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USS ''Gwin'' (DD-772/DM-33/MMD-33) was a ''Robert H. Smith''-class destroyer minelayer in the United States Navy. She was named for William Gwin. ''Gwin'' was launched by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Pedro, California, 9 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Jesse W. Tarbill, second cousin and sponsor of the previous ; and commissioned 30 September 1944 at Los Angeles, Commander F. S. Steinke in command. ==World War II== After shakedown along the California coast, ''Gwin'' sailed for the Pacific theatre as flagship of Mine Squadron 3, reaching Pearl Harbor 3 January 1945. A week later the squadron left for the fighting front. At Saipan, 20 January, ''Gwin'' and her sister sweepers joined Battleship Division 7. For 7 days, 21 to 26 January, she participated in the preliminary bombardment of Iwo Jima, next to the last step in America's long island-hopping campaign across the Pacific. Returning to Pearl Harbor, ''Gwin'' underwent overhaul before sailing for Eniwetok, 23 February. From Eniwetok ''Gwin'' steamed to Nansei Shoto 17 March to sweep the area around Okinawa, the scene of one of the war's bloodiest and most heroic invasions. Acting in a variety of roles—antisubmarine screen, radar picket ship, minesweeper, fire support—''Gwin'' was to remain off Okinawa the following 5 months, almost to the very end of the war. During this period she accounted for some 16 enemy aircraft as the Japanese launched the kamikaze attacks. Nine of these Japanese planes fell victim to ''Gwin's'' guns on only 2 days, 16 April and 4 May. An air raid 16 April saw ''Gwin'' down two Betties, Japanese dive bombers, coming in only to have another come sweeping in and crash in the sea some 25 yards as the DM evaded her. And then the alert gun crew swung their battery to catch another Japanese plane and shoot it down less than 50 yards from the ship. At dusk on 4 May, ''Gwin'' was on radar picket station off Okinawa. Combat Air Patrol reported 8 to 10 Japanese planes to port, and ''Gwin'' swung her batteries to face the threat. Suddenly a second contingent of planes swept in out of the setting sun to starboard. ''Gwin'' swung her guns around and two of the attackers were downed. Whirling to port, the gun crews fired into the original attack group, and accounted for three more kamikazes. The seas had not yet closed over these three planes when a sixth, another kamikaze, crashed into ''Gwin''. Two men were killed, 2 missing, and 11 injured as the suicide plane embedded itself into ''Gwim's'' aft gun platform. Then, as damage control parties rushed to quell the fires raging around the kamikaze, the Japanese attack ended as suddenly as it had begun. In less than six hectic, heroic minutes, ''Gwin'', although under attack from all quarters, had downed five Japanese planes and been herself damaged by a sixth. After a brief stay at Nansei Shoto for battle damage repairs, ''Gwin'' returned to patrol and sweeping duties around Okinawa. She rendezvoused 20 August with Task Force 35 and. with such illustrious fighting ships as USS ''Missouri'', USS ''Lexington'', USS ''Yorktown'', and USS ''Shangri-La'', headed for Tokyo Bay. Putting into Sagami Bay 27 August 1945, ''Gwin'' began to sweep the area, front door to Tokyo Bay, and destroyed some 41 mines in 2 days duty. At last on 2 August 1945 she steamed into Tokyo Bay, and anchored under the towering snowcap of Mount Fuji. Departing for Okinawa 1 September, ''Gwin'', remained on minesweeping duty there and in the East China Sea for the rest of the year. 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 Gwin (DM-33)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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