Daly (DD 519) - Naval Cruise Book

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HISTORY OF DALY USS DALY (DD 519) is a 2050 ton des- troyer, built in 1942 by the Bethlehem Steel Company, Staten Island, New York. During World War II, DALY earned eight battle stars for her participation in Pacific engagements. She was decommissioned in 1945, to return to active service again in 1951 to take part in the Korean War. DALY, while serving as flagship for Commander Destroyer Division 302, has the lowest hull number of any ship of her class in active commission. DALY was named in honor of Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, USMC, Sergeant Daly served with the U.S. Marine Corps from 1899 to 1927. Among the decorations he recei- ved for his heroic and gallant service in the Marines are two Congressional Medals of Honor, the Army Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, Croix de guerre (with palm) French Victory Medal and the French Med- aille Militgire. DALY was launched on 24 October, 1942 with Sergeant Daly ' s niece as the ship ' s official sponsor. She was commissioned on 10 March 1943, Commander R.G. Visser, USN, commanding. After her initial fitting out period and shakedown exercises, in August 1943, DALY departed for the Paci- fic and the Aleutian Islands. Her first world War II operation was a member of the task unit that successfully assaulted and occu- pied Kiska, Alaska. This action was only the beginning of DALY ' s wartime career. The ship proceeded to the southwest Pacific where, on 26 December 1943, she participated in the air-sea battle of Cape Gloucester, New Guinea. During this en- gagement, DALY ' s crew, despite concen- trated enemy air and surface opposition, rescued 167 survivors of her ill fated sister USS BROWNSON (DD 518). By now the men of the DALY were sea- soned fighters; her subsequent operations were carried out with precision and through- ness. These included the assault and oc- cupation of Saidor, New Guinea - New Years Day, 1944; shore bombardment covering am- phibious landings on the Admiralty Islands- 12 March 1944; raids on enemy shipping and bombardment of shore installations at We- wok, Hansa Bay, Alexishoven, Madang, Hum- boldt Bay, Hollandia, Sawar and Woke Is- land, New Guinea during March, April and May, 1944. Ail these assaults were the preliminary action necessary for a full scale attack on the Island of Leyte in the Phil- lipines.

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The assault of Leyte commenced on 19 October 1944. For DALY this meant many long hours of battle action and shore bombardment. As the cam- paign progressed DALY ' s accurate torpedo and gun- fire accounted for the destruction of a Japanese Des- troyer, cruiser and the battleship Yamasharo. This action was later called the Battle of Surigao Straits. Shortly after this engagement, DALY headed east for San Fransisco to undergo a shipyard over- haul. Two months later on 12 January 1945, DALY again steamed for the western Pacific, this time with Commander R.R. Bradley, USN, commanding. After a short stay in Pearl Harbor, DALY partici- pated in the action at Iwo Jima during which she proved her effectiveness as a fighting unit by shoot- ing down several Japanese planes and rescuing sur- vivors of the carrier USS BISMARCK SEA. Following Iwo Jima, DALY took part in the as- sault and occupation of Okinawa. During this ac- tion, she suffered serious material damage and per- sonnel casualties when a Kamikaze exploded a few feet away. After a period of upkeep and repair, DALY as part of an escort carrier task force made raids along the coasts of China and Japan. During this time, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Japan and shortly thereafter, the Japanese offer of surrender was accepted. DALY steamed to Japan to participate in the occupation of Nagasaki and then, after several weeks of repairs, well-earned liberty and recreation, she steamed east through the Panama Canal to Charleston, South Carolina, where, on 28 December 1945, DALY was placed in the Reserve Fleet. DALY was recommissioned at Charleston, S.C. on 6 July 1951 command ed by Commander W.G. That- cher, USN. She became part of Destroyer Division 302 and assumed duties as flagship. The next two years found DALY participating in routine training exercises including hunter killer groups, convoy escort groups, type training and shore bombardment. On 18 March 1953, DALY departed from New- port, R.I. to join the famed Task Force 77, then operating off Korea in the western Pacific. During this tour. Commander Thatcher was relieved by Com- mander A.F. Johnson, USN, as Commanding Officer. From July until November 1953, DALY acted as one of the many patrols off Cheju-Do-lsland (site of the UN prisioner of war camp). In November, she was detached and proceeded to complete her duties ' round the world . She visited China, Malaya, Ceylon, Aden, Port Said, Greece, France, Gibraltar and Ber- muda. While operating with Task Force 77, DALY earned the Korean Service Medal, the United Na- tions Service Medal and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation. Upon her arrival DALY underwent a shipyard overhaul in Boston, Mass. when she re- ceived three 3 50 twin gun mounts to replace the obsolete 40 mm. mounts which had served so well during World War II. On leaving the shipyard, the ship returned to Newport for routine exercises including several mon- ths in the Carribean with ships of the Commander, Antisubmarine Force, Atlantic. In December 1954, B.E. Eader, Cdr., USN relieved Cdr. Johnson as Commanding Officer. On 28 July 1955, DALY steamed for Europe to participate in Joint NATO sponsored exercises in Northern European waters and in the Mediterranean. She operated with ships and submarines of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Italy. During this cruise ports of England, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Spain, France, Turkey, and Greece were visited. DALY returned to Newport in December 1955 having earned the Navy Occupation Medal. During January and February 1956, DALY par- ticipated in an annual anti-submarine exercise Spring board in Carribean waters visiting St. Thomas, Haiti, and Jamaica. Following this exercise the ship moored at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for regu- lar bi-annual overhaul during which she received the ultimate underwater firecontrol system. Another cruise to the Carribean followed in the summer af 1956, which included the Underway Training phase of the ship ' s two year training cycle. The ship re- turned to Newport, Rhode Island with Commander J.F. Schremp, USN as Commanding Officer. The fall of 1956 was spent in preparation for an- other tour overseas, and in routine training and up- keep.