James Kyes (DD 787) - Naval Cruise Book

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fflSTORY OF THE LITTLE BEAVERS The original Little Beavers squadron was commissioned in December 1942, when the destroyers Charles AUSBURNE, CONVERSE, CLAXTON, DYSON. SPENCE, FOOT, and STANLEY formed Destroyer Squadron 23 at Orange, Texas. Five months later, under Admiral BURKE, then a Captain, the group joined the Pacific Fleet during the Solomons campaign and began a series of historic naval actions that led to the award of the Presidential Unit Citation, personally presented by Secretary of the Na , James Forrestal. Captain BURKE, ordered to intercept and destroy a formation of Japanese destroyers, was told to proceed at full speed. Although his ships had a rated top speed of 30 knots, Captain BURKE replied to the order with pursuing enemy at 31 knots . Under cover of darkness. Destroyer Squadron 23 attacked with such ferocity the only enemy ship managing to escape reported she and her formation had been struck by a division of cruisers and a division of destroyers, assisted by a number of PT boats . Like beavers, the ships of Destroyer Squadron 23 had done their work at night and left the results for all to see the next day - three Japanese destroyers sunk and one badly damaged. 31-knot BURKE had led his Little Beavers in what historians describe as the near perfect surface action . This was the beginning of a new chapter to destroyer warfare in the Pacific. The smash and run technique of the Little Beavers helped sweep Japanese power in the Pacific. Intheir battle march in the South Pacific, the Little Beavers were credited with sinking, or assistance in sinking, nine Japanese warships, three merchant vessels and six naval barges. One squadron ship alone was credited with destroy- ing nine enemy planes. Besides the Battle of Cape St. George, other smashing victories leading to the award of the Presidential Unit Citation included the bombardment of Bouganville, the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, the Invasion of Green Island, and bombard- ments of Kavieng, New Ireland, and Rabaul. Captain BURKE relinquished command of Destroyer Squadron 23 in December 1944, to become Chief of Staff for Admiral Mark Mitscher. His successor, Captain T. B. DUGAN, led the Little Beavers in the Okinawa campaign, and as the Japanese Empire crumbled, they returned to Pearl Harbor for a well-earned rest. In February 1946, the Little Beavers were inactivated and placed in mothballs at Charleston, S. C. The history books were reopened April 4, 1956 with the reactivation of Destroyer Squadron 23, under the command of Captain E. K. WAKEFIELD. By authority of the present Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral BURKE The Little Beavers were re-dedicated by Admiral Chester C. WOOD, Commander Cruiser- Destroyers, U. S. Pacific Fleet on December 10, 1956 in Long Beach, California.

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USS James E. Kyes DD-787 The USS JAMES E. KYES (DD-787) was built by Todd Pacific Shipyards of Seattle, Washington. She was launched on 4 August 1945 and was commissioned on 8 February 1946. She completed FRAM MK 1 conversion at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 18 January 1963. The ship was named in honor of, Commander James Elsworth KYES, USN, who received the Navy Cross with the following citation: For extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of the USS LEARY during action against a concentrated force of hostile enemy sub- marines in the North Atlantic. As Commander KYES boldly maneuvered to close the range on four of the hostile pack the enemy struck, mortally damaging the LEARY with three torpedo hits and causing her to start sinking rapidly. After giving the order to abandon ship, Commander KYES cooly and courageously made a personal inspection in order to assure himself that none of his men remained aboard. Preparing to abandon the stricken vessel and observing one of his crew whose life jacket was torn and useless. Commander KYES gallantly removed his own, gave it to the man and then calmly went over the side. His heroic conduct and fearless spirit of self sacrifice in a time of grave peril were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. Commander KYES was reported Missing in action when it was announced that the LEARY had been sunk on December 24, 1943. The KYES is a 2200 ton destroyer of the Gearing Class. Her offensive capabilities include all phases of Naval Operations against an enemy including carrier task force operations, shore-bombardment, anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, anti-surface and hunter-killer operations. Since undergoing the MK 1 FRAM Conversion, the KYES specializes in HUK (hunter-killer) operations. To carry out this mission the ship is outfitted for the Navy ' s newest Anti-submarine warfare weapons - ASROC (Anti-submarine rocket) and DASH (Drone Anti-sul)marine Helicopter).

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Destroyer Squadron 23 Captain Lewis E. Davis, Ji , USN Captain Lewis E. Davis, Jr., is a graduate of Pennsylvania Nautical School and George Washington University and was com- missioned in 1941. He has served in USS WILKES BARRE and USS SITKA, and has commanded USS THOMAS E. ERASER (DM-24), USS H. D. CROW (DE-252), and USS FRED T. BERRY (DDE- 858). He has served on the COMCRUDESIANT Staff, and graduated from the U. S. Naval War College at Newport, R. I. and then served as Commanding Officer of USS BRYCE CANYON (AD-36). Captain Davis, Jr. assumed command of Destroyer Squadron 23 on 24 November 1965.