting , , and in the Gilberts offensive, during which she went to aid Liscome Bay. As the task forces pressed further into the central Pacific, Morris sailed with them into 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...
. On 30 January 1944, she led a column of warships in a shore bombardment mission against Wotje Atoll
Wotje Atoll
Wotje Atoll is a coral atoll of 75 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. Wotje's land area of , is one the largest in the Marshall Islands, and encloses a lagoon of . The atoll is oriented east and west and is at its longest...
. Thence she steamed to Kwajalein Atoll, where, while providing close fire support off 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....
, she wiped out a Japanese counterattack force from an adjacent island. In mid-February she departed Kwajalein and moved with TG 51.11 to support the seizure and occupation of Eniwetok. Arriving on 17 February, she continued carrier operations until 24 February, when she sailed for Pearl Harbor.
Morris returned to combat in April 1944, when as a unit of the 7th Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
she took part in all the western 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...
landings, beginning with 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....
. In May and June she give fire support in the Toem-Wakde
Wakde
Wakde is an island of Indonesia, part of the province of West Papua, between the districts of Pantai Timur and Tor Atas.Occupied by Japanese forces in April 1942, Wakde served as an airbase...
-Sarmi
Sarmi
Count Ferdinando Sarmi was the head of the Sarmi fashion design house in New York City.-Early years:Ferdinando Sarmi was born into a wealthy Italian family. He expressed interest in fashion as a youth but was discouraged from pursuing a design career by his father...
areas and then during the Biak Island operation. In July, she went against enemy guns on Noemfoor Island and then at Cape Sansapor. In August, she participated in operations against Halmahera
Halmahera
Halmahera is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia.Halmahera has a land area of 17,780 km² and a population in 1995 of 162,728...
and 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:...
and then began preparations for the initial invasion of 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...
.
On 16 October, with TG 8.6, she got underway for 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...
. Safely delivering her charges, transports with the first reinforcement groups aboard, on the 21st, she took up anti-aircraft station and, for several days, experienced meetings with the newest Japanese tactics: the 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....
. Throughout the next month she continued to escort troops and supplies to Leyte. With the dawn of the new year, 1945, she was en route north for the Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
operations. Arriving within the week she participated in pre-invasion bombardment and then provided fire support during the landings on 9 January. For 18 days she patrolled, bombarded shore positions, and fought off 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....
s.
Detached from the 7th Fleet after Luzon, Morris rejoined the 5th Fleet and prepared for Okinawa. On 1 April, she arrived off Kerama Retto
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
with TG 51.11. For the next 5 days, she escorted transports and oilers and cruised in various assigned sectors on antiaircraft and antisubmarine patrols. On 6 April, while patrolling station A-11, a Nakajima B5N
Nakajima B5N
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgwater, H.C. and Peter Scott. Combat Colours Number 4: Pearl Harbor and Beyond, December 1941 to May 1942. Luton, Bedfordshire, UK: Guideline Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-9539040-6-7....
"Kate", carrying either a heavy bomb or torpedo, closed in on her. Morriss guns scored hits and set the plane afire, but could not stop it. Shortly after 1815, it crashed into the ship on the portside, between the Nos. 1 and 2 guns. Fires caused by the explosions spread quickly. Two hours were needed to bring them under control with another 30 minutes to extinguish them. Morris then returned to Kerama Retto
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
where temporary repairs somewhat corrected her demolished bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
and subsequent draft of 18 feet 3 inches, her large protrusion of plating on the starboard side, and her damaged steering.
On 22 May, she started out across the Pacific, and on 18 June entered the San Francisco Naval Shipyard
San Francisco Naval Shipyard
The San Francisco Naval Shipyard was a United States Navy shipyard in San Francisco, California, located on of waterfront at Hunters Point in the southeast corner of the city...
. Declared neither seaworthy nor habitable, she was decommissioned on 9 November. Struck 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...
on 28 November, she was stripped of gear and sold to Franklin Shipwrecking on 2 August 1947, then resold to the National Metal and Steel Corporation in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on 17 July 1949, where she was scrapped.