USS O'Flaherty (DE-340)

USS "O'Flaherty" (DE-340) was a "John C. Butler"-class destroyer escort in the United States Navy. It was named after Ensign Frank Woodrow O'Flaherty (26 November 1918-4 June 1942), a pilot with the USS|Enterprise|CV-6|6, who died during the Battle of Midway and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for "extraordinary heroism".

"O'Flaherty" was laid down by Consolidated Steel Corporation of Orange, Texas, on 4 October 1943; launched on 14 December 1943; sponsored by Ensign Lavada M. O'Flaherty, N.N.C., sister of Ensign O'Flaherty; and commissioned on 8 April 1944, with Lieutenant Commander D. W. Farnham in command.

History

After shakedown off Bermuda in May and June 1944, "O'Flaherty" accompanied battleship USS|New York|BB-34|6 to Trinidad, British West Indies, on Midshipman training cruises for the Naval Academy. Then she transited the Panama Canal and steamed, via San Diego, to Pearl Harbor. She safeguarded the escort carrier USS|Rudyerd Bay|CVE-81|6 to Majuro from 20 July to 26 July. The remainder of that month was spent shepherding merchantmen to Eniwetok via Tarawa.

From Eniwetok she escorted the escort carrier USS|Santee|CVE-29|6 to Guam, arriving there on 4 August. There she witnessed her first action, becoming involved in Operation Forager the invasion and reoccupation of Guam through the power of the mighty Pacific Fleet.

Leaving Guam, she returned to Eniwetok for a long stint on the "Milk-Run," escorting convoys between Eniwetok and Manus. At midnight 4 October, "O'Flaherty" was directed to proceed on a 600 mile (1000 km) dash in search of the survivors of a PBM Mariner crashed at sea, and with the aid of search planes located and rescued the 12 crew members approximately 48 hours later.

On 26 October, with the installation of new CIC equipment, "O’Flaherty" was made a unit of Escort Division 64, formed as a hunter-killer group around escort carrier USS|Corregidor|CVE-58|6 to check out reported enemy submarine movements between Pearl Harbor and California. Later, she operated with escort carriers USS|Makassar Strait|CVE-91|6 and USS|Wake Island|CVE-65|6 in similar operations.

In January 1945, "O'Flaherty" served in the Lingayen Gulf Attack Force exposed to frequent kamikaze raids.

Following the Lingayen operation, "O'Flaherty" retired to Ulithi. Gathering there was one of the greatest displays of Naval might in the world. "O'Flaherty" was shifted to the 5th Fleet. From 10 February through 14 March, the aircraft carriers supported the Iwo Jima invasion with air strikes and provided aerial spotters for the big guns of the battleships and cruisers. Many ships suffered damage during the operation, but "O'Flaherty's" Irish luck held out.

Two days before Iwo Jima was declared secure, on 16 March, "O'Flaherty" departed to participate in the invasion of Okinawa. As a unit of TG 52.1, Destroyer Division 120, she screened the Amphibious Support Force comprised of CVE task units. Here on 2 April she drew her first blood.

As a Japanese Zero was making its suicide run into the formation, "O'Flaherty" brought it down with her after 40 mm guns. The following day, when two of the raiders made screaming dives for the "Wake Island", one struck her near the waterline. A third just missed a screening destroyer, and "O'Flaherty's" fire drove off a fourth to be brought down by US Navy fighters.

"O'Flaherty" participated in the Okinawa operation from 21 March to 22 June except for a short period, in April undergoing repairs at Guam. She then performed picket and auxiliary escort duty until the Japanese surrender. Afterwards, she operated out of Guam until receiving orders to return to the United States late in 1945.

"O'Flaherty" operated off California until she decommissioned at San Diego, California, in January 1947. She remained in reserve berthed at Mare Island, Vallejo, California until she was stricken from the Navy List on 1 December 1972. "O'Flaherty" was sold for scrap on 27 November 1973.

Honors

"O'Flaherty" received four battle stars for World War II service.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o2/oflaherty.htm

External links

* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/340.htm NavSource.org - DE-340]