Following shakedown training in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, Harrison escorted a merchant ship to the Panama Canal Zone, and sailed for New York. The ship arrived New York 6 April and Charleston 2 days later. She then joined a convoy out of New York for Casablanca, and after touching at several points in the Mediterranean returned 1 June to Charleston. Harrison was then assigned to anti-submarine exercises in Caribbean waters with carrierUSSYorktown(CV-10), after which she performed escort duty in the area until 22 July 1943.
Harrison was assigned in mid-1943 to the Pacific Fleet, where the crescendo of amphibious war was beginning. Departing with carrier USSLexington(CV-16) from Norfolk, Virginia 22 July, the ship arrived Pearl Harbor 9 August and spent the next days training for the important amphibious operations which were to come. Her job was to screen the carriers as their aircraft softened up Japanese-held islands, and the task group got underway 22 August for strikes against Marcus, Wake, and Tarawa, interspersed with short resupply stops at Pearl Harbor. With these vital preliminary operations complete, Harrison departed 21 October for duty in the Solomons, long the scene of bitter fighting both on land and sea.
She arrived Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 4 November and departed the next day, arriving at Empress Augusta Bay on 7 November, Bougainville, to screen transports carrying reinforcements. As she patrolled off the bay, where Marines had landed 1 November, the Japanese launched a fierce night attack with dive bombers and torpedo planes 8–9 November. Harrison's gunners accounted for at least one plane during the battle. The destroyer departed 14 November for the Gilberts operation and again screened transports as they put initial assault troops ashore 20 November. Harrison remained off "bloody Tarawa" until 29 November, when she took up patrol off Makin. The ship then sailed to Funafuti 7 December and engaged in training exercises before anchoring at Pearl Harbor 1 January 1944. She remained in Hawaiian waters for most of January taking part in fire support exercises for impending invasion of the Marshall Islands.
1944
Harrison sailed with the Southern Attack Force 22 January, and arrived off Kwajalein 31 January. She screened battleshipsUSSNew Mexico(BB-40) and USSMississippi(BB-41) while the larger ships pounded shore installations, and sank a small tanker with her guns as the Japanese ship attempted to escape from the lagoon. As the Marines landed on Kwajalein and advanced over the numerous islands in the atoll, Harrison entered the lagoon 4 February and rendered close fire support. She spent the next 4 weeks patrolling offshore and anchored in the lagoon, departing 1 March for Efate, New Hebrides.
The destroyer arrived Efate 7 March and after a short rest screened a task group during the strike on Kavieng, New Ireland, 20 March. Returning to Efate 25 March, she joined some 200 ships for the largest operation yet attempted in the southwest Pacific, the occupation of Hollandia. Harrison arrived New Guinea 1 April, engaged in patrol and escort operations until 19 April, and then sailed to Humboldt Bay for the assault. Carriers screened by the destroyer and her sisters bombarded enemy airfields and supported the successful landing, after which Harrison arrived Port Purvis on Florida Island in the Solomons on 11 May for a month of local exercises and patrols.
Next on the timetable of conquest in Micronesia were the Marianas, and Harrison sailed 4 June for the Marshalls to prepare for that operation. Arriving Kwajalein 8 June, she engaged in patrolling and readiness operations until 17 June, when she sailed for Guam. Harrison arrived 21 July and lent fire support to Marines ashore in addition to patrolling the transport areas. This operation not only constituted a break in Japan's inner ring of defenses, but dealt a death blow to the Empire's naval air arm at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Harrison sailed back to Espiritu Santo via Eniwetok 16 August.
Harrison departed 22 August for New Guinea, where she supported with gunfire Rear Admiral Barbey's landing on Morotai Island 15 September. After helping to establish this important air base, the destroyer joined a larger task force at Humboldt Bay and departed 13 October for one of the largest operations of the war, the invasion of the Philippines. Harrison arrived off Leyte 20 October and delivered accurate shore fire for the assault forces during the initial stages. She then assumed escort duties in already crowded Leyte Gulf until returning to Humboldt Bay 23 October.
1945
After her many long months in the Pacific forward areas, Harrison departed for the United States 1 November and arrived Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, via Pearl Harbor, 24 November 1944. She remained there until departing again for Pearl Harbor 20 January 1945. Arriving Ulithi 7 February, Harrison joined Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher's famed Fast Carrier Task Force (then Task Force 58, of the 5th Fleet), and in company with USSHornet(CV-12), USSWasp(CV-18), and other carriers sailed three days later to stage the first strike on the mainland of Japan since the Halsey-Doolittle raid of 1942. Observing the strictest secrecy to insure success, the carriers and their escorts arrived off Japan 16 February and launched a devastating series of strikes against the Tokyo area. After these attacks, the vast force moved south to support the Iwo Jima landings, scheduled for the 19th, and remained east of the island until returning for another raid on Tokyo 25 February. Refueling at sea in a remarkable demonstration of the mobility and striking power of carrier forces, the ships then sailed to Okinawa for photo-reconnaissance missions 1 March. This completed, Harrison and the rest of the task force arrived Ulithi 5 March 1945.
The great task force sortied once more from Ulithi 14 March to support the Okinawa operation, last stop on the island road to Japan. In heavy strikes 18–19 March the carrier forces inflicted great damage on Okinawa in preparation for the invasion, and Harrison shot down another attacking enemy aircraft. Attacks against Japanese airfields in the home islands were also launched, cutting down significantly the air opposition over Okinawa during the initial assault. After the Marines stormed ashore 1 April, the carrier groups and their destroyers turned to direct support of the landing. As a Japanese task force, built around the giant battleship Yamato, sortied from the inland sea to attack the beaches at Okinawa, TF58 aircraft delivered a skillful and effective attack, sinking Yamato and five other ships while suffering only small losses.
During her operations off Okinawa Harrison began to experience increasing kamikaze attacks. Harrison's gunners accounted for two of the suicide planes 6 April, and protected the carriers during countless attacks in the days following the invasion. She returned to Ulithi 30 April for a brief respite, but was underway again 9 May for tactical support of the American forces on bitterly contested Okinawa. The task force, now part of 3d Fleet, continued this pattern, including periodic strikes against Japan, until after the great June typhoon. Harrison rode out the storm 5 June in which USSPittsburgh(CA-72) lost her bow and the ships put in at Leyte Gulf 11 June to repair damage.
After replenishing the great task force moved once more toward Japan 1 July. During the next 2 months, devastating air strikes were carried out against Japan, and retaliatory air attacks were fought off by Harrison and the other protecting destroyers. Refueling at sea, the carriers kept up a constant bombardment of the home islands. In addition, Harrison with four cruisers and five other destroyers made an anti-shipping sweep along the northern coast of Honshū; but, testifying to the thoroughness of American surface and submarine attrition, gained not one contact. Then during the night of 30–31 July Harrison and the rest of her squadron swept Suruga Wan, near Tokyo, and in the very shadow of Mount Fuji bombarded railroad yards and an aluminum plant.
Task Force 38 kept up its relentless attacks against Japan until the surrender 15 August. Harrison arrived at Guam 26 August and Pearl Harbor 14 September. There the veteran destroyer got underway with carrier USSEnterprise(CV-6) for the Panama Canal Zone and the East Coast, arriving Boston 17 October 1945. After Navy Day celebrations in Boston the ship arrived Charleston 3 November and decommissioned in reserve 1 April 1946. Harrison was shifted to Philadelphia in 1965 and Orange, Texas, in 1968.
Harrison received 11 battle stars for World War II service.
BAM Cuauhtemoc (E-01)
The ship was sold as-is to Mexico 19 Aug 1970. She served in the Mexican Navy as BAM Cuauhtemoc (E-01), named after Cuauhtémoc (c.1502–1525), the last Aztec emperor of the Mexica. She was taken out of service in 1982.
Related Research Articles
USS Pensacola (CL/CA-24) was a cruiser of the United States Navy that was in service from 1929 to 1945. She was the lead ship of the Pensacola class, which the Navy classified as light cruisers in 1929, with the Pensacola herself originally designated as "CL-24." Under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty, from 1931 on the class was re-classified as heavy cruisers, with the Pensacola being re-designated as "CA-24." The third Navy ship to be named after the city of Pensacola, Florida, she was nicknamed the "Grey Ghost" by Tokyo Rose. She received 13 battle stars for her service.
The third USS Farragut (DD-348) was named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut (1801–1870). She was the lead ship of her class of destroyers in the United States Navy.
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.
The second USS San Juan (CL-54), and the first to be named for the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, was an Atlanta-class light cruiser of the United States Navy. She was laid down on 15 May 1940 by the Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Massachusetts; launched on 6 September 1941; sponsored by Mrs. Margarita Coll de Santori; and commissioned on 28 February 1942.
USS Franks (DD-554), a World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, was named after Medal of Honor recipient Acting Master's Mate William Joseph Franks.
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 Halsey Powell (DD-686), was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy.
USS Halligan (DD-584) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral John Halligan, Jr. (1876–1934).
USS Tingey (DD-539) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was the third Navy ship to be named for Commodore Thomas Tingey (1750–1829).
USS Hale (DD-642), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Maine Senator Eugene Hale (1836–1918).
USS Schroeder (DD-501), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral Seaton Schroeder (1849–1922). Entering service in 1943, the ship saw action during World War II, participating in the Battle of Tarawa. Following the war the destroyer was placed in reserve, remaining in this state until 1972. She was sold for scrap in 1974.
USS Sigsbee (DD-502), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Rear Admiral Charles D. Sigsbee (1845–1923).
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 Patterson (DD-392), a Bagley-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Daniel Todd Patterson, an officer of the US Navy who served in the Quasi-War with France, First Barbary War, and the War of 1812.
USS Haggard (DD-555) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy named for Captain Haggard of the Louisa, who fought in the Quasi-War.
USS Stack (DD-406) was a Benham-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named for Edward Stack.
USS Straus (DE-408) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947. She was finally sunk as a target in 1973.
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 Kendall C. Campbell (DE-443) 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 she returned home with four battle stars to her credit.
USS Howard F. Clark (DE-533) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was sold for scrapping in 1973.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
United States
Mexico
