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USS Robinson (DD-562)
Encyclopedia
USS Robinson (DD-562), a Fletcher-class
destroyer
, was the second ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Captain Isaiah Robinson
(died c. 1781), who served in the Continental Navy
.
Robinson was laid down on 12 August 1942 by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle, Wash.
; launched
28 August 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Howard M. Sayers; and commissioned
31 January 1944, Commander
Elonzo B. Grantham, Jr., in command.
After shakedown out of San Diego
, Robinson, departed Seattle 12 April for Hawaii
. Arriving at Pearl Harbor
21 April, she trained until getting underway on 29 May with Task Force 52 (TF 52), headed for Eniwetok and the Marianas
.
and her first salvo set off a large explosion, followed by an oil fire. She then silenced four enemy batteries which had been firing on Marines
on the southernmost landing beaches, "Beach Yellow One". She then scored a direct hit on an enemy pillbox on Tinian
. The destroyer joined the screen of battleship
Tennessee
(BB-43), at nightfall and in 2 hours fought off five enemy aircraft. She then teamed with destroyers Selfridge
(DD-357) and Albert W. Grant
(DD-649) in the screen of cruiser
Birmingham
(CL-62) off the western coast of Tinian, delivering harassing fire throughout the night.
At daybreak 16 June, Robinson resumed fire support to the Marines on the southernmost invasion beaches of Saipan
. During the morning, she silenced all but one stubborn gun of an enemy artillery
emplacement and her fire assisted in turning back enemy tanks. Toward noon, she began safeguarding the transports off Saipan. At nightfall, she turned to call-fire duty off "Beach Green One". Throughout the night of 16 June and into the morning of the 17th, Robinson illuminated and fired upon counterattacking Japanese tank divisions twice driving them back from the beachhead. That afternoon, she took fire support station, then spent the night and the next 5 days, protecting troop transports off Saipan.
Retiring to Eniwetok with empty transports 26 June, she returned to Saipan on 6 July in the escort screen of a reinforcement convoy
.
Robinson took antisubmarine patrol station northwest of Saipan that day and closed the shore at night to provide illumination fire and send salvos into enemy troops east of Marpi Point. She shifted her fire to the west, to Tanapag Harbor the following morning and during the afternoon, rescued 17 Marines from a reef north of the harbor where they had been isolated by one of the biggest banzai attacks of the war.
Robinson served on antisubmarine patrol off Saipan, in the ocean area northwest of Maniagassa Island, until 20 July, then got underway with Overton (APD-23) to escort 11 LCTs which arrived off Guam
the next morning. She resumed fire support off Saipan that evening. On 22 July Robinson shifted her fire to Tinian, hitting caves where the enemy had dug in. She bombarded the western shore of Tinian 25 and 26 July; and, after gunfire support on the 29th, she guarded the minesweepers in Asiga Bay.
Departing Tinian on 31 July, she escorted the hospital transport ship, Tryon
(APH-1) to Eniwetok; then steamed independently to Nouméa
, New Caledonia
, where she arrived 9 August.
, New Hebrides Islands, to rejoin other ships of her division, then arrived at Purvis Bay
of Florida, Solomon Islands
on the 26th. She stood out from Purvis Bay on 6 September, with Rear Admiral
Jesse B. Oldendorf
's bombardment group, and arrived off Peleliu
Island, on the morning of the 12th for pre-invasion bombardment. During the Battle of Peleliu
, Robinson wiped out enemy machine gun emplacements and tumbled snipers out of trees as she blasted enemy troop concentrations near "White" and "Orange" beaches. At various times, she assisted in screening cruisers Louisville
(CA-28) and Portland
(CA-33) and battleships Idaho
(BB-42) and Mississippi
(BB-41). She also raked the beach area during the daylight hours to cover underwater demolition team
s, and she carried out call fire missions on enemy troops and gun batteries. On 22 September, she knocked out all guns in her area and disabled two groups of enemy tank
s. She continued to hit emplacements, troop areas and supply dumps until the early morning of 24 September 1944 when she teamed with Heywood L. Edwards
(DD-663) in destroying enemy barges attempting to land troops and supplies on the north shore. That evening she screened cruiser Louisville to Kossol Passage.
She spent the night of 26 September providing illumination and harassing fire on the north end of Angaur Island. She gave the same treatment to Ngesebus Island the next night and bombarded the beaches south of Ngesebus airfields during the day of the 28th. She spent the night of 28–29 September delivering night illumination fire on the northwest corner of Angaur and entered Seeadler Harbor
, Manus
, Admiralty Islands
, 1 October.
Attack Group. With light cruiser
s Denver
(CL-58) and Columbia
(CL-56), and three other destroyers, Robinson supported the Dinagat Attack Group and set course for Dinagat and the three smaller islands, Calicoan, Suluan, and Homonhon, which divided the two entrances to Leyte Gulf
and were suspected of harboring enemy search radar. To put these enemy warning stations out of action, the attack group arrived off the islands at daybreak of 17 October. Cruiser Denver had the honor of firing the opening gun for the liberation of Leyte
at 08:00 and Company D of the 6th Rangers
was landed on Suluan Island
some 20 minutes later—the first Americans to "return" to the Philippines. Robinson escorted the Ranger unit to Dinagat Island where they made an unopposed landing. She then covered minesweeper
s in Leyte Gulf until their retirement on the morning of 19 October. Her guns raked the invasion beaches ahead of the troops landing on Leyte, 20 October 1944, and she delivered illumination fire over the eastern shore of Leyte throughout the night. On 22 October, she rescued a downed American fighter pilot. On 24 October Robinson destroyed enemy installations on the slope of Catmon Hill, Leyte.
At 17:10 on 24 October, Robinson was relieved from fire support duties and joined a screen for five cruisers on the left flank of the northern entrance to Surigao Strait
. The destroyers were divided into three attack sections and severely mauled the attacking Japanese
. By early morning 25 October, the enemy was limping off in retreat, having lost two battleships, two destroyers and a cruiser. Robinson made rendezvous with the destroyers of section 3 to the north of Hibuson Island
after her torpedo
attack, and vainly attempted to rescue the many Japanese survivors who refused all efforts to save them. At 07:58, 25 October, Robinson joined other destroyers and cruisers in anticipation of meeting enemy surface and air units retiring from the fierce action with the escort carriers off the east coast of Samar
. She cruised east of Leyte until 29 October to cover shipping in and near Leyte Gulf. She assisted in fighting off enemy air raids and escorted the bomb-damaged Killen
(DD-593) to her anchorage in San Pedro Bay
on 1 November. She was temporarily detached from the task group on 4 November for picket duty in Surigao Strait and rejoined the bombardment group on 13 November as it set course for Manus. She teamed with Bryant
(DD-665) to shoot down an enemy plane which approached the formation on the 16th, and entered Seeadler Harbor on the 21st.
Robinson stood out of Seeadler Harbor on 28 November for Leyte Gulf where on 1 December she was detached from Destroyer Division 112 (DesDiv 112) of Destroyer Squadron 56 (DesRon 56) and reported to Destroyer Squadron 22 for duty. The next day she got underway in the screen of battleships and cruisers for Kossol Passage, where she teamed with 14 other destroyers in the screen of six escort carrier
s, seven cruisers, and three battleships, acting as distant cover for troop convoys bound for the assault on Mindoro
, Philippine Islands. She assisted in driving off enemy aircraft as she guarded the escort carriers from 13 to 15 December. The troops hit the beach at Mindoro
on the 15th and Robinson returned to Seeadler Harbor with the task group on the 23d.
On 31 December Robinson and the five other destroyers of DesRon 22 sailed from Seeadler Harbor in the screen for Transport Group "Able" of the Lingayen Attack Force, carrying the 27th Infantry Division for the initial landings at Lingayen Gulf
, Luzon
, in the Philippines. Robinson screened northwest of the transport area on the morning of 9 January 1945 as the first waves of amphibious assault troops landed. She anchored in the transport area that night and survived a pre-dawn attack by a Japanese suicide boat. The underwater explosion
s temporarily put her sonar
equipment out of commission but did no other serious damage. At daybreak, Robinsons gunners fought off a diving kamikaze
suicide plane and knocked it down in a spinning ball of flame. At dusk she opened fire on another suicide plane diving at a highspeed transport. That enemy missed its target and crashed into the sea. Robinson returned to Leyte Gulf with the empty transports on the 15th.
She got underway from San Pedro Bay on 18 January to escort the attack transport
Comet (APA-166) to Humboldt Bay
, Hollandia
, New Guinea
, and returned on 3 February escorting Wright (AG-79). After installation of fighter-director radio equipment, she cleared port with Harmon
(DE-678) and Greenwood
(DE-679) in the screen for amphibious command ship
Blue Ridge
(AGC-2) and three transports; and headed for Lingayen Gulf where she performed patrol duty. She returned to San Pedro Bay with the empty troopship on 26 February, and sailed the next day with Bancroft
(DD-598), escorting Rear Adm. Forrest B. Royal's amphibious command ship, Rocky Mount
(AGC-3) which reached Mangarin Bay
, Mindoro, on 1 March. That same day, Robinson put to sea in the screen for Task Group 78.1 (TG 78.1). The American ships arrived off the Zamboanga Peninsula
of Mindanao
early in the morning of 10 March, and Robinson took station off Coldera Point as troops stormed ashore under the cover of a rocket barrage. During the night, she teamed with McCalla
(DD-488) for gunfire support, knocking out an enemy gun emplacement and hitting enemy pillboxes inland. On the 16th, she bombarded Isabela City
, Basilan Island, creating a diversion while Army troops
landed at Kulibato Point to the east. Assisted by spotting aircraft, she shelled a wharf and the area of suspected enemy underground trenches. On the evening of 18 March, she responded to the request of shore fire-control parties by blasting a Japanese troop concentration of about 150 men in the Gumularang River Valley of Basilan Island, giving support to American Army and guerilla troops. She anchored off the Santa Cruz Bank from 20 to 24 March.
Robinson joined Task Group 78.2 at Mangarin Bay on 10 April 1945 and sailed 4 days later. She rescued two Marine aviators from the sea on the 16th. The next day, the task group entered Polloc Harbor of Mindanao and Army troops were landed for the assault against the Malabang-Parang
-Catobato area of Mindanao. Robinson returned to Mangarin Bay with the empty shipping on 24 April and sailed the next day escorting a convoy carrying reinforcements to Polloc Harbor. She cleared that port on 28 April escorting oiler Winooski (AO-38) via Tawi Tawi, Sulu Archipelago
, Philippine Islands, to Muara Batagao, Tarakan
, Borneo
. She reached her destination on 2 May, the day after the initial assault on Tarakan, and bombarded an enemy-defended ridge north of the airfield and a supply road junction. She got underway from Tarakan Island on 8 May, escorting amphibious ships to the Netherlands East Indies, arriving at Morotai
2 days later.
, British Northwest Borneo on 10 June. The landing was unopposed and Robinson joined the antisubmarine screen for Nashville
(CL-43) and Phoenix
(CL-46) en route to Tawi Tawi. She then sailed with Philip
(DD-498) and arrived at Morotai, 20 June. She again stood out to sea on 26 June in the screen for amphibious ships which landed troops on the beach at Balikpapan
, Borneo, on the morning of 1 July 1945. She conducted antisubmarine and picket patrol off Balikpapan until 15 July and returned to Morotai with one echelon of the empty troopships on the 19th. Three days later she teamed with Waller
(DD-466) to escort small craft to San Pedro Bay, arriving on the 25th.
Robinson departed San Pedro Bay on 5 August 1945, and arrived at Ulithi
, 7 August 1945. She took radar picket
station some 50 miles from Ulithi from 10 to 13 August. Three days later she sailed escorting troopship Admiral Benson (AP-120) to San Pedro Bay; then continued on alone to Subic Bay
, Luzon, where she arrived on the 21st.
, but broke off from the main body to head for Okinawa and arrived in Buckner Bay on the morning of 5 September. That same day Captain Campbell was designated commander of the newly organized Minesweeper Task Group 73.2 with Robinson as flagship
. She put to sea with six minesweepers on the night of 5 September; and, 2 days later, the task unit began minesweeping operations in the approaches to and the entrance of the Yangtze. These lasted until December. On the 12th Robinson sailed from Shanghai
for the United States and reached San Diego on 30 December.
Robinson, with Waller, Saufley
(DD-465), Philip, and Renshaw
(DD-499) was assigned to the newly formed Destroyer Division 301 of Destroyer Squadron 30 at San Diego. She cleared San Diego on 12 January 1946 and arrived at Brooklyn, N.Y., on the 26th. She cleared port on 4 March, and entered the Charleston Navy Yard on the 7th for inactivation overhaul, and decommissioned on 12 June 1946.
, she arrived at Norfolk, Va.
on 2 December for shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay
and off the Virginia Capes
. She got underway from Norfolk on 10 January 1952 for maneuvers in the Caribbean Sea
and returned on 6 March for squadron tactics and plane guard exercises with Saipan
(CVL-48) and Midway (CVB-41) off the Virginia Capes. She subsequently operated off the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean until getting underway from Norfolk on 29 June 1953 for 6 months in the western Pacific
. The destroyer transited the Panama Canal
and arrived at Yokosuka, Japan on 3 August 1953. Robinson performed plane guard duty with Carrier Task Force 77 off the coast of Korea
, participated in hunter-killer exercises off Kobe, Japan
, escorted Point Cruz
(CVE-119) to Inchon, Korea, patrolled off the east coast of Korea, and visited Pusan and Asau Wan, Tsushima
. Robinson then returned home via the Suez Canal
and the Mediterranean, reaching Norfolk on 6 February 1954.
After operations along the Atlantic coast, Robinson made a midshipman
practice cruise with battleship Missouri
(BB-63) visiting Vigo
, Spain
, and Le Havre
, France
, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
, before returning to Norfolk on 3 August.
, Greece
; and Beirut
, Lebanon
; before steaming for Greenwich
, England
; Antwerp, Belgium
; Bremerhaven
, Germany
; and Edinburgh
, Scotland
. After independent operations in waters to the north of the Shetland Islands
, she arrived at Derry
, Northern Ireland
on 27 January for antisubmarine warfare and convoy exercises with British warships. This duty terminated 13 February 1956 and Robinson returned to Norfolk on the 22d for antisubmarine operations in the Virginia Capes, and shore bombardment practice at Bloodsworth Island
.
Early in June 1956, Robinson embarked midshipmen at Annapolis
and cleared Norfolk on 5 June for a midshipman cruise. After exercise "Coppersmith" with units of the Danish Navy, she visited Copenhagen
until the 26th, then set course for Chatham
, England. She visited Guantanamo Bay before debarking the midshipmen at Annapolis and returning to Norfolk on 1 August.
Robinson cleared Norfolk with Destroyer Squadron 32 on 22 October 1957 and touched at Bermuda
before arrival at Gibraltar
on 31 October. She put to sea the next day in company with Ross
(DD-563) for the Persian Gulf
, visiting Piraeus
, Greece, and touching at Port Said
on 7 November before transit of the Suez Canal for visits to Aden
, Arabia; and Massawa
, Eritrea
. She arrived at Karachi
, Pakistan
, 25 November 1957. Based at the last named port, she participated in Operation Crescent with Navy warships of Pakistan, Turkey
, Great Britain
, and Iran
. She got underway from Karachi, Pakistan, on 11 December, steamed by way of Massawa, and transited the Suez Canal on the 19th for maneuvers with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. She sailed from Gibraltar on the 16th and arrived at Norfolk on 5 March 1958.
, Galicia (Spain); Gothenburg
, Sweden
; and Hamburg
, Germany, before debarking the midshipmen at Annapolis on 4 and 5 August. After 7 months of operations from Norfolk, on 8 April 1959, Robinson was assigned to Reserve Destroyer Squadron 4, Destroyer Flotilla 4, U.S. Atlantic Fleet
, and began a new career training reservists. On 1 July, the destroyer sailed for Charleston, her new homeport where she operated for the next 5 years.
Robinson decommissioned at Norfolk on 1 April 1964 and was berthed there with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
1 December 1974. The ship was sunk as target off Puerto Rico
13 April 1982.
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...
, was the second 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 Captain Isaiah Robinson
Isaiah Robinson
Isaiah Robinson was an officer in the Continental Navy of the United States.-Biography:Likely born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Robinson was a member of the Philadelphia Ship Masters' Association and served as lieutenant on the Hornet with Joshua Barney...
(died c. 1781), who served in the Continental Navy
Continental Navy
The Continental Navy was the navy of the United States during the American Revolutionary War, and was formed in 1775. Through the efforts of the Continental Navy's patron, John Adams and vigorous Congressional support in the face of stiff opposition, the fleet cumulatively became relatively...
.
Robinson was laid down on 12 August 1942 by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle, Wash.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
; launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
28 August 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Howard M. Sayers; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
31 January 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...
Elonzo B. Grantham, Jr., in command.
After shakedown out of San Diego
Naval Station San Diego
Naval Base San Diego is the largest base of the United States Navy on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of 54 ships and over 120 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched...
, Robinson, departed Seattle 12 April for Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Arriving at 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...
21 April, she trained until getting underway on 29 May with Task Force 52 (TF 52), headed for Eniwetok and the Marianas
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
.
Marianas campaign
On the morning of 15 June, Robinson opened fire in the battle of SaipanBattle of Saipan
The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June-9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was...
and her first salvo set off a large explosion, followed by an oil fire. She then silenced four enemy batteries which had been firing on Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
on the southernmost landing beaches, "Beach Yellow One". She then scored a direct hit on an enemy pillbox on 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 destroyer joined the screen of 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...
Tennessee
USS Tennessee (BB-43)
USS Tennessee , the lead ship of her class of battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 16th US state. During World War II in the Pacific Theater, she was damaged during the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 but was repaired and modernized...
(BB-43), at nightfall and in 2 hours fought off five enemy aircraft. She then teamed with destroyers Selfridge
USS Selfridge (DD-357)
The second USS Selfridge was a in the United States Navy. She named for Rear Admiral Thomas O. Selfridge and his son, Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr...
(DD-357) and Albert W. Grant
USS Albert W. Grant (DD-649)
USS Albert W. Grant was a Fletcher-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the only ship named for Vice Admiral Albert W. Grant , an admiral during World War I.Albert W...
(DD-649) in the screen of cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
Birmingham
USS Birmingham (CL-62)
USS Birmingham , a light cruiser named for the city of Birmingham, Alabama, the "Steel City", was a Cleveland class light cruiser laid down at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Newport News in Virginia on 17 February 1941 and launched on 20 March 1942 by Mrs. Cooper Green, wife...
(CL-62) off the western coast of Tinian, delivering harassing fire throughout the night.
At daybreak 16 June, Robinson resumed fire support to the Marines on the southernmost invasion beaches of 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...
. During the morning, she silenced all but one stubborn gun of an enemy artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
emplacement and her fire assisted in turning back enemy tanks. Toward noon, she began safeguarding the transports off Saipan. At nightfall, she turned to call-fire duty off "Beach Green One". Throughout the night of 16 June and into the morning of the 17th, Robinson illuminated and fired upon counterattacking Japanese tank divisions twice driving them back from the beachhead. That afternoon, she took fire support station, then spent the night and the next 5 days, protecting troop transports off Saipan.
Retiring to Eniwetok with empty transports 26 June, she returned to Saipan on 6 July in the escort screen of a reinforcement 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...
.
Robinson took antisubmarine patrol station northwest of Saipan that day and closed the shore at night to provide illumination fire and send salvos into enemy troops east of Marpi Point. She shifted her fire to the west, to Tanapag Harbor the following morning and during the afternoon, rescued 17 Marines from a reef north of the harbor where they had been isolated by one of the biggest banzai attacks of the war.
Robinson served on antisubmarine patrol off Saipan, in the ocean area northwest of Maniagassa Island, until 20 July, then got underway with Overton (APD-23) to escort 11 LCTs which arrived off 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...
the next morning. She resumed fire support off Saipan that evening. On 22 July Robinson shifted her fire to Tinian, hitting caves where the enemy had dug in. She bombarded the western shore of Tinian 25 and 26 July; and, after gunfire support on the 29th, she guarded the minesweepers in Asiga Bay.
Departing Tinian on 31 July, she escorted the hospital transport ship, Tryon
USS Tryon (APH-1)
USS Tryon was laid down as SS Alcoa Courier on 26 March 1941, by the Moore Dry Dock Company, Oakland, California and launched on 21 October 1941 sponsored by Mrs. Roy G. Hunt. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, she was designated for U.S. Navy use and assigned the name Comfort in June 1942...
(APH-1) to Eniwetok; then steamed independently to Nouméa
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,...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, where she arrived 9 August.
Peleliu
Robinson cleared Nouméa on 22 August and touched at Espiritu SantoEspiritu 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....
, New Hebrides Islands, to rejoin other ships of her division, then arrived at 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....
of Florida, Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
on the 26th. She stood out from Purvis Bay on 6 September, with Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Jesse B. Oldendorf
Jesse B. Oldendorf
Jesse Bartlett "Oley" Oldendorf was an admiral in the United States Navy, famous for defeating a Japanese force in the Battle of Leyte Gulf during World War II...
's bombardment group, and 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....
Island, on the morning of the 12th for pre-invasion bombardment. During the Battle of Peleliu
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...
, Robinson wiped out enemy machine gun emplacements and tumbled snipers out of trees as she blasted enemy troop concentrations near "White" and "Orange" beaches. At various times, she assisted in screening cruisers Louisville
USS Louisville (CA-28)
USS Louisville — a Northampton-class heavy cruiser — was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Louisville, Kentucky...
(CA-28) and Portland
USS Portland (CA-33)
USS Portland , the lead ship of her class of heavy cruiser, was the first ship of the United States Navy named after the city of Portland, Maine....
(CA-33) and battleships Idaho
USS Idaho (BB-42)
USS Idaho , a , was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 43rd state. Her keel was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey...
(BB-42) and Mississippi
USS Mississippi (BB-41)
USS Mississippi , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state, and the second battleship to carry the name. Commissioned in 1917, too late to serve in World War I, she served extensively in the Pacific in World War II, for which she earned eight battle stars...
(BB-41). She also raked the beach area during the daylight hours to cover underwater demolition team
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...
s, and she carried out call fire missions on enemy troops and gun batteries. On 22 September, she knocked out all guns in her area and disabled two groups of enemy tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s. She continued to hit emplacements, troop areas and supply dumps until the early morning of 24 September 1944 when she teamed with Heywood L. Edwards
USS Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663)
USS Heywood L. Edwards was a of the United States Navy, named for Lieutenant Commander Heywood L. Edwards , captain of , the first U.S. Navy ship sunk in World War II....
(DD-663) in destroying enemy barges attempting to land troops and supplies on the north shore. That evening she screened cruiser Louisville to Kossol Passage.
She spent the night of 26 September providing illumination and harassing fire on the north end of Angaur Island. She gave the same treatment to Ngesebus Island the next night and bombarded the beaches south of Ngesebus airfields during the day of the 28th. She spent the night of 28–29 September delivering night illumination fire on the northwest corner of Angaur and entered Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor, also known as Port Seeadler, is located on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea and played an important role in World War II...
, 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...
, Admiralty Islands
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...
, 1 October.
Philippines campaign
Robinson cleared Seeadler Harbor on the 12th, and headed for the Philippine Islands. On 17 October 1944, she joined the DinagatDinagat 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...
Attack Group. With light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s Denver
USS Denver (CL-58)
USS Denver was a Cleveland-class light cruiser. Denver launched on 4 April 1942 by New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.; sponsored by Miss L. J. Stapleton, daughter of the Mayor of Denver; and commissioned on 15 October 1942, Captain Robert Carney in command...
(CL-58) and Columbia
USS Columbia (CL-56)
was one of 26 United States Navy light cruisers completed during or shortly after World War II. The ship, the sixth US Navy ship to bear the name, was named for the city of Columbia, South Carolina. Columbia was commissioned in July 1942, and saw service in several campaigns in the Pacific...
(CL-56), and three other destroyers, Robinson supported the Dinagat Attack Group and set course for Dinagat and the three smaller islands, Calicoan, Suluan, and Homonhon, which divided the two entrances to 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...
and were suspected of harboring enemy search radar. To put these enemy warning stations out of action, the attack group arrived off the islands at daybreak of 17 October. Cruiser Denver had the honor of firing the opening gun for the liberation of Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
at 08:00 and Company D of the 6th Rangers
6th Ranger Battalion
The 6th Ranger Battalion was a United States Army Ranger Battalion which saw action in the Pacific during World War II. The battalion is best known for its role in the Raid at Cabanatuan in January 1945.-98th Field Artillery Battalion:...
was landed on Suluan Island
Suluan Island
Suluan Island is a small island in the Philippines, in the province of Eastern Samar. It lies east of Leyte Gulf, near Homonhon Island and Calicoan Island....
some 20 minutes later—the first Americans to "return" to the Philippines. Robinson escorted the Ranger unit to Dinagat Island where they made an unopposed landing. She then covered minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
s in Leyte Gulf until their retirement on the morning of 19 October. Her guns raked the invasion beaches ahead of the troops landing on Leyte, 20 October 1944, and she delivered illumination fire over the eastern shore of Leyte throughout the night. On 22 October, she rescued a downed American fighter pilot. On 24 October Robinson destroyed enemy installations on the slope of Catmon Hill, Leyte.
At 17:10 on 24 October, Robinson was relieved from fire support duties and joined a screen for five cruisers on the left flank of the northern entrance to Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait is a body of water in the Philippines located between the islands of Mindanao and Leyte. This strait connects the Bohol Sea with Leyte Gulf and is regularly crossed by ferries that transport goods and people between Visayas and Mindanao...
. The destroyers were divided into three attack sections and severely mauled the attacking Japanese
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
. By early morning 25 October, the enemy was limping off in retreat, having lost two battleships, two destroyers and a cruiser. Robinson made rendezvous with the destroyers of section 3 to the north of Hibuson Island
Hibuson Island
Hibuson Island is a small island in the Philippines, in the province of Surigao del Norte. It lies northwest of Dinagat Island in Leyte Gulf, at the north end of Surigao Strait....
after her torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
attack, and vainly attempted to rescue the many Japanese survivors who refused all efforts to save them. At 07:58, 25 October, Robinson joined other destroyers and cruisers in anticipation of meeting enemy surface and air units retiring from the fierce action with the escort carriers off the east coast of Samar
Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
. She cruised east of Leyte until 29 October to cover shipping in and near Leyte Gulf. She assisted in fighting off enemy air raids and escorted the bomb-damaged Killen
USS Killen (DD-593)
USS Killen , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Edward Killen, who served in the First Barbary War...
(DD-593) to her anchorage in San Pedro Bay
San Pedro Bay (Philippines)
San Pedro Bay is a bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east-west and 20 km north-south. The bay is bounded on the north and east by Samar and on the east by Leyte Island. It is connected by San Juanico Strait to Carigara Bay of the Samar Sea. The...
on 1 November. She was temporarily detached from the task group on 4 November for picket duty in Surigao Strait and rejoined the bombardment group on 13 November as it set course for Manus. She teamed with Bryant
USS Bryant (DD-665)
USS Bryant was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral Samuel W. Bryant .Bryant was launched 29 May 1943 by Charleston Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. Samuel W...
(DD-665) to shoot down an enemy plane which approached the formation on the 16th, and entered Seeadler Harbor on the 21st.
Robinson stood out of Seeadler Harbor on 28 November for Leyte Gulf where on 1 December she was detached from Destroyer Division 112 (DesDiv 112) of Destroyer Squadron 56 (DesRon 56) and reported to Destroyer Squadron 22 for duty. The next day she got underway in the screen of battleships and cruisers for Kossol Passage, where she teamed with 14 other destroyers in the screen of six escort carrier
Escort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
s, seven cruisers, and three battleships, acting as distant cover for troop convoys bound for the assault on Mindoro
Battle of Mindoro
The Battle of Mindoro was a battle in World War II between forces of the United States and Japan, in Mindoro Island in the central Philippines, from 13-16 December 1944, during the Philippines campaign....
, Philippine Islands. She assisted in driving off enemy aircraft as she guarded the escort carriers from 13 to 15 December. The troops hit the beach at 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:...
on the 15th and Robinson returned to Seeadler Harbor with the task group on the 23d.
On 31 December Robinson and the five other destroyers of DesRon 22 sailed from Seeadler Harbor in the screen for Transport Group "Able" of the Lingayen Attack Force, carrying the 27th Infantry Division for the initial landings at 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...
, 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...
, in the Philippines. Robinson screened northwest of the transport area on the morning of 9 January 1945 as the first waves of amphibious assault troops landed. She anchored in the transport area that night and survived a pre-dawn attack by a Japanese suicide boat. The underwater explosion
Underwater explosion
An underwater explosion, also known as an UNDEX, is an explosion beneath the surface of water. The type of explosion may be chemical or nuclear...
s temporarily put her sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
equipment out of commission but did no other serious damage. At daybreak, Robinsons gunners fought off a diving 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....
suicide plane and knocked it down in a spinning ball of flame. At dusk she opened fire on another suicide plane diving at a highspeed transport. That enemy missed its target and crashed into the sea. Robinson returned to Leyte Gulf with the empty transports on the 15th.
She got underway from San Pedro Bay on 18 January to escort the attack transport
Attack transport
Attack Transport is a United States Navy ship classification.-History:In the early 1940s, as the United States Navy expanded in response to the threat of involvement in World War II, a number of civilian passenger ships and some freighters were acquired, converted to transports and given hull...
Comet (APA-166) to Humboldt Bay
Teluk Yos Sudarso
Yos Sudarso Bay also known earlier as Humboldt Bay is a small bay in Indonesia. It is on the north coast of New Guinea, about 50 kilometers west of the border between Indonesia's province of Papua and the country of Papua New Guinea...
, 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....
, 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...
, and returned on 3 February escorting Wright (AG-79). After installation of fighter-director radio equipment, she cleared port with Harmon
USS Harmon (DE-678)
The USS Harmon was a of the United States Navy. USS Harmon was named after Mess Attendant Leonard Roy Harmon, who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions on the USS San Francisco during the battle of Guadalcanal...
(DE-678) and Greenwood
USS Greenwood (DE-679)
USS Greenwood was a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, named in honor of Lieutenant Frank Greenwood ....
(DE-679) in the screen for amphibious command ship
Amphibious Command Ship
Amphibious Command Ships in the United States Navy are large, special purpose ships, originally designed to command large amphibious invasions, however, as amphibious invasions have become unlikely, they are now used as general command ships, and serve as floating headquarters for the various...
Blue Ridge
USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2)
USS Blue Ridge was an Appalachian-class amphibious force flagship in the United States Navy. She was named for the southeasternmost ridge of the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and North Carolina.-Commissioning:...
(AGC-2) and three transports; and headed for Lingayen Gulf where she performed patrol duty. She returned to San Pedro Bay with the empty troopship on 26 February, and sailed the next day with Bancroft
USS Bancroft (DD-598)
USS Bancroft was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the third ship named for George Bancroft.Bancroft was launched 31 December 1941 by Bethlehem Steel Company, Quincy, Massachusetts; sponsored by Mrs. Hester Bancroft Berry, great-granddaughter of George Bancroft;...
(DD-598), escorting Rear Adm. Forrest B. Royal's amphibious command ship, Rocky Mount
USS Rocky Mount (AGC-3)
USS Rocky Mount was an in the United States Navy. She was named for the Rocky Mountains.-Commissioning and 1944:Rocky Mount was laid down for the Maritime Commission on 4 December 1942 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey; launched 7 March 1943; sponsored by Mrs Elsie...
(AGC-3) which reached Mangarin Bay
Mangarin Bay
Mangarin Bay is situated to the east of Mangarin Point, on the west coast of Mindoro, among the Philippine Islands. The bay is shoal and sheltered from the wind by the point and Ilin Island. Magarin point terminates in a long sandy pit off which the depth is 4 to 5 fathoms. Farther in the water...
, Mindoro, on 1 March. That same day, Robinson put to sea in the screen for Task Group 78.1 (TG 78.1). The American ships arrived off the Zamboanga Peninsula
Zamboanga Peninsula
Zamboanga Peninsula / Western Mindanao is a peninsula and an administrative region in the Philippines. Designated as Region IX, the region consists of three provinces, namely, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay, its component cities of Dipolog, Dapitan, Pagadian, and...
of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
early in the morning of 10 March, and Robinson took station off Coldera Point as troops stormed ashore under the cover of a rocket barrage. During the night, she teamed with McCalla
USS McCalla (DD-488)
USS McCalla , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Bowman H. McCalla, who served during the Spanish-American War and would eventually attain the rank of Rear Admiral ....
(DD-488) for gunfire support, knocking out an enemy gun emplacement and hitting enemy pillboxes inland. On the 16th, she bombarded Isabela City
Isabela City
Isabela City is a 5th class city and the capital of the province of Basilan, Philippines. The city is located on the northern shore of Basilan. Across the Basilan Strait to the north is Zamboanga City...
, Basilan Island, creating a diversion while Army troops
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
landed at Kulibato Point to the east. Assisted by spotting aircraft, she shelled a wharf and the area of suspected enemy underground trenches. On the evening of 18 March, she responded to the request of shore fire-control parties by blasting a Japanese troop concentration of about 150 men in the Gumularang River Valley of Basilan Island, giving support to American Army and guerilla troops. She anchored off the Santa Cruz Bank from 20 to 24 March.
Robinson joined Task Group 78.2 at Mangarin Bay on 10 April 1945 and sailed 4 days later. She rescued two Marine aviators from the sea on the 16th. The next day, the task group entered Polloc Harbor of Mindanao and Army troops were landed for the assault against the Malabang-Parang
Parang
Parang is a popular folk music originating out of Trinidad and Tobago, it was brought to Trinidad by Venezuelan migrants who were primarily of Amerindian and African heritage, something which is strongly reflected in the music itself. The word is derived from two Spanish words:'Parranda', meaning...
-Catobato area of Mindanao. Robinson returned to Mangarin Bay with the empty shipping on 24 April and sailed the next day escorting a convoy carrying reinforcements to Polloc Harbor. She cleared that port on 28 April escorting oiler Winooski (AO-38) via Tawi Tawi, Sulu Archipelago
Sulu Archipelago
The Sulu Archipelago is a chain of islands in the southwestern Philippines. This archipelago is considered to be part of the Moroland by the local rebel independence movement. This island group forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea....
, Philippine Islands, to Muara Batagao, Tarakan
Tarakan Island
Tarakan is an island off the coast of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is a marshy island situated in the eastern Celebes Sea, off the northeastern coast of Borneo. The island occupies an area of .-Petroleum:...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. She reached her destination on 2 May, the day after the initial assault on Tarakan, and bombarded an enemy-defended ridge north of the airfield and a supply road junction. She got underway from Tarakan Island on 8 May, escorting amphibious ships to the Netherlands East Indies, arriving at 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:...
2 days later.
Borneo
On 4 June, Robinson sailed with Task Group 78.1 which arrived in Brunei BayBrunei Bay
Brunei Bay is the gateway to Brunei and Borneo. It is located 4°45'-5°02'N, 114°58'-115°10'E; east of Bandar Seri Begawan. The Brunei portion of the bay is in two sections separated by a finger of Sarawak about 6km wide at the coast...
, British Northwest Borneo on 10 June. The landing was unopposed and Robinson joined the antisubmarine screen for Nashville
USS Nashville (CL-43)
USS Nashville , a Brooklyn-class light cruiser, was laid down on 24 January 1935 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey; launched on 2 October 1937; sponsored by Misses Ann and Mildred Stahlman; and commissioned on 6 June 1938, Captain William W...
(CL-43) and Phoenix
USS Phoenix (CL-46)
USS Phoenix , a Brooklyn-class light cruiser, was the third Phoenix of the United States Navy. After World War II the ship was transferred to Argentina in 1951 and was ultimately renamed the General Belgrano. General Belgrano was sunk during the Falklands War in 1982 by the British nuclear-powered...
(CL-46) en route to Tawi Tawi. She then sailed with Philip
USS Philip (DD-498)
USS Philip , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral John W. Philip ....
(DD-498) and arrived at Morotai, 20 June. She again stood out to sea on 26 June in the screen for amphibious ships which landed troops on the beach at Balikpapan
Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo, Indonesia, in the East Kalimantan province, a resource-rich region well known for its timber, mining, and petroleum export products. Two harbors, Semayang and Kariangau , and the Sepinggan International Airport are the main...
, Borneo, on the morning of 1 July 1945. She conducted antisubmarine and picket patrol off Balikpapan until 15 July and returned to Morotai with one echelon of the empty troopships on the 19th. Three days later she teamed with Waller
USS Waller (DD-466)
USS Waller , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Major General Littleton Waller, USMC ....
(DD-466) to escort small craft to San Pedro Bay, arriving on the 25th.
Robinson departed San Pedro Bay on 5 August 1945, and arrived 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...
, 7 August 1945. She took radar picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
station some 50 miles from Ulithi from 10 to 13 August. Three days later she sailed escorting troopship Admiral Benson (AP-120) to San Pedro Bay; then continued on alone to Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
, Luzon, where she arrived on the 21st.
China
On 3 September she put to sea with the Yangtze River Patrol Force under Rear Adm. C. Turner JoyC. Turner Joy
Vice Admiral Charles Turner Joy was an admiral of the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War. During the last years of his career, he served as Superintendent of the Naval Academy. The destroyer USS Turner Joy was named for him.-Early life and career, through World War I:C....
, but broke off from the main body to head for Okinawa and arrived in Buckner Bay on the morning of 5 September. That same day Captain Campbell was designated commander of the newly organized Minesweeper Task Group 73.2 with Robinson 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...
. She put to sea with six minesweepers on the night of 5 September; and, 2 days later, the task unit began minesweeping operations in the approaches to and the entrance of the Yangtze. These lasted until December. On the 12th Robinson sailed from Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
for the United States and reached San Diego on 30 December.
Robinson, with Waller, Saufley
USS Saufley (DD-465)
USS Saufley , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Lieutenant Richard Saufley....
(DD-465), Philip, and Renshaw
USS Renshaw (DD-499)
USS Renshaw , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy of that name, in honor of Commander William B. Renshaw.Renshaw was laid down 7 May 1942 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey; launched on 13 October 1942, sponsored by Miss Dorothy Lillian Renshaw; and...
(DD-499) was assigned to the newly formed Destroyer Division 301 of Destroyer Squadron 30 at San Diego. She cleared San Diego on 12 January 1946 and arrived at Brooklyn, N.Y., on the 26th. She cleared port on 4 March, and entered the Charleston Navy Yard on the 7th for inactivation overhaul, and decommissioned on 12 June 1946.
1951 – 1954
Robinson remained in reserve until recommissioned at the Charleston Naval Shipyard on 3 August 1951. She was assigned to Destroyer Division 321 and on 9 September became the flagship of Destroyer Squadron 32. After sea trials off Charleston, S.C.Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, she arrived at Norfolk, Va.
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
on 2 December for shakedown training in the 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...
and off the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
. She got underway from Norfolk on 10 January 1952 for maneuvers in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
and returned on 6 March for squadron tactics and plane guard exercises with Saipan
USS Saipan (CVL-48)
The first USS Saipan was a light aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, the lead ship of her class of carrier. She was later selected for conversion into a command ship in 1963-1964, but instead of becoming a command ship instead was converted to the Major Communications Relay Ship Arlington ...
(CVL-48) and Midway (CVB-41) off the Virginia Capes. She subsequently operated off the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean until getting underway from Norfolk on 29 June 1953 for 6 months in the western Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The destroyer transited the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and arrived at Yokosuka, Japan on 3 August 1953. Robinson performed plane guard duty with Carrier Task Force 77 off the 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...
, participated in hunter-killer exercises off Kobe, 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...
, escorted Point Cruz
USS Point Cruz (CVE-119)
USS Point Cruz was a of the United States Navy.Named Trocadero Bay until 5 June 1944, was laid down on 4 December 1944 by Todd-Pacific Shipyards Incorporated, Tacoma, Washington; launched on 18 May 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Earl R. DeLong; and commissioned on 16 October 1945, with Captain Douglas T...
(CVE-119) to Inchon, Korea, patrolled off the east coast of Korea, and visited Pusan and Asau Wan, Tsushima
Tsushima
-Places:* Tsushima, Nagasaki, a city in Nagasaki Prefecture * Tsushima Basin, also known as Ulleung Basin, located at the juncture of the Sea of Japan and the Korea Strait* Tsushima Island, part of Nagasaki Prefecture...
. Robinson then returned home via the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
and the Mediterranean, reaching Norfolk on 6 February 1954.
After operations along the Atlantic coast, Robinson made a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
practice cruise with battleship Missouri
USS Missouri (BB-63)
|USS Missouri is a United States Navy Iowa-class battleship, and was the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Missouri...
(BB-63) visiting Vigo
Vigo
Vigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, before returning to Norfolk on 3 August.
1955 – 1958
After operations off the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean, Robinson was again bound for the Mediterranean in company with Destroyer Squadrons 8 and 32 on 5 November 1955. She visited such Mediterranean ports as RhodesRhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
; and Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
; before steaming for Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, 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...
; Antwerp, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
; Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. After independent operations in waters to the north of the Shetland Islands
Shetland Islands
Shetland is a subarctic archipelago of Scotland that lies north and east of mainland Great Britain. The islands lie some to the northeast of Orkney and southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total...
, she arrived at Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
on 27 January for antisubmarine warfare and convoy exercises with British warships. This duty terminated 13 February 1956 and Robinson returned to Norfolk on the 22d for antisubmarine operations in the Virginia Capes, and shore bombardment practice at Bloodsworth Island
Bloodsworth Island
Bloodsworth Island is an island in the Chesapeake Bay. It lies in southern Dorchester County, Maryland. For much of the 20th century, it was used as a naval gunnery range. Due to extensive contamination by unexploded ordinance, the island is currently off-limits to the...
.
Early in June 1956, Robinson embarked midshipmen at Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
and cleared Norfolk on 5 June for a midshipman cruise. After exercise "Coppersmith" with units of the Danish Navy, she visited Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
until the 26th, then set course for Chatham
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
, England. She visited Guantanamo Bay before debarking the midshipmen at Annapolis and returning to Norfolk on 1 August.
Robinson cleared Norfolk with Destroyer Squadron 32 on 22 October 1957 and touched at 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...
before arrival at 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...
on 31 October. She put to sea the next day in company with Ross
USS Ross (DD-563)
USS Ross was a U.S. Navy Fletcher class destroyer named for Captain David Ross, a former Continental Navy lieutenant. The Ross is the only ship in U.S. naval history to survive two underwater mine explosions....
(DD-563) for the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, visiting Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, Greece, and touching at Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
on 7 November before transit of the Suez Canal for visits to 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...
, Arabia; and Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
, Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
. She arrived at Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 25 November 1957. Based at the last named port, she participated in Operation Crescent with Navy warships of Pakistan, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. She got underway from Karachi, Pakistan, on 11 December, steamed by way of Massawa, and transited the Suez Canal on the 19th for maneuvers with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. She sailed from Gibraltar on the 16th and arrived at Norfolk on 5 March 1958.
1958 – 1964
Robinson departed Norfolk again on 9 June 1958 on a midshipmen training cruise to A CoruñaA Coruña
A Coruña or La Coruña is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. It is the second-largest city in the autonomous community and seventeenth overall in the country...
, Galicia (Spain); Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
; and Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany, before debarking the midshipmen at Annapolis on 4 and 5 August. After 7 months of operations from Norfolk, on 8 April 1959, Robinson was assigned to Reserve Destroyer Squadron 4, Destroyer Flotilla 4, U.S. Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
, and began a new career training reservists. On 1 July, the destroyer sailed for Charleston, her new homeport where she operated for the next 5 years.
Robinson decommissioned at Norfolk on 1 April 1964 and was berthed there with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She was stricken 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...
1 December 1974. The ship was sunk as target off Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
13 April 1982.