Fletcher-class destroyer
USS
Schroeder
in October 1945
|
History
|
United States
|
Name
| Schroeder
|
Namesake
| Seaton Schroeder
|
Builder
| Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
,
Kearny, New Jersey
|
Laid down
| 25 June 1942
|
Launched
| 11 November 1942
|
Commissioned
| 1 January 1943
|
Decommissioned
| 29 April 1946
|
Stricken
| 1 October 1972
|
Fate
| Sold for scrap, 1 January 1974
|
General characteristics
|
Class and type
| Fletcher
-class
destroyer
|
Displacement
| 2,050 tons
|
Length
| 376 ft 6 in (114.76 m)
|
Beam
| 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m)
|
Draft
| 17 ft 9 in (5.41 m)
|
Propulsion
| 60,000 shp (45,000 kW); 2 propellers
|
Speed
| 35 kn (65 km/h; 40 mph)
|
Range
| 6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
|
Complement
| 336
|
Armament
| |
USS
Schroeder
(DD-501)
, a
Fletcher
-class
destroyer
, was a ship of the
United States Navy
, named for Rear Admiral
Seaton Schroeder
(1849–1922). Entering service in 1943, the ship saw action during
World War II
, participating in the
Battle of Tarawa
. Following the war the destroyer was placed in reserve, remaining in this state until 1972. She was sold for
scrap
in 1974.
Construction and career
[
edit
]
Schroeder
was
laid down
on 25 June 1942 by the
Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Kearny, New Jersey
and
launched
on 11 November 1942, sponsored by Miss Grace Wainwright Schroeder. The destroyer was
commissioned
on 1 January 1943.
1943
[
edit
]
Schroeder
provided escort for two separate
aircraft carriers
making shakedown cruises to the
Caribbean
and a
convoy
of merchant ships bound for
Casablanca
before steaming to the Pacific.
After an overhaul at
Mare Island Navy Yard
, she steamed west and joined
Destroyer Squadron 25
(DesRon 25) at
Pearl Harbor
on 28 July 1943.
Schroeder
assisted in screening the carrier task force which attacked
Marcus Island
on 1 September. While bombarding
Wake Island
early the next month, she was taken under fire for the first time but suffered no casualties.
After the Wake Island bombardment,
Schroeder
sailed to the
New Hebrides Islands
for training with amphibious forces. In early November, she joined the
Gilbert Islands
invasion force. On the morning of 20 November,
Schroeder
was in the bombardment group that shelled the eastern coast of
Tarawa Atoll
. She entered the lagoon early the next morning to provide fire support for the
Marines
landing on Tarawa
. In addition to fire support, the destroyer also acted as a
first aid
ship for wounded Marines.
Schroeder
departed Tarawa on 24 November for Pearl Harbor for repairs, as she had damaged her screws on a
coral
reef
in the lagoon.
1944
[
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]
Schroeder
was back with her division, on 1 February 1944, when it screened transports and provided fire support for the
assault on Kwajalein Island
. She remained in the
Marshalls
for several weeks and, from 20 to 24 February, bombarded
Maloelap
and
Wotje
Atolls. On 1 March, she sailed to the New Hebrides Islands where she participated in more training exercises.
On 20 March,
Schroeder
and her division bombarded Japanese coast defenses at
Kavieng
,
New Ireland
, with nearly 900 rounds of ammunition; departing for
Efate
in the evening.
Schroeder
loaded ammunition at
Espiritu Santo
and on 1 April, escorted
Pocomoke
and SS
Red Rover
to
Guadalcanal
; joined a merchant convoy there, and escorted it to
Milne Bay
,
New Guinea
. Later in the month, she participated in the bombardment of enemy positions at
Hollandia
; and, then screened transports and
LSTs
at
Humboldt Bay
. She performed fighter director duties until 30 April when she departed with a convoy for
Cape Sudest
and, later, to
Buna
.
Schroeder
operated in the
Purvis Bay
-Guadalcanal area until she departed for
Kwajalein
, on 4 June, as a unit of Task Group 53.1 (TG 53.1). The TG was at
Eniwetok
on 28 June where
Schroeder
underwent a period of upkeep and logistics.
On 11 July the DD and her division departed for the
Mariana Islands
. From 16 to 20 July, the division bombarded the Tumon area of
Guam
.
Schroeder
then served on picket duty until 4 August when she escorted a convoy back to Eniwetok. After returning to Espiritu Santo for a period of upkeep and logistics, she sailed for Humboldt Bay on 22 August.
Schroeder
was assigned to TG 77.5 which sortied, on 13 September, for the invasion of
Morotai
,
Netherlands East Indies
. She screened LSTs in their approach to
Pitoe Bay
and then served on picket duty until departing for Humboldt Bay on 21 September.
The destroyer sailed, on 13 October, with TF 78 for
Panoan Island
,
P.I.
She entered
Leyte Gulf
at midnight, 19 October, with a group of transports, and, the next morning, began performing
ASW
and fighter director duties. On 25 October, she withdrew from the area and sailed for San Francisco. She arrived there on 23 November and underwent a period of overhaul and availability.
1945
[
edit
]
On 11 January 1945,
Schroeder
moved down the coast to
San Diego
. Departing there on 20 January, the veteran destroyer was back in
Ulithi
on 7 February where she joined TF 58, the
Fast Carrier Task Force
. The task force sortied on 10 February. On 16 and 17 February, the carriers launched attacks against airfields, aircraft factories, and shipping in the Tokyo area. The next day, the flattops launched strikes against the
Volcano Islands
in preparation for the forthcoming assault against that Japanese bastion.
Schroeder
returned to Ulithi in early March, but, by 23 March, was again operating off the Japanese home islands. Detached from the task group on 31 March, she and
Murray
proceeded to Ulithi. She sailed from there on 10 April as a unit of TG 50.8, which was proceeding to
Okinawa
to support the landings there. On 16 April, the destroyer, supporting the landing on
Ie Shima
, was at general quarters nine different times to repel enemy air attacks. Five days later,
Schroeder
with DesDiv 49, bombarded the western side of
Minami Daito Shima
. The bombardment caused many fires ashore but brought no return gunfire from the enemy positions.
Schroeder
returned to Ulithi, from 27 April to 9 May, for a period of upkeep, replenishment, and recreation. She rejoined the fast carriers three days later as they conducted bombing and photographic missions over
Ky?sh?
. Four days later, they supported the troops on southern Okinawa.
Task Force 58 entered
San Pedro Bay
, on 13 June for an upkeep period. It sortied on 1 July, and, on 10 July, the carriers launched sustained strikes against Tokyo. On 17?18 July, strikes were launched against targets in the Tokyo-
Yokohama
area. On 31 July
Schroeder
shelled
Shimizu
,
Honsh?
Island.
On 6 September, with hostilities ended, the task force entered
Tokyo Bay
and dissolved its units.
Schroeder
was ordered to join TF 11 at Okinawa and proceed to Pearl Harbor. She departed Pearl Harbor on 1 October, with orders assigning her to the east coast. On 2 November 1945, the destroyer entered the
Charleston Navy Yard
,
South Carolina
, and prepared for deactivation.
Schroeder
was decommissioned on 29 April 1946 and placed in the
Atlantic Reserve Fleet
. She remained in reserve until 1 October 1972 when she was struck from the
Navy List
.
Schroeder
was sold to Southern Materials Co., Ltd.,
New Orleans
, Louisiana, on 1 January 1974.
Honors
[
edit
]
Schroeder
received 10
battle stars
for
World War II
service.
References
[
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]
External links
[
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]