Desron 16 - Naval Cruise Book

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U.S.S. CHARLES S.SPERRY (DD-697) itlif The SPERRY is a 2200 ton destroyer of the SUMNER Class. She was built by the Federal Ship Building and Drydock Company at Kearney, New Jersey, and was commissioned at the Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York, on May 17, 1944. She was named for Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry, who took command of the Great White Fleet when it left San Francisco in 1908 and brought the fleet the rest of the way around the world. The SPERRY and her sister ships are among the most heavily armed destroyers in the world. With six five-inch guns in twin mounts and six three-inch guns for a secondary battery, she is able to perfoiTn anti-aircraft, surface, and shore fire support missions. In addition, she car- ries five torpedo tubes and is equipped with sub- marine search equipment, depth charges, and hedgehogs for use in anti-submarine warfare. After a period of training, the SPERRY joined Admiral Halsey ' s Third Fleet and participated in air strikes against the Japanese at Formosa, Luzon, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa and is credited with destroying two enemy planes. After the war, the SPERRY was inactivated at Boston for a short time and then sent to New Orleans, Louisiana, to assist in training reserve personnel. In July, 1950, she was ordered to Nor- folk, Virginia, to join Destroyer Squadron Six- teen. On September 6, 1950, she, with the other ships of the squadron, left Norfolk on a high- speed run for Korea. The squadron arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, on October 6 and left almost immediately for the Korean coast. From October to March the SPERRY was a part of every operation against the Reds. Dur- ing this period she was eight-four days out of port in an underway status. The SPERRY par- ticipated in operations at Wonsan and Hungnan and commenced the sieges of Wonsan and Song ' j in. It was at Song ' j in on 23 December 1950 that the SPERRY was hit by three three- inch shells while reconnoitering the harbor. The SPERRY fired over eighty-thousand rounds of five-inch ammunition into enemy teiTitory, de- stroyed two towns, blew up an ammunition dump, destroyed three enemy batteries with three more probables, and scattered numerous enemv troops. In May the SPERRY went into the Norfolk Naval Shipyard once again for a much needed overhaul. On completion of the overhaul in Au- gust, Commander Cary H. Hall. USN, relieved Commander S. H. MacGregor, Jr., USN, as Com- manding Officer, and took the SPERRY to Cuba for six weeks of Refresher Training. She re- turned to Norfolk on October 7, having stopped for liberty in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on the re- turn trip. The next few months were spent in her home port of Norfolk, Virginia, where she engaged in type training. During the leave period she made preparations for her forthcoming cruise to the Mediterranean for duty with the U. S. Sixth Fleet.

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U.S.S. MASSEY (DD-778) The MASSEY is a 2200 ton destroyer. Mrs. Lance E. Massey christened the ship on 12 Sep- tember 1944 in honor of her late husband. Lieu- tenant Commander Lance E. Massey, USN, one of the early heroes of the Pacific War. As the Commander of Torpedo Squadron Three in the Battle of Midway Commander Massey died press- ing home an assault that resulted in the sinking of two Japanese carriers. In February 1945, the MASSEY left the States for Pearl Harbor to join the Pacific Fleet. In the Solomons area the ship took part in the ma- neuvers conducted there prior to the invasion of Okinawa. It was during this period that her gunners first had an opportunity to show what they could do. The ship underwent frequent at- tacks by Kamikaze suicide aircraft, but the com- bination of maneuvering, expert spotting, and able shooting brought her through unscathed. She accounted for nine Kamikaze in all, five of which were shot down in one evening in a brief engagement. With the collapse of organized Japanese resist- ance on Okinawa, most of the destroyers there received new assignments.. The MASSEY re- turned to P.uckner Bay, Okinawa, as part of the screen for a fast carrier task force. This force made the first surface shipping sweeps off the Chine.se Coast ranging from the waters north of Formo.sa to the approaches of Shanghai. At the time of Japanese surrender she was pro- visioning for another .sweep in the China Sea. The MASSEY departed for the East Coast, ar- riving in New York in January 1946. The ship joined Admiral Fechteler ' s squadron for an off icial visit to Valparaiso, Chile, for the ceremonies attending the inauguration of Presi- dent Gonzalez. In August 1947, she was attached to U. S. Naval Forces, Mediterranean and visited the l orts of Gibraltar, La Madralena, Taranto, Trieste, Naples, Pireaus Patras, Kavalla. Suda Bay, and Ixmir. On 6 September 1950, the MASSEY left Nor- folk for duty in the Pacific as part of the re- enforcements that went to Korea from the At- lantic. After her arrival in the Far East, she served with the Advance Force I N Fleet, as Flagship for minesweeping missions. In January 1955, the MASSEY departed Nor- folk again to join the Sixth Fleet for a six months cruise in the INIediterranean. arriving at Oran, Algeria on 19 January 1955. During the cruise, the MASSEY participated in various Sixth Fleet operations in exercises, and visited Malta, Istanbul. Phaleron Bay, Naples, Monaco, Li- vorno, Toulon, Palma, Tangiers and Gibraltar. On 7 May, the MASSEY was detached from the Sixth Fleet and departed Gibraltar for Norfolk, Virginia. T ' pon arrival in Norfolk, the M.ASSEY was once again assigned to HUKLANT and en- gaged in variou. .ASW and type exercises, dur- ing which she called at Lisbon. In July. 1956 the MASSEY under tiie Com- mand of Cdr. F. L. Englander, won the Battle E award for operational readiness and eflficien- cy, making the fourtii such award for the ship.

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The U.S.S. MOALE first got undei-way follow- ing commissioning on 28 February 1944 at the Fedei ' ai Rliipbuiiding Yards, Kearney, New Jer- sey. The MOALE is 2nd ship of the SUMNER Class (Short Hull) 2,200 ton destroyer. First ship of the fleet to bear the name MOALE, she honors Lt. Edward Moale, a Spanish-American War hero and an 1887 graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy. After the completion of several shakedown and training cruises, the MOALE joined Task Force 38 as a screening ship for the carriers whose planes made heavy strikes against Jap- anese airfields on Luzon Island in November 1944. The MOALE received her first rude baptism of enemy action while conducting an attack on Japanese shipping and installations at OiTnoc Bay prior to the invasion of Leyte. In the short space of four hours on the night of 2 December 1944, the MOALE, SUMNER (DD-692) and COOPER (DD-r 93) returned the fire of shore batteries, low flying planes, and surface craft guns. Unaided by other American forces, the three valiant destroyers splashed eight enemy planes and sang three ships. It was during this battle, liowever, tliat the COOPER was struck by a torpedo, broke in two, and sank with the loss of 172 men. Since World War II, tlie assignments of the MOALE have been many and varied. Slie has had her share of cruising among the islands of the Pacific and later participated in Operation Crossroads (Atom Bomb Test) at Bikini. In the Spring of lOfiO tlie MOALE and the other four sliips of Destroyer Division 72 joined the Atlantic Fleet. Slie is now a part of Destroyer Division Ifil which includes the I SS SUMNER (DD-(;92), USS INGRAIIAM (DD-694). ' : ,