Shannon (DM 25) - Naval Cruise Book

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MINE DIVISION SEVEN The twelve ships of Mine Squadron Three were con- verted in the summer and early fall of 1944, while still being built, from Sumner Class destroyers to light mine layers. Several DM's of the Breese Class. converted from VVorld VVar I four-stack destroyers, were in the active fieet at the time, but future operations called for more DM's with higher speed, a greater capacity mine load, and more fire power-ships which could, in a quick dash under cover of darkness, lay mines in enemy waters and get away before being discovered, or, if discovered, would have enough fire power to protect themselves. Plans for these ships also contemplated their being used to lay drifting mines in the path of an enemy fleet, par- ticularly in a major fleet engagement and in restricted waters. The new DM's were desgned so that in addition to their specialized duties, they would be capable of fulfilling all functions of a destroyer, except torpedo attack. Ships of this type therefore, are actually more versatile than conventional destroyers. MinRon Three was made up of three divisions of four ships each: Min Div 7 DM 23 Robert H. Smith tex-DD 7355 DM 24 Thomas E. Fraser tex-DD736j DM 25 Shannon tex-DD 7375 DM 26 Harry F. Bauer tex-DD738j Min Div 8 DM 27 Adams tex-DD 739D DM 28 Tolman tex-DD 7405 DM 29 Henry A. VViley tex-DD 7495 DM 30 Shea tex-DD 750D Min Div 9 DM 31 J. VVilliam Ditter tex-DD 751D DM 32 Lindsey tex-DD 7713 DM 33 Gwin tex-DD 7725 DM 34 Aaron VVard tex-DD 7735 The squadron commander Calso Commander MinDiv 91 was Captain A. M. Townsend, USN, in the Gwin. Captain H. J. Armstrong, USN, in the VViley, command- ed MinDiv 8. MinDiv 7, when first formed, was commanded by Captain VV. Gordon Beecher, USN, with the Smith as his fiagship. Wliile in Pearl Harbor in January, 1945, he shifted his pennant to the Shannon, where it remained until long after the division's return to the States, in 1946. Vtlhen Captain Beecher was given command of Destoyer Squadron 53, in june, 1945, he was relieved as Con1inDiv 7 by Captain Henry Farrow, USN, former skipper of the Smith. Captain Farrow was relieved in December, 1945, by Captain VVilliam N. VVylie, USN, former submarine skipper and holder of the Navy Cross. Owing to the nature of the operations in which we took part, the whole squadron or the division seldom operated as a unit, although, at one time or another during the war, each ship in the squadron operated with every other ship in some capacity and for varied periods of time. The Shannon was in company with ships in Min- Div 7 and with the Wiley more than any others. The ships in MinDiv 7 suffered less damage and fewer casualties than those of the other two divisions, and, by the same token, saw more action because they, with the exception of the Bauer, did not have to be returned to rear areas for repairs. The Bauer's damage was only superficial, but required the attention of more complete repair facilities than were available in the forward areas. Of the other eight ships only the VViley was not dam- aged. This might be attributed to luck or skill but was most likely a combination of both. During the frequent air actions encountered, the batteries of the Division were neither inactive nor inaccurate, accounting for a total of forty-two enemy planes. The Smith shot down eight, the Fraser seven, the Shannon ten plus two destroyed on the ground, and the Bauer fifteen. After the division returned to the States and to the Atlantic Fleet, administrative organization was rear- ranged. MinDiv 7 became MinDiv 2, and the Shea join- ed the division in place of the Smith. Although the original designation and membership of the Division was changed, it lost neither its identity nor its reputation. That, along with the impressive war record of the Squadron as a whole, will live on in the annals oftthe Navy and of History. r'.' '. fi Z iff Q' 'Vi' .J 2' ' 7 'fi'f' ' f ! 'f'f' I I 1, rv' , Alb... H, f fy ,,',, - ,-.1 - 1.0, :I f IJ.-, - J A .H -sf f eff waaaafffmfd f ' , ' I - ' 1 . ig--,.-'f -J fx 1.v ' 751 'Q'MQf,:, f , . Q --' X 'iv nu, 4,345 '- f -Aff gl f' P ,334-A++ 1.-Q 5,1 fi 'V f get 1 :mf f - L fr X. e,4.a-12 ,--lE'. 'Ti C i is -s.e- 7 f- ..- . f ,ig-sexi, .-'vv' by I-LA' Ayr , -- I lf -F? ' -...I - UI! U' - ji f . 3 --g,,f.a- + , 5 N- .. ' 'Wav - Q f-:fg,,gg' Rs,- Q A .I 'E .pf fi -Y HV .- 4 - 14, 1 I., ' - TrQ:A,,aH,.3, i:s - 7 i 14- I - 1' ,f ,. - 1-4-2' 4- ee: ' f 4 , T,i4g.f 1 if gg - 4- f .:T' 1 3 - ns- -Q 7

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CAPTAIN WILLIAM GORDON BEECHER, JR.. Um Xyilliillll fiurclou Ilccrlu-1' IDCLIZIII his fxctive and interesting Naval cznn-1-V Q11 Hill. Ho hm wrvcd Ill a variety of duties ailuut and zlshmw-, inclucling muncrqur, commands, which hgwc takm-11 him to tlu- fum' m'm'mrrs ui the Carth. 1-ig was burn january IU, NH4, in Hfillhnore, Md. After graduating from high 5cImnl, he stuchecl in the Baltimore Polytcclmiq Instituu- until hc znccm,-pu-cl an appointment to tl1c'Nz1v: 1l .'XcucIvmy. Midslxipmzm l:L't'Cl1LTl'.I'l21I'iiCi1lZltCfl in variogs Academy organizations :md znctn-vamp, pnrtlculafly muslc clubs. He was C0!11l11iSSiUllL'fI IQIISIHII 111 ,Iqng-,.l02:1, and was graduated with the ClC.Q,'l'l'l' of Iincln,-lm' 01 Science. TWO wal-5 11111-r, hu and Min Carvilla Brian were married in Baltimore. A clznughlcr, X irg inia, was born to them in 1927, and Ll son, Gordon Loc, in 1932. Ensign Becclmurk first tour uf rluty was aboard the Texas CBB 35J, from which hc was transfcrrccl tolthe Arizona CBB 393. His next ships wa-rc the destroyer Kidder and the l1ig'h-speed minclaycr Roper, the Hcctksganker Neches and the converted .DME M ontgomcry and Slcard. From 193.2 to 1935, he was an instructor at the Academy. His first command was thc dcstroyer-minelayer Pruitt, in which he served three years. Lieut. Beecher was assigned to the Navy Department, VVashiugton, D. C., in 19.38, as Deputy Director of Public Relations. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 1940 and ordered to command of the Flusser CDD 3685. Serving with thc Pacific Fleet, the Flusser was at her Pearl , Harbor base when the Japanese attacked December 7, 1941. Commander Beecher returned to the States in 1942 as Deputy Director of Public Relations, and was. promoted, luly 20, 1943, to Captgin. In the summer of 1944, Captain Beecher was ordered tg copmgand Mine Division 7. He brpke F115 pennant Ill the Robert H. Smxfh QDM 235 at her commissioning, August 4, 1944. Wfhile NIIUDIV X was m Pearl Harbor Dl'C1J3.l'1Hg 1Ol' the Iwo Inna operatlon, Captain Beecher shifted his pennant from the Smith to the Shannon. ' . Q ' In the Iwo Jima operation he often served as a Task Group or Task Umt commander, or OTC of groups of slugs 111 Qompllxuentary, movements. He led the minesweeping operations that preceeded landings at Kerama Retto and Okinawa and other actloqs 11? the campaign. Captain Beecher was awarded the Legion of Merit Medal for outstanding leadership and meritorious servlce lll those commands. May 10, 1945, he was relieved as ComiuDiv 7 by Captain Henry Farrow to assume command, a few days later, of Destroyer Squad- ron 53, then a part of the famed Task Force 38, which he led in attacks on the home islands of Japan. DesRon 53 returned to California early in 1946. Captain Beecher reported to the Third Naval District as Director of Public Inform- ation, and later was ordered to the office of the Secretary of the Navy, Navy Department, XVashington, D. C. . One of Captain Slim BCCCIICIJS greatest loves is music. He often performs on the piano and guitar but has gained most of his musxcal prominence as a composer. Two of his best-known popular works are Song of Old Hawaii' and 4'Nimitz and Halsey and Me . His lesser- known, but no less entertaining compositions include many songs about ships, divisions. and squadrons with which he -has been associated. CAPTAIN HENRY FARROW. usN It is quite natural that Henry F3I'I'OXX S interests, from h1S early childhood days, led him to a love of ships and the sea, and eventually into a Naval career. He was born April 24, 1904- in the bustling seaport city of Mobile, Ala., where he grew UP 111 a seafaring environment. Wfhile in high school he worked in the Mobile Shipyards and shortly after graduation, shipped on a tramp steamer. Farrow received an appointment to the Naval Academy. alld in June 1922, was sworn into the Navy as a Plebe. In 1926, E11Sig'11 F211'1'0w was graduated with a degree. He was 3.SSlgU' ed to the USS California QBB 443, and later was transferred to the four-stacker Robert Smith. which took part.1p the Second Nicaraguan Campaign during' the 1927 upr1Sll1g3 n In 1928, 110 beg?-ll a two-and-a-half years tour with th? ZWIQ' t1o11 unit 011 board the battleship New Mexico. Following his promotion to Lieutenant Qjgb in February, 1951 he traveled t0 China fQr two years duty as Gunnery Oflicer aboard the de- stroyer Edsall. He spent a few months at the Naval BHS9, Cffwlfey P. T., before rcturningg to the Naval .-Xcademyi for? post graduate course in general line duties. He was retamed IH napohs another txxo ymr: ae a marine Lllgilletfillg imtru - eut 1111-1 ow xx cnt hunk to sm m l9gl aboard the TUG 93 CCA 375 21 I'11st I xgutunmt and Xsbxstant Damage C Omccr Dl1lll1g, the txxo VL us met before the war he G on bo ud thc Rwlph Tmlbot QDD a90j fu Pxecutxve Office Cl Ins 1110111011011 lmlvlu 1 10-P It Commander Fai' vs Ich he took to Panama for tfallllllg, aftel which the squadl Q11 Wag qplll IT I I I nlmlxqmmd thi in Nt x 'ml ' of In M Mmm lorpedo B L Cm cc tm P I' umella ere he Wqs made Area Commander of PT B t I L s unclu Ins comm md on l tmker for m No 0:1 S am PT opc1at101 'll lmflortantly to the success of ODCIHUOIIS at Tulagl New GCO1r1ld li v Us Sqlalldmn Om! Ind thmuhhout tht Loral ma and con ship iid lgeltgzirlglls service clurmg these opelatlons Iarnow Wm DI011125125'11.1i?v60ii11lSll:1iIIElIillllfllwll mil gxxbmsl 'Jn Ttltsgnglggxg lea d I- uouu ull It IN mpalgffand the Eirgmiufcgf tigfbvilyjjvsl5111SSU21tl1Eii31:g:fdg Tsllxtgkx ijiraxlmich hLl:o1En11uulfcl tlnoug,h hakndmfvm She 1:12 iw' was promoted to Laptaln March 20 194w R l U 1 S-01 Q ll IH ltll ut a ncond Q1 ver tal' dlmeg of Commander Mme Dlwslon Seven QaDtZ1:?VfQElE3Vl1E'EH1 tiflcfzgxssl Mwv IIO 1945 lu moxul xlmnd thm Shannon to aQSl1m ed mmesweepmg ODCFHUOIIQ m the Fwst Chma Sm thc Yellow Sc 1 on m lu Iuwumlu of tht 0k 1W' cmmmlgn and Com 1 surrender of Japan Captain V3.1 row as CFC 523 and 9911101 mmccl rtttmsf In tht Rmb Nl N lk' ut 1 I O' three months after M' tions around northern and westeln Kyushu 'TSUQhlI'l1'1 Strait 'md Qcm11ll3'11:CiJo:T1tm Rmb um dulcud ln tht mmuweepmg Captain Farrow returned wlth his DIVISION to thu Qtitcs Decu I 19 mms I mlmst M Nun dx Xlhed xusels and was ordered to duty on the staff of the Comm'1ndmt Sth Nui' I3lSllll?L1qIX?xhlli3LiNUu1c he M is uhuld In Ldmam Vx N Wythe' 4 UN I lll1N xxluu he Inu mth lm mte and daughiiffa 51 An f I L N , X , ctof Li , 4' - A, W - - V U. - - .CB- , ,K . . n . look K S 4 'J' x J 2 , 5 - OH' tl'Ol , . -' ,- - , ,Z .. 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OFFICER QOMMANDER WILLIAM THOMAS INGRAM, 11, u5N lkilliain 'l'l1o111:1s llllflillll 11:11 l1o1'11 to l.ict1t. .longs H' IHQHUN' ligw, and Xlrs. l111:1'11111 ,lnly JH, 1915, at .'Xnnap0li5, nlld, l.it'lll. llly,I'lllll.1tl that tune. nas. stationed at the Naval .'XC2lllt'IlIj' as lll1tlllt'lIlZlllte 1llall'llt1lIIl' llllfl football coach, Ilill's cliiltlliotid 21: ll Nitty -lllllitll'11, I1ltlY1lljJ.' with his Wlwlll, l'l't1lll slltliirll to slltllttll, was spent mostly in Chicago and k.12lllftll'lllIl. .Xt an 1-arly :tee I11- bt-caiiie an liagle Scout, XYl1ile 2lllt'lltl1lI4U lll't'lI2tlA2tltil'1' school at l.anre11ceville, N,j,, lnerani becanie an outstanding atlilt-te, Xtdllllillg' letters and leading teams i11 ftnttluitll, basketball, and baseball. ln 1933, he enrolled at Yale Lfiiiversity, New Haven, Conn. intending to study t'lljlllll'L'l4llllJ, but 11-ft two weeks later, when he received an xtppointnit-nt to the Naval Academy, .-Xt the .'XC2ltlL'Illj', he won letters in football, basketball, and baseball. .M the end uf his second-class year, Midship- man Ingram was awarded the Naval .Xthletic sword and while a llI'Sl-Cl1lSSlll21ll, he was named on the .f1tll-American 1 football team. lrle also was a liattalion Commander. 1 . . - 1--U ' J --' ff lrlis first dutv was aboard the USS Tennessee. . - d .fafded 3 de ,ict in cngintunig. n . In Jfme' 1933 IugdgingQZIESCCEEETEfllcgljgllliggglfgllig bglcl in Pearl Plarbor where she met her untimely end some two years later. 7 - -f . 1413611 Te feffltef CfnDeCember 7 1941 Lt UO., Inolam had been Valle ved as Otllcer ot the Deck when. the attack began. Seven torpedoes -Jp12dtE2tO1Ehi1fmll of the Qklahonia eauguo- lin- to liqt badly and finally capsize. lngrani jumped into tl1e water, swam to the nearby ri - - - . ' ' ' - - - Mamland and climbed 3 Clans-line line to get agoard Tlirougliout the rest of the attack he passed anununition lox an AA gun mount. ' c zz- ' . . 1 1 . - - ' ' ' 1 XX Defense Officer. He saw action - . M 4 I a ordered to thc neu .XA Ctulsct San ,Iuan as. . u atlisguggggaisagxlgiiiii-SSiiteeliaitiefjgg SgT11i1d21Ela1iiq1Sa11d Santa Cruz, and in the Gilbert Islands operations. He was present at the D 1 ' ' ' - T 4 I sinking of the carrier VVasp, and landed with a detachment ot Marines at lluna Futi. ri j -I - In 1943 lieut Ins-1-am was assigned as Flag Lieutenant to his father. Admiral Ingram, then conimandantkat lxecite, Brazil. A - ln April 1944. hg 1135 gent to Fleet Sound School, Key NVest, Fla., and then ordered to the Fraser CDM 241 as lzxecutive Officer. I Lt Commander Ingram served on board the Fraser through the first half of the Okinawa campaign. ,lune 10. 1945, in Kerania Retto, . Q - ' '- he relieved Commander Foster as Commanding Ofhcer of the Shannon. l ' - u I November 6. Captain Ingram was promoted to Commander. He wears the Purple Heart Medal, the Legion of Merit Cawarded tor operations against the enemy in Southern Atlantic waters while ser vmg at the Recife Naval Based, the Order of the Southern Cross Ca Brazilian decoration for outstanding diplomatic servicel, and the Bronze Star Medal Ctor the Okinawa cam.palgn1. Q ' Relieved by Commander Crenshaw, in December, 1945, Ingram became Public Information Officer on the statt ot his father, Commander 111 Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. In 1946, he was ordered to the Academy as an instructor in seamanship and assistant football coach. .Ingram resigned from the Navy in 1948. His address is 2500 South Third Street. Louisville, Ky. LT. COM. HAROLD THEODORE GORANSON. USN Harold Theodore Ooranson was born in Minneapolis. Minn., September 13. 1916. As a youth he moved to Bowling GI 3C11v Ohio, where his mother and father still live at 3-10 XX est Evers Avenue. 1-le compiled an enviable scholastic and athletic reC0Yd in high school, from which he graduated in 193-1. Swede CH- rolled in Bowling Green State University. where 116 played basketball and was elected to an honorary fraternity. HQ 15.3 member of the Free and Accepted Masons and a Chevalier 111 the Order of lleklolays. Appointed to the Academy. tioransoii was sworn 11110 1119 Navy June 19, 1936, as a Nlidshipman. At .-Xnn2lD0115 he earnj ed letters in basketball. which he played fOllf 3'f'f11'5- -111116 O' 1940, he was graduated high in his class withltlli' degree 01 Bachelor of Science and an linsign's commission. M linsign tioranson was assigned to the Pennsylvania CBB 051' as F Division Officer. During the Pearl Harbor attack, 1119 Pennsylvania was in dry dock. where she was hit and tEIllll01 arily put out of action. Men l.l'tllIl dainaged ships lv01 3 1131? ferred to active ships to bring them np to full iWH.'I'l.1Ill61COll1D111 ment. llnring the early phases of the war, lziisigil-110131150 111 A served on board the carriers Yorktown and lznterprise. l lle was then ordered lo the llaltiniore lf.-X 031, o11.w1l1C11.11F served 1i11til early 111-l-I as t'lt' and Radar Officer. His ingenuity, resourcefulness a11d enterprising efforts were 2111 1011101111111 1301111 I. G 1 1 . . A . , , V 'T r in the early developnient of the tactical use Yof 1'21f1i11'-H albert .,1eut. oianson paiticipatcd in the battle of Midway, the Pacific raids of 1943111111 104-1.111111 l',2l5lt'l'll and XX estern New t1n111ca.fJ1 and Marshall Islands raids. He was ordered to Norfolk in early sumiuer, 194-l, to take cliarge of the balance crew of the Shannon. D 11112195161 di21O1Ef1ii1iiff11f'1iQ121ifXEf3ilfl21I1f11 15111511-12111312111.1112-111112-10111fllfiillt15111131 11111115151 111 -1 '1'.11'1f 1' '11 11 -1' 1111 17131 1111113311311 K . . . l is 1 , 1 ,,1 , ll1lX1l t.11t1ts, ttlllllllllllll and llllll, .ind lus inttlligtnt ctntl of situations which confronted us were an important factor i11 the su r'--- f I and cuss u llllSt lll1Qtl tJl1l'l lllUllN of the Slrinnon P S Nl H OmoreOfrgilghgilmneclah vyas awaiided to him foi exceptionally mei itoi ions tondntt ni tl 1 1 1 1 1 mist indin struct 'IQ 1 ts G an toups o mineswcepeis in opciations issoti ittd with tht Ol in 111 1 1 lllllt ll ll 1' Flf11'a115011I51?6ISSDH01110fCf1OLtO17Ct' 17 1944 to lt C0lllll1tI1ClLl 1111111 1t Ststbo 1 llll O tol 1 10-ts ht was gixtn LOIIHIIHIY fiancee 1e'Ii11X3aICl C 9f1t fl? 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