Departing Pearl Harbor on 22 May 1942, Reid steamed north to bombard Japanese positions on Kiska Island, Alaska on 7August 1942. She supported landings at Adak, Alaska on 30August and sank by gunfire the Japanese submarineRo-61 on 31August. After transferring five Japanese prisoners to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, she reached Pearl Harbor on 30 September 1942, then departed on 7 October to escort Task Group 15.1 to Pago Pago, American Samoa, which she reached on 22 October. She departed Pago Pago on 23 October for Pearl Harbor, arriving there on 30 October 1942. She left for San Francisco on 4 November 1942, arriving on 12 November 1942. She remained at Mare Island Navy Yard for overhaul until 6 December 1942, when she departed with Task Group 2.17 for New Caledonia. En route, she called in with the Task group to Nadi, Fiji on 18 December 1942. She shifted with the Task group to Suva, Fiji on 20 December 1942.
Departing Suva Harbor, Fiji Islands on Christmas Day 1942, she escorted Army troops to Guadalcanal before guarding a convoy to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. In January 1943, she bombarded several enemy locations on Guadalcanal.
After patrols in the Solomon Islands, Reid provided radar information and fighter direction for landings at Lae, New Guinea on 4September 1943. While supporting landings at Finschhafen, New Guinea, she downed two enemy planes on 22September 1943.
Following patrol and escort duty off New Guinea, she sailed from Buna Roads, New Guinea, to escort troop transports for landings at Arawe, New Britain, 15December 1943. She protected landings at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, on 26December 1943, and at Saidor, New Guinea, 2January 1944. She guarded landings at Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands, 29February 1944, and at Hollandia, New Guinea, 22April. Her guns supported landings at Wakde Island 17May, at Biak on the 27May, and at Noemfoor Island, New Guinea, 2July.
Departing Pearl Harbor 29 August 1944, she supported air strikes against Wake Island 3September. After patrols off Leyte, Philippine Islands in November, she steamed to Ormoc Bay, Leyte, Philippines. She supported landings there 7December, and escorted the damaged destroyer Lamson toward Leyte Gulf.
Fate
USS Reid sinking, December 11, 1944. An infantry landing craft is visible on the right.
In Reid's final two weeks in the waters around Leyte, the crew was able to sleep only an hour or two at a time. They were called to battle stations (condition red) an average of 10 times a day. It was a period of near constant combat. While escorting reinforcements for Ormoc Bay near Surigao Straits 11 December 1944, Reid destroyed seven Japanese planes, when the following took place:
Reid was protecting a re-supply force of amphibious craft bound for Ormoc Bay off the west coast of Leyte. At about 1700 hours, twelve enemy planes approached the convoy. Reid was the nearest ship to the oncoming planes. Planes 1 and 2 were shot down by the 5-inch battery, and Plane 3 exploded about 500 yards (460m) off the starboard beam. Plane 4 hooked a wing on the starboard rigging, crashing at the waterline. Its bomb exploded, causing considerable damage forward. Plane 5 strafed the starboard side and crashed on the port bow. Plane 6 strafed the bridge from the port side and crashed off the starboard bow. Planes 5 and 6 apparently had no bombs or their bombs were duds. Plane 7 came in from astern, strafed Reid and crashed into the port quarter. Its bomb exploded in the after magazine, blowing the ship apart. All this action took place in less than a minute.
The ship was mortally wounded but still doing 20 knots (37km/h; 23mph). As the stern opened up, she rolled violently, then lay over on her starboard side and dove to the bottom at 600 fathoms (3,600ft; 1,100m). It was over in less than two minutes, and 103 crewmen went down with the ship. The survivors were strafed in the water by Japanese planes before rescue.[2] Her 150 survivors were picked up by landing craft in her convoy.
Reid received seven battle stars for World War II service.
USS Manila Bay (CVE-61) was a Casablanca-class escort carrier of the United States Navy.
The Mahan-class destroyers of the United States Navy were a series of 18 destroyers of which the first 16 were laid down in 1934. The last two of the 18, Dunlap and Fanning, are sometimes considered a separate ship class. All 18 were commissioned in 1936 and 1937. Mahan was the lead ship, named for Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan, an influential historian and theorist on sea power.
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 Hughes (DD-410) was a World War II-era Sims-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy.
USS Schley (DD-103) was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War I and later designated, APD-14 in World War II. She was the first ship named in honor of Winfield Scott Schley.
USS Southard (DD-207/DMS-10) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second Navy ship named for Secretary of the Navy Samuel L. Southard (1787–1842).
USS Humphreys (DD-236/APD-12) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Joshua Humphreys, a pioneer US shipbuilder.
USS Bush (DD-529), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lieutenant William Sharp Bush, USMC, who served on the Constitution during the War of 1812.
USS Luce (DD-522), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce (1827–1917).
USS Mahan (DD-364) was the lead ship of the United States Navy's Mahan-class destroyers. The ship was named for Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan, a 19th-century naval historian and strategic theorist. Her design ushered in major advances over traditional destroyers. Among them were a third set of quadruple torpedo tubes, protective gun shelters, and emergency diesel generators. Along with a steam propulsion system that was simpler and more efficient to operate.
USS Bagley (DD-386), a Bagley-class destroyer, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Ensign Worth Bagley, officer during the Spanish–American War, distinguished as the only U.S. naval officer killed in action during that war.
USS Drayton (DD-366) was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy before and during World War II. She was the second ship named for Captain Percival Drayton, a career naval officer who served during the American Civil War.
The third USS Lamson (DD-367) was a Mahan-class destroyer of the United States Navy; named for Roswell Hawkes Lamson. She served in the Pacific during World War II. Lamson participated in the Battle of Tassafaronga, and remained undamaged until hit by a Japanese kamikaze during the recapture of the Philippines. Lamson was sunk during the Operation Crossroads atomic weapons tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946.
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.
The second USS Conyngham (DD-371) was a Mahan-class destroyer used in the United States Navy before and during the World War II. She was named after Gustavus Conyngham.
USS Edwards (DD-619) was a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named "Edwards", and the first named for Lieutenant Commander Walter A. Edwards (1886–1926), who as commander of Bainbridge in 1922 rescued nearly five hundred people from the burning French transport Vinh-Long. For his heroism Edwards was awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor, the French Légion d'honneur, and the British Distinguished Service Order.
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 Smith (DD-378) was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy before and during World War II. She was named for Lieutenant Joseph B. Smith, USN. Smith was a senior officer aboard USS Congress and killed when CSS Virginia sank her.
USS Aulick (DD-569) was an American Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Commodore John H. Aulick (1787–1873).
USS Russell (DD-414) was a World War II-era Sims-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, named after Rear Admiral John Henry Russell.
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
