USS John L. Williamson

	The ship being launched
History
United States
Name	John L. Williamson
Namesake	John Leon Williamson
Builder	Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas
Laid down	22 May 1944
Launched	29 August 1944
Commissioned	31 October 1944
Decommissioned	14 June 1946
Stricken	15 September 1970
Fate	Sold for scrapping 13 June 1973
General characteristics
Class and type	John C. Butler-class destroyer escort
Displacement	1,350 long tons (1,372 t)
Length	306 ft (93 m)
Beam	36 ft 8 in (11.18 m)
Draft	9 ft 5 in (2.87 m)
Propulsion	2 boilers, 2 geared turbine engines, 12,000 shp (8,900 kW); 2 propellers
Speed	24 knots (44 km/h)
Range	6,000 nmi (11,000 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h)
Complement	14 officers, 201 enlisted
Armament	2 × single 5 in (127 mm) guns ; 2 × twin 40 mm (1.6 in) AA guns ; 10 × single 20 mm (0.79 in) AA guns ; 1 × triple 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes ; 8 × depth charge throwers; 1 × Hedgehog ASW mortar ; 2 × depth charge racks;

Last updated September 01, 2024

USS John L. Williamson (DE-370) 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.

Namesake

John Leon Williamson was born 5 November 1921 in Ash, North Carolina. He enlisted in the Navy at Raleigh, North Carolina on 11 July 1940. After recruit training, he was assigned to cruiser USS San Francisco. He was on board the cruiser during the Attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 and the initial American amphibious assault of the war on Guadalcanal. He also took part in the American victory at the night Battle of Cape Esperance in October.

On 12 November 1942 one of the many Japanese attempts to bombard American positions on Guadalcanal and to reinforce their own garrisons there resulted in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Before the main engagement, the San Francisco and other ships were attacked by torpedo bombers off Guadalcanal. Williamson was an antiaircraft gunner fired at an approaching torpedo plane, remaining at his station as the aircraft crashed directly into his gun mount. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

Construction and commissioning

The ship's keel was laid down 22 May 1944 by Consolidated Steel Corp. at their yard in Orange, Texas. The ship was launched on 29 August 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Sherman Register, sister of Seaman First Class Williamson and commissioned on 31 October 1944.

History

World War II

Following shakedown training in waters off Bermuda, the new escort vessel arrived at Boston, Massachusetts on 21 December 1944. Early in 1945, she received orders to join the U.S. Pacific Fleet and got underway on 3 January to steam via the Panama Canal to San Diego, California. There she arrived on 19 January and moved on to Pearl Harbor on 28 January for training exercises. As Allied amphibious assaults struck ever-closer to Japan, John L. Williamson sailed on 2 March with a convoy for Iwo Jima, arriving on 20 March after a stop at Eniwetok. She took up antisubmarine patrol around the island for four days and anchored again at Eniwetok 28 March 1945.

After serving on a brief antisubmarine patrol off Eniwetok, the ship steamed to Majuro on 5 April and for the next three weeks operated in the Marshall Islands. Air strikes and shore bombardments combined with surrender demands over loudspeakers were used to induce Japanese holdouts to give themselves up. John L. Williamson fired at shore batteries and emplacements at Mill, Alu and other islands, taking off scores of prisoners and natives from these bypassed islands. She sailed from Majuro on 24 April and arrived at Ulithi five days later for picket duty.

John L. Williamson remained on patrol duty around Ulithi with an occasional escort voyage to Eniwetok with troop transports until departing on 15 July with a large convoy for Okinawa. She arrived in Okinawa on 21 July during the final stages of this, the last great island fight of the war, and after two days patrolling off the transport area returned to Ulithi on 27 July. The ship made one more escort voyage to Okinawa in August, and was at anchor at Ulithi when the Japanese accepted surrender terms on 15 August.

The destroyer escort sailed on 22 August for Okinawa and Japan, arriving at Wakayama on 14 September to escort ships through the swept channel and aid in occupation operations. After screening flight operations off Japan, she carried out courier duties between Wakayama and Yokosuka until she sailed for the United States on 2 January 1946.

Post-war decommissioning

John L. Williamson arrived in San Francisco, California on 22 January 1946 and was decommissioned on 14 June 1946 at San Diego, California. She entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet there and in January 1947 was transferred to Stockton, California. On 15 September 1970, she was struck from the Navy list, and, on 13 June 1973, she was sold for scrapping.

Related Research Articles

USS Mustin (DD-413) was a Sims-class destroyer of the United States Navy, the first Navy ship of that name, in honor of Captain Henry C. Mustin (1874–1923), a pioneer of naval aviation.

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.

USS O'Flaherty (DE-340) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Ensign Frank Woodrow O'Flaherty, a pilot who posthumously received the Navy Cross for his actions at the Battle of Midway.

USS Stafford (DE-411) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort in the United States Navy. She was named after Richard Y. Stafford (1916–1942), a United States Marine Corps Captain who died during the Battle of Guadalcanal.

USS Conway (DD/DDE-507), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for William Conway, who distinguished himself during the Civil War.

USS McCalla (DD-488), a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Bowman H. McCalla, who served during the Spanish–American War and would eventually attain the rank of rear admiral.

USS Capps (DD-550), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Rear Admiral Washington L. Capps (1864–1935).

USS Melvin (DD-680) was a Fletcher-class destroyer and the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lieutenant, junior grade John T. Melvin (1887–1917), who was killed on 5 November 1917 while serving on the USS Alcedo in World War I and is recognized as the first American naval officer to die in that war.

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 Lardner (DD-487), a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the second United States Navy ship to be named for Rear Admiral James L. Lardner, a Naval officer during the American Civil War. Lardner received 10 battle stars for World War II service.

USS Foreman (DE-633), a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Ensign Andrew L. Foreman (1920–1942), who was killed in action aboard the heavy cruiser USS New Orleans during the Battle of Tassafaronga on 30 November 1942. Ensign Foreman remained at his station to help in saving his ship until asphyxiated by gas generated by the explosion. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic self-sacrifice.

USS Fair (DE-35) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy.

The second USS Fleming (DE-32), and first ship of the name to enter service, was an Evarts-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. While performing convoy and escort duty in the Pacific Ocean she was also able to sink one Japanese submarine and to shoot down several kamikaze planes that intended to crash onto her. For her military prowess under battle conditions, she was awarded four battle stars.

USS Manlove (DE-36) 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 numerous battle areas, and was awarded five battle stars.

USS Canfield (DE-262) 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 four battle stars.

USS Connolly (DE-306) 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 two battle stars.

USS Compel (AM-162) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was built to clear minefields in offshore waters, and served the Navy in the Pacific Ocean. Compel was awarded one battle star for World War II service.

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 Conklin (DE-439) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1972. Conklin (DE-439) was named in honor of George Emerson Conklin who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his brave actions on Guadalcanal.

USS Gilligan (DE-508) 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. After the war, she returned home with one battle star to her credit.

References

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

External links

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.