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USS Woolsey (DD-437)
Encyclopedia
USS Woolsey (DD-437), a Gleaves-class
destroyer
, was the 2nd ship to be named Woolsey in the United States Navy
. It is the first to be named for both Commodore
Melancthon Brooks Woolsey
and his father Commodore Melancthon Taylor Woolsey
.
Woolsey was laid down on 9 October 1939 at Bath, Maine
by the Bath Iron Works
, launched on 12 February 1941, sponsored by Mrs. Irving Spencer, and commissioned on 7 May 1941 with Lieutenant Commander
William H. Von Dreele in command.
in the Caribbean Sea
, Woolsey joined the Atlantic Fleet
at the beginning of the second week in September. Initially, she served on the Neutrality Patrol
, established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
to keep the war in Europe from spreading to the western hemisphere. For a time, she also served as a unit in the screen of the newly commissioned battleship
North Carolina
(BB-55). As the year 1941 waned and the United States
approached closer and closer to active belligerency, Woolsey began escorting convoy
s between the United States and Iceland
.
The attack on Pearl Harbor
and America's entry into World War II
found the destroyer in Iceland
completing the first leg of one such round-trip voyage. War brought a change to Woolseys range of duties. Her convoy
escort work was broadened to include voyages to the British Isles
and Puerto Rico
. That duty occupied her energies until the fall of 1942 when she participated in her first invasion operation.
, the invasion of Vichy French
-controlled North Africa
, Woolsey was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 13 (DesRon 13) which served as antisubmarine screen
for the Center Attack Group, the Fedhala landing force. That task organization sortied from Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 24 October and, four days later, rendezvoused with the other units which comprised Task Force 34 (TF 34). After a meandering and mercifully uneventful crossing, the ships reached the vicinity of the Moroccan
coast, and each of the three task groups went their separate ways. Woolsey arrived off Fedhala with the Center Attack Force just before midnight on 7 November. Between 05:00 and 06:00 the next morning, the troops landed at Fedhala and consolidated their beachhead quickly. Resistance soon dissipated, and Woolsey seems not to have participated actively in this phase of the operation other than to conduct antisubmarine patrols against a menace which, at that juncture, failed to materialize.
Later, however, the German Navy
belatedly took a hand in the fracas. U-boat
s began attacking the transports. On the 11th, U-173 sank Joseph Hewes
(AP-50). Between then and 15 November, several other attacks occurred. On the 16th, U-173 returned to the area and probably was the German submarine responsible for torpedoing Electra (AK-21). That time though, the U-boat failed to make good her escape. Woolsey, still on antisubmarine patrol, caught the submarine's reflection with her sonar
and, joined by Swanson
(DD-443) and Quick
(DD-490), charged to the attack. The three destroyers made a coordinated depth charge
assault that destroyed U-173. The following day, Woolsey departed the Moroccan coast to return to Hampton Roads, where she arrived on the 30th.
coast the destroyer began duty escorting transatlantic convoys in mid-January 1943. On the 14th, she departed New York
with Convoy UGF-4. The convoy reached Casablanca
on the 25th, and, after a week in port, Woolsey escorted the return convoy, GUF-4, back to New York, arriving there on 13 February. At the beginning of March, she helped shepherd Convoy UGF-6 to Casablanca, then made a brief round-trip voyage from Casablanca to Gibraltar
and back before returning to the east coast with GUF-6 early in April. The warship then plied the waters of the eastern seaboard until mid-May, conducting antisubmarine patrols and screening coastwise convoys between Norfolk
and New York. On 14 May, Woolsey put to sea from New York with her last transatlantic convoy, UGS-8. She and her charges reached Casablanca on 1 June, and the destroyer remained there a fortnight. On the 15th, she departed Morocco, but, instead of returning to the United States as she had done in the past, she headed via Gibraltar to Algiers
on the Mediterranean
coast of North Africa.
, and operations in Italian waters
consumed the bulk of her time and energy during the ensuing eight months. For the Sicily
assault, she drew duty as a fire-support ship for one of three sectors into which the Licata
landing beaches were divided. Save for one brief round-trip voyage to Algiers
in mid-July, Woolsey provided gunfire support for the troops operating ashore on Sicily and helped to defend Allied shipping from German air attacks. Though she appears not to have accounted for any Luftwaffe
aircraft, she did succeed in destroying an enemy railroad battery with gunfire.
By mid-August, with Sicily secured, she began preparations for the landings on the Italian mainland
at Salerno
. For that invasion, the destroyer was assigned to the Southern Attack Force fire support group which consisted of five cruiser
s — four American and one British
— and the four destroyers of Woolseys DesRon 13. In that capacity, she supported the landings on the southern sector of the Gulf of Salerno shoreline. During the assault on 9 September, however, she received only one call for fire support. That event occurred just after 16:30 when her shore fire control party called upon her to join Bristol
(DD-453) in shooting up an enemy tank
formation.
After completing her mission at Salerno the next day, Woolsey returned to more routine missions. She made voyages between Naples
and North African ports escorting supply echelons to the expanding Italian campaign. While operating outside of Oran, Algeria, on 16 December, she encountered the U-73. After forcing the U-boat to surface with a full pattern of depth charges, Woolseys gunners went to work and completed the destruction of U-73. The destroyer rescued and made prisoners of the U-boat's 23 survivors.
Late in January 1944, the destroyer returned to amphibious operations, this time as a unit of the Fire Support Group for the Anzio landings. Arriving off the beachhead on 22 January 1944, she delivered call fire support for the troops as they landed. The relative ease experienced during the opening phase at Anzio however, belied the actual complexion of the campaign. Failing to break out of the beachhead early, the Army forces were soon surrounded on three sides by German forces which threatened to push them into the sea. The dogged determination of American infantrymen and the yeoman-like support provided them by the Navy enabled the troops ashore to hold on until a link-up was made with the Salerno forces in May. During the first month of that desperate struggle, Woolsey provided gunfire support for the troops ashore and protected the ships which constituted their lifeline to the outside world. Late in February, however, she departed the Italian campaign to return to the United States for necessary repairs. After a stop at Gibraltar on 11 February, she headed via Horta in the Azores to Boston, Massachusetts, where she arrived on the 25th.
Completing her repairs at Boston in mid-March, she conducted refresher training at Casco Bay
, Maine
, before heading back to the Mediterranean at the end of the third week in April. She stopped at Gibraltar on the last day of that month and arrived at Oran
on May Day
. The ensuing three months saw her operating out of Oran conducting antisubmarine patrols of the approaches to that port. While operating with a hunting group composed of Benson
(DD-421), Ludlow
(DD-438), and Niblack
(DD-424) in mid-May, Woolsey experienced her third and last encounter with a German U-boat. A report of torpedo tracks from a newcomer to the Mediterranean, U-960, brought DesDiv 25 to the area between Oran and Cartagena
early on the 17th to commence a two-day search and destroy mission. During the night of 18 and 19 May, the four destroyers split themselves into two search groups and began searching a possible submarine track 10 miles to each side of it. About an hour and 40 minutes into the mid-watch, the four warships received word that a plane had spotted the submarine some 10 miles ahead of Niblack and Ludlow. Those two ships charged to the attack; and, by the time Woolsey arrived on the scene with Benson and Madison
(DD-425), the two destroyers had succeeded in forcing the U-boat to surface after delivering 11 depth charge attacks over the space of four hours. Immediately, all five destroyers opened fire on the submarine while a British Wellington bomber
shifted through the melee at low altitude to drop depth bombs near U-960. The German ship suffered a number of 5 inch hits before submerging again. Niblack responded with more depth charges. That attack evidently rung the death knell for U-960 for she immediately resurfaced, and her crew scrambled off just as she made her final plunge at about 07:15 on the 19th. The destroyers picked up the U-boat's captain and 21 of her crew. While Niblack and Ludlow received official credit for sinking the enemy submarine — no doubt a fair assessment considering their four-hour attack and the fact that Niblack probably delivered the coup de grace — Woolseys 5 inch gunfire probably contributed to the enemy's destruction.
Following that action, Woolsey continued relatively routine patrols until the end of July when she began preparations for the invasion of southern France
. For that operation, Woolsey was assigned to the Bombardment Group attached to Camel Force. In that capacity, she supported the landings on the right flank of the assault area near Saint-Raphaël
. During the 15 August invasion, her guns knocked out two German tanks but, though the Camel area assault proved to be the most heavily contested thrust, the entire southern France operation constituted little more than a walkover.
Consequently, very soon after the initial invasion Woolsey shifted to supporting the 1st Airborne Task Force
's drive along the coast toward Italy. She fired upon enemy lines of communication along the coast particularly roads and supported the liberation of Cannes
on 24 August. The destroyer continued her operations along the Franco–Italian coast until late October. At that time, she headed for Naples for a visit before returning to Oran, where she arrived on 29 November. The warship was back off the southern coast of France
in mid-December and resumed her interdiction duties until mid-January 1946. At that time, she bade farewell to the Mediterranean and the 8th Fleet. Following a brief tour of duty patrolling in the Azores
, Woolsey returned to the United States, arriving in New York on 23 February.
coast until late April and escorting a convoy to Great Britain
in May, the warship returned home to receive a reinforced antiaircraft battery preparatory to her impending transfer to the war in the Pacific. Late in June, she steamed south to conduct refresher training out of Guantanamo Bay
, Cuba
. Completing that duty on 7 July, she transited the Panama Canal
two days later and reported for duty with the Pacific Fleet. She stopped at San Diego, California
, from 18 July to 3 August. A week later, while she was still at Pearl Harbor
, Japan capitulated
. Late in August, she escorted a convoy carrying occupation troops to Japan. She stopped at Sasebo
until 26 September and then began a voyage during which she made a series of port visits at Manila
, Shanghai
, Okinawa, and Saipan
.
From the last-named place, Woolsey got underway on 3 November to return home. After stops at Pearl Harbor and San Diego, the destroyer ended her brief interlude with the Pacific Fleet on 29 November when she retransited the Panama Canal. She arrived in Charleston, South Carolina
on 4 December and began preparations for inactivation. On 8 March 1946, the destroyer was placed in commission, in reserve. Eleven months later, on 6 February 1947, she was placed out of commission. Berthed with the Charleston Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet, for 10 years, Woolsey was towed to Boston in late October 1957. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 1 July 1971, and she was sold to Andy International, Inc., for scrapping on 29 May 1974.
Woolsey (DD-437) earned seven battle stars during World War II.
Gleaves class destroyer
The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class...
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 2nd ship to be named Woolsey 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...
. It is the first to be named for both Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Melancthon Brooks Woolsey
Melancthon Brooks Woolsey
Melancthon Brooks Woolsey was an officer in the United States Navy during and after the American Civil War. He was commodore of the South Atlantic Station in the 1870s.-Biography:...
and his father Commodore Melancthon Taylor Woolsey
Melancthon Taylor Woolsey
Commodore Melancthon Taylor Woolsey was an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812 and battles on the Great Lakes. He supervised warship construction at Navy Point in Sackets Harbor, New York, and later had a full career in the Navy.-Biography:Woolsey was born near Plattsburgh,...
.
Woolsey was laid down on 9 October 1939 at Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
by the Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
, launched on 12 February 1941, sponsored by Mrs. Irving Spencer, and commissioned on 7 May 1941 with Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
William H. Von Dreele in command.
World War II operations
Following a shakedown cruiseShakedown cruise
Shakedown cruise is a nautical term in which the performance of a ship is tested. Shakedown cruises are also used to familiarize the ship's crew with operation of the craft....
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....
, Woolsey joined the 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...
at the beginning of the second week in September. Initially, she served on the Neutrality Patrol
Neutrality Patrol
At the beginning of World War II, when Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 started the hostilities in Europe, President Franklin D...
, established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
to keep the war in Europe from spreading to the western hemisphere. For a time, she also served as a unit in the screen of the newly commissioned 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...
North Carolina
USS North Carolina (BB-55)
USS North Carolina was the lead ship of her class of battleship and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named in honor of this U.S. state. She was the first new-construction U.S. battleship to enter service during World War II, participating in every major naval offensive in the Pacific...
(BB-55). As the year 1941 waned and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
approached closer and closer to active belligerency, Woolsey began escorting 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...
s between the United States and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
The attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
and America's entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
found the destroyer in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
completing the first leg of one such round-trip voyage. War brought a change to Woolseys range of duties. Her 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...
escort work was broadened to include voyages to the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
and 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...
. That duty occupied her energies until the fall of 1942 when she participated in her first invasion operation.
Operation Torch
For Operation TorchOperation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the invasion of Vichy French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
-controlled North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, Woolsey was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 13 (DesRon 13) which served as antisubmarine screen
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
for the Center Attack Group, the Fedhala landing force. That task organization sortied from Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 24 October and, four days later, rendezvoused with the other units which comprised Task Force 34 (TF 34). After a meandering and mercifully uneventful crossing, the ships reached the vicinity of the Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
coast, and each of the three task groups went their separate ways. Woolsey arrived off Fedhala with the Center Attack Force just before midnight on 7 November. Between 05:00 and 06:00 the next morning, the troops landed at Fedhala and consolidated their beachhead quickly. Resistance soon dissipated, and Woolsey seems not to have participated actively in this phase of the operation other than to conduct antisubmarine patrols against a menace which, at that juncture, failed to materialize.
Later, however, the German Navy
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
belatedly took a hand in the fracas. U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s began attacking the transports. On the 11th, U-173 sank Joseph Hewes
USS Joseph Hewes (AP-50)
USS Joseph Hewes was a transport for the United States Navy during World War II. She was built in 1930, acquired 8 January 1942, and was assigned the task of transporting troops to and from battle areas...
(AP-50). Between then and 15 November, several other attacks occurred. On the 16th, U-173 returned to the area and probably was the German submarine responsible for torpedoing Electra (AK-21). That time though, the U-boat failed to make good her escape. Woolsey, still on antisubmarine patrol, caught the submarine's reflection with her sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
and, joined by Swanson
USS Swanson (DD-443)
USS Swanson was a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Secretary of the Navy Claude A. Swanson ....
(DD-443) and Quick
USS Quick (DD-490)
USS Quick , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Sergeant Major John H...
(DD-490), charged to the attack. The three destroyers made a coordinated depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
assault that destroyed U-173. The following day, Woolsey departed the Moroccan coast to return to Hampton Roads, where she arrived on the 30th.
Escort duty
After a series of training operations along the eastern seaboard primarily off the New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast the destroyer began duty escorting transatlantic convoys in mid-January 1943. On the 14th, she departed New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with Convoy UGF-4. The convoy reached Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
on the 25th, and, after a week in port, Woolsey escorted the return convoy, GUF-4, back to New York, arriving there on 13 February. At the beginning of March, she helped shepherd Convoy UGF-6 to Casablanca, then made a brief round-trip voyage from Casablanca to 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...
and back before returning to the east coast with GUF-6 early in April. The warship then plied the waters of the eastern seaboard until mid-May, conducting antisubmarine patrols and screening coastwise convoys between Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
and New York. On 14 May, Woolsey put to sea from New York with her last transatlantic convoy, UGS-8. She and her charges reached Casablanca on 1 June, and the destroyer remained there a fortnight. On the 15th, she departed Morocco, but, instead of returning to the United States as she had done in the past, she headed via Gibraltar to Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
on the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
coast of North Africa.
Mediterranean operations
When Woolsey reached Gibraltar the next day, an Atlantic phase of her wartime career ended, and the Mediterranean phase began. She reported for duty with the 8th Fleet just in time to participate in the invasion of SicilyAllied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
, and operations in Italian waters
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
consumed the bulk of her time and energy during the ensuing eight months. For the Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
assault, she drew duty as a fire-support ship for one of three sectors into which the Licata
Licata
Licata is a city and comune located on the south coast of Sicily, at the mouth of the Salso River , about midway between Agrigento and Gela...
landing beaches were divided. Save for one brief round-trip voyage to Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
in mid-July, Woolsey provided gunfire support for the troops operating ashore on Sicily and helped to defend Allied shipping from German air attacks. Though she appears not to have accounted for any Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
aircraft, she did succeed in destroying an enemy railroad battery with gunfire.
By mid-August, with Sicily secured, she began preparations for the landings on the Italian mainland
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
at Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
. For that invasion, the destroyer was assigned to the Southern Attack Force fire support group which consisted of five 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...
s — four American and one British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
— and the four destroyers of Woolseys DesRon 13. In that capacity, she supported the landings on the southern sector of the Gulf of Salerno shoreline. During the assault on 9 September, however, she received only one call for fire support. That event occurred just after 16:30 when her shore fire control party called upon her to join Bristol
USS Bristol (DD-453)
USS Bristol was a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral Mark Lambert Bristol. She was launched 25 July 1941 by Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs. Powell Clayton, and commissioned 22 October 1941, Lieutenant Commander C. C...
(DD-453) in shooting up an 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...
formation.
After completing her mission at Salerno the next day, Woolsey returned to more routine missions. She made voyages between Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and North African ports escorting supply echelons to the expanding Italian campaign. While operating outside of Oran, Algeria, on 16 December, she encountered the U-73. After forcing the U-boat to surface with a full pattern of depth charges, Woolseys gunners went to work and completed the destruction of U-73. The destroyer rescued and made prisoners of the U-boat's 23 survivors.
Late in January 1944, the destroyer returned to amphibious operations, this time as a unit of the Fire Support Group for the Anzio landings. Arriving off the beachhead on 22 January 1944, she delivered call fire support for the troops as they landed. The relative ease experienced during the opening phase at Anzio however, belied the actual complexion of the campaign. Failing to break out of the beachhead early, the Army forces were soon surrounded on three sides by German forces which threatened to push them into the sea. The dogged determination of American infantrymen and the yeoman-like support provided them by the Navy enabled the troops ashore to hold on until a link-up was made with the Salerno forces in May. During the first month of that desperate struggle, Woolsey provided gunfire support for the troops ashore and protected the ships which constituted their lifeline to the outside world. Late in February, however, she departed the Italian campaign to return to the United States for necessary repairs. After a stop at Gibraltar on 11 February, she headed via Horta in the Azores to Boston, Massachusetts, where she arrived on the 25th.
Completing her repairs at Boston in mid-March, she conducted refresher training at Casco Bay
Casco Bay
Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, before heading back to the Mediterranean at the end of the third week in April. She stopped at Gibraltar on the last day of that month and arrived at Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
on May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
. The ensuing three months saw her operating out of Oran conducting antisubmarine patrols of the approaches to that port. While operating with a hunting group composed of Benson
USS Benson (DD-421)
USS Benson was the lead ship of her class of destroyers in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Admiral William S. Benson ....
(DD-421), Ludlow
USS Ludlow (DD-438)
USS Ludlow , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the 3rd ship of the United States Navy to bear the name. The second and third Ludlow ships were named for Lieutenant Augustus C. Ludlow, second in command of the USS Chesapeake...
(DD-438), and Niblack
USS Niblack (DD-424)
USS Niblack , a Gleaves-class destroyer, is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Albert Parker Niblack. Niblack became the Director of Naval Intelligence 1 March 1919, and Naval Attache in London 6 August 1920. As Vice Admiral, he commanded U.S...
(DD-424) in mid-May, Woolsey experienced her third and last encounter with a German U-boat. A report of torpedo tracks from a newcomer to the Mediterranean, U-960, brought DesDiv 25 to the area between Oran and Cartagena
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
early on the 17th to commence a two-day search and destroy mission. During the night of 18 and 19 May, the four destroyers split themselves into two search groups and began searching a possible submarine track 10 miles to each side of it. About an hour and 40 minutes into the mid-watch, the four warships received word that a plane had spotted the submarine some 10 miles ahead of Niblack and Ludlow. Those two ships charged to the attack; and, by the time Woolsey arrived on the scene with Benson and Madison
USS Madison (DD-425)
USS Madison was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She the third Navy ship of that name, and the first named for Commander James J. Madison , who was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War I.Madison was laid down on 19 September 1938 by the Boston Navy...
(DD-425), the two destroyers had succeeded in forcing the U-boat to surface after delivering 11 depth charge attacks over the space of four hours. Immediately, all five destroyers opened fire on the submarine while a British Wellington bomber
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
shifted through the melee at low altitude to drop depth bombs near U-960. The German ship suffered a number of 5 inch hits before submerging again. Niblack responded with more depth charges. That attack evidently rung the death knell for U-960 for she immediately resurfaced, and her crew scrambled off just as she made her final plunge at about 07:15 on the 19th. The destroyers picked up the U-boat's captain and 21 of her crew. While Niblack and Ludlow received official credit for sinking the enemy submarine — no doubt a fair assessment considering their four-hour attack and the fact that Niblack probably delivered the coup de grace — Woolseys 5 inch gunfire probably contributed to the enemy's destruction.
Following that action, Woolsey continued relatively routine patrols until the end of July when she began preparations for the invasion of southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
. For that operation, Woolsey was assigned to the Bombardment Group attached to Camel Force. In that capacity, she supported the landings on the right flank of the assault area near Saint-Raphaël
Saint-Raphaël, Var
Saint-Raphaël is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Immediately to the west of Saint-Raphaël lies another, older, town called Fréjus, and together they form an urban agglomeration known as Fréjus Saint-Raphaël...
. During the 15 August invasion, her guns knocked out two German tanks but, though the Camel area assault proved to be the most heavily contested thrust, the entire southern France operation constituted little more than a walkover.
Consequently, very soon after the initial invasion Woolsey shifted to supporting the 1st Airborne Task Force
1st Airborne Task Force (United States)
The 1st Airborne Task Force was an short-lived Allied airborne unit created for "Operation Dragoon" – the invasion of Southern France. Formed in July 1944, under the command of Major General Robert T. Frederick it took part in the "Dragoon" landings on 15 August 1944, securing the area north-west...
's drive along the coast toward Italy. She fired upon enemy lines of communication along the coast particularly roads and supported the liberation of Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
on 24 August. The destroyer continued her operations along the Franco–Italian coast until late October. At that time, she headed for Naples for a visit before returning to Oran, where she arrived on 29 November. The warship was back off the southern coast of 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...
in mid-December and resumed her interdiction duties until mid-January 1946. At that time, she bade farewell to the Mediterranean and the 8th Fleet. Following a brief tour of duty patrolling in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, Woolsey returned to the United States, arriving in New York on 23 February.
Convoys escorted
| Convoy | Escort Group | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HX 161 HX convoys The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom... |
23 Nov-3 Dec 1941 | from Newfoundland Dominion of Newfoundland The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland... to Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... prior to US declaration of war |
|
| ON 43 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:... |
11-15 Dec 1941 | from Iceland to Newfoundland | |
| HX 168 HX convoys The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom... |
4-10 Jan 1942 | from Newfoundland to Iceland | |
| ON 57 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:... |
24 Jan-7 Feb 1942 | from Iceland to Newfoundland | |
| SC 75 SC convoys The SC convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys that ran during the battle of the Atlantic during World War II.They were east-bound slow convoys originating in Sydney, Cape Breton ; from there they sailed to ports in the UK, mainly Liverpool.For a time after the entry of the... |
24 March 1942 | Iceland shuttle | |
| ON 83 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:... |
5-15 April 1942 | from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland | |
| AT 17 | 1-12 July 1942 | troopships from New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... to Firth of Clyde Firth of Clyde The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At... |
|
| UGF 1 UG convoys The UG convoys were a series of east-bound trans-Atlantic convoys from the United States to Gibraltar carrying food, ammunition, and military hardware to the United States Army in North Africa and southern Europe during World War II... |
Task Force 34 | 24 Oct-8 Nov 1942 | from 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... to Morocco Morocco Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara... |
| UGF 4 UG convoys The UG convoys were a series of east-bound trans-Atlantic convoys from the United States to Gibraltar carrying food, ammunition, and military hardware to the United States Army in North Africa and southern Europe during World War II... |
14-27 Jan 1943 | from Chesapeake Bay to North Africa | |
| GUF 4 UG convoys The UG convoys were a series of east-bound trans-Atlantic convoys from the United States to Gibraltar carrying food, ammunition, and military hardware to the United States Army in North Africa and southern Europe during World War II... |
31 Jan-13 Feb 1943 | from North Africa to Chesapeake Bay | |
| UGF 6 UG convoys The UG convoys were a series of east-bound trans-Atlantic convoys from the United States to Gibraltar carrying food, ammunition, and military hardware to the United States Army in North Africa and southern Europe during World War II... |
5-19 March 1943 | from Chesapeake Bay to North Africa | |
| GUF 6 UG convoys The UG convoys were a series of east-bound trans-Atlantic convoys from the United States to Gibraltar carrying food, ammunition, and military hardware to the United States Army in North Africa and southern Europe during World War II... |
24 March-7 April 1943 | from North Africa to Chesapeake Bay | |
| UGS 8 UG convoys The UG convoys were a series of east-bound trans-Atlantic convoys from the United States to Gibraltar carrying food, ammunition, and military hardware to the United States Army in North Africa and southern Europe during World War II... |
28 April-21 May 1943 | from Chesapeake Bay to North Africa |
Pacific operations
After operating along the New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast until late April and escorting a convoy to 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...
in May, the warship returned home to receive a reinforced antiaircraft battery preparatory to her impending transfer to the war in the Pacific. Late in June, she steamed south to conduct refresher training out of Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
, 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...
. Completing that duty on 7 July, she 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...
two days later and reported for duty with the Pacific Fleet. She stopped at San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, from 18 July to 3 August. A week later, while she was still 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...
, Japan capitulated
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
. Late in August, she escorted a convoy carrying occupation troops to Japan. She stopped at Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
until 26 September and then began a voyage during which she made a series of port visits at Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, 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...
, Okinawa, and 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...
.
From the last-named place, Woolsey got underway on 3 November to return home. After stops at Pearl Harbor and San Diego, the destroyer ended her brief interlude with the Pacific Fleet on 29 November when she retransited the Panama Canal. She arrived in Charleston, South Carolina
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...
on 4 December and began preparations for inactivation. On 8 March 1946, the destroyer was placed in commission, in reserve. Eleven months later, on 6 February 1947, she was placed out of commission. Berthed with the Charleston Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet, for 10 years, Woolsey was towed to Boston in late October 1957. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 1 July 1971, and she was sold to Andy International, Inc., for scrapping on 29 May 1974.
Woolsey (DD-437) earned seven battle stars during World War II.