USS Sims (DD-409)
History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Builder | Bath Iron Works |
Laid down | 15 July 1937 |
Launched | 8 April 1939 |
Sponsored by | Mrs. William S. Sims |
Commissioned | 1 August 1939 |
Stricken | 24 June 1942 |
Fate | Sunk by Japanese aircraft in Battle of Coral Sea on 7 May 1942 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Sims-class destroyer |
Displacement |
|
Length | 348 ft, 3¼ in, (106.15 m) |
Beam | 36 ft, 1 in (11 m) |
Draft | 13 ft, 4.5 in (4.07 m) |
Propulsion | High-pressure super-heated boilers, geared turbines with twin screws, 50,000 horsepower |
Speed | 35 knots |
Range | 3,660 nautical miles at 20 kt (6,780 km at 37 km/h) |
Complement | 192 (10 officers/182 enlisted) |
Armament |
|
Armor | None |
USS Sims (DD-409) was the
Construction and commissioning
Sims was
Service history
Inter-War Period
After shakedown training in the
World War II
With the
At the time, it was believed that the
TF 17 departed Samoa on 25 January, with Sims in the screen. At 1105 on 28 January, she sighted an enemy bomber. At 1114, a stick of four bombs fell approximately 1,500 yards astern, straddling the wake of the destroyer. The next day, the two carrier forces and a bombardment group attacked the islands and withdrew.[1]
Sims, with TF 17, sailed from
By early March, the Japanese had occupied
Battle of the Coral Sea
In late April 1942, a Japanese task force was assembled to begin operations in support of Japanese moves towards Australia. This consisted of a covering group to protect landing forces on Tulagi and Port Moresby and a striking force to eliminate Allied shipping in the Coral Sea. Shōhō was attached to the covering force, and Shōkaku and Zuikaku were the striking force under command of Admiral Takeo Takagi. The American ships were divided into task forces centered on Lexington and Yorktown. Sims was ordered to escort USS Neosho. The task force refueled on 5–6 May and then detached Neosho and Sims to continue to the next fueling point.[1]
On the morning of 7 May, a search plane from the Japanese striking force sighted the oiler and destroyer and reported them to Admiral Takagi as a carrier and a cruiser. Takagi ordered an all-out attack. At 0930, 15 high level bombers attacked the two ships but did no damage. At 1038, 10 attacked the destroyer, but skillful maneuvering evaded the nine bombs that were dropped. A third attack against the two ships by 36 Val dive bombers was devastating. Neosho was soon crippled and burning aft as the result of seven direct hits and one plane that dived into her.[1]
Sims was attacked from all directions. The destroyer defended herself as best she could. Three 250-kilogram (551 lb) bombs hit the destroyer. Two exploded in the engine room, and within minutes, the ship buckled amidships and began to sink, stern first. As Sims slid beneath the waves, there was a tremendous explosion that raised what was left of the ship almost 15 feet (4.6 m) out of the water. Chief R. J. Dicken, in a damaged whaleboat, picked up 15 other survivors. They remained with Neosho until they were rescued by Henley on 11 May. Sims was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 24 June 1942.[1]
Awards
Sims received two
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Sims I". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- ^ "USS Sims". navsource.org.
Further reading
- Verton, Dan (2006). Grace Under Fire: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Sims and the Amazing Story of Its 13 Survivors. Outskirts Press. ISBN 978-1-59800-581-3.
- Keith, Don (2015). The Ship That Wouldn't Die: The saga of the USS Neosho. New York, New York: ISBN 978-0-451-47000-3.
- Dicken, Robert James. "Personal observations of SIMS #409 disaster". ibiblio.org. Retrieved 3 October 2015. (Report made to the Secretary of the Navy by the senior petty officer in the group of survivors)