- USS McFarland (DD-237)
USS "McFarland" (DD-237/AVD-14) was a "Clemson"-class
destroyer in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II . She was named forJohn McFarland .History
"McFarland" was laid down
31 July 1918 and launched30 March 1920 by theNew York Shipbuilding Corporation ; sponsored by Miss Louisa Hughes; and commissioned30 September 1920 , Lieutenant Commander Preston B. Haines in command."McFarland" having served a month with the Atlantic Fleet, departed for European waters
30 November 1920 . For the next 2 months she operated in theEnglish Channel , sailing forGibraltar 31 January 1921 . On9 March she arrived atSplit for a 4-month tour with theAdriatic Detachment . In July she continued eastward, and atConstantinople , on the 31st, joined ships of theTurkish Waters Detachment .Returning to the United States only once (
8 July to22 October 1922 ), "McFarland" remained in theBlack Sea and easternMediterranean area until spring 1923. During that period she performed quasi-diplomatic and humanitarian roles necessitated by the aftermath ofWorld War I . She cruised regularly to Black Sea andAnatolia n ports, distributing American relief supplies toRussia n, Greek, and Turkish refugees and providing transportation, mail, and communications facilities."McFarland" returned to New York and on
15 September 1923 joined theScouting Fleet atNewport, Rhode Island . With only two interruptions, she operated along the east coast and in theCaribbean for the next 17 years. The first interruption came with a cruise toHawaii for the 1925 fleet problem involving an attack onOahu ; the second, a year out of commission, in reserve, atPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania 1931. On2 August 1940 , "McFarland", undergoing conversion, was redesignated AVD-14,seaplane tender (destroyer). On5 October she was recommissioned in full and assigned to the Pacific Fleet.World War II
On
7 December 1941 , "McFarland", operating out ofPearl Harbor , was conductingantisubmarine maneuvers offMaui . Receiving word of the Japanese attack, she patrolled to the southwest, returning to Oahu on the 9th. For the next 7 months she operated from Pearl Harbor, completing several voyages toPalmyra Atoll andJohnston Island s. On these missions she carried marine reinforcements to the islands and returned with civilian personnel."McFarland" sailed for the South Pacific
2 June 1942 . She arrivedNoumea on the 16th and within a month she made her first contact with an enemy submarine inBulari Pass ,15 July . In August, as theGuadalcanal offensive neared, she assumed tender duties in theEspiritu Santo –Santa Cruz Islands area. Assigned to keeping the supply lines open, "McFarland" carried supplies to the embattled island and evacuated wounded marine personnel while the planes she tendererd performed scouting and fighting missions.On
16 October , "McFarland" was unloading cargo and embarking wounded personnel inLunga Roads when she was attacked by nine dive bombers. While the first seven scored no hits, the eighth hit a gasoline barge in tow alongside the tender’s starboard quarter. The blazing barge was cut loose as the ninth plane made its run. At least one bomb hit "McFarland's" stern, knocking out her rudder and steering engine. Her crew shot down one plane, but lost eleven of its members in the fight; five killed, six missing, with an additional 12 critically wounded. For this action the ship was awarded thePresidential Unit Citation (US) ."McFarland" was towed to
Florida Island , where she moored to the beach in the upper channel (later called McFarland Channel) ofTulagi harbor. She completed makeshift repairs to her hull by26 November and sailed to Espiritu Santo, where further repairs increased her seaworthiness. On17 December she began to make her way back to Pearl Harbor, arriving on the 29th.Repairs completed by
17 April 1943 , "McFarland" sailed for the west coast. Redesignated DD-237 on1 December 1943 and homeported atSan Diego, California , for the remainder of the war, she operated with carriers as they conducted training exercises and pilot qualification landings. On30 September 1945 she sailed for the east coast.Fate
Decommissioned at Philadelphia
8 November 1945 , she was struck from the Navy Register19 December and her hulk was sold for scrap,29 October 1946 , to theNorth American Smelting Company , Philadelphia."McFarland" received two
battle star s for World War II service.As of 2005, no other ships have been named "McFarland".
References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m7/mcfarland.htm
External links
*http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/237.htm
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