A HISTORY OF DESTROYER SQUADRON 23 DURING WORLD WAR II
Destroyer squadron 23 was first activated at Boston on May 11, 1943, when Captain Martin J. Gilliam, Jr. USN took command and hoisted his pennant in the USS FOOTE DD 511. The only other ships of the squadron present were the USS SPENCE DD 512, and the USS CHARLES AUSBURNE DD 570 who was designated flagship of Destroyer Division 45. Later she was to become flagship of the squadron. Other ships assigned to the squadron at that time were the USS CLAXTON DD 571 and the USS DYSON DD572, but they were on detached duty elsewhere. Other ships were to be assigned later. The squadron would consist of two divisions of four ships each, Division 45 and Division 46. DESRON 23 would not operate as a unit, with all 8 ships present, until late October half a world away in the South Pacific. In the intervening months the various ships would be used in detached service, either singly or in small groups. On August 14, Capt. Gilliam broke his flag from the AUSBURNE and she remained Squadron flagship for the remainder of WW II as well as flag of Div. 45. All ships of the squadron were brand new and of the Fletcher class, and during these first months some were still undergoing shakedowns, sea trials and Navy Yard availabilities. The various ships made their way, singly or in small groups, in the screens of convoys to the South Pacific. The Squadron began to operate from Purvis Bay in the Solomons during September 1943 with the AUSBURNE, CLAXTON and DYSON in DESDIV 45 and CONVERSE and SPENCE in DESDIV 46. There were many operations up 'The Slot", all night spent shooting up Jap barges and fighting off air attacks, back to Purvis for a few hours then out again. During the early weeks of October, other ships of the squadron arrived in the area and on Oct 21 Capt. Gilliam was detached as COMDESRON 23. On Oct 23 Capt. Arleigh Burke took command in Esperito Santos, New Hebrides. The organization of the squadron at that time was as follows:
COMDESRON 23 Capt. Arleigh Burke
COMDESDIV 45 Capt. Arleigh Burke
DESDIV 45-
CHARLES AUSBURNE DD 570 Cmdr. L. K. Reynolds
CLAXTON DD571 Cmdr. H. F. Stout
DYSON DD 572 Cmdr. R. A Gano
STANLY DD478 Cmdr. R. W. Cavenagh
COMDESDIV 46 Cmdr. B. L. "Count" Austin
DESDIV 46-
SPENCE DD 512 Cmdr. H. J. Armstrong
THATCHER DD 514 Cmdr. L. R. Lampman
CONVERSE DD 509 Cmdr. C. E. Hamberger
FOOTE DD 511 Cmdr. Alston Ramsay
During Capt. Burke's squadron inspection, while aboard the CLAXTON, he noticed that one of the torpedomen had drawn a picture of a little Indian boy on his torpedo mount. He liked it and decided to adopt it as the squadron logo. It was a picture of Little Beaver, the Indian boy "sidekick" of Red Ryder; a popular comic strip character of that time. It was to become very famous as the logo of "The Little Beavers", DESRON 23. Many times official dispatches referred to them by that nickname. Even today it is a widely known name in Naval circles. Each ship of the squadron had a Little Beaver painted on the side of the bridge.
The STANLY, CONVERSE, SPENCE and THATCHER were at Purvis Bay or enroute there at this time and the squadron joined them on October 27. DESRON 23 became a part of TASKFORCE 39 under command of Adm. Tip Merrill. The rest of the force consisted of 4 light cruisers of CRUDIV 12, the MONTPELIER, DENVER, COLUMBIA and CLEVELAND. On Oct. 28, TF 39 sortied from Purvis at 1015 heading up the slot to cover landings on Treasury Island, returning to base the following day. On Oct. 31 the same force sortied on a mission to bombard Buka airfield on the north end of Bougainville. They were in position about midnight and started firing as scheduled. Range about 15500 yards. After a high speed retirement to the south end of Bougainville, the force commenced bombarding an airfield on Shortland Island. Range about 12000 yards, and there was some ineffective answering fire. Our Marines were, at this time, making landings at Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville. TF 39 retired to Kula Gulf to refuel the destroyers and then immediately headed north to intercept a reported Jap cruiser force. This force consisted of two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and six destroyers. At 0227 Nov. 2,1943, radar contact was made and thus started the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay. DESDIV 45 shoved off to deliver a radar controlled torpedo attack on the enemy flank, 25 torpedos were fired at 0246. The Japanese spotted our cruisers at about that time and made a radical turn which caused the torpedoes to miss. The US cruisers then opened fire causing confusion in the enemy columns; this resulted in collisions involving four of their ships. The battle then became one of much gunfire and high speed maneuvering with some ships of both sides becoming separated from the formations. During this phase the FOOTE caught a Jap torpedo in her stern which blew off the fantail. the SPENCE caught a shell hit at the waterline causing salt water to get into a fuel tank and later slowed her a bit. The SPENCE and the THATCHER side swiped each other, without serious damage. The SPENCE and CONVERSE fired 8 TORPEDOS at Jap cruiser SENDAI with two hits, but she did not sink. DESDIV 45 finished her off later with gunfire. Also at one point SPENCE was on opposite side of a Jap destroyer being fired upon by DESDIV 45 and began to receive some near misses. Count Austin radioed Burke "We have just had another close miss, Hope you're not shooting at us". Burke radioed back "Sorry, but you will have to excuse the next 4 salvos as they are already on the way". The SPENCE took evasive action. The enemy retired from the scene at 0337 after losing one light cruiser, one destroyer and his other ships all damaged. TF 39 had one cruiser lightly damaged, the FOOTE badly damaged and the SPENCE lightly damaged.
At daylight the THATCHER took the FOOTE in tow with AUSBURNE and CLAXTON
escorting. The remainder of the force started retirement south. At daybreak air cover had
arrived, 16 P-38 planes from AIRSOLS. These were vectored out to intercept a raid coming
in from Rabaul. They shot down 8 out of an estimated group of 80. The remainder passed
over FOOTE and THATCHER without attacking, but fell upon the main force. An estimated 24
planes were splashed in the following fight and only two hits were made on the entire
force, bomb hits on the MONTPELIER with light damage. The salvage tug SIOUX took over the
tow from THATCHER shortly after with AUSBURNE proceeding with the force. CLAXTON,
THATCHER and FOOTE arrived Purvis on Nov.4. The next few weeks saw the squadron
continuously engaged in screening, bombardments and fending off air attacks around
Bougainville. While with the cruisers on Nov 11th the force observed 5 parachutes come out
of a B24 bomber in trouble. The CLAXTON picked up two, the AUSBURNE one, the STANLEY one
and the CONVERSE one.
On the 8th, the FOOTE and THATCHER had been detached to return to
the states for repairs. On Nov 17 the "Little Beavers" were entrusted with a
mission deep into Jap territory. They bombarded Buka airfield again, this time without the
cruisers for protection. It was the first time in the South Pacific war that a Destroyer
Unit had been given such a mission. On the way in a surfaced Jap submarine was encountered
and sunk by the CONVERSE and later a torpedo plane attack was driven off. The mission was
completed at about 0500. The squadron was in Hathorn Sound refueling on Nov 24 when
ordered to proceed north to a point off Bougainville with all haste. At this time they
were down to only five ships operational and were organized as follows:
DESDIV 45-
CHARLES AUSBURNE DD 570 (flag)
CLAXTON DD571
DYSON DD 572
DESDIV 46
CONVERSE DD 509 (flag)
SPENCE DD 512
The STANLY was in Purvis alongside the tender WHITNEY for much needed boiler repairs. Leaky boilers were a problem that plagued all ships of the squadron and made it necessary to ration fresh water to the crew many times. The SPENCE was only able to make 31 knots, this dictated the formation speed. Burke informed COMTHIRD FLEET his speed and estimated time of arrival at point "uncle". Adm. Halsey knew the ships were rated for 34 knots plus and sent this famous message which gave Capt. Burke the nickname that stuck with him the rest of his life: "Thirty One Knot Burke"
"For 31 knot Burke, get this. Put your squadron athwart the Buka-Rabaul evacuation line about 35 miles west of Buka. If no enemy contacts by early morning, come south to refuel same place. If enemy contacted you know what to do. HALSEY"
At 0141on Nov 25 1943 , Thanksgiving Day, a radar contact was made by DYSON and
that kicked off the classic destroyer engagement called the "Battle of Cape St.
George". The initial contact was at a range of 22000 yards and the squadron started a
radar controlled torpedo attack with Div 45 leading and Div 46 echeloned to starboard. At
a range of 5500 yards a salvo of 15 torpedoes were fired on two targets to port by Div 45.
During the approach, three additional targets were picked up on radar at about 13000
yards. The 15 torpedoes ran hot and true with hits on both targets. One exploded and sank
immediately the other was a burning hulk. Div 46 was ordered to finish off the cripple and
Div 45 took off in pursuit of the three other targets; who were hightailing it north after
seeing the explosions. They had a long head start and it soon was apparent that they were
destroyers making 32 knots. Burke's bunch managed to get 33 knots plus out of the old
boilers and got within gun range at 0222 opening fire at 8000 yards. The enemy returned
fire and there were many close splashes, but no hits with the Division zig-zagging in
evasive action. At 0300 one of the enemy burst into flames and slowed and, as the column
roared past, all ships poured it on. Burke circled back and DYSON fired a salvo of
torpedoes, but she sank before they arrived. Div 46 joined up and chase was given to the
two others, but they were too far away. An aircraft reported seeing a ship burning to the
north later and it may have been one that escaped. Three ships had been sunk without
casualties or damage to DESRON 23. They were later to be awarded the Presidential Unit
Citation for this plus previous actions. The US Naval War College was to call this
engagement "the almost perfect surface action." The tactics of this operation
were taught there at the college for many
years afterwards.
The crews got their Thanksgiving dinner later that day with turkeys cooked during the
battle under most difficult conditions. When the squadron arrived in Purvis at 2200 on Nov
25 they got an unprecedented welcome. The cruisers illuminated, manned the rails and
cheered them in. The next morning Thanksgiving services were held with chaplains borrowed
from the cruisers. The "Little Beavers" continued their now routine operations
of escorting, patrolling, bombarding and shooting at Jap airplanes. On Feb 4, 1944; while
on a bombardment mission at Sarime Plantation on Bougainville, the CLAXTON was hit by two
medium caliber shells. As a result she was detached and returned stateside for repairs.
Feb. 21 found the 4 ship squadron on a wide sweep to the north of New Ireland in the
Bismarks group. They divided into the two divisions and made separate forays, collectively
wreaking some havoc upon the Japs. They sank a tug, a minelayer, a small freighter and
several barges. The also bombarded Kavieng on the north end of New Ireland and an airfield
on Duke of York Island. The THATCHER returned from the states and rejoined the Little
Beavers on March 14.
The war was by then winding down in the South Pacific so DESRON 23 was transferred to a
fast carrier force, TF 58, in March 1944. On March 27, Capt. "31- knot" Burke
was relieved as COMDESRON 23. He was transferred across by high line to the carrier
LEXINGTON where he became Chief of Staff to Adm. Marc Mitscher. Burke went on to become
Admiral and after the war, CNO, the top job in the US Navy. On Apr. 8 Capt. Thomas Dugan
USN assumed command of the squadron at Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Operating
with the carriers of TG 58.4, the squadron participated in air strikes on the Palau
Islands group, Yap Island, Hollandia New Guinea and Truk Island. Iwo Jima was hit on
June15-17. The CONVERSE and DYSON picked up 12 Jap survivors of a convoy previously sunk
by air attacks. The AUSBURNE, DYSON, STANLY, CONVERSE, SPENCE and THATCHER were with the
fast carriers of TG 58.4 during the carrier Battle of the Philippine Sea. Also known as
the"Marianas Turkey Shoot".
In August of 1944, most of the squadron returned to the states for much
needed overhauls.
The THATCHER had just recently returned and was detached for duty with the Third Fleet in
TG30.8, a replenishment group. The CLAXTON was enroute back from Mare Island at that
time and went to the Solomons again for duty with the Seventh Fleet and the Palau Islands
operation in September, and then with the invasion force to the Philippines in October.
The CLAXTON was flagship of DESDIV XRAY screening the battleships in the Battle of
Surigao Straits on Oct 24. On Nov 1 the CLAXTON was hit by a Japanese Kamikaze and
returned to Manus Island for repairs. She returned to the Philippines in Jan 1945.
The squadron units that had been to the states returned to the Pacific,
spending some time
in Pearl Harbor training, then on to duty with the Seventh Fleet in the Philippines. The
THATCHER, SPENCE and DYSON were assigned to the Third Fleet and were with the
fleet when it encountered the infamous typhoon of Dec 1944. In that storm the SPENCE
capsized and was lost with only 24 men surviving. The THATCHER suffered some minor
structural damage. The DYSON and THATCHER were assigned to the Seventh Fleet in
Feb of 1945, rejoining DESRON 23.
Ships of the squadron were engaged in numerous operations during
the recapture of the Philippines, either singly or with a few others. During the Luzon
landings at Lingayen Gulf, DESRON 23 under Capt. Dugan was there with AUSBURNE, CONVERSE,
FOOTE and BRAINE. The BRAINE was a new member of the group. The CLAXTON, DYSON and AULICK
were in the area, but detached. AULICK DD 569 was another new member of the squadron. On
Jan. 7 1945, Capt Dugan with AUSBURNE, BRAINE and other ships were in a surface engagement
off Manila Bay where a Jap destroyer was sunk. During the recapture of Baatan and
Corregidor, in Feb 1945; Capt.Cavenaugh as COMDESDIV 46 was present with CONVERSE (flag),
CLAXTON, THATCHER and DYSON. During the consolidation of the Southern Phillipines, DESRON
23 was in the various operations covering landings on Panay, Negros and Mindinao.
The squadron came together in early May 1945 in Leyte Gulf and left together
for Okinawa on May 13 arriving there on May 16. The ships were employed detached as radar
pickets out away from the Island to give early warning of incoming Jap air raids, usually
of the kamikaze type. It was a terrible ordeal for all destroyers with many, many of them
being hit and some sunk. The worst was over in May, but they were still coming in. The
THATCHER was hit on May 20 with 14 killed and 53 wounded. The BRAINE DD 630 was hit on May
27 with 66 killed and 78 wounded. On July 26, at Okinawa, Capt. Dugan was relieved as
COMDESRON 23. On August 14, in Buckner Bay, Capt. Walter Ford assumed command.. From July
28 until Aug 4 1945, the squadron was underway off Okinawa to ride out a typhoon and they
were in Buckner Bay when news of Japan's offer to surrender came through on August 10. The
"Little Beavers" left Okinawa with most of the Third Fleet on Sept 10 heading
home via Pearl Harbor and the Panama Canal. They arrived at Norfolk Va. Navy Base on Oct
16 where many men were transferred off for discharge. The following day they moved to
Washington D.C. where the Presidential Unit Citation was awarded. The ships present were
AUSBURNE, CLAXTON, DYSON and CONVERSE. The STANLY was in
San Francisco at that time and of course the SPENCE was lost at sea in December 1944.
In January of 1946, Destroyer Squadron 23 was deactivated and a few months later the ships
were either placed in reserve or decommissioned.
In 1956 the squadron was reactivated by authority of the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Arleigh Burke. In 1989, DESRON 23 was commanded by Capt. William H. Kersting, USN and consisted of the following ships: JOHN YOUNG DD973, DOWNES FF 1070, LEWIS B. PULLER FFG23, STEIN FF1065, PAUL F. FOSTER DD964.
The ships now assigned are: (November 2004) FITZGERALD DDG 62, STETHEM DDG 63, AND LASSEN DDG 82
In recent years, the WW II "Little Beavers" have been honored by the Navy on two occasions. Each time the surviving veterans of the squadron were honored guests: At the commissioning of the USS ARLEIGH BURKE DDG51 at the Norfolk Navy Yard on July 4, 1991. The ship was the first of the BURKE class destroyers. Again at the commissioning of the USS CAPE ST. GEORGE CG 71 at the Norfolk Navy Yard on June 12, 1993. The ship is an Aegis cruiser named after the famous battle fought by DESRON 23.
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This history has been compiled by Tom Clyce who served with the squadron, aboard the USS CLAXTON, during its entire WW II service. It is made up of recollections plus references to the following:
"Destroyer Squadron 23" by Ken Jones.
"United States Destroyer Operations in WW II" by Theodore Roscoe.
"History of United States Naval Operations in WW II", Volumes V, VIII, XII.,XIII and XIV by Samuel E. Morison.
"Deck log of the USS DENVER for November 1943"
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The book, "Destroyer Squadron 23" by Ken Jones, has long been out of print and difficult to obtain; but it is now being made available by The United States Naval Institute. It is being reprinted in paper back form and is listed as their catalog no. 1-4121. Price is $15.95 (12.76 to USNI members). The book is also available from the Military Book Club in hardback edition. Price $19.95. Military Book Club, 505 Ridge Ave., Hanover, PA 17332.
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Updated Feb 28, 2005