Allied Warships

USS The Sullivans (DD 537)

Destroyer of the Fletcher class

Navy	The US Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Fletcher
Pennant	DD 537
Built by	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., (San Francisco, California, U.S.A.)
Ordered	9 Sep 1940
Laid down	10 Oct 1942
Launched	4 Apr 1943
Commissioned	30 Sep 1943
End service	7 Jan 1965
History	USS The Sullivans is named for five brothers who lost their lives in the Battle of the Solomon Islands when their cruiser, USS Juneau (CL 52) was sunk. She is an excellent example of the Fletcher class, the largest and most important class of U.S. destroyer in World War II, forming the backbone of destroyer forces throughout the war. The Sullivans served with distinction in World War II, taking part in intense combat, rescuing downed aviators, and earning nine battle stars for her service. After a Korean War deployment, the vessel was laid up. Acquired by the City of Buffalo, The Sullivans is displayed on the city's lakefront with USS Little Rock, USS Croaker, and an array of aircraft and military vehicles. USS The Sullivans is a National Historic Landmark. Decommissioned 10 January 1946. Recommissioned 6 July 1951. Decommissioned 7 January 1965. Stricken 1 December 1974. Preserved as a memorial 21 June 1977, Berthed at Buffalo, New York.

Commands listed for USS The Sullivans (DD 537)

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	Commander	From	To
1	T/Cdr. Kenneth Mcloud Gentry, USN	30 Sep 1943	22 Jul 1944 (1)
2	T/Cdr. Ralph Jacob Baum, USN	22 Jul 1944	19 Sep 1945

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Notable events involving The Sullivans include:

12 Feb 1944
Task Force 58 departed Majuro Atoll for operation HAILSTONE, a raid against the Japanese base at Truk Atoll.

Task Force 58 was made up of the following ships;

Task Group 58.1
Aircraft carriers USS Enterprise (Capt. M.B. Gardner, USN), USS Yorktown (Capt. R.E. Jennings, USN), light carrier USS Belleau Wood (Capt. A.M. Pride, USN), light cruisers Santa Fé (Capt. J. Wright, USN), Mobile (Capt. C.J. Wheeler, USN), Biloxi (Capt. D.M. McGurl, USN), USS Oakland (Capt. W.K. Phillips, USN) and the destroyers USS Clarence K. Bronson (Lt.Cdr. J.C. McGoughran, USN), USS Cotten (Cdr. F.T. Sloat, USN), USS Dortch (Cdr. R.C. Young, USN), USS Gatling (Cdr. A.F. Richardson, USN), USS Healy (Cdr. J.C. Atkeson, USN), USS Cogswell (Cdr. H.T. Deutermann, USN), USS Caperton (Cdr. W.J. Miller, USN), USS Ingersoll (Cdr. A.C. Veasey, USN), USS Knapp (Cdr. F. Virden, USN).

Task Group 58.2
Aircraft carriers USS Essex (Capt. R.A. Ofstie, USN), USS Intrepid (Capt. T.L. Sprague, USN), light carrier USS Cabot (Capt. M.F. Schoeffel, USN), heavy cruisers USS Wichita (Capt J.J. Mahoney, USN), USS Baltimore (Capt. W.C. Calhoun, USN), light cruisers USS San Francisco (Capt. H.E. Overesch, USN), USS San Diego (Capt. L.J. Hudson, USN), destroyers USS Owen (Cdr. R.W. Wood, USN), USS Miller (Cdr. T.H. Kobey, USN), USS The Sullivans (Cdr. K.M. Gentry, USN), USS Stephen Potter (Cdr. C.H. Crichton, USN), USS Hickox (Cdr. W.M. Sweetser, USN), USS Hunt (Cdr. H.A. Knoertzer, USN), USS Lewis Hancock (Cdr. C.H. Lyman, 3rd, USN), USS Stembel (Cdr. W.L. Tagg, USN) and USS Stack (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Wheeler, USN).

Task Group 58.3
Aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill (Capt. T.P. Jeter, USN), light carriers USS Monterey (Capt. L.T. Hundt, USN), USS Cowpens (Capt. R.P. McConnell, USN), battleships USS North Carolina (Capt. F.P. Thomas, USN), USS Massachusetts (Capt. T.D. Ruddock, Jr., USN), USS South Dakota (Capt. A.E. Smith, USN), USS Alabama (Capt. F.D. Kirtland, USN), USS Iowa (Capt. J.L. McCrea, USN), USS New Jersey (Capt. C.F. Holden, USN), heavy cruisers USS Minneapolis (Capt. R.W. Bates, USN), USS New Orleans (Capt. S.R. Shumaker, USN), destroyers USS Izard (Cdr. E.K. van Swearingen, USN), USS Charrette (Cdr. E.S. Karpe, USN), USS Conner (Cdr. W.E. Kaitner, USN), USS Bell (Cdr. L.C. Petross, USN), USS Burns (Cdr. D.T. Eller, USN), USS Bradford (Cdr. R.L. Morris, USN), USS Brown (Cdr. T.H. Copeman, USN), USS Cowell (Cdr. C.W. Parker, USN), USS Wilson (Lt.Cdr. C.K. Duncan, USN), USS Sterett (Lt.Cdr. F.J.L. Blouin, USN) and USS Lang (Cdr. H. Payson, Jr., USN).

4 Aug 1944
USS Iowa (Capt. J.L. McCrea, USN) topped off four of the destroyers of the Task Group, USS Morrison (Cdr. W.H. Price, USN), USS The Sullivans (Cdr. K.M. Gentry, USN), USS Laws (Cdr. L.O. Wood, USN) and USS Miller (Cdr. T.H. Kobey, USN), with fuel.

25 Oct 1944
USS Iowa (Capt. A.R. McCann, USN) fuelled the destroyers, USS Colahan (Cdr. D.T. Wilber, USN) and USS Tingey (Cdr. J.O. Miner, USN). Upon completion of the fuelling Iowa and other units of the Task Group formed Task Unit 34.5 and proceeded south at high speed (28 knots) towards San Bernardino Strait in the hope of intercepting the enemy force approaching that strait from the southward.

Task Unit 34.5 was made up of battleships USS Iowa (Capt. A.R. McCann, USN), USS New Jersey (Capt. C.F. Holden, USN), light cruisers USS Vincennes (Capt. A.D. Brown, USN), USS Biloxi (Capt. D.M. McGurl, USN), USS Miami (Capt. J.G. Crawford, USN), destroyers USS Miller (Lt.Cdr. D.L. Johnson, USN), USS Owen (Cdr. C.B.Jones, USN), USS Tingey (Cdr. J.O. Miner, USN), USS The Sullivans (Cdr. R.J. Baum, USN) and USS Lewis Hancock (Cdr. W.M. Searles, USN).

24 Dec 1944
USS Iowa (Capt. J.L. Holloway, Jr., USN) arrived at Ulithi where her no.3 shaft was inpected by divers. It was decided that it was required to dock Iowa for repairs.

Later the same day Iowa departed Ulithi for Seeadler Harbour. She was escorted by the destroyers USS Tingey (Cdr. J.O. Miner, USN) and USS The Sullivans (Cdr. R.J. Baum, USN).

For the daily positions of USS Iowa during this passage see the map below.