|
USS ''Gregory'' (DD-802) was a ''Fletcher''-class destroyer of the United States Navy, the second Navy ship named for Rear Admiral Francis H. Gregory (1780–1866), who served from the War of 1812 to the Civil War. ''Gregory'' was launched by the Todd-Pacific Ship Building Co., Tacoma, Washington, 8 May 1944; sponsored by Miss Ann McGuigan, daughter of Captain McGuigan, superintendent of construction at Tacoma; and commissioned 29 July 1944, Commander Bruce McCandless commanding. == 1944 – 1947 == After shakedown along the West Coast, ''Gregory'' sailed for the Pacific with Hull (DD-350), reaching Pearl Harbor on 23 October 1944. Two months of local operations terminated in January 1945 as ''Gregory'' began practice for the impending invasion of Iwo Jima, next-to-last great campaign of the long and bloody Pacific war. ''Gregory'' sailed for the island 22 January, arriving off Iwo Jima via Saipan and Eniwetok on D-day, 19 February. For the next month she remained off the rocky coast under almost constant fire to screen transports and provide fire support for the invasion forces. Departing Iwo Jima 15 March, ''Gregory'' reached Saipan 4 days later to prepare for her role in the Okinawa campaign. Okinawa, last step prior to invasion of the Japanese home islands themselves, involved over a thousand ships and half a million men, under Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, in the Pacific's war largest amphibious effort. ''Gregory'' joined this modern armada as it sailed from Saipan 27 March and was off Okinawa 1 April 1945 as the first waves of Marines waded ashore to bloody battle. Her task group, under Admiral Jerauld Wright, conducted a "demonstration landing" on the southeast coast, hoping to distract some Japanese attention from the actual invasion along Okinawa's western coast. This diversion complete, ''Gregory'' remained off Okinawa on patrol and radar picket station. On the afternoon of 8 April, ''Gregory''’s lookouts spotted three Japanese planes coming in out of the setting sun, a favorite kamikaze device. One of the suicide craft, pieces of fuselage spinning wildly off as ''Gregory''’s guns registered hit after hit, crashed into the destroyer amidships just above the waterline to port. ''Gregory'' shuddered under the impact and began to slow in the water as power failed in her forward engine and fire rooms flooded. The two other kamikazes mercilessly pressed on their attack, but the wounded DD downed both of them in blazing gunfire. ''Gregory'' then steamed to the anchorage at Kerama Retto for temporary repairs, and on 19 April departed Okinawa. After escorting the aircraft carrier ''Intrepid'' (CV-11) to Pearl Harbor, she sailed for San Diego, reaching there 18 May for battle repairs. While ''Gregory'' was still in overhaul, the Japanese surrendered and the destroyer was placed in inactive status, in commission in reserve, at San Diego. She decommissioned 15 January 1947. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「USS Gregory (DD-802)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|