Daly (DD 519) - Naval Cruise Book

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SGT. DAN DALY The DALY was named in the honor of the late Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, United States Marine Corps, who was born 11 November 1873 at Glen Cove, Long Island. He first enlisted in the Marine Corps on 10 January 1899, at New York, N.Y., and was honorably discharged upon expiration of enlistment on 11 January 1904, ot Boston, Mass. He re-enlisted on 13 January 1908 and served continuously until 11 September 1919 on which date he was transferred to the Marine Corps Reserve and assigne ' d to inactive duty, having completed more than twenty years ' service with the Marine Corps. Recalled to active duty 1 December 1919, he resumed in- active status 31 Janaury 1929. He died 27 April 1937 at Glendale, N.Y. Sergeant Major Daly served with distinction during the Boxer Rebellion in China and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for distinguished and gallant conduct in the pres- ence of the enemy at the Battle of Peking, China, 14 August 1900. He served ashore in Cuba from 25 May 1912 to 6 January 1913, par- ticipating in the incident to the occupation of Vera Cruz on 21-22 April 1914. He then served on expeditionary duty in Haiti from 4 August 1915 to 6 January 1916 participating in actions against bandits on 24 and 25 October and on 2, 4, and 5 November 1915. He received his second Congressional Medal of Honor for his gallant and distinguished conduct in thepres- ence of the enemy on 24-25 October 1915, during the action incident to the capture of Fort Liberie, Haiti. Sergeant Major Daly served with the Ameri- can Expeditionary Forces ashore in France from 4 November 1917 to 21 April 1919, participating in active operations against the enemy in the Toulon Sector from 18 March to 13 May; Aisne Operation from 1 to 5 June; Choteau-Theirry Sector (Belleau Wood) from 6 June to 21 June; St, Mihiel Offensive from 12 to 16 September; Champagne Offensive (Mont Blanc) from 29 S eptember to 8 October, being wounded in action on 21 June 1918 and again on 8 October 1918. He also served with the American Army of Oc- cupation in Germany. On 5 June 1918 at the risk of his life, he extinguished a fire in an amunition dump at Lucy-Le Bocage; on 7 June 1918, under heavy bombardment, he visited all the gun crews of company to cheer his men. On 10 June he at- tacked an emeny machine gun emplacement, un- assisted, and captured it by use of hand gren- ades and his automatic pistol; and later, during the German attack of Bouresches, he brought in wounded men under fire. For these various acts of heroism he was cited in General Order No. 44 of 12 July 1918; awarded the Army Distingui- shed Service Cross and the Navy Cross. He also received the Croix de Guerre (with palm) the French Victory Medal with four clasps, and the French Medaille Militaire.

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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.

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