USS Monaghan (DD-354)

USS "Monaghan" (DD-354) was the last ship built of the "Farragut" class destroyers. She was named for Ensign John R. Monaghan.

The "Monaghan" was laid down 21 November 1933 at Boston Navy Yard, and launched 9 January 1935. She was sponsored by Miss Mary F. Monaghan, niece of Ensign Monaghan and commissioned 19 April 1935, Commander R. R. Thompson in command.

During the next few years "Monaghan" operated primarily in the North Atlantic, training US Navy personnel who served in World War II.

Pearl Harbor

On 7 December 1941, "Monaghan" was a ready duty destroyer in Pearl Harbor, and at 07:51 was ordered to join , sunk on the 7th by the Japanese. Since the position of the sinking had been erroneously reported, "Monaghan" was unable to carry out a rescue, and sailed on with messages for Nouméa before rejoining TF 16 in time to return to Pearl Harbor 26 May.

Battle of Midway

Two days later she was underway for perhaps the decisive battle of the war, the Battle of Midway. The Japanese sailed for the capture of the Midway Atoll with a brilliant battle plan, but U.S. naval intelligence revealed the plan to American commanders, who thus knew when and where to find the main body of the Japanese attackers. Although outnumbered, the Americans sank four enemy carriers in air actions beginning on the night of 3 June, along with a heavy cruiser. Through the first 2 days "Monaghan" screened USS|Enterprise|CV-6|2, then late on the morning of 5 June was ordered out to rescue men of a downed seaplane. At 1830 she reached the side of badly damaged "Yorktown", joining the group of destroyers struggling to save the carrier and guard her from further damage. A Japanese submarine penetrated next day and sank both "Yorktown" and USS|Hammann|DD-412|2, the carrier remaining afloat another 16 hours before she succumbed. "Monaghan", USS|Gwin|DD-433|2, and USS|Hughes|DD-410|2 attacked and badly damaged the submarine.

Other Pacific operations

After the great victory, the force returned to Pearl Harbor 13 June. "Monaghan" was sent north to aid in countering the Japanese threat in the Aleutians. Damaged by collision in the heavy northern fog, "Monaghan" repaired at Dutch Harbor and Pearl Harbor, then escorted a convoy to the west coast en route a Mare Island repair period.

"Monaghan" returned to the South Pacific at Nandi, Fiji, 17 November. In the harbor of Nouméa she bent her propellers on an underwater obstruction, and had to return to Pearl Harbor on her port screw, hastily replaced, for permanent repairs, completed 21 February 1943.

Once more in the Aleutians, "Monaghan" joined TG 16.69 a scouting force built around cruisers USS|Richmond|CL-9|2 and USS|Salt Lake City|CA-25|2. On 26 March this group engaged the Japanese in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands. Although outnumbered, the Americans fired guns and torpedoes so effectively that the Japanese were driven away. Patrol and occasional shore bombardment missions throughout the Aleutians, along with escort missions, continued through the summer. Highlights were a radar-directed surface engagement with an unidentified target 20 June, and a chase of a Japanese submarine 2 days later that resulted with the submarine being driven up on rocks and abandoned. She was later identified as warship|Japanese submarine|I-7, engaged in evacuating troops from Kiska.

After escort duty to Pearl Harbor and San Francisco, "Monaghan" sailed to San Pedro, California, to escort three new escort carriers to the Gilbert Islands operation, for which they sailed from Espiritu Santo 13 November. The escort carriers flew their planes against shore targets and protected convoys off shore through the invasion of Tarawa.

Returning to the west coast on escort duty, "Monaghan" rejoined the escort carriers after extensive exercises out of San Diego, California, and prepared for the invasion of the Marshalls, during which she guarded the carriers northwest of Roi as they flew air support and strikes for the landings there. On 7 February 1944 she entered Majuro, then escorted USS|Pennsylvania|BB-38|2 to Kwajalein, where she joined the transport screen for the capture of Eniwetok. On the night of 21–22 February, she joined in an allnight bombardment on Parry Island, then spent a month on patrol and escort duty in the Marshalls.

On 22 March she put to sea in the antisubmarine screen for the fast carriers, bound for strikes on Palau, Woleai, and Yap, returning to Majuro 6 April. The next sortie, 13 April to 4 May, was to cover the Hollandia landings, and strike at Satawan, Truk, and Ponape. After preparing at Majuro, the force now sailed for the invasion of Saipan, against which the first strikes were flown 11 June. While the flyers of TF 58 soundly defeated the Japanese in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, "Monaghan"'s group patrolled off Saipan guarding against a possible breakthrough by the enemy. They next steamed to Eniwetok to prepare for the assault on Guam, for which they sailed 14 July, "Monaghan" again in the antisubmarine screen protecting the carriers. Assigned to cover the work of underwater demolition teams off Agat on the night of 17–18 July, "Monaghan" furnished harassing fire until daylight, firing again on the island during the early morning of 19 June. She continued bombardment and screening missions until 25 July when she sailed for Pearl Harbor, and an overhaul at Puget Sound.

After training off California and Hawaii, "Monaghan" sailed for Ulithi 11 November. There she joined the escort for three fleet oilers bound for a rendezvous 17 December with TF 38, whose planes had been striking central Luzon in support of the Mindoro invasion. The fueling day was the first of the typhoon that claimed 790 lives in the 3rd Fleet, and sank USS|Spence|DD-512|2, USS|Hull|DD-350|2, and "Monaghan". The six survivors, rescued by "Brown" after drifting on a raft 3 days, reported that "Monaghan" took roll after roll to starboard, finally going over. The tragedy, Admiral Chester Nimitz said, "represented a more crippling blow to the 3d Fleet than it might be expected to suffer in anything less than a major action".

"Monaghan" received 12 battle stars for World War II service.

ee also

* Typhoon of 1944

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/wwii/pearl/ph54.htm USS Monaghan, Report of Pearl Harbor Attack]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq102-4.htm Typhoons and Hurricanes: Pacific Typhoon, 18 December 1944]