MAURY USS (DD-401)

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MAURY USS (DD-401)

Post by shipstamps » Thu Nov 27, 2008 4:45 pm


Recently I got the D-Day mini sheet issued by Sierra Leone in 2005 commemorating D-Day.
Comparing the stamps with photo’s I could find on the net and in books, I agree now with Mr. Peter Crichton as given before by him on this list, that the destroyer depict on the stamp under pennant No 401 must be the USS MAURY (DD-401). She looks alike only without the two rows of portholes in the side, but most probably the portholes were removed during the war.
The Canadian frigate LOUISBURG (K401) can not be the ship, she was used by the D-Day landings but her armament did have only one gun on the fore ship, and not as seen on the stamp two guns.

The sheet commemorating D-Day, the ships depict have noting to do with this landings I believe, and most probably depict USS SAN FRANCISCO (CA-38) and USS MAURY somewhere in the Pacific where both ships mostly were stationed during World War II.

Built as a destroyer under yard No. 5356 by the Union Plant, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California for the USS Navy.
24 March 1936 laid down.
14 February 1938 launched under the name USS MAURY (DD-401), sponsored by Miss Virginia Lee Maury Werth, granddaughter of Commodore Matthew Maury (1806-1873). She was one of the Gridley class of which only four were built.
Displacement 1.500 tons. Dim.104.06 x 10.69 x 4.39m.
Powered by four geared steamturbines, manufactured by the shipbuilder, 50.000 shp., twin screws, speed 36.5 knots.
Range 5.000 mile by a speed of 20 knots.
Armament 4 – 5 inch guns, and 16 – 21 inch torpedo tubes.
05 August 1938 commissioned, under command of Comdr. Edward M. Thompson.

After commissioning assigned to the Pacific Fleet, MAURY was operating out of Pearl Harbor, when the United States entered World War II. She was steaming with Enterprise (CV-6) en route to Hawaii from TF 8 operations near Wake Island, when word of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor reached her soon after 09.00, 7 December 1941. The ship went to general quarters as the fore began an unsuccessful search for the Japanese Fleet. By the time the force returned to Pearl Harbor only one enemy vessel had been sighted and sunk, by carrier aircraft, the submarine I-70 on the 10th.
For the remainder of 1941, MAURY, in the screen of ENTERPRISE, stayed in the Hawaiian area to guard against a follow-up attack by the Japanese.

With the new year, 1942, the Japanese advanced south and east through the islands of the southwest Pacific and MAURY with ENTERPRISE and YORKTOWN (CV-5), headed in that direction for raids on Japanese installations on Maleolap Atoll, Taroa, and Reuters Islands. Striking on 1 February, the carrier forces and bombardment groups completed their missions despite heavy aerial resistance and were back at Pearl Harbor on the 5th. On the 15th, the force now designated TF 16, got underway for Wake and Marcus Islands against which they launched surprise attacks 24 February and 4 March, respectively, returning to Oahu 10 March. There trough April she conducted antisubmarine and antiaircraft exercises and served with the offshore patrol.

On 30 April TF 16, with MAURY in the screen of the heavier ships, sortied from Pearl Harbor to aid YORKTOWN and LEXINGTON in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Reaching the scene after the battle was over the force returned to Hawaii, arriving 26 May. Two days later they sortied again this time for Midway Island to repulse an expected assault on that base. On 02 June, having rendezvoused with TF 17, they were in position 350 miles north east of Midway. On the 4th the Battle of Midway commenced as Japanese carrier aircraft flew against installations on the island. By the 7th the American forces had sunk four Japanese carriers and one cruiser at the cost of destroyer USS HAMMANN (DD-412) and carrier YORKTOWN.

After MIDWAY the force remained at Pearl Harbour for a month before departing once again for the South Pacific. Steaming via the Tonga Islands, the force headed for the Japanese-held Solomon Islands. By 7 August they were 40 miles from the target, Guadalcanal. During the ensuining Tulagi-Guadalcanal landing operations in support of the assault troops. The destroyer remained in the Solomon’s area through the Battle of the Eastern Solomon’s, 24 and 25 August. In that battle, which prevented Japanese reinforcements from reaching Guadalcanal.
USS ENTERPRISE, among others was severely damaged and TF 16 was ordered to retire to the Tonga Islands, from which they returned to Pearl Harbor, arriving 10 September. On 26 October the force was back in the South Pacific when an enemy force, including carriers, was sighted. Battle was engaged off Santa Cruz and once again Japanese reinforcements were turned back, with on US carrier damaged, ENTERPRISE, and one lost USS HORNET (CV-8).

MAURY spent the next 10 months in the Solomon’s area as part of one of Arleigh A. Burke’s Destroyer Divisions. Operating from Noumea and Espiritu Santo, she cruised on antisubmarine patrols and escorted carriers and convoys as American forces dug in on Guadalcanal and moved on against Munda, Rendova, Russel, Vella Lavella, and New Georgia. At the end of August 1943, she departed for San Pedro and a 6-week availability period, returning to the combat area with TF 52 to support the invasions of Tarawa and Makin in the Gilbert Islands 20 November.

Early in 1944 MAURY joined TF 58, the fast carrier force, and put out to sea 19 January to screen the carriers as their planes raided Wotje, Taroa, Eniwetok, and the Palaus. In March the force began operating from newly won Majuro and from there MAURY guarded the carriers as they went against the Japanese on the Palaus, Yap, Ulithi and Woleai, from 30 March till 1 April.
Covered the landings at Hollandia, 22 April; and raided Ponape, Satawan, and Truk, 29 April to 1 May.

After brief availability at Pearl Harbour, MAURY rejoined TF 58 at Majuro 4 June. Two days later the ship sortied to support operations in the Marianas Islands. First, they took part in the preinvasion bombardment of Saipan, raiding Guam and Rota during the same period, and then sailed north to strike Iwo and Chichi Jimas and prevent Japanese reinforcement from reaching the Marianas from those islands. On 18 June they received word of a Japanese force en route from the Philippines to the Marianas. The following day the Battle of the Philippine Sea began as Japanese carrier planes attacked the 5th Fleet, then covering the Saipan operations. By the end of the 2-day battle the Japanese had lost three carriers, 92 percent of its carrier planes and 72 percent of the float planes, a toll which left the Imperial Fleet in poor condition. After pursuing the fleet, the carriers with MAURY in the screen, struck again at the Bonins and the retired to Eniwetok, arriving 27 June.

On 4 July the fast carriers again raided Iwo Jima. Then they retired to the Marianas where they supported the landings on Guam and Tinian, 21 and 24 July, respectively. During the next 9 weeks with MAURY still in the carrier screen, the force struck again at Iwo Jima and then moved on to support offensive operations against Peleliu, Ngesebu, Angaur, Yap and Ulithi. By 10 October they were off Okinawa, moving from there to Formosa and Luzon and striking at Japanese installations in the Manila Bay area on the 15th.
Eight days later, covering the forces in Leyte Gulf, they turned north again to engage a Japanese carrier force, now bereft of planes due to losses sustained in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and off Formosa. On the 25th, the Japanese were engaged off Cape Engano and by the 27th their losses were increased by three cruisers and several destroyers.

MAURY spent most of November cruising the waters east of the Philippines in support of operations on Leyte and Samar. Then after availability at Manus joined TG 77.4 and sailed 27 December for Lingayen Gulf to support the Luzon invasion. Attached in mid-January to TG 78.12 for an abbreviated tour as convoy escort she rejoined TF 77 at the end of the month and until 10 February guarded Lingayen Gulf and its approaches.

Returning to Ulithi 16 February MAURY was assigned to escort the battleship MISSISIPPI back to Hawaii. Departing 22 March, she moored at Pearl Harbor 03 April.

She spent the next 6 weeks conducting training exercises in Hawaiian waters and the continued on via San Diego and the Panama Canal to New York, arriving 14 June. There an inspection team recommended that she be disposed of and on 18 August, she proceeded to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she decommissioned 19 October 1945.
01 November struck from the Naval Vessel Register.
13 June 1946 sold to Hugo Neu, New York; resold shortly thereafter to Northern Metal Co., Philadelphia and scrapped by them at the end of the year.

MAURY received 16 battle stars for World War II service.

Sierra Leone 2005 Le1000 sg?, scott?

Source: Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Maury_(DD-401)

aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

Re: MAURY USS (DD-401)

Post by aukepalmhof » Thu May 20, 2021 10:39 am

2005 Sierra Leone Le 1000 sg ?, Scott?
Attachments
2005 MAURY US-Destroyers-Scorts (2).jpg

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