- USS Dunlap (DD-384)
USS "Dunlap" (DD–384) was a "Mahan"-class
destroyer in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II . She was named afterBrigadier General Robert H. Dunlap ,USMC .History
"Dunlap" was launched
18 April 1936 byUnited Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Corporation ,New York, New York ; sponsored by Mrs. Robert H. Dunlap, widow of Brigadier General Dunlap; and commissioned12 June 1937 , Commander A. E. Schrader in command."Dunlap" operated along the east coast on training duty, and in June 1938 served as escort at
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the MS "Kungsholm", carrying theCrown Prince ofSweden . On1 September she got underway for the west coast; except for a cruise to theCaribbean and east coast for a fleet problem and overhaul in the first 6 months of 1939, "Dunlap" served along the west coast until2 April 1940 when she sailed forPearl Harbor , her new home port.World War II
On
7 December 1941 , during theattack on Pearl Harbor , "Dunlap" was at sea bound for Pearl Harbor with TF 8 after ferrying planes toWake Island . She entered Pearl Harbor next day and patrolled in theHawaii an area until11 January 1942 when she sortied with TF 8 for air strikes on theMarshal Islands , returning5 February . After taking part in the raid on Wake Island of24 February , she continued to patrol in the Hawaiian area until22 March , then escorted convoys between various ports on the west coast until returning to Pearl Harbor22 October 1942 ."Dunlap" arrived at
Noumea ,New Caledonia ,5 December 1942 and operated from that base on training and patrol duty, and as escort for convoys to theFiji ,Tonga , andNew Hebrides Islands until arriving atGuadalcanal 30 July 1943 for duty in theSolomon Islands . On the night of 6-7 August she was sent with five other destroyers to intercept a Japanese force carrying reinforcements toKolombangara . In the resultingBattle of Vella Gulf , a night torpedo action, the task group sank three Japanese destroyers and drove the fourth back to its base at Buin. Despite the heavy action, they suffered no damage themselves.After overhaul at
San Diego, California , "Dunlap" sailed23 November 1943 for patrol duty out ofAdak, Alaska until16 December when she left for Pearl Harbor, arriving 5 days later. She joined the5th Fleet to screen carriers in strikes of the Marshall Islands operations from19 January to4 March 1944 , then touched atEspiritu Santo briefly before sailing for Fremantle,Australia , to rendezvous with theBritish Eastern Fleet . After training here and atTrincomalee ,Ceylon , she took part in the strikes on theSoerabaja area of Java on17 May , and next day sailed for Pearl Harbor, arriving10 June ."Dunlap" returned to San Francisco
7 July 1944 to join the screen for "Baltimore" (CA-68) carrying PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt for conferences and inspections with top Pacific commanders of Pearl Harbor andAlaska n bases. Detached from this task group at Seattle12 August , "Dunlap" returned to Pearl Harbor. She sailed1 September , bombarded Wake Island3 September , and arrived atSaipan 12 September for duty with the Marianas Patrol and Escort Group."Dunlap" took part in the bombardment of
Marcus Island on9 October . On16 October 1944 she rendezvoused with the 3rd Fleet units for strikes onLuzon , then supported the landings at Leyte. When the Japanese forces made a three-pronged attack on thePhilippines , she was underway forUlithi but reversed course to screen TG 38.1 in its attacks of 25 and 26 October on the enemy fleeing after the decisiveBattle for Leyte Gulf . "Dunlap" arrived atUlithi 29 October for patrol duty and took part in the daring bombardments onIwo Jima in November and December 1944 and January 1945. She returned to Iwo Jima 19 March to support its occupation, and until the end of the war patrolled to intercept Japanese ships attempting to evacuate theBonins . On19 June she sank an enemy craft attempting to evacuateChichi Jima , picking up 52 survivors. Japanese officers came on board31 August to discuss surrender terms for theBonin Islands , and returned on3 September to sign the surrender.Fate
"Dunlap" sailed for Iwo Jima
19 September 1945 , touched atSan Pedro, California , and arrived atHouston, Texas , forNavy Day . She arrived atNorfolk, Virginia 7 November where she was decommissioned14 December 1945 and was sold31 December 1947 ."Dunlap" received six
battle stars forWorld War II service.As of 2005, no other ship has been named USS "Dunlap".
ee also
*
List of United States Navy destroyers References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/d6/dunlap.htm
External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-d/dd384.htm Naval Historical Centre]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-d/r-dunlap.htm Brigadier General Robert H. Dunlap] , US Navy History.
* [http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/7894/kung1.html "Kungsholm" Page at Salship]
*http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/384.htm
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