USS Stanly (DD-478)

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USS Stanly (DD-478) in October 1942
USS Stanly (DD-478) in October 1942
Overview
Type destroyer
Shipyard

Charleston Navy Yard

Keel laying September 16, 1941
Launch May 2, 1942
1. Period of service flag
period of service

October 15, 1942 - October 1946

Whereabouts Sold for demolition in 1972
Technical specifications
displacement

2,100  ts

length

114.7 meters

width

12.2 meters

Draft

5.4 meters

crew

329

drive
speed

35 kn

Range

6,500  nautical miles (11,700 km) at 15 knots

Armament

When commissioning:

  • 4 × 5-inch L / 38 Mk.30 single towers
  • 10 × 40 mm flak
  • 6 × 20 mm flak
  • 10 × 21-inch torpedo tubes (2 groups of five)
  • 6 depth charges
  • 2 depth charges

The USS Stanly (D-478) was a for Fletcher Class belonging destroyer of the US Navy , who in World War II was used. The ship was originally equipped with a catapult and an on-board crane to use a Vought Kingfisher aircraft for reconnaissance. After its decommissioning in 1946, the destroyer was part of the reserve fleet. In 1972 the ship was sold for demolition.

Namesake

Fabius Stanly (1815–1882) was Rear Admiral in the US Navy. He served in the American-Mexican War and the Civil War .

technology

Hull and drive

The hull of the USS Stanly was 114.7 m long and 12.2 m wide. The draft was 5.4 m, the displacement was 2,100 tons . The ship was powered by two General Electric steam turbines, and the steam was generated in four Babcock & Wilcox boilers. The power was 60,000 shaft horsepower, the top speed was 35 knots .

Board aircraft

The Stanly was one of six Fletcher-class destroyers that were to be equipped with a Mark VI aircraft catapult and a Vought Kingfisher aircraft. The catapult and the crane to pick up the aircraft were located aft of the second funnel instead of the second torpedo tube set, gun # 3 and the second deck of the deckhouse, on which most Fletcher had a 40mm twin anti-aircraft gun. The 40-mm gun was on the quarterdeck just before the depth charge drainage rails, where 20-mm guns were otherwise.

The original plan provided that the aircraft on board should serve as a reconnaissance aircraft for the destroyer flotilla, to which the USS Stanly belonged. The launch should be done by catapult, the landing near the destroyer on the water. The aircraft was then lifted back onto the catapult by crane. With the construction of new cruisers and fast battleships , which were also equipped with aircraft on board, as well as aircraft carriers in connection with the changed mission profile of the destroyers, the concept proved to be obsolete. Another reason was the weight reserves used up to the limit by the catapult and aircraft, which no longer permitted an increase in anti-aircraft armament that was recognized as necessary. Shortly after its commissioning, the catapult and the on-board crane were removed and a fifth 5 "gun retrofitted.

Armament and Electronics

The main armament of the USS Stanly was its five 5 "- (127-mm) -Mk.30 single turrets. In addition, there were various anti-aircraft guns , which were reinforced in the course of the war.

The USS Stanly was equipped with radar . An SG and an SC radar were mounted on the mast above the bridge, with which aircraft could be located at distances between 15 and 30 nautical miles and ships between 10 and 22 nautical miles.

history

The USS Stanly was laid down in the Charleston Navy Yard on September 16, 1941 and launched on May 2, 1942. Godmother was Elizabeth Stanley Boss. On October 15, 1942, the destroyer was put into service under the command of Lieutenant Commander James M. Robinson. The USS Stanly remained in the shipyard until the end of December 1942 for final equipment and shipyard trials . During this time the catapult and the on-board crane were removed and the ship was equipped with a fifth 5 "gun (# 53). On December 30, the destroyer left Charleston and set course for Cuba to carry out test drives.

1943

Stanly after renovation in February 1943

On January 7, 1943, the Stanly returned to Charleston and was then used along the east coast of the United States and in Guantanamo Bay . In March she moved together with the light cruiser USS Sante Fe through the Panama Canal , Long Beach and San Pedro to Pearl Harbor . After exercises and escort services in the waters around Hawaii, the USS Stanly escorted a convoy to Nouméa in May . On May 11th, she was assigned to Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 45 of Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 23 (Little Beavers) . For the next three months she operated from Nouméa and was used for escorts and to protect battleships and aircraft carriers. On August 24, she arrived in the New Hebrides with her sister ships USS Charles Ausburne , USS Claxton and USS Dyson . The next day, the destroyers moved to Guadalcanal , where they patrolled the Lengo Canal. End of August patrolling the USS Stanly in Kula Gulf between Kolombangara and New Georgia . Until mid-September 1943, she was used for escort services. On September 13, she reached Nouméa, where repairs were being carried out on her boilers . After exchanging ammunition and torpedoes, she left Nouméa on September 29 and was used for escort services in the Solomon Islands in October.

On 31 October, were desron 23 of the Task Force (TF) 39 subordinated and shelled during the landing on Bougainville Japanese airfields in Buka and coastal batteries on the Shortland Islands . During the night, the Stanly was able to repel an attack by Japanese motor torpedo boats. During the landing in Kaiserin Augusta Bay on the morning of November 1, 1943, four Japanese cruisers and six destroyers were reported south of Rabaul . The TF 39 went north to intercept the Japanese formation. The Japanese ships were located on November 2 at 2:27 a.m. The ships of DesDiv 45 carried out a torpedo attack that the Japanese units were able to avoid. The next targets were the light cruiser Sendai and the destroyer Hatsukaze , which were sunk in the course of the battle.

In November and December, the USS Stanly operated between the islands of the New Hebrides. On November 16, she and the USS Converse attacked a Japanese submarine that was presumably sunk by artillery fire.

1944

Stanly after another renovation on October 6, 1944

Until the end of March 1944, the Stanly operated mainly in the sea area of ​​the Solomon Islands. When the theater of war shifted from the South Pacific to the Central Pacific in the spring, it was placed under TF 58 and took part in the attacks on Palau and Yap at the end of March.

On June 11th, TF 58 began air strikes on the Mariana Islands and bombed Guam , Rota , Tinian and Saipan . The destroyer was assigned to Task Group (TG) 58.4 on June 15, which attacked Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima . The TF 58.4 returned to the TF 58 on June 18 and took part in the battle in the Philippine Sea. The Stanly used her artillery in the days that followed to support the landing and advance of American troops during the Battle of Saipan . On July 3, 1944, she ran with the TG 58.4 to Eniwetok and returned to the Mariana Islands on July 18. She was protecting the aircraft carriers until July 31, and was then ordered to San Francisco for an overhaul . On August 17, she reached the Bethlehem Steel Co. Shipyard . After completing the work, she returned to the Western Pacific and entered Ulithi Atoll on November 21 . On December 8, the destroyer escorted the Victory ships Boulder Victory and Elmira Victory to Palau. After taking over the fuel, the Stanly set course for the Philippines and reached the Gulf of Leyte on December 11th .

1945

On January 4, 1945, the USS Stanly, along with USS Charles Ausburne , USS Foote , USS Converse and USS Sterett escorted a convoy from San Pedro Bay to the Gulf of Lingayen. Until January 27, she patrolled the transport area and was used as a radar outpost. It reached Leyte on January 31 and called Ulithi on February 4. Until mid-March she operated in the waters off Saipan and Iwo Jima. After repairs, she took the course to Okinawa , where she arrived on March 31st. The USS Stanly served again as a radar outpost. On January 12, she was in a position north of the island when the USS Cassin Young was damaged in a kamikaze attack. The USS Stanly set course to help the sister ship. She took over the command of the fighters, which could shoot down six Aichi D3A "Vals". A Yokosuka MXY-7 “Ōka” fell on the USS Stanly and hit her on the starboard side in the forecastle above the waterline. The warhead penetrated the port side of the destroyer and exploded in the water. A few minutes later, she was attacked by a second "Ōka", which missed the ship and only took her flag with it, only to crash on the surface of the water. The destroyer was ordered near the transport ships at Hagushi. She was attacked again on the way. A Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" tried to bomb and ram it. The bomb fell too short and the plane shot over the destroyer. Three crew members of the USS Stanly were wounded during the attacks . During the night, the destroyer ran into Busted Ship Bay on the Kerama Islands base to be repaired. After ten days, the ship returned to Okinawa to serve as a radar outpost again. On May 5, she escorted a convoy to Ulithi, where she was again repaired. On May 28, she left the lagoon for target practice. There was an explosion in Gun # 55, killing two men. She ran to Apra Harbor on Guam to repair the damaged gun . She arrived there on June 3, 1945 and stood there until the end of hostilities on August 15, 1945.

post war period

The USS Stanly left Guam on July 20 and entered the Mare Island Naval Shipyard via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor . It arrived there on July 30th and was overhauled in preparation for deactivation. On September 22nd, she was assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet. The USS Stanly was decommissioned in October 1946 and relocated to Long Beach . She remained in the reserve fleet until December 1, 1970.

Whereabouts

In February 1972 it was sold for demolition.

Awards

For its service in World War II, the USS Stanly was awarded nine Battle Stars and as part of DesRon 23 (Little Beavers) with a Presidential Unit Citation.

literature

Web links

Commons : USS Stanly (DD-478)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files