USS Whipple (DD-217) World War II Service, 1941–1945

USS Whipple (DD-217) World War II Service, 1941-1945

On 25 November 1941 - two days in advance of the "war warning" which predicted that hostile Japanese action in the Pacific was imminent - Admiral Hart dispatched "Whipple's" Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 58, along with the tender "Black Hawk" (AD-9), to Balikpapan, Borneo, to disperse the surface ships of his fleet from their vulnerable position within the confines of Manila Bay. There, "Whipple" awaited the outbreak of war which came on 8 December 1941 (7 December east of the date line) with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Originally slated to join a British force based around the battleship HMS "Prince of Wales" and the battlecruiser HMS "Repulse", "Whipple's" mission was aborted when Japanese land-based torpedo planes and high-level bombers sank both of these capital ships in the South China Sea off Kuantan, Malaya, on 10 December. "Whipple" arrived at Singapore on 11 December and departed on the 14th, bound for the Netherlands East Indies.

Fighting a desperate rearguard action in the face of a swift-moving and well-organized enemy, the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDA) force faced formidable obstacles as they withdrew to the "Malay Barrier". During this time, "Whipple" conducted important escort and patrol duties into February 1942. On 12 February, the destroyer got underway from Prigi Bay, Java, in a dense fog. As she headed for Tjilatjap, on the south coast of Java, she was struck a glancing blow by the Dutch light cruiser "De Ruyter". As the Dutch ship emerged out of the murk, "Whipple" alertly swung left to avoid a collision, a move that averted more serious damage. Drydocked at Tjilatjap on the 13th, "Whipple" ascertained the damage to be minor and rejoined the fleet for active service.

At 1640 on 26 February, "Whipple" and sistership "Edsall" (DD-219) departed Tjilatjap to rendezvous with "Langley" (AV-3) off the south coast of Java. Making contact at 0629, the destroyers took up screening, positions to escort the vulnerable auxiliary - carrying a load of aircraft to bolster the sagging defenses of Java - into Tjilatjap. At 1150, lookouts spotted nine high-level bombers approaching from the east. Four minutes later, a stick of bombs splashed around Langley - clearly the object of Japanese attention. During a second attack shortly after noon, all three ships put up brisk antiaircraft fire.

"Langley"'s evasive maneuvers were not sufficient to prevent the Japanese, at 1212, hitting her with a several bombs, setting the former aircraft carrier on fire.

"Whipple" broke off firing at 1224 as the attackers veered away in a northeasterly direction. She changed course and closed "Langley" to evaluate that vessel's damage. Shortly thereafter, four Japanese fighter planes dove on the three-ship convoy; one of these planes was damaged by antiaircraft fire.

"Langley" was abandoned at 1325, and "Whipple" proceeded close aboard to rescue survivors; using two of the destroyer's life rafts, a cargo net slung over the side, and a number of lines trailed over the side. Staying some 25 yards off the sinking seaplane tender, "Whipple" picked up some 308 men from "Langley's" crew and embarked Army personnel for the P-40 fighters carried on the doomed ship's abbreviated flight deck. At 1358, the task at hand completed, "Whipple" backed off and stood out to destroy the derelict, opening fire at 1429 with her 4-inch main battery. After nine rounds of 4-inch and two torpedoes, "Langley" settled lower and lower but refused stubbornly to sink. Soon, orders arrived directing "Whipple" and her sister ship to clear the area prior to any more bombing attacks.

"Whipple" accordingly vacated the vicinity and subsequently rendezvoused with "Pecos" (AO-6) in the lee of Christmas Island to transfer the Army pilots to the oiler. At 1020 on 27 February, three Japanese twin-engined bombers attacked Christmas Island. One later singled out "Whipple" and dropped a stick of bombs which missed the rapidly dodging destroyer.

On 28 February, "Whipple" began transferring "Langley" crew members to "Pecos", completing the task by 0800. While one destroyer transferred personnel, the other circled and maintained an antisubmarine screen. When the job of transferring survivors from the lost seaplane tender had been completed, the two destroyers parted company with the oiler. Changing course in anticipation of orders to retire from Java, "Whipple" prepared to send a message relative to these orders when the destroyer's chief radioman heard a cell for help over the radio from "Pecos", then under attack by Japanese bombers near Christmas Island.

"Whipple" sped to the scene to render assistance if possible. Throughout the afternoon, as the destroyer closed the oiler, all hands on board prepared knotted lines and cargo nets for use in picking up survivors. "Whipple" went to general quarters at 1922 when she sighted several small lights off both bows.

"Whipple" slowly closed and began picking up survivors of "Pecos". After interrupting the proceedings to conduct an unsuccessful attack on a submarine thought to be nearby, she returned to the task and continued the search until she had received 231 men from the oiler. "Whipple" soon cleared the area, believing that a Japanese aircraft carrier was close. Within a few days, Java fell to the Japanese who were gradually consolidating their expanding "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." "Whipple" joined what remained of the Asiatic Fleet in Australian waters.

Subsequently sailing to Melbourne, Australia, and arriving on 23 March, "Whipple" operated with Australian and New Zealand Navy warships on convoy escort duties along the Great Barrier Reef until 2 May. She departed Sydney on that day, bound for the New Hebrides Islands, American Samoa and Hawaii, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 6 June. Together with sister ship "Alden", "Whipple" departed Pearl Harbor on 8 June for San Francisco, escorting an eastward-bound convoy to the west coast, arriving off the on the 18th.

During a yard availability at Mare Island, the destroyer's topside weight was cut down as 20-millimeter antiaircraft guns replaced two banks of her torpedo tubes. Thus modified for convoy escort work, "Whipple" put to sea to commence the first of seven round-trip convoy escort missions from the west coast to Hawaii which lasted into the spring of 1943.

Standing out of San Francisco Bay on 11 May 1943, "Whipple" sailed for the Caribbean with a convoy routed through the Panama Canal for Santa Anna Bay, Curaçao, Netherlands West Indies. After the cargo ships loaded a petroleum cargo, the convoy pushed on for Cuba and arrived at Guantanamo Bay on 29 May. From Guantanamo, the destroyer escorted a convoy to Trinidad but returned to the Cuban base on 19 June before heading north to the New York Navy Yard for voyage repairs.

Later departing New York on 10 July, "Whipple" escorted a group of ships which rendezvoused with a convoy bound for Casablanca, French Morocco, and Gibraltar. Returning to Charleston, South Carolina, on 27 August, the destroyer put to sea on 7 September as a unit in a slow tow convoy bound via the Caribbean to Recife, Brazil. "Whipple" headed north soon thereafter, guarding a convoy to Trinidad, and then up the eastern seaboard to Charleston, making port on 19 November.

After another convoy escort run from Norfolk to Guantanamo Bay and the Panama Canal Zone, "Whipple" joined three other destroyers in completing the offensive antisubmarine task group based around "Guadalcanal" (CVE-60). Departing Norfolk on 5 January 1944, the group went to sea to hunt German U-boats active in the Atlantic.

On 16 January, aircraft from "Guadalcanal" sighted three U-boats on the surface, fueling, some 300 miles off Flores. Carrier-based Avengers attacked the group and sank U-544 in the ensuing attack. After replenishing at Casablanca, the group returned to the high seas and searched convoy lanes for signs of German submarines until arriving at Norfolk on 16 February. Detached from the antisubmarine group soon thereafter, "Whipple" underwent voyage repairs at the Boston Navy Yard. On 13 March, the destroyer departed the east coast in company with USS Convoy (UGS-36), bound for the Mediterranean.

In the early morning darkness of 1 April, German planes - Dornier Do 217's and Junkers Ju 88's - came in low and fast to attack the convoy. Keeping up a heavy fire with her 20-millimeter batteries, "Whipple" sent up a substantial part of the heavy barrage which drove off the 30 German planes and saved the convoy from substantial damage. Arriving at Bizerte, Tunisia, on 3 April, the destroyer subsequently returned to Norfolk on the 30th.

For the remainder of 1944 and into the spring of 1945, "Whipple" performed convoy escort duties off the east coast, across the Atlantic to Casablanca, and occasionally into the Caribbean.

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