USS Converse (DD-509)

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USS Converse (DD-509) in San Francisco Bay, 9 October 1944.
History
United States
NamesakeGeorge A. Converse
BuilderBath Iron Works
Laid down23 February 1942
Launched30 August 1942
Commissioned20 November 1942
Decommissioned23 April 1946
Stricken1 October 1972
FateTransferred to Spain, 1 July 1959
Flag of SpainSpain
NameAlmirante Valdés (D23)
Acquired1 July 1959
Stricken17 November 1986
FateScrapped in 1988
General characteristics
Class and type
Displacement2,050 long tons (2,083 t)
Length376 ft 6 in (114.7 m)
Beam39 ft 8 in (12.1 m)
Draft17 ft 9 in (5.4 m)
Propulsion60,000 shp (45 MW); 2 propellers
Speed35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range6500 nmi (12,000 km) at 15 kt
Complement336
Armament

USS Converse (DD-509), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for George A. Converse (1844–1909).

Converse was

launched 30 August 1942 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; sponsored by Miss A. V. Jackson; and commissioned
20 November 1942.

Solomon Islands, May 1943 – March 1944

After training at

Presidential Unit Citation (US) for operations in the northern Solomons
between 31 October 1943 and 4 February 1944.

On the first of those dates, Converse sortied with her squadron and

Bougainville, and on the night of 31 October – 1 November 1943, bombarded Buka and Bonis airfields and targets in the Shortlands. The next night her force intercepted a Japanese group of cruisers and destroyers heading for an attack on the transports lying at Bougainville, and opened fire in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay. The Japanese lost one cruiser and one destroyer in this action, and were turned back from their intended attack on the transports, although the American defenders came under severe attack by aircraft from Rabaul
supporting the Japanese ships.

Converse continued bombardments and escort duty supporting the Bougainville operation, and on the night of 16–17 November 1943 joined Stanly in firing on a surfaced submarine, scoring several hits. On the night of 24–25 November, the squadron intercepted five Japanese destroyers attempting to evacuate critically needed aviation troops from Buka to Rabaul. In a skillfully-executed torpedo attack followed by a persistent chase, during which Converse was struck by a torpedo which failed to explode in the engine room, the squadron sank three of the enemy ships and caused heavy damage to a fourth, while emerging unscathed themselves.

While escorting a group of ships carrying reinforcements and supplies to Bougainville 3 December 1943, Converse came under heavy attack from six waves of Japanese bombers. A near miss caused an electrical failure, putting her radar out of commission and resulting in a loss of power forward. Repairs were quickly made, and the Japanese force fought off, but Converse sailed from Port Purvis 14 December for complete repairs at Sydney, Australia. She rejoined her squadron at Port Purvis 30 January 1944 for bombardments and hunting forays against Japanese shipping through February and March in the northern Solomons.

Central Pacific, March – August 1944

Converse cleared Port Purvis 27 March 1944 to join the Fast Carrier Task Force (then-TF 58) for screening duty during the air strikes on the Palaus from 30 March to 1 April, and with that force covered the Hollandia landings through preinvasion air attacks and bombardment, continuing their fire during the landings 22 April. Carrier attacks on Truk, Satawan, and Ponape at the close of the month found Converse continuing her screening duties.

Attacks preparatory to, and covering, the

Eniwetok, and on 4 August, sailed for overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
.

Philippines and Okinawa, November 1944 – August 1945

The destroyer returned to action 3 November 1944 when she joined the screen of carriers covering the convoy routes to newly invaded

Leyte. On 21 December, while escorting the first resupply echelon to Mindoro, Converse came under attack by desperate Japanese suicide planes, and fired to drive them away as well as rescuing 266 survivors of LST-749. She gave fire support to the landings in Lingayen Gulf on 9 and 10 January 1945, and then joined the task unit assigned to recapture Corregidor. Her guns destroyed gun emplacements, barges, suicide boats, and entombed about 100 enemy troops by sealing the entrance to Malinta Tunnel
.

After brief overhaul in

Okinawa, where she operated on dangerous and demanding radar picket
duty until the close of the war. Often firing to drive off suicide-bent Japanese aircraft, she received no damage during the difficult months that followed.

On 10 September she sailed from Okinawa for Pearl Harbor, the Panama Canal, and Washington, D.C., where on 19 October, the ceremonial award of the Presidential Unit Citation was made to her squadron. After overhaul at Brooklyn, she was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Charleston, South Carolina, 23 April 1946.

In addition to the Presidential Unit Citation, Converse received 11

battle stars for World War II
service.

Almirante Valdés (D23)

On 1 July 1959 Converse was transferred under the Mutual Assistance Program to Spain, where she was renamed Almirante Valdés (D23).

The ship was stricken 17 November 1986 and scrapped in 1988.

References

External links