USS McCalla (DD-488)

USS McCalla (DD-488) was a Gleaves class destroyer that took part in the battle for Guadalcanal, New Georgia, in the Marshals, as an escort for the fast carriers before ending the war on escort duties.

The McCalla was named after Bowman H. McCalla, who served in the US Navy during the Civil War, the Spanish American War and the Boxer Rebellion.

The McCalla was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J. on 15 September 1941, launched on 20 March 1942 and commissioned on 27 May 1942.

The McCalla was originally classified as a Bristol class ship, which were built with four 5in guns instead of the five installed on the Livermore/ Gleaves class. However after the fifth gun was removed from those ships all of the Bristol class ships joined the Livermore/ Gleaves class.

1942

The McCalla carried out her first war duty during her shakedown cruise, escorting a convoy from Cap May, N.J. to New York on 19 July 1942. On 3 August she reported to Norfolk to carrry out anti-submarine duties along the mid Atlantic coast. In mid August she escorted oilers to Aruba, and then continued on to the Pacific, reaching Noumea on 28 September.

Bow view of USS Mccalla (DD-488), Mare Island, 1944

The McCalla left Espiritu Santo with Task Force 64 on 7 October, but Admiral Scott then ordered to to return to Espiritu Santo to pick on mail and she didn’t rejoin the force until 11 October. She was thus back with the force in time to take part in the battle of Cape Esperance (11-12 October), a clash between American and Japanese forces both escorting convoys to Guadalcanal. At the start of the battle the McCalla was at the rear of the American formation. By 2353 she was firing at a possible heavy cruiser and a destroyer. Most of the gunfire ended soon after midnight, although the McCalla briefly fired at a destroyer at 0016. In the aftermath of the battle she was ordered to remain in the area to support the Boise, which had suffered serious damage. However she was never able to find the cruiser. Instead the McCalla rescued the crew of the Duncan from the sea, picking up nine officers and 186 men. She also picked up three Japanese sailors found nearby.

The McCalla also attempted to salvage the Duncan but she sank on 12 October after the fires onboard threatened to reach the forward magazine, forcing the McCalla’s salvage crew to withdraw.

On 2 November the McCalla dropped depth charges in an area where a submarine had been reported. This is sometimes said to be I-15, but that submarine is known to have been intact on 3 November. A number of other Japanese submarines were lost in the area on uncertain dates, but none fit with the 2 November date. At the time the McCalla wasn’t credited with a victory.

On 25 November she spotted Japanese landing craft operating off Tassafaronga Point, and sank forty of them.

1943

In the first half of 1943 the McCalla carried out plane guard, escort and antisubmarine patrol duties in the Fiji, New Hebrides and Solomon Islands.

Stern view of USS Mccalla (DD-488), Mare Island, 1944

On 30 June the McCalla supported the landings on Rendova Island (New Georgia). After the landings were complete a Japanese aircraft torpedoed the transport McCawley (APA-4), htting her in the engine room and knocking out all power. The McCalla claimed one victory and two possibles in the first wave of the Japanese attack and one victory and an assist in the second. Most of the crew were evacuated from the McCalla, leaving a salvage party. However it was soon clear she was sinking, so the McCalla was ordered to take off the salvage party. She soon had all 98 of the McCawley’s crew onboard. The McCawley was then hit by a second torpedo and sank in thirty seconds. Unfortunately this torpedo had been fired by an American torpedo boat.

On 5 July she supported a force of Marine Raiders that landed at Rice Anchorage. On 9 July she took part in a bombardment of Munda Airfield.

She spent the next few months on escort and anti-submarine work.

On the night of 29 September the McCalla was operating off Kolombangara, attempting to interpect Japanese barges evacuating the garrison. However she first suffered from stearing problems, and then collided with the Patterson, suffering serious damage to her bows. She had to be towed back to safety. Temporary repairs were carried out at Purvis Bay, Florida Island, and she then returned to the US for repairs at Mare Island. On her way back she recued 868 survivors from the torpedoed troop transport SS Cape San Juan.

1944

The McCalla departed for the South Pacific on 8 January 1944 and reached Majuro in February. She was allocated to anti-submarine and escort duties in the Marhsll Islands.

On 24 April she returned to Pearl Harbor to prepare to join the fast carriers of Task Force 58. After carrying out carrier group exercises  from Pearl Harbor she joined the fast carriers at Majuro. From then until the end of October she was part of their screen and supported them during raids on the Marianas, Bonins, Palaus, Philippines, Formosa, and Okinawa.

On 24 October she returned to escort duties and spent the next four months escorting convoys between Ulithi, Eniwetok, Pelelieu, Manus, and Leyte.

1945

In mid-February she moved to Leyte, and she started escorting ships moving between the islands of the Philippines. In June the Dutch East Indies were added to her area.

On the night of 10-11 March the McCalla and Robinson bombarded Japanese targets on the Zamboanga Peninsula of Mindanao in support of troops who had just landed on the island.

In early July she began a short period on moppoing operations in the western Carolines. However on 22 July she departed for Portland, Oregan, to be prepared for deactivation. She reached Portland on 9 August.

Post War.

In January 1946 she moved to Charleston, where she decommissioned on 17 May and joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.

She was recommissioned on 11 December 1948 to prepare for transfer to Turkish control. A small Turkish crew arrived and undertook a number of short training cruisers. She then sailed for Turkey, where she was transferred to Turkish control on 29 April 1949. She served in the Turkish navy as the Giresun (D-345). She remained in Turkish service until 1973 when she was struck off and scrapped.

McCalla received 11 battle stars for World War II service, for Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal, the naval battle of Guadalcanal, consolidation of the Solomons, New Georgia, the Marianas, The Western Carolines (Palau islands), Western New Guinea, Leyte, Third Fleet operations against Japan, and the consolidation of the Southern Philippines.

U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History, Norman Friedmann . The standard history of the development of American destroyers, from the earliest torpedo boat destroyers to the post-war fleet, and covering the massive classes of destroyers built for both World Wars. Gives the reader a good understanding of the debates that surrounded each class of destroyer and led to their individual features.

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