Desron 16 - Naval Cruise Book

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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). ' : ,

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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. INGRAHAM (DD-694) Three destroyers of the U. S. Navy have been named in honor of Captain Duncan Nathaniel Ingraham, who served in both the Union and Confederate Navies. He was born in Charles- ton, South Carolina, on 6 December 1802. Ap- pointed as Midshipman in 1812 at the age of ten ; he was commissioned in 1815. While in com- mand of the sloo])-of-war ST. LOUIS in the Mediterranean in 1853, the Austrian consul at Smyi-na detained a Hungarian who had declared in New York his intention of being a U. S. citi- zen. When tliis man was confined in an Austrian ship, Captain Ingraham interceded and was later voted thanks and a medal by Congress. Captain Ingraham served as Chief of the Bureau of Ord- nance and Hydi-()grai hy of the Navy Department from 1856 until 1860, when he resigned from the U. S. Navy to enter the Confederate States Navy in the same rank and in an equivalent as- signment. He died at the age of 89 in Charles- ton on 16 October 1891. This, the third USS INGRAHAM (DD-694), was built by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry- dock Company, Kearney, New Jersey, where she was launched on 16 January 1944, and commis- sioned on 10 Marcli 1944. Mrs. George Ingraham Hutcliinson again acted as sponsor. The ship is a destroyer of the SUMNER (DD-692) Class, with length of 376 feet ; beam 60 feet ; draft 14 feet, 5 inches; displacement, 2200 tons; speed 34 knots and armament of six 5 38 caliber duel purpose guns ; six 3 50 caliber guns and a 21 quintuple tube torpedo mount. ■WJPS.L K ' ' r9M Following a shakedown cruise in the Bermuda area, she reported to the Pacific Fleet for duty with Task Force 38 58, screening the carriers during their strike in the Western Pacific. On 21 March the INGRAHAM departed for the Okinawa Gunto operations. After serving on various radar picket stations, INGRAHAM was assigned to Station ONE between the Ryuk- yus and Kvushu on 1 Mav, in companv with the MORRISON (DD-560), LCS ' s 21, 22 and 31, and LCM(r) 194. On 5 Mav the formation was attacked by approximately fifty Japanese planes. During the ensuing action the LSM(r) 194 was hit and sunk, and the MORRISON was hit by four planes and also sunk. The INGRAHAM shot down two planes and assisted in shooting down tliree more, before five planes made a coordinat- ed attack on her. Four of these were shot down, but the fifth, crashed her deck on the port side, it ' s bomb exploding in the generator room. Casualties were 15 dead and 36 wounded. With only one gun operative, and the deck clearing water by only five feet, the ship ' s crew battled the flames, until a rescue tug came to her aid 30 minutes later. Follow temporary repairs in the area, she proceeded to Hunter ' s Point, Cali- fornia, for a complete yard overhaul. The big 694 on the bow is a familiar sight the world over. INGRAHAM is one of the very few World War II ships in the U. S. Fleet today which has never been placed in the reserve (in- , e) fleet.