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USS Welles (DD-628) was a Gleaves class destroyer that supported the fighting on New Britain, the Admiralty Islands, New Guinea, the Philippines (fighting at the battle of Surigao Strait) then screened the fast carriers during 1945.
The Welles was named after Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy for Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War.
The Welles was laid down by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp at Seattle on 27 September 1941, launched on 7 September 1942 when she was sponsored by Mrs. Suzanne Dudley Welles Brainard, and commissioned on 16 August 1943.
The Welles 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.
After her post-shakedown period she departed for San Diego, escorting two British escort carriers. She left San Diego on 15 November, escorting the USS Guadalcanal and Mission Bay (CVE-59) to the Panama Canal. On the way they carried out a mock ‘attack’ on the Gatun locks of the Panama Canal. Although they were discovered out at sea they managed to trick a formation of B-24 Liberators into turning back, and carried out a generally successful ‘attack’ on 23 November, marred by the death of one USAAF fighter pilot whose aircraft spun and crashed during mock dogfights.
The small formation passed through the Panama Canal on 28 November. The voyage on to US ports was more nervous, as up to six U-boats had been reported in the area, but the Guadalcanal reached Norfolk, the Mission Bay Portsmouth and the Welles New York without incident. The Welles reached New York on 4 December where she joined Destroyer Division 38. On 26-27 December she moved to Boston, and on 28 December she and her division got underway with the New Jersey (BB-62), heading for the Pacific. At Norfolk they were joined by the Iowa (BB-61).
1944
They passed through the Panama Canal in the first week of January, and reached Funafuti in the Ellice Islands on 21 January. A week the Welles departed for New Guinea, arriving at Milne Bay on 5 February, where she joined the US Seventh Fleet, which was used to support MacArthur’s operations.
Later in February the Thompson escorted a convoy of LSTs to Cape Gloucester on New Britain, where US troops had landed late in 1943 and were still fighting.
On 29 February the Welles supported the US invasion of Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands. She provided fire support for the US 1st Cavalry as it landed on the island, and came under fire from automatic weapons and at least one field gun, although took no damage. She then moved into the transport area to carry out anti-submarine patrols. She also continued to provide fire support.
In March she moved to the US base at Buna on New Guinea to join the forces gathering for the attack on Hollandia, further west along the island. The Welles joined TG 77.2, the Central Attack Group, and supporting the landings at Humboldt Bay on 22 April, the first day of the invasion.
On 18 May she supported the landings at Wakde Island and Sarmi, another leap west along the north coast of New Guinea.
From 27 May to 2 June she provided fire support for the landings on Biak Island, the next leap west. During this operation she also sank several Japanese barges and helped fight off air attacks.
The rest of June was spent screening convoys operating along the coast of New Guinea. She then supported the invasion of Noemfoor Island, sixty miles to the west of Biak. US forces landed at Noemfoor on 2 July, and the three Japanese airfields in the area were captured by 6 July. Finally she took part in the landings at Cape Sansapor on the Vogelkop Peninsula, at the western end of New Guinea, in late July. This was the last major amphibious operation in New Guinea, and saw Allied bases spread out along the entire north coast of the massive island (although with some isolated Japanese bases still holding out in the gaps).
From Sansapor the Welles moved east to Aitape then to Finschhafen, then on 23 August she departed for the Solomon Islands. She reached Florida Island on 26 August, where she joined the main US Pacific Fleet, at that point designated as the Third Fleet.
The Welles took part in the invasions of Peleliu and Anguar in the Palau Islands, starting in September 1944. She screened the carriers during the initial landings in mid-September. She was then detached from the carriers and used to provide anti-submarine cover for the transport area, and to stop any attempt to reinforce the two islands.
After the end of her involvement in the Palaus she joined TG 77.2, and prepared for the invasion of the Philippines. She entered Leyte Gulf on 18 October, two days before the landings on Leyte, to help screen the minesweepers and underwater demolition forces preparing for the invasion. She also took part in the pre-invasion bombardments. After the initial landings on 20 October she provided fire support for the troops on land, and defended against air attacks, claiming one victory.
During the battle of Leyte Gulf the Welles joined Admiral Oldendorf’s force, which destroyed the two Japanese forces that attempted to push through the Surigao Strait. Admiral Oldendorf’s force was built around six of the ‘older’ battleships, and massively outnumbered the incoming Japanese. Soon after this battle the Welles left Leyte and moved to Ulithi, where she joined the screen of the Fast Carrier Task Force.
1945
During 1945 the Welles was repeatedly used to screen the fast carriers as they attacked targets around what was left of the Japanese Empire.
On 3-4 January 1945 she supported the carriers as they attacked Formosa. On 6-7 January the target was Luzon, and on 9 January they were back at Formosa. On 12 January they hit the Chinese coast, on 15 January Formosa, 16 January China, 21 January Formosa and 22 January Nansei Shoto (the Ryukyu Islands).
From 15 February-5 March she supported the carriers as they supported the invasion of Iwo Jima.
From 16 March-21 May she supported the carriers as they carried out raids to support the invasion of Okinawa, then from 24 March-30 June supported them as they supported the invasion of Okinawa itself.
In June 1945 she returned to Leyte for rest and upkeep, and on 21 June she was ordered back to the US for an overhaul. She reached Bremerton on 16 July and was still undergoing her overhaul when the war ended.
She wasn’t sent back to the Pacific. Instead on 29 September she was sent to the East Coast, reaching New York on 20 October. She then moved to Charleston, where she was placed out of commission on 4 February 1946. She was struck off on 10 February 1968 and sold for scrap on 18 July 1969.
Welles earned eight battle stars during World War II, for the Bismarck Archipelago, Hollandia, Western New Guinea, the Palau Islands, Leyte, Luzon, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Displacement (standard) |
1,630t design |
Displacement (loaded) |
2,395t |
Top Speed |
35kts design |
Engine |
2-shaft Westinghouse turbines |
Range |
6500nm at 12kt design |
Length |
348ft 3in |
Width |
36ft 1in |
Armaments |
Five 5in/38 guns |
Crew complement |
208 |
Laid down |
27 September 1941 |
Launched |
7 September 1942 |
Commissioned |
16 August 1943 |
Struck off |
10 February 1968 |
Sold for scrap |
18 July 1969 |