USS Holt

Last updated

Ussholt.jpg
Holt arriving in San Francisco, January 1946
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS Holt
NamesakeWilliam Mack Holt
Ordered1942
Builder Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Bay City, Michigan
Laid down28 November 1943
Launched15 February 1944
Commissioned9 June 1944
Decommissioned2 July 1946
Stricken15 November 1974
Honors and
awards
2 battle stars (World War II)
Fate
  • Loaned to South Korea, 19 June 1963
  • Purchased outright, 15 November 1974
Flag of the Republic of Korea Navy.svgSouth Korea
NameROKS Chung Nam (DE-73)
Acquired19 June 1963
ReclassifiedDE-821, 1980
Stricken31 January 1984
FateScrapped, 1984
General characteristics
Class and type Rudderow-class destroyer escort
Displacement
  • 1,450 long tons (1,473 t) light
  • 1,673 long tons (1,700 t) standard
Length306 ft (93 m)
Beam37 ft (11 m)
Draft13 ft 9 in (4.19 m) full
PropulsionTurbo-electric drive, 12,000 hp (8.9 MW)
Speed24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Complement186
Armament

USS Holt (DE-706) was a Rudderow-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy. She was named after William Mack Holt.

Contents

Namesake

William Mack Holt was born on 9 September 1917 in Great Falls, Montana. He enlisted in the Navy on 4 October 1940, and was appointed an Aviation Cadet 26 December 1940. After completing flight training, he reported to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise as a fighter pilot on 16 December 1941. Later transferred to the carrier air wing aboard USS Saratoga (VF-3), Holt participated in the air operations over Guadalcanal.

On 7 August 1942, after sighting a group of about 27 Japanese bombers with escorts, Lieutenant (j.g.) Holt led his two-plane section through the enemy fighters, downing several, and helped to turn back the bombers, continuing his attacks until his own aircraft was shot down. Holt was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

Construction and commissioning

Holt's keel was laid down on 28 November 1943 at the Defoe Shipbuilding Company of Bay City, Michigan, as one of a series of Buckley-class destroyer escorts ordered from Defoe. After completing 13 ships, Defoe received a contract modification to complete the rest with 5-inch guns, which became known as the Rudderow class. Launched on 15 February 1944, she was sponsored by Mrs. Robert Holt, mother of Lt.(jg) Holt. She was commissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana on 9 June 1944, with Lieutenant Commander Victor Blue commanding.

Service history

World War II, 19441946

Holt conducted her shakedown cruise off Bermuda, and after a short stay in Boston, Massachusetts, reported to Norfolk, Virginia, on 8 August 1944. Until 19 August, she helped carry out shallow water tests in the Patuxent River, Maryland, and then joined Escort Division 74 at Norfolk. Holt screened the escort carriers Wake Island (CVE-65) and Mission Bay (CVE-59) from Norfolk to Newport, Rhode Island, and departed on 5 September 1944 on anti-submarine operations along the Eastern seaboard. She came upon the torpedoed SS George Ade on 12 September, and joined in the search for the U-boat which had attacked her. The search had to be called off, however, as a hurricane approached the next day. Holt returned to Norfolk, and after escorting coastal convoys to Boston and New York, she sailed from Norfolk for the Pacific.

The escort and her division transited the Panama Canal on 23 October, and arrived at Hollandia, New Guinea via the Galapagos and Society Islands on 21 November. The ship then became a unit of the 7th Fleet, and departed on 28 November to join carrier forces in Leyte Gulf providing protection for the vital military operations ashore. She completed this duty on 11 December, and steamed with a convoy toward Mindoro for the establishment of a motor torpedo boat base on that island. During this invasion, an important step in the retaking of the Philippines, Holt's gunfire protected her supply convoy and shot down several planes attempting to attack the invasion forces during the landings on 15 December. The destroyer escort returned to Leyte with a convoy on 17 December, and remained in San Pedro Bay until 22 December 1944.

Holt's next duty was guarding supply ships on the voyage to Hollandia, and after a stop at Manus Island, she got underway once more from Hollandia on 8 January 1945 with the resupply convoy for Lingayen Gulf. Steaming by way of San Pedro Bay, the task group reached Lingayen on 21 January, and Holt began anti-submarine patrol in support of troop movements ashore. She remained in the gulf until 27 January, downing a suicide plane which nearly crashed her on 23 January, and provided protection for the convoys off the beaches.

Departing Lingayen on 27 January, Holt arrived at San Pedro Bay on 1 February, and after escorting another convoy to Lingayen Gulf, she entered the recently liberated Subic Bay on 12 February 1945. Holt served as an escort to and from the harbor entrance until she steamed from Subic Bay on 27 March to aid in one of the final operations for the securing of Luzon. Arriving off Legaspi on 1 April, Holt provided fire support during the landing that day, and then returned to Subic Bay to convoy supporting forces back to Legaspi for the landings on 7–8 April. Possession of this area allowed American forces to control the shores of San Bernardino Strait, thus shortening the supply routes from Leyte Gulf to the assault areas on the western shores of the Philippines.

Returning to San Pedro Bay, Holt next steamed to Morotai to join a convoy in support of the assault on Tarakan Island, Borneo. The first target in the series of Borneo landings, Tarakan was taken by Australian forces under Marine and Navy air support on 1 May, and Holt arrived with supply ships five days later. The ship was forced to remain constantly on the alert for suicide swimmers and limpet mines while in the area, but departed Borneo safely on 9 May for San Pedro Bay.

After repairs in a floating drydock, Holt was assigned to weather patrol, and cruised the eastern South China Sea, sending reports to help guide movements of the vast fleets then operating in the Pacific. On this duty until 18 December 1945, she departed that date with 75 persons on board for San Francisco via the Marshalls and Pearl Harbor, arriving on 9 January 1946.

Decommissioning and sale

Decommissioned on 2 July 1946, Holt was assigned to San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet, until December 1962, when she began preparations for transfer to a foreign country. Loaned to the Republic of Korea on 19 June 1963 under the Military Assistance Program, she served as Chung Nam (D-73). Purchased outright by South Korea on 15 November 1974, Chung Nam's hull number was changed to DE-821 in 1980. She was stricken on 31 January 1984.

Military awards and honors

Combat Action Ribbon.svg Combat Action Ribbon
American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg American Campaign Medal
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon.svg
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with two bronze service stars)
World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg World War II Victory Medal
Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines).svg Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Phliber rib.svg
Philippine Liberation Medal (with one bronze service star)

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Abercrombie</i>

USS Abercrombie (DE-343) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort in the service of the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was finally sunk as a target in 1968.

USS <i>Mertz</i> Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Mertz (DD-691) was a Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1972.

USS <i>Jenkins</i> (DD-447) Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Jenkins (DD-447) was a Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, the second ship named after Rear Admiral Thornton A. Jenkins. Beginning service during World War II, the destroyer saw action in the Pacific theatre. Jenkins was placed in reserve following the end of the war, until 1951, when the ship was reactivated for the Korean War. She served in the western Pacific until 1969 when the destroyer was taken out of service and sold for scrap in 1971.

USS <i>Rudderow</i> Rudderow-class destroyer escort

USS Rudderow (DE-224) was the lead ship of her class of destroyer escorts, in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947. After spending decades in reserve, she was sold for scrap in 1970.

USS <i>Stevens</i> (DD-479) Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Stevens (DD-479) was a Fletcher-class destroyer in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was finally sold for scrap in 1973.

USS <i>Robinson</i> (DD-562) Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Robinson (DD-562), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain Isaiah Robinson, who served in the Continental Navy.

USS <i>Flusser</i> (DD-368) Mahan-class destroyer

The fourth USS Flusser (DD-368) was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy before and during World War II. She was named for Charles W. Flusser.

USS <i>Jobb</i> Rudderow-class destroyer escort

USS Jobb (DE-707) was a Rudderow-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was sold for scrap in 1970.

USS PC-1119 was a PC-461-class submarine chaser built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was later renamed Greencastle (PC-1119), after Greencastle, Indiana and Greencastle, Pennsylvania, but never saw active service under that name.

USS <i>Newman</i> Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS Newman (DE-205/APD-59) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1966.

USS <i>Winooski</i> (AO-38) Oiler of the United States Navy

The second USS Winooski (AO-38) was a Kennebec-class oiler in the United States Navy.

USS <i>Key</i>

USS Key (DE-348) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1972.

USS <i>George E. Davis</i>

USS George E. Davis (DE-357) 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.

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>Howard F. Clark</i> John C. Butler-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy

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.

USS <i>Day</i> Rudderow-class destroyer escort

USS Day (DE-225) was a Rudderow-class destroyer escort in the United States Navy during World War II.

USS <i>Riley</i> Rudderow-class destroyer escort

USS Riley (DE-579) was a Rudderow-class destroyer escort in the United States Navy during World War II. She later transferred to the Republic of China Navy and served as Tai Yuan (DE-27). The ship was finally scrapped in 1996.

USS <i>Leslie L. B. Knox</i> Rudderow-class destroyer escort

USS Leslie L. B. Knox (DE-580) was a Rudderow-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.

USS <i>George A. Johnson</i> Rudderow-class destroyer escort

USS George A. Johnson (DE-583) was a Rudderow-class destroyer escort serving with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. From 1946 to 1957, she was used as a Navy Reserve training ship. She was scrapped in 1966.

USS <i>Tinsman</i> Rudderow-class destroyer escort

USS Tinsman (DE-589) was a Rudderow-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was sold for scrapping in 1973.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entries can be found here and here.