USS Whitman
History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS Whitman |
Builder | Mare Island Navy Yard |
Laid down | 7 September 1942 |
Launched | 19 January 1943 |
Commissioned | 3 July 1943 |
Decommissioned | 16 November 1945 |
Stricken | 16 November 1945 |
Honors and awards | 4 battle stars (World War II) |
Fate | Sold for scrapping, 31 January 1947 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Evarts-class destroyer escort |
Displacement |
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Length |
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Beam | 35 ft (11 m) |
Draft | 11 ft (3.4 m) (max) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) |
Range | 4,150 nmi (7,690 km) |
Complement | 15 officers and 183 enlisted |
Armament |
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USS Whitman (DE-24) was an
She was laid down on 7 September 1942 at the
Namesake
Robert Scott Whitman, Jr. was born on 1 January 1916 at Johnson City, New York. He was appointed a midshipman on 24 August 1935 and graduated from the United States Naval Academy with the Class of 1939. After sea duty on the heavy cruiser USS Quincy from 26 June 1939 to 1 February 1941, he then underwent heavier-than-air instruction at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. He earned his wings there and then received further instruction at the Transition Training Squadron, Pacific Fleet, before he reported to Patrol Squadron 44 (VP-44) on 4 November 1941.
He remained with VP-44 into the spring and early summer of 1942. With the reinforcement of Midway Atoll in the face of an impending Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) attack, VP-44 was dispatched there. During the first few days of June 1942, the PBY's based at Midway flew long patrols searching for the IJN fleet. Then, on 3 June, came the first surface contact. Whitman's plane was the third to spot the IJN ships and at 09:25 radioed a report calling attention to the "main body." After sending back a second message amplifying the data contained in his report of the initial sighting, Whitman brought his plane back to Midway in accordance with instructions.
At 07:15 on 4 June his PBY-5 was again airborne; he reported that the aircraft was being "opposed by two enemy observation planes." That proved to be the last word heard from Whitman's aircraft, as the Japanese planes shot it down in flames. Records of what happened later are sketchy, but it appears that about half of the plane's crew was lost; six survivors, including the badly wounded Ensign Jack H. Camp, USNR, were picked up by a search PBY on 6 June.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
After shakedown out of San Diego, California, and post-shakedown availability, Whitman departed San Francisco, California, on 11 September, escorting Convoy 2298, bound for the Hawaiian Islands. Nine days later, she arrived at Pearl Harbor and safely delivered her charges. She then convoyed the seaplane tender Pocomoke (AV-9) to Canton and Phoenix Islands in early October before she was detached to return to Pearl Harbor.
Supporting the invasion of the Gilbert Islands
In November, she moved to the Central Pacific for her first major operation, the thrust against the Japanese held
and performed local escort missions into December 1943.Supporting invasion of the Marshall Islands
Returning, via
Whitman departed the Hawaiian Islands on 27 May to escort
A wide variety of assignments
After returning to Hawaiian waters, Whitman operated with the
After that stint in Hawaiian waters, the destroyer escort was assigned to
Post-War operations
On 10 August 1945, the day upon which the Japanese indicated a desire to surrender unconditionally to the Allies, Whitman departed Eniwetok with Convoy EU-172, bound for Ulithi. She was en route from Ulithi to Eniwetok with Convoy UE-123 when the Japanese capitulated five days later. She was at Eniwetok when the formal surrender was signed on board Missouri (BB-63) in Tokyo Bay.
Departing Kwajalein for the last time on 14 September 1945, Whitman sailed for Pearl Harbor and arrived there on the 20th. Her stay was brief, however, for she got underway for the west coast the next day.
Post-War decommissioning
Making port at San Pedro, Los Angeles, on 27 September, Whitman was decommissioned on 1 November and struck from the Navy List on the 16th. Sold to the National Metal and Steel Co. of Terminal Island, California, and delivered on 31 January 1947, the ship was scrapped on 20 March 1948.
Awards
Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) | |
American Campaign Medal | |
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with four service stars )
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World War II Victory Medal
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References
- ^ ″WHITMAN, Robert Scott, Jr., Lieutenant (jg), USN. Wife, Mrs. Josephine Porter Whitman,...″ (WWII Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualty List, State Summary of War Casualties, CALIFORNIA, p. 95) [1]
- ^ Entry for Robert S. Whitman, Jr., American Battle Monuments Commission
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
- Photo gallery of USS Whitman (DE-24) at NavSource Naval History