USS Lyman K. Swenson
History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | USS Lyman K. Swenson |
Namesake | Lyman Knute Swenson |
Builder | Bath Iron Works |
Laid down | 11 September 1943 |
Launched | 12 February 1944 |
Commissioned | 2 May 1944 |
Decommissioned | 12 February 1971 |
Stricken | 1 February 1974 |
Identification | DD-729 |
Motto | Fortune favors the bold ." |
Fate | To Taiwan 6 May 1974 and cannibalized for spare parts |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer |
Displacement | 2,200 tons |
Length | 376 ft 6 in (114.76 m) |
Beam | 40 ft (12 m) |
Draft | 15 ft 8 in (4.78 m) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph) |
Range | 6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
Complement | 336 |
Armament |
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USS Lyman K. Swenson (DD-729), an
Lyman K. Swenson (DD-729) is the only ship of the
Service history
Initial operations
Commissioned after the battle for the Atlantic had been decided, Lyman K. Swenson completed a Bermuda‑based shakedown cruise 25 June 1944 and prepared for duty in the Pacific. Departing Boston on 31 July, the new destroyer transited the
World War II
Lyman K. Swenson left Ulithi on 21 October as part of DesRon 61, screening a replenishment group of ten
During much of November and December, Lyman K. Swenson screened various carrier groups engaged in the process of softening up the island of Luzon. Mid‑December witnessed the rescue of four pilots and three enlisted men while on plane guard duty, and a typhoon which generated waves 50 and 60 feet (15 and 18 m) high. Though three destroyers capsized, Lyman K. Swenson emerged safely and returned to Ulithi.
The new year dawned as she steamed with TG 38.1 on a 3,800‑mile raid which spewed destruction on
During the Okinawa campaign the Japanese again attacked with much of their remaining airpower. With air targets plentiful, Lyman K. Swenson shot down her first plane, a Yokosuka P1Y "Frances", on 18 March, and destroyed her second on 27 March. This campaign also provided an opportunity for shore bombardment as she shelled Okino Daita Shima early in March, and Minami Daito Jima in April and again in June. With her sister ships, she then returned to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, to prepare for a mission which would continue until the surrender of Japan 71 days later.
Five carriers, three
On 20 September came the order to depart
Korea
In March 1950 she again turned westward. A member of DesRon 9, she worked with the carrier Boxer out of Okinawa until the outbreak of the Korean War brought immediate assignment to Korean waters. Reacting with the characteristic speed of seaborn power, her group launched the first carrier based strike against North Korea 3 July. Besides plane guard and patrol duties she also participated in shore bombardment and five support missions along the eastern coast.
Missions near Yongdok from 22 to 26 July and against Chongjin in the far northeast corner of Korea on 20 August were among the more successful ones.
On 12 September Lyman K. Swenson sailed as part of Task Element 90.62, the Destroyer Element of the Gunfire Support Group of the Inchon Attack Force. The following day at noon the six-ship Destroyer Element stood into
After anchoring in assigned positions, the destroyers conducted a one-hour bombardment against observed and suspected gun positions on the island of Wolmi-do and in the city of Inchon. This reconnaissance-in-force was intended to draw the fire of North Korean batteries. Thus their location would be revealed for neutralization by destroyer or cruiser gunfire, or by air strikes. The bombardment was highly successful. The press, and later on the historians, aptly dubbed the ships of the Destroyer Element as "Sitting Ducks". Upon retirement from the harbor, some enemy guns that had not been silenced opened up on the narrow channel through which the destroyers must pass. Shell fragments killed one officer and wounded another on board Lyman K. Swenson during channel transit.
On D‑Day, 15 September, Swenson returned eagerly to cover the landing and shell the enemy. For their gallantry all six ships received the
On 23 October, Lyman K. Swenson retired to Sasebo, Japan, and then on to the United States, arriving San Diego 18 November. After 7 months at home, she again departed for Korea 18 June 1951. On this 8‑month tour, and the succeeding one which began 15 September 1952, her main duties remained much the same as they had been during 1950. She took special pride in her ability to disrupt railroad and highway transportation and twice earned the praise of Vice Adm. H. M. Martin.
1953-1965
In the aftermath of the
On 12 June 1964, Lyman K. Swenson departed Yokosuka for the United States, arriving San Diego 27 July via Australia. Once home, time passed quickly until January 1965 when she entered
With orders to proceed to the troubled coast of the Republic of Vietnam, Lyman K. Swenson departed San Diego 24 August 1965 and commenced fire support operations 4 October. In her first two weeks of action she expended as much ammunition as two months of comparable duty during the Korean War in 1950. Screen and plane guard duties for carriers Independence and Ticonderoga normally followed such periods of fire support.
1966-1974
Lyman K. Swenson continued on station until departing for home in January 1966. She arrived in San Diego 26 February and participated in the annual midshipmen training cruise in June. For the remainder of 1966 Lyman K. Swenson operated out of her home port of San Diego on various ASW and gunnery exercises. From. 26 January to 1 March 1967 she underwent predeployment repairs in Long Beach Naval Shipyard.
On 8 April the ship once again underway for the western Pacific. After a stop in Yokosuka, Japan, she operated in the northern
Lyman K. Swenson began her final deployment on 9 March 1970. While in WESTPAC the ship fired several naval gunfire support missions off the coast of the Republic of Vietnam, served as Search and Rescue picket escort, and escorted aircraft carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin. The destroyer returned to her home port of San Diego on 5 September 1970.
Fate
Lyman K. Swenson was
Lyman K. Swenson received five
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.