USS Macdonough (DD-351)
 USS Macdonough (DD-351)
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Macdonough (DD-351) |
| Namesake | Thomas Macdonough |
| Builder | Boston Navy Yard |
| Laid down | 15 May 1933 |
| Launched | 22 August 1934 |
| Commissioned | 15 March 1935 |
| Decommissioned | 22 October 1945 |
| Stricken | 1 November 1945 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 20 December 1946 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Farragut-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 1,395 tons |
| Length | 341 ft 4 in (104.04 m) |
| Beam | 34 ft 3 in (10.44 m) |
| Draft | 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m) |
| Propulsion | Curtis geared turbines, twin screws; 21,400 shaft hp each |
| Speed | 36 kn (67 km/h) |
| Range | 6500 nmi at 12 knots (12,000 km at 22 km/h) |
| Complement | 160 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
|
The third USS Macdonough (DD-351) was a
Farragut-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Thomas Macdonough
.
Construction and commissioning
Macdonough was laid down 15 May 1933 by the Boston Navy Yard; launched 22 August 1934; sponsored by Miss Rose Shaler Macdonough, granddaughter of Commodore Thomas Macdonough; and commissioned 15 March 1935.
Pearl Harbor
Following an extensive shakedown cruise to
Destroyer Squadron 1. In port 7 December 1941 during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Macdonough downed one of the Japanese attack planes before heading out to sea to join others in the search for the Japanese task force. For the next 3½ months, the destroyer performed scouting assignments southwest of Oahu. Before returning to Pearl Harbor to escort convoys to and from west coast ports, she steamed as far as New Guinea, supporting airstrikes on Bougainville, Salamaua, and Lae
.
Guadalcanal
Macdonough returned to the western Pacific to prepare for the
Guadalcanal invasion. Operating with Saratoga, she provided cover for the landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi, 7 August 1942. She remained in the area, taking part in the Battle of Savo Island and fighting aircraft and shipping during the landing of reinforcements on the island. At the end of September, she commenced escort work between New Guinea, Espiritu Santo, and Pearl Harbor until reporting to Mare Island
, 22 December, for overhaul.
Aleutians Campaign
Macdonough next steamed north for the assault and occupation of
Sicard and was forced to retire under tow. The ship remained in the repairs dock at Mare Island until 23 September, when she prepared to get underway for the Gilbert Islands. Arriving for the invasion of Makin Island
, 20 November, she acted as control vessel for the landing craft, and following the completion of that phase of the operation, entered the lagoon to bombard Japanese installations. On 23 November Makin was declared secure and Macdonough returned to Pearl Harbor.
Marshall Islands
_at_sea_in_January_1943.jpg)
In January 1944, she joined the Northern Attack Force staging for the assault on the
Eniwetok Atoll
.
On 21 and 22 February, Macdonough shelled Japanese positions on
Palau Islands. Continuing her varied pace, she was at Hollandia, New Guinea, by 21 April, providing fire support for the landings there. Then, at the end of the mouth she steamed eastward to take up radar picket duty south of Truk. During this assignment, Macdonough, with the light aircraft carrier USS Monterey (CVL-26) and destroyer USS Stephen Potter (DD-538), sank the Japanese submarine Ro-45
on 30 April 1944.
Marianas Campaign
On 4 May, the destroyer arrived at
Marianas. Departing the Marshalls 6 June, Macdonough operated with the fast carrier force during the Saipan invasion. She performed screening and picket duties and was part of the bombardment group firing on Japanese installations on the west side of the Island. She next took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, 19 to 20 June, firing at the few enemy planes which got through the combat air patrol. Ordered to Guam
, she covered underwater demolition teams reconnoitering the beaches and provided harassing fire to prevent repairs to beach defenses on the island. On 21 July, the destroyer patrolled the waters off Guam to protect the assault craft from enemy submarines, continuing that role until departing for Hawaii 10 August.
Philippines
After a brief stay at Pearl Harbor, Macdonough departed for the
Okinawa
.
End of World War II and fate
At Guam when hostilities ended, Macdonough soon received orders to return to the United States. She arrived at San Diego 3 September, continuing on the next week to the
Brooklyn, New York
.
Honors and awards
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 13 battle stars[1]
World War II Victory MedalMacdonough received 13
battle starsfor World War II service.References
- ^ "Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual [Rev. 1953] » Pt. 4 - Campaign and Service Medals". history.navy.mil. Naval History and Heritage Command. 1953. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
- USS MacDonough, Report of Pearl Harbor Attack Archived 2014-04-22 at the Wayback Machine
