San Francisco, California on 12 February 1918. The ship was launched on 4 July 1918, sponsored by Miss Helen La Monte Ely. The ship was commissioned
at San Francisco on 25 February 1919.
Service history
McKean served in the
high speed transport, APD-5 on 2 August 1940, she recommissioned at Norfolk
on 11 December 1940 and resumed duty with the fleet.
World War II
Following the
Rendova. In addition she patrolled the waters off Guadalcanal
and up the Slot to New Georgia.
McKean off Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942
In October, she completed preparations for operations in the Treasury Islands and Bougainville. She landed fighting men on Mono Island 27 October, including a construction team which installed a vital search radar in less than a week's time. Following the American naval victory over Japanese forces in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay during the darkness of 2 November, McKean steamed with a reinforcement convoy to Bougainville and on the 6th landed Marines near Cape Torokina, Empress Augusta Bay. She carried additional troops to Bougainville 11 November, thence returned to Guadalcanal for yet another troop run.
With 185 marines embarked, McKean sailed up the slot on 15 November. As she approached Empress Augusta Bay on the 17th, she was attacked by a
torpedo plane of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service's 702 Kōkūtai,[1] which launched a torpedo off the starboard quarter. McKean turned to avoid the weapon; but at 0350 the torpedo struck the starboard side, exploding the after magazine and depth charge spaces and rupturing fuel oil tanks. Flaming oil engulfed McKean aft of the No. 1 stack, and she lost all power and communications. Burning oil on the water killed men who were blown or jumped overboard. Her commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Ralph L. Ramey, ordered her abandoned at 0355; at 0400 she began to sink by the stern. He went over the side 12 minutes later; her forward magazine and oil tank exploded at 0415; and her stacks disappeared at 0418. 64 of her complement and 52 of her embarked troops died from the explosions or flames. The survivors were picked up by rescuing destroyers, the USS Sigourney (DD-643) and USS Talbot (APD-7)
which were alongside for approximately two hours trying to rescue survivors.
Awards
McKean received four
battle stars
for World War II service. McKean received the Navy Unit Commendation award.
Four
US Coast Guard sailors, assigned to serve as coxswains of four landing craft working from the McKean earned Silver Stars during the amphibious assault on Tulagi.[2]
United States_en_route_to_Guadalcanal_in_August_1942.jpg)
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
