USS Tillman (DD-641)

USS Tillman (DD-641) was a Gleaves class destroyer that took part in Operation Torch and the invasion of Sicily, then served on convoy escort duty, before ending the war serving in the rear areas in the Pacific.

The Tillman was named after Benjamin Ryan Tillman, governor of South Carolina from 1890-94 and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs during the First World War.

USS Tillman (DD-641) and USS Beatty (DD-640) ready to launch

The Tillman was laid down at the Charleston Navy Yard on 1 May 1941 and launched on 20 December 1941. The Tillman was sponsored by Mrs Charles S. Moore, with Miss Minnie Moore as her Maid of Honor. Former Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels also took part, speaking behalf of the late Senator Tillman. She was commissioned on 4 June 1942.

The Tillman 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.

Her shakedown period lasted from June-September 1942. She spent September and October on convoy escort duty and took part in exercises along the East Coast.

On 23 October she left Chesapeake Bay as part of a convoy heading for North Africa, to take part in Operation Torch. She was allocated to the forces attacking Fedhala. She arrived six miles off the coast of Africa just before midnight on 7-8 November and screened the transports.

Just after midnight on 7-8 November the Vichy French patrol vessel W-43 attempted to escort a convoy of six merchantmen and fishing boats through the transport area. This brought them into contact with the Tillman and the minesweeper USS Auk (AM-57), which were screening the minelayer Miantonomah. They opened fire on the French patrol vessel, causing an explosion and forcing her to beach. Three of the merchant ships were captured.

On 10 November Vichy destroyers attacked the US troops advancing on Casablanca. The Tillman, Augusta (CA-31) and Edison (DD-439) intervened, attacking the French destroyers. In return they came under fire from the French guns at El Hank. The Tillman hit one of the French destroyers, damaging its steering and leaving it moving in circles.

On 12 November she left North Africa to escort a convoy back to New York, arriving on 1 December.

After her return to the US the Tillman began convoy escort duties in the Atlantic, as well as taking part in exercises off Casco Bay, Maine.

1943

Early on 8 February 1943 she ran into the paravane boom of a merchant vessel anchored in the channel of New York harbour, forcing her undergo repairs. These were completed by the end of February as she spent part of February and March carrying out escort duties for the Eastern Sea frontier.

USS Tillman (DD-641) being towed after launch

In the spring of 1943 she escorted across the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean.

On 5 July she left Oran with a convoy heading towards Sicily to take part in Operation Husky.

The Tillman supported the landings near Scoglitti on 10 July, opening fire at targets on Yellow Beach at 0331, before dawn. At 0430 a stick of six bombs exploded 300 yards off her starboard bow, briefly knocking out her radar. At 0530 she fired on and silenced a shore battery that had been firing on the beach. For the rest of 10 July and 1 July she patrolled off the invasion beaches. On 11 July she helped fight off Axis air attacks and responded to requests from fire control officers on shore. On 15 July she departed for Oran escorting a convoy of transports returning from Sicily.

The Tillman spent the rest of 1943 on convoy escort duties in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. On 1 September she passed through the Straits of Gibraltar heading east from New York on Bizerte. On 2 September she was attacked by a German torpedo bomber but managed to evade the torpedoes, with one passing 30 yards in front of her then down her port side. During the same attack the Kendrick (DD-612) was hit by a torpedo but was able to return to Oran under her own power. The convoy reached Bizerte on 4 September, where on 6 September it was the target of a 30 minute long air attack on the harbour. Thirteen of her crew were wounded by a spent AA shell that exploded on her deck.

On 6 November 1943 she was part of the escort of Convoy KMF-25A, which was attacked by German aircraft off the coast of Algeria. The Tillman was missed by three radio controlled glider-bombs – one was shot down by the Tillman, a second crashed after the control aircraft was shot down, the third after the control aircraft turned away to avoid the Tillman’s AA fire. However during the same attack the Beatty (DD-640) was hit by a torpedo, eventually sinking four and an hour hours later. The Tillman was also the target of five torpedo bombers, but was able to avoid a number of torpedoes, the nearest of which came within 60 feet of her. After the attack was over the Tillman helped rescue survivors from the merchant ship SS Santa Elena, one of two sunk during the attack. She then took the survivors to Philippeville.

In December 1943 the Tillman started a long spell of convoy escort work, moving between the US, the Mediterranean and the United Kingdom.

1944

This continued throughout 1944.

1945

In late January 1945 the Tillman joined the large force that escorted President Roosevelt as he crossed the Atlantic on the cruiser Quincy, on the first stage of his voyage to the ‘Big Three’ conference at Yalta. She formed part of the escort as it left the US on 21 January, before being detached on the morning of 26 January as the convoy approached Bermuda. A month later she escorted the President on the final stages of his voyage home, meeting up with them on 24 February, as they approached the East Coast. The convoy reached Newport News on 27 February.

Much of the first three months of 1945 were spent on exercises in the Caribbean or off the US East Coast.

On 28 Mach the Tillman left Delaware Bay at the start of a voyage to the Pacific.

USS Tillman (DD-641) underway, 1944

On 16 April the Tillman, Atlanta (CL-104) and Willard Keith (DD-775) left the US west coast heading to Hawaii, arriving on 21 April. The Tillman took part in exercises around Hawaii, then departed on 1 May.

From May to September she was used on life guard and anti-submarine duties around Guam and Ulithi, two key American bases but already in the rear areas.

On 5 September, after the end of the war, the Japanese commander of the garrison on Yap formally surrendered onboard the Tillman in Tamil Harbour.

The Tillman continued to work in the Caroline and south Mariana Islands until 3 November 1945 when she departed for Pearl Harbor. She continued east, and reached Charleston on 11 December 1945, where she was inactivated.

She was decommissioned on 6 February 1947, struck off on 1 June 1970 and sold for scrap on 8 May 1972.

Tillman received three battle stars for World War II service, for Operation Torch, the Invasion of Sicily and Convoy KMF-25A.

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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