- USS Stockton (DD-646)
USS "Stockton" (DD-646), a "Gleaves"-class
destroyer , was the third ship of theUnited States Navy to be named forCommodore Robert F. Stockton."Stockton" was laid down on
24 July 1942 atKearny, New Jersey , byFederal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. ; launched on11 November 1942 sponsored by Mrs. Horace K. Corbin; and commissioned11 January 1943 ,Lieutenant Commander R. E. Braddy in command.After shakedown, "Stockton" joined the Atlantic Fleet on
15 March 1943 and began escortingconvoy s between New York andNorth Africa n ports. Between28 May 1943 and3 January 1944 , she escorted four convoys.On her last convoy run, she escorted two oilers to Ponta Delgada, in the
Azores , in company with "Thorn" (DD-647) — the first ships to enter the port under the terms of the new agreement between the Allies and the government ofPortugal . [cite web
url= http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/t5/thorn-i.htm
title= "Thorn"
work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
publisher= U.S.Naval Historical Center
accessdate= 2008-03-03 ] On24 January 1944 , "Stockton" got underway for theSouth Pacific .On arrival, "Stockton" joined the Seventh Fleet forces assembled for the invasion of Los Negros Island in the
Admiralties . She participated in the initial bombardment that cleared the way for the landings on29 February and remained in the area for three days, patrolling and giving fire support to the forces ashore. From 9 to13 March , she supported similar but smaller landings inSeeadler Harbor . As American forces leapfrogged along the northern coast ofNew Guinea , "Stockton" acted as anantiaircraft andantisubmarine screening vessel during the landings in Humboldt Bay on22 April and at Wakde on17 May ; and she provided gunfire support for the Biak landings on27 May . While offBiak , she received minor damage when hit by a shell from ashore battery on28 May , and on12 June , she towed "Kalk" (DD-611) into Humboldt Bay, after that destroyer had been immobilized by a bomb hit amidships.On
2 July , she was with the invasion forces offNoemfoor and acted both as screening and fire-support ship during the landings. After a month of escort and training duty along the northern coast of New Guinea, she sailed from New Guinea on22 August to join units of the 3d Fleet for the invasion of thePalau Islands . The destroyer escorted the transports as they approachedPeleliu on15 September and protected them after the landings until she headed home on14 October .After overhaul at
Seattle, Washington , "Stockton" completed refresher training atPearl Harbor on24 January 1945 . Between10 February and9 March , she screenedescort carrier s as they provided air cover for the landings on Iwo Jima. On21 February , two days after the landings, "Stockton"s group was attacked by foursuicide plane s, which sank the escort carrier "Bismarck Sea" (CVE-95), and damaged "Lunga Point" (CVE-94). From18 March to the end of the war, the destroyer escorted replenishment units of the Logistics Support Group as they provided fuel and supplies to the Fleet during theOkinawa campaign and the concurrent air strikes on theRyukyus and theJapanese home islands . On31 March — the day before the Okinawa landings — "Stockton" and "Morrison" (DD-560) sank the Japanesesubmarine "I-8", after a 3½-hour action. In early April, "Stockton" directed the salvage of "Thornton" (AVD-11), which had collided with two tankers of "Stockton"s group."Stockton" continued her support duties during the first 1½ months of the
occupation of Japan . She sailed on15 October fromJapan and proceeded, "via"Singapore andCape Town , toNew York . The destroyer was decommissioned on16 May 1946 and placed in reserve atCharleston, South Carolina . She was struck from the Navy list on1 July 1971 ."Stockton" received 8
battle star s for herWorld War II service.References
External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s19/stockton-iii.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Stockton"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/646.htm navsource.org: USS "Stockton"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd646txt.htm hazegray.org: USS "Stockton"]
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