USS Lyman

Last updated

USS Lyman (DE-302) underway in San Francisco Bay on 23 April 1944.jpg
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS Lyman
Builder Mare Island Navy Yard
Laid down22 April 1943
Launched19 August 1943
Commissioned19 February 1944
Decommissioned5 December 1945
Stricken19 December 1945
Honors and
awards
5 battle stars (World War II)
FateSold for scrapping, 26 December 1946
General characteristics
Type Evarts-class destroyer escort
Displacement
  • 1,140 long tons (1,158 t) standard
  • 1,430 long tons (1,453 t) full
Length
  • 289 ft 5 in (88.21 m) o/a
  • 283 ft 6 in (86.41 m) w/l
Beam35 ft 2 in (10.72 m)
Draft11 ft (3.4 m) (max)
Propulsion
Speed19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Range4,150 nmi (7,690 km)
Complement15 officers and 183 enlisted
Armament

USS Lyman (DE-302) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Pacific Theatre, escorting convoys and other ships. She received a total of five battle stars for her service during the war, but was decommissioned and sold for scrap within 18 months of the war's end.

Contents

Namesake

Chan Lyman was born on 30 December 1912 in the township of Grandriver, Cass County, Missouri. He enlisted in the Navy on 23 August 1928 and completed 4 years in the United States Naval Reserve. After earning his Merchant Marine officer-s license, he was commissioned Ensign in the Naval Reserve 16 January 1940. Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor he was called to active duty and reported on 9 January 1942 to fleet oiler USS Neosho. On 7 May during the Battle of the Coral Sea, Neosho and its escorting destroyer were attacked by three separate flights of Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft and he was killed in the attack.

Construction and commissioning

She was laid down on 22 April 1943 by Mare Island Navy Yard, California; launched on 19 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Chan Lyman, wife of Ensign Lyman; and commissioned on 19 February 1944.

World War II Pacific Theater operations

Lyman cleared San Francisco Bay on 23 April 1944 for duty at Pearl Harbor as a training ship. With other destroyer escorts, she acted as target for fleet submarines and screen for escort carriers training flight squadrons. On 20 August she departed Pearl Harbor and began 13 months screening the supply ships of the U.S. 3rd Fleet and U.S. 5th Fleet. Arriving off Kossol Passage on 20 September, she screened the Western Garrison Group during the invasions of the Palau Islands. Departing Peleliu on 22 October, Lyman formed part of the escort which brought the 1st Marines to the Russell Islands.

Her first port availability period at Manus, Admiralty Islands, was marked on 10 November by the explosion of the Mount Hood (AE-11) an ammunition ship nearby. A week later at Ulithi, a Japanese midget submarine managed to torpedo an oiler, the Mississinewa (AO-59), in the same anchorage. Lyman weighed anchor on 16 December, screening auxiliaries supporting the invasion of Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. She returned to Ulithi on 14 January 1945, but again early in February was at sea protecting a replenishment group during the capture of Iwo Jima.

Damaged by a typhoon

Her logistic support group was also in the Ryukyus from 22 March to 11 June supporting the battle for strategically important Okinawa. During this later action a typhoon of 5 June caused the ship to roll 65 degrees forcing the withdrawal of Lyman for repairs.

Underway again on 3 July, the destroyer escort ended the war guarding the supply ships of the 3rd Fleet, then striking the Japanese home islands.

End-of-war activity

Lyman was the first DE to enter Tokyo Bay on 30 August with a group of tankers, she remained to witness the surrender ceremony of 2 September. Departing the next day she steamed eastward collecting passengers at each stop. She debarked 80 veterans at San Francisco on 8 October.

Post-war inactivation and decommissioning

Inactivation began almost immediately and was completed after Lyman sailed to Richmond, California, on 8 November. Decommissioned on 5 December 1945, she was sold to the Puget Sound Navigation Co., Seattle, Washington, on 26 December 1946.

Awards

Lyman received five battle stars for World War II service.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Dale</i> (DD-353)

The fourth USS Dale (DD-353) was a Farragut-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. Dale received 14 battle stars for World War II service. She was named for American Revolutionary war hero Richard Dale.

USS <i>John C. Butler</i> US Navy destroyer escort

USS John C. Butler (DE-339) was the lead ship of her class of destroyer escorts in the service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was recommissioned between 1950 and 1957 and finally sunk as a target in 1971.

USS <i>Helm</i> (DD-388)

USS Helm (DD-388) was a Bagley-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Rear Admiral James Meredith Helm. Helm received 11 battle stars for her World War II service in the Pacific.

USS <i>Macdonough</i> (DD-351)

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.

USS <i>Gridley</i> (DD-380)

The second USS Gridley (DD-380) was the lead ship of her class of destroyers in the United States Navy. She was the second US Navy ship named for Charles Vernon Gridley. She served with distinction in the Pacific Theater during the Second World War and shared in the sinking of a Japanese submarine.

USS <i>Porterfield</i>

USS Porterfield (DD-682) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was laid down by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding, San Pedro, California 12 December 1942; launched 13 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs Louis B. Porterfield and commissioned 30 October 1943, with Commander J. C. Woefel in command.

USS <i>Bebas</i>

USS Bebas (DE-10) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort in the service of the United States Navy from 1943 to 1945.

USS <i>McClelland</i>

USS McClelland (DE-750) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. Post-war she was reassigned as a training vessel.

USS <i>Halloran</i>

USS Halloran (DE-305) was a Evarts-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy.

USS <i>LeHardy</i>

USS LeHardy (DE-20) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. It was promptly sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. At the end of the war, she had to honor of proceeding to Wake Island, as the Japanese commander surrendered, and raising a flagpole to fly the American flag once again.

The second USS Dempsey (DE-26) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. She was promptly sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. By the end of the ship's World War II service career, when she returned to the United States, she had accumulated three battle stars.

USS <i>Emery</i> (DE-28)

USS Emery (DE-28) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. It was promptly sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. By the end of the war, she had accumulated three battle stars.

USS <i>Lovering</i> (DE-39)

USS Lovering (DE-39) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy during World War II. She was promptly sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. She performed dangerous work in major battle areas and sailed home with three battle stars.

USS <i>Mitchell</i>

USS Mitchell (DE-43) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. She was sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. She performed escort and anti-submarine operations in dangerous battle areas and was awarded nine battle stars, a very high number for a ship of her type.

USS <i>Cloues</i>

USS Cloues (DE-265) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy during World War II. She was sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. She performed escort and antisubmarine operations in dangerous battle areas and returned home with three battle stars.

USS <i>Finnegan</i>

USS Finnegan (DE-307) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. She was sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. She performed escort and antisubmarine operations in dangerous battle areas and returned home with three well-earned battle stars.

USS <i>Kyne</i>

USS Kyne (DE-744) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. She returned home after the war with a very commendable accumulation of six battle stars.

USS <i>Richard S. Bull</i> Ship

USS Richard S. Bull (DE-402) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was finally sunk as a target in 1969.

USS <i>McCoy Reynolds</i>

USS McCoy Reynolds (DE-440) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket. Post-war, after operating in the Pacific Ocean battle areas, her crew members returned home with four battle stars to their credit for World War II and one for the Korean War.

USS <i>Loeser</i> (DE-680)

USS Loeser was a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Arthur E. Loeser (1903–1942).

References