Dashiell (DD 659) - Naval Cruise Book

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p . P 1' 5 n ' F f -' if U .gi N 'A sg. 1. 'f it . , F' A s -iff Q 'T -' 535.5 ' LQ? t e .- 'sfhiii if'-1 Ugg V cmd5 From the Federal Shipyard in Kearny, New Jersey, where she was built inlrecord-breaking time, the U. S. S. DASHIELL QDD 659D made her way on 19 March 1943, just forty days after launching, to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York. Her first draft of fighting men were impatiently awaiting to board her as soon as she pulled alongside the dock. Theirs was now to be the main share in the hustle of preparing her for all that she was destined to become. The next day, on a cold and hlustery morn- ing, the commissioning ceremonies were held, and the DASHIELL be- came a living part of the United States Fleet. Having completed the fitting-out period in New York, the ship pro- ceeded to Casco Bay, Maine, on ll April to report upon arrival to Com- mander Destroyers, Atlantic Fleet, for a period of much-needed training and shakedown. There was but one end and purpose in view during these early days of operating - readiness for duty with the fighting forces - and toward this the ship, her Captain, Officers, and crew bent every effort under the direction of a rigorous program of training schedules, which kept them moving constantly off the Maine coast and points to the southward until the end of May, when the first military inspection was held aboard the vessel. It was then that the DASHIELL experienced her initial vote of confidence in the GQWELL DONE' of ComDesLant, who immediately sent her on her way in the knowledge that she had made a fine beginning for what was to follow. Returning to New York for a short post-shakedown availability, followed by the first convoy duty to Boston and back fthe crew, kept guessing by secrecy, had visions of Africa, at least, upon departure for this onelj, she was ready for a longer trip at sea. While she was in Brook- lyn Navy Yard this time Commander Destroyer Squadron 25 hoisted his flag aboard her, initially assuming command in this unit of his squad- ron. By 6 June the ship was in Norfolk, and three days later she was ac- companying a carrier and another escort enroute to the island of Trini- dad. Arriving in Trinidad on the 13th, the DASHIELL spent sixteen days operating with carriers, while they trained their flight crews in the Gulf of Paria. The first foreign port naturally afforded much interest and sev- eral enjoyable liberties, - not like New York, but nevertheless 'Gthe beach , the mere idea of which was taking on an ever-increasing import- ance for all hands. In convoy the ship again returned to Norfolk, arriv- P-

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A ing 3 July, this being her final pause in a United States port for some time to come. On the evening of 5 July ComDesRon 25 shifted his pen- nant to the U. S. S. Stevens, another member of the squadron, who was to remain on the Atlantic coast for a little while longer, and the next morning the DASHIELL set her course for the Caribbean Sea on her way to the Panama Canal in company with the new large carrier U. S. S. Yorktown, and two other escorts. This time the long-expected was at hand,f-the entrance into Pacific waters to come to grips with the Japs. ffwmzeecdef- aeegasmd?mz: Ewa At 1355 on 10 July 1943 the ponderous Mirafiores Locks swung open and the stem of the U. S. S. DASHIELL first cut the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The enthusiasm with which the DASHIELL's officers and men welcomed their two days of liberty in Panama, however, was not wholly motivated by the feeling that they might be the last for some time. The city's unique facilities for entertainment were a considerable factor. On 12 July the ship cast off and took a northwest course for the Hawaiian naval bastion which not long before had received such unex- pected and dramatic publicity. As she steamed for Pearl Harbor the DASHIELL presented a trim outline to passing craft. A 2100 ton des- troyer of the then newest and most powerful class, she carried five dual purpose 5 guns, two quintuple ltorpedomounts, numerous anti-aircraft guns, and a small multitude of hefty depth charges, -- a reassuring ad- dition to the fast expanding Pacific Fleet. On the morning of 24 July the massive and soon familiar silhouette of Diamond Head greeted the newcomer to the erstwhile vacationland of Oahu. Even from out at sea landmarks could be plainly distinguish- ed: the Moana, the Navy-operated Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, and Hon- olulu itself. The DASHIELL dropped anchor in Pearl Harbor and soon the crew was acquainted with Waildldis narrow beach and razor-sharp coral, the nightly wartime curfew, unativew souvenirs made in California, and the woefully lopsided ratio of male to female. But from a plane or a ship at sea Oahu looks enchanting. There was limited time for reconnoitering Hawaii s possibilities. A great deal of the month following arrival at Pearl Harbor was devoted to exercises underway with carriers. It would not be very long before the first operation against the enemy, and much remained to be done in the way of acclimatization to the demanding routine of an active war- 5 E , 3.3 2 5 win 1 s iff . N ,' ywii. . . ' Q 1 'T