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USS Stringham (DD-83)
Encyclopedia
USS Stringham (DD–83) was a Wickes class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during the World War I
. Later she served in World War II
as APD-6. She was the second ship named for Silas Horton Stringham
.
Stringham was laid down on 19 September 1917 at Quincy, Massachusetts
, by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company; launched on 30 March 1918; sponsored by Mrs. Edward B. Hill; and commissioned on 2 July 1918, Commander
N. E. Nichols in command.
in 1919, she was assigned to Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 6 of the Atlantic Fleet Destroyer Force. Except for a six-month period from December 1919 to June 1920 when she was in reduced commission, Stringham remained fully active with the Atlantic Fleet until the middle of 1922. During that time, alpha-numeric hull numbers were adopted by the Navy; and Stringham was redesignated DD-83 effective 17 July 1920. On 2 June 1922, she was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
, whence she operated until mid-1942. Her duties consisted primarily of escorting coastal convoys from point to point along the eastern seaboard and to various bases in the Caribbean
. On 18 April 1942, Stringham attacked an enemy submarine
, but could not confirm a kill, even though heavy black oil surfaced soon after her attack. On the following day, she put into Norfolk and participated in amphibious exercises in Chesapeake Bay
through the first week in July.
On 6 July, she got underway from Norfolk in company with a convoy bound for the Panama Canal
. She transited the canal on 13 July, reported to the Commander, Southeastern Pacific, and continued west. After stops in the Society
and Fiji Islands, she reached Espiritu Santo
, in the New Hebrides
, on 14 August. Two days later, she put to sea on the first of many resupply voyages to help bolster the marines
clinging precariously to the beachhead on Guadalcanal
.
The Guadalcanal campaign was unique among the amphibious operations conducted in the Pacific
during World War II. Neither the United States
nor Japan
enjoyed the overwhelming naval superiority which in almost every other case ensured victory for the greater force. Relative equality made the naval forces of each side a constant threat to the supply lines of the other. Consequently, both sides relied upon the high-speed transport, converted destroyers like Stringham, which were well armed for transports and fast enough to evade more powerfully armed warships. While the contribution of the larger elements of the American Fleet cannot be overlooked, the struggle for Guadalcanal was to a great extent the battle of the high-speed transport. Stringham and her sister APDs succeeded where their Japanese counterparts failed. They kept the marines supplied.
On 23 August, during Stringhams second run to Guadalcanal, a torpedo passed her close astern; and she immediately charged to the attack. She dropped 11 depth charges; forced the submarine to broach; and then lost contact. Although her crew thought at the time they had sunk the submarine, subsequent checking failed to verify their victory. Not long after her scrape with the sub, Stringham was ordered out to join the group of ships attempting to tow , torpedoed the previous evening, into Tulagi
. The imminence of the Battle of the Eastern Solomons
, however, forced that weak formation to abandon Blue and seek shelter. Accordingly, she went to the bottom at 2223 on the 23rd. Stringham resumed her supply runs in the Solomons until 5 October, when she got underway from New Caledonia
to return to the California coast.
. Her return to action, however, was short-lived for—while operating in Pepasala Bay in the Russell Islands
on 26 February 1943—a heavy squall forced her aground on a reef. In maneuvering clear of the reef, she was forced to back down to avoid a collision with and damaged her starboard propeller. After emergency repairs at Tulagi
, she was routed back to Mare Island, where she arrived on 16 April.
Over the next six months, Stringham advanced up the Solomons staircase with the American forces. In mid-August, she participated in the landings at Vella Lavella
in the central Solomons. That operation cut the Japanese supply lines to Kolombangara
and delivered vital air bases to the Americans. On 27 October, she and six other APDs, along with various smaller ships, put a force of New Zealand
ers ashore at Mono
and Stirling
islands in the Treasury Islands
sub-group. November found her supporting the assault on Bougainville
at Empress Augusta Bay
.
On the day after Christmas, Stringham joined the American forces which outflanked the Bismarck Barrier at Cape Gloucester
, near the western terminus of New Britain
. From that position, they could move in two directions—west to pounce upon the back of the New Guinea
hen or north to the Admiralties to isolate Kavieng
and Rabaul
. Stringham participated in one operation in each direction.
. Between these two operations, Stringham helped land troops in the Green Islands
, the northernmost subgroup of the Solomons, located between Buka
and New Ireland
.
During the spring of 1944, American military thinking focused increasingly upon the Central Pacific invasion route to Japan. Accordingly, Stringham returned to Hawaii
with marines
embarked; and both she and her passengers commenced preparations for the invasion of the Marianas. The initial waves of assault troops stormed the beaches at Saipan
on 15 June. Stringham discharged her marines the following day and patrolled off Saipan throughout the Battle of the Philippine Sea
on 19 and 20 June. On 22 June, Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) 7 shifted to her from for the Tinian
phase of the Marianas operation. Until the landings, the high-speed transport conducted sporadic bombardment and harassment fire on Tinian. On 10 July, she sent her UDT men ashore to reconnoiter the two potential landing sites; and, just before the actual assault began on 24 July, her frogmen participated in a daylight feint at Tinian Town to divert Japanese attention from the actual landing sites. On the 28th, she completed her work with UDT 7 in the Marianas and headed for Espiritu Santo
, via Eniwetok Atoll.
Stringham, was at Purvis Bay
, Florida Island, in the midst of exercises preparatory to the invasion of the Palau
s when UDT 7 rejoined her on 5 September. By the 12th, she and her frogmen were off the coast of Angaur
with Task Group 32.5. At 1035, she disembarked the UDT men at Peleliu
to clear a path through heavy minefields. That afternoon, she towed to Kossol Passage, and then returned to work with the UDT teams until 27 September, when she headed for Manus
. There she was moored alongside . On the night of 3 October, a fire broke out on Clemson and swept across Stringham amidships and aft, igniting the UDT teams' rubber boats and bags of explosives. Stringham drifted from her moorings after the lines were cut, and her crew finally got the fire under control.
and sortied with it for Okinawa on 26 March. The high-speed transport arrived off Okinawa on 2 April, the day following the initial assault, and screened the transport area until 7 April, when she headed for Guam
. During that time, Stringham took two kamikaze
s under fire, one on 3 April and one on 6 April. The former succeeded in crashing LST-599 while the latter gave up his plunge in the face of Stringhams heavy antiaircraft fire, dove on a destroyer, but missed both American ships.
Stringham screened another convoy from Guam to the Ryukyus, reaching Okinawa on 22 April. She remained in the vicinity for five relatively uneventful days; then headed back to Guam. On this voyage, she rendered assistance to the hospital ship, , which had been crashed by a Japanese kamikaze. Comfort was able to resume course without assistance, but Stringham shepherded her until relieved by .
While at Guam, Stringham was rammed by , a battle casualty. The APD's starboard side was damaged, as was her bridge, her forward crew's compartment, and much of her electrical equipment. Because of this, Stringham was ordered back to San Diego for extensive repairs. On 19 June, she entered San Diego and began conversion back to a destroyer; and, on 25 June, she resumed her former designation, DD-83. In August, the end of the war brought a halt to Stringhams conversion. Later that month, it was determined that she would be decommissioned at Philadelphia
. In September, she sailed from San Diego, transited the Panama Canal
, and preceded to Philadelphia, where she reported for duty to the Commandant, 4th Naval District, on 26 September. She was decommissioned on 9 November 1945, and her name was struck from the Navy list
on 5 December 1945. Stringham was scrapped at Philadelphia in March 1946.
Wickes class destroyer
The Wickes-class destroyers were a group of 111 destroyers built by the United States Navy in 1917-1919. Along with the 6 preceding Caldwell class and 155 subsequent Clemson-class destroyers, they formed the "flush-deck" or "four-stack" class. Only a few were completed in time to serve in World...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Later she served in 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...
as APD-6. She was the second ship named for Silas Horton Stringham
Silas Stringham
Silas Horton Stringham was an admiral in the United States Navy.-Biography:Born in Middletown, New York, Stringham served in the United States Navy from the War of 1812 through the American Civil War. During the War of 1812, he served in the frigate and took part in the engagements with the...
.
Stringham was laid down on 19 September 1917 at Quincy, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company; launched on 30 March 1918; sponsored by Mrs. Edward B. Hill; and commissioned on 2 July 1918, 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...
N. E. Nichols in command.
World War I
Following commissioning, Stringham was assigned to convoy escort and antisubmarine duty through the end of World War I. Upon her return to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1919, she was assigned to Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 6 of the Atlantic Fleet Destroyer Force. Except for a six-month period from December 1919 to June 1920 when she was in reduced commission, Stringham remained fully active with the Atlantic Fleet until the middle of 1922. During that time, alpha-numeric hull numbers were adopted by the Navy; and Stringham was redesignated DD-83 effective 17 July 1920. On 2 June 1922, she was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
World War II
She remained inactive until 1940, when she was apparently moved to the Norfolk Navy Yard for conversion to a high-speed transport. On 2 August 1940, Stringham was redesignated APD-6.1940-1942
On 11 December 1940, she was recommissioned at NorfolkNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, whence she operated until mid-1942. Her duties consisted primarily of escorting coastal convoys from point to point along the eastern seaboard and to various bases in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. On 18 April 1942, Stringham attacked an enemy submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, but could not confirm a kill, even though heavy black oil surfaced soon after her attack. On the following day, she put into Norfolk and participated in amphibious exercises in Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
through the first week in July.
On 6 July, she got underway from Norfolk in company with a convoy bound for 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...
. She transited the canal on 13 July, reported to the Commander, Southeastern Pacific, and continued west. After stops in the Society
Society Islands
The Society Islands are a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. They are politically part of French Polynesia. The archipelago is generally believed to have been named by Captain James Cook in honor of the Royal Society, the sponsor of the first British scientific survey of the islands;...
and Fiji Islands, she reached 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....
, in the New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
, on 14 August. Two days later, she put to sea on the first of many resupply voyages to help bolster the 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...
clinging precariously to the beachhead on Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
.
The Guadalcanal campaign was unique among the amphibious operations conducted in the 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...
during World War II. Neither the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
nor 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...
enjoyed the overwhelming naval superiority which in almost every other case ensured victory for the greater force. Relative equality made the naval forces of each side a constant threat to the supply lines of the other. Consequently, both sides relied upon the high-speed transport, converted destroyers like Stringham, which were well armed for transports and fast enough to evade more powerfully armed warships. While the contribution of the larger elements of the American Fleet cannot be overlooked, the struggle for Guadalcanal was to a great extent the battle of the high-speed transport. Stringham and her sister APDs succeeded where their Japanese counterparts failed. They kept the marines supplied.
On 23 August, during Stringhams second run to Guadalcanal, a torpedo passed her close astern; and she immediately charged to the attack. She dropped 11 depth charges; forced the submarine to broach; and then lost contact. Although her crew thought at the time they had sunk the submarine, subsequent checking failed to verify their victory. Not long after her scrape with the sub, Stringham was ordered out to join the group of ships attempting to tow , torpedoed the previous evening, into Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
. The imminence of the Battle of the Eastern Solomons
Battle of the Eastern Solomons
The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign...
, however, forced that weak formation to abandon Blue and seek shelter. Accordingly, she went to the bottom at 2223 on the 23rd. Stringham resumed her supply runs in the Solomons until 5 October, when she got underway from 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...
to return to the California coast.
1943
After six weeks in the Mare Island Navy Yard, she got underway for the South PacificSouth Pacific Area
The South Pacific Area was a multinational U.S.-led military command active during World War II. It was a part of the U.S. Pacific Ocean Areas under Admiral Chester Nimitz.Instructions to the senior U.S...
. Her return to action, however, was short-lived for—while operating in Pepasala Bay in the Russell Islands
Russell Islands
The Russell Islands are two small islands, as well as several islets, of volcanic origin, in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands. They are located approximately 48 km northwest from Guadalcanal. The islands are partially covered in coconut plantations, and have a copra and oil factory at...
on 26 February 1943—a heavy squall forced her aground on a reef. In maneuvering clear of the reef, she was forced to back down to avoid a collision with and damaged her starboard propeller. After emergency repairs at Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
, she was routed back to Mare Island, where she arrived on 16 April.
Over the next six months, Stringham advanced up the Solomons staircase with the American forces. In mid-August, she participated in the landings at Vella Lavella
Vella Lavella
Vella Lavella is an island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies to the west of New Georgia, but is considered one of the New Georgia Group...
in the central Solomons. That operation cut the Japanese supply lines to Kolombangara
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
and delivered vital air bases to the Americans. On 27 October, she and six other APDs, along with various smaller ships, put a force of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
ers ashore at Mono
Mono Island
Mono Island is the largest island of the Treasury Islands, Solomon Islands, at .- Geography :Mono island is a volcanic island in the northwest of the Solomon Islands. It is separated by the Blanche Harbour from Stirling Island and the other coral islands surrounding it. The village of Falamai is...
and Stirling
Stirling Island
Stirling Island is the smaller island of the Treasury Islands, Solomon Islands, at . It is separated from the largest Mono Island by Blanche Harbor. Stirling Island is composed of coral which was once part of the barrier reef surrounding Mono Island....
islands in the Treasury Islands
Treasury Islands
Treasury Islands are a small group of islands a few kilometers to the south of Bougainville and 24 kilometers from the Shortland Islands. They form part of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. The two largest islands in the Treasuries are Mono Island and the smaller Stirling Island...
sub-group. November found her supporting the assault on Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
at Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay is a major bay on the western side of the island of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea, at . It is a major subsistence fishing area for the people of Bougainville. It is named after Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein, wife of German Emperor William II.In November 1943, the...
.
On the day after Christmas, Stringham joined the American forces which outflanked the Bismarck Barrier at Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester is a headland, in the northwest of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at . During World War II, the Japanese captured New Britain, and had driven most of Cape Gloucester's native population out to construct two airfields...
, near the western terminus of New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
. From that position, they could move in two directions—west to pounce upon the back of the 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...
hen or north to the Admiralties to isolate Kavieng
Kavieng
Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600....
and Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
. Stringham participated in one operation in each direction.
1944
On 2 January 1944, she supported the forces which landed at Saidor, New Guinea; and, in March, she assisted in the invasion of EmirauLanding on Emirau
The Landing on Emirau was the last of the series of operations that made up Operation Cartwheel, General Douglas MacArthur's strategy for the encirclement of the major Japanese base at Rabaul. A force of nearly 4,000 United States Marines landed on the island of Emirau on 20 March 1944. The island...
. Between these two operations, Stringham helped land troops in the Green Islands
Green Islands, Papua New Guinea
The Green Islands are a small group of islands in Papua New Guinea. They are located at , about east of Rabaul on New Britain and about northwest of Bougainville. The Green Islands are administered as part of Bougainville Province .Nissan is the largest island of the group. Other islands include:...
, the northernmost subgroup of the Solomons, located between Buka
Buka Island
Buka Island is the second largest island in the Papua New Guinean province of Bougainville.- History :Buka was first occupied by humans in paleolithic times, some 30,000 years ago...
and New Ireland
New Ireland (island)
New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 7,404 km² in area. It is the largest island of the New Ireland Province, lying northeast of the island of New Britain. Both islands are part of the Bismarck Archipelago, named after Otto von Bismarck, and they are separated by...
.
During the spring of 1944, American military thinking focused increasingly upon the Central Pacific invasion route to Japan. Accordingly, Stringham returned to 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...
with 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...
embarked; and both she and her passengers commenced preparations for the invasion of the Marianas. The initial waves of assault troops stormed the beaches at Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
on 15 June. Stringham discharged her marines the following day and patrolled off Saipan throughout the Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
on 19 and 20 June. On 22 June, Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) 7 shifted to her from for the 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....
phase of the Marianas operation. Until the landings, the high-speed transport conducted sporadic bombardment and harassment fire on Tinian. On 10 July, she sent her UDT men ashore to reconnoiter the two potential landing sites; and, just before the actual assault began on 24 July, her frogmen participated in a daylight feint at Tinian Town to divert Japanese attention from the actual landing sites. On the 28th, she completed her work with UDT 7 in the Marianas and headed for 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....
, via Eniwetok Atoll.
Stringham, was 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....
, Florida Island, in the midst of exercises preparatory to the invasion of the Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
s when UDT 7 rejoined her on 5 September. By the 12th, she and her frogmen were off the coast of Angaur
Angaur
Angaur or Ngeaur is an island in the island nation of Palau. The island, which forms its own state, has an area of 8 km² . Its population is 188 . State capital is the village of Ngeremasch on the western side...
with Task Group 32.5. At 1035, she disembarked the UDT men at 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....
to clear a path through heavy minefields. That afternoon, she towed to Kossol Passage, and then returned to work with the UDT teams until 27 September, when she headed for Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
. There she was moored alongside . On the night of 3 October, a fire broke out on Clemson and swept across Stringham amidships and aft, igniting the UDT teams' rubber boats and bags of explosives. Stringham drifted from her moorings after the lines were cut, and her crew finally got the fire under control.
1945
Stringham returned to the United States for overhaul, repairs, and alterations. She did not return to the western Pacific until 17 March 1945. She joined the southern defense group at SaipanSaipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
and sortied with it for Okinawa on 26 March. The high-speed transport arrived off Okinawa on 2 April, the day following the initial assault, and screened the transport area until 7 April, when she headed for 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...
. During that time, Stringham took two 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 under fire, one on 3 April and one on 6 April. The former succeeded in crashing LST-599 while the latter gave up his plunge in the face of Stringhams heavy antiaircraft fire, dove on a destroyer, but missed both American ships.
Stringham screened another convoy from Guam to the Ryukyus, reaching Okinawa on 22 April. She remained in the vicinity for five relatively uneventful days; then headed back to Guam. On this voyage, she rendered assistance to the hospital ship, , which had been crashed by a Japanese kamikaze. Comfort was able to resume course without assistance, but Stringham shepherded her until relieved by .
While at Guam, Stringham was rammed by , a battle casualty. The APD's starboard side was damaged, as was her bridge, her forward crew's compartment, and much of her electrical equipment. Because of this, Stringham was ordered back to San Diego for extensive repairs. On 19 June, she entered San Diego and began conversion back to a destroyer; and, on 25 June, she resumed her former designation, DD-83. In August, the end of the war brought a halt to Stringhams conversion. Later that month, it was determined that she would be decommissioned at Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. In September, she sailed from San Diego, 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 preceded to Philadelphia, where she reported for duty to the Commandant, 4th Naval District, on 26 September. She was decommissioned on 9 November 1945, and her name was struck from the Navy list
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 5 December 1945. Stringham was scrapped at Philadelphia in March 1946.
See also
- USS StringhamUSS StringhamTwo ships in the United States Navy have been named USS Stringham for Silas Horton Stringham.* The first USS Stringham was a torpedo boat launched in 1899 and sold in 1923...
lists other ships of this name - List of United States Navy destroyers
- List of ship launches in 1917
- List of ship commissionings in 1918
- List of ship decommissionings in 1945