USS Hadley History

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History of USS Hadley DD 774 Page 1

What follows is a brief history of the USS HUGH W. HADLEY, oneof WWII's most distinguished and heroic naval combatants....

USS HUGH W. HADLEY (DD774) was constructed at the Bethlehem SteelCompany Shipbuilding Yards at Terminal Island, California, during the firstmonths of 1944. Mrs. Hugh William Hadley acted as sponsor at thelaunching on July 16. The ship was named in honor of her late husband,Commander Hadley, USN, who had gallantly given his life while serving as

commander of a transport division during action against enemy Japaneseforces in the Solomon Islands.

This vessel was commissioned on 25 November 1944, and CommanderL.C. Chamberlain, USN, assumed command. The nucleus crew of ratedenlisted men was believed to be of an exceptionally high standard ofexcellence, and the roster of former destroyers on which these men hadserved would include most of the destroyers which had distinguishedthemselves during World War II.


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HADLEY reported to Commander Operational Training Command, Pacific,in San Diego, for shakedown on 23 December 1944.

Training in all phases of anti-submarine warfare, torpedo firing, gunnery,amphibious warfare, engineering, communications, fighter direction, anddamage control was supervised by Captain Glenn Roy Hartwig, USN,Commander Destroyer Squadron 66, the squadron to which Hadley wasattached. He had shifted his flag to this ship, and remained aboardthroughout the shakedown period. On 13 January, Commander BaronJoseph Mullaney, USN, relieved Commander Chamberlain as CommandingOfficer. The final inspection took place on 5 February, and the ship wascertified "very good"; in all departments. HADLEY was ready for combat.

Statistics Standard Displacement: 2,200 tons Length Overall: 376 feet, 6inches, Beam: 40 feet, 10 inches, Speed: 35 knots plus, Complement: 343aboard at commissioning, Armament: 6 x 5 inch/38 caliber dual-purposeguns, 10 21 inch torpedo tubes, plus 40MM and 20MM AA guns.

Following a 14-day post-shakedown availability at the San Diego NavalRepair Base, HADLEY left on 21 February 1945, took screening station onHMS RANEE (CVE 03), and escorted the British carrier to Pearl Harbor.Upon arrival, HADLEY reported to Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet, forfurther orders. On 7 March she proceeded as the single escort member ofTask Unit 12.5.6 in company with the USS SANTEE (CVE 29) enroute toUlithi.

Under orders of the Commander 5th Fleet, HADLEY left Ulithi on 25 Marchfor Okinawa in company with Task Unit 53.2.2 consisting of many LST's[Landing Ship Tank] and escorts. The passage was without incident, and at1650, 31 March Takashiki Jima of the Okinawa group was sighted. The crewstood at General Quarters throughout that night as Japanese planes werereported to be in the vicinity. HADLEY fired for the first time and drew herfirst blood by shooting down one of the harassing Bettys [Japanese twin-engined bomber]. None of the Unit was damaged, and the LSTs landedtheir troops on Okinawa Easter morning April 1, 1945. The task unit wasdissolved upon arrival, and HADLEY was assigned as an anti-submarinepatrol station outside the transport area off Hagushi Beach. Low flyingenemy planes again kept her at GQ at night. After fueling at Kerama Retto,she reported to report to Commander Task Group 51.2 on the USS ANCON(AGC4), patrolling in a retirement area east of Okinawa.

During the 4th day of this patrol, Task Group 51.2 was ordered to proceedto Saipan, arriving on 14 April. Enroute, HADLEY had her first experiencescreening transports with fast and veteran destroyers, and also succeedingin destroying her first mine with machine gun fire. Six days later she wasagain underway for Okinawa in company with Task Unit 94.19.12, explodinganother floating menace along the way.


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On 27 April, HADLEY arrived at Okinawa and was returned to the anti-submarine patrol station. The next day she was ordered to join USS R. H.SMITH (DM23), 2 LSMs and 4 LCS(L) on radar picket station. She picked upa Marine pilot from the water after the engine of his F4U Corsair failed andhe was forced to ditch. The first 2 days in May were restful, as the Okinawa

area was blessed with an overcast sky, making enemy air raids impractical;but blue skies brought the Japs back in force. USS AARON WARD (DM 34),predecessor to the HADLEY at the Terminal Island Shipbuilding Yards, wasreported in sinking condition after absorbing 6 suicide plane hits in herunequal match on a picket station to the south of the HADLEY's positionThe night of 3-4 May was not pleasant as several enemy raids from thenorth had the crew again at general quarters continuously during theseemingly endless night.

At sunrise, HADLEY secured from general quarters; but at 0745 the crewrushed to their battle stations to learn the USS SHEA, 1000 yards on theport quarter, had been hit by a Baka bomb and was burning badly. HADLEY

took control of the Combat Air Patrol (CAP) until relieved 2 hours later by afighter-direction equipped destroyer. When relieved, HADLEY reported toKerama Retto for logistics, after which she resumed station off HagushiBeach. On 7 May, HADLEY was directed alongside the USS BROWN (DD546), a veteran radar picket ship, for transfer of communications equipmentfrom BROWN to make HADLEY a fully equipped fighter-direction ship. The

job was completed in record time. BROWN radio technicians were wellaware of the significance of the fact that BROWN was one of the fewregulars that had survived the picket line.

Radar picket ships were scarce. At 1350, 10 May, HADLEY took station with

USS EVANS (DD 552) as support ship. At 0636, 11 May a Jap plane wasshot down by the CAP, but it proved to be only the frontrunner of an

estimated 150-plane group that was approaching from the North. TheCAP of 12 marine F4U Corsairs soon had their hands full and, at 0750, andenemy observation plane was taken under fire and shot down close toHADLEY. At about 0755 the entire CAP was ordered out in differentformations to intercept and engage the horde of enemy planes fast closingin. It was learned later that the CAP had destroyed about 40 or 50 planes.

HADLEY and EVANS were attacked continuously by numerous enemyaircraft coming in groups of 4 or 6 on each ship. During the early period of

the engagement, enemy aircraft were sighted trying to pass the formationheaded for Okinawa. These were flying extremely low on both bows andapparently ignoring HADLEY. The ship accounted for 4 of these. From 0830to 0900 she was attacked by groups of planes coming in on both bows; sheshot down 12 of these during this period by firing, at times all guns invarious directions. EVANS was about 3 miles to the north fighting off anumber of planes by herself, several of which were seen to be destroyed.At 0900 EVANS was hit and put out of action. At one time towards the close


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of the battle, when friendly planes were closing in to assist, the foursupport ships were prevented from shooting down two friendlies whomthey had taken under fire. For 20 minutes, HADLEY fought off the enemysingle-handed.

Finally, at 0920, 10 enemy planes which had surroundedHADLEY attacked the ship simultaneously: 4 on thestarboard bow under fire by the main battery andmachine guns, 4 on the port bow under fire by forwardmachine guns; and 2 astern under fire from machineguns. All 10 planes were destroyed in a remarkable fight, and each planewas conclusively accounted for. As a result of this attack, HADLEY was (1)hit by a bomb aft, (2) hit by a Baka bomb released from a low-flying Betty,(3) struck by a suicide plane aft, and (4) hit by a suicide plane in therigging.

HADLEY's gunners were not the only ones whose ammunition was runninglow as more and more Jap planes splashed into the sea. Our Marines intheir Corsair fighters overhead, radioed that "we are out of ammunition, butwe're not leaving the fight." One twin-engine Betty was forced into the seaby a Corsair who got above him and rode him down; another Corsair flewthrough a hail of shells from HADLEY in an attempt to divert a Jap planefrom a suicide dive. Twice he forced the Jap out of his dive, but eventhough the intrepid Marine flew almost into the muzzles of HADLEY's guns,he was unable to prevent the Jap, riddled from tail to prop, from hitting theship.

By this time the ship was badly holed with both engine rooms and onefireroom flooding as the ship settled down and listed rapidly. All 5 inch


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guns were out of action; a fire was raging aft of number two stack;ammunition was exploding; and the entire ship was engulfed in a thick,black smoke. This smoke forced the crew to take shelter, some by jumpingover the side, others by crowding forward awaiting orders. The ship washelpless to defend herself and the situation appeared very dark. The

Commanding Officer received reports from the Chief Engineer and DamageControl Officer, which indicated that the main spaces were flooded and theship was rapidly developing into a state which would capsize her. Theexploding ammunition and the raging fire were very dangerous. Theengineers secured the forward boilers to prevent them from blowing up.The order "prepare to abandon ship" was given and life rafts and life boatswere put over the side. A party of about 50 men and officers was organizedto make a last fight to save the ship. The remainder of the crew and thewounded were put over into the water.

From this point on, a truly amazing, courageous, and efficient group of menand officers were utter disregard for their own personal safety approached

the explosions and the fire with hoses, and for 15 minutes kept up thiswork. One officer fought the fire without shoes, on the blistering hot deck.Torpedoes were jettisoned, weights removed from the starboard side, andfinally, the fire was extinguished and the list and the flooding controlled.Although the ship was still in an extremely dangerous condition, onefireroom bulkhead held, and the ship was finally towed to the Ie Shimaanchorage.

Today, HADLEY proudly displays the 25 Japanese flags painted on herbridge, testifying to the number of enemy planes she destroyed. DD 774established a record for destroyers in adding 23 of those flags to her

scoreboard as the result of a single engagement. 28 of her crew died attheir battle stations, 3 died soon after of injuries sustained; 68 others wereinjured. Not one of these men left his post of duty as the enemy planescame in, even after the ship had been hit and ammunition was running low.Examples of bravery and resourcefulness were continuous throughout theaction.


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The mission was accomplished. The transports at the Okinawa anchoragewere saved from an attack by 156 enemy planes by the action in whichHADLEY took such a great part. She bore the brunt of the enemy strengthand took everything that they had to throw at her. It was a proud day fordestroyer men. Ammunition expended in this 1 hour, 40 minute air battle:

801 rounds of 5"38 8950 rounds of 40MM 5990 rounds of 20MM. After noonon 11 May 1945 the groggy vessel was towed into Ie Shima where shestayed until considered in safe enough condition to be towed to KeramaRetto on 14 May.

There, in floating dry-dock ARD 28, the hard-working USS ZANIAH (AG70)ship repair unit started patching, bracing, and strengthening the batteredhull. A patch was secured to the hole in the starboard side where a suicideplane had entered the engineering spaces, carrying delayed actionbomb(s), which went through the ship's bottom, exploded, and brokeupward a large portion of the after-keel section of the ship. The early

morning hours of 19 June, the crew manned the rail to say goodbye toCaptain Mullaney who had been relieved as Commanding Officer byCommander Roy A. Newton, USN.

On 15 July, HADLEY, resting on the keel blocks of floating dry-dock ARD28, was towed by ATF 150 from Kerama Retto to Buckner Bay off easternOkinawa. She was undocked 22 days later and again taken alongsideZANIAH, this time in Buckner Bay.


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The 6,800 mile voyage at the end of a tow line began on 29 July, when ATA199 took her in tow and joined a slow convoy enroute to Saipan. The 3rdday underway, heavy seas and violent winds verified radio reports that a65-mph typhoon was being encountered. On 1 August, the ship rolled asfar as 57 degrees to port, but the towline held. The tow continued to

Eniwetok, thence to Pearl Harbor where it was learned from CommanderDestroyers, Pacific Fleet, that the ship was to be decommissioned uponarrival in the United States. HADLEY and the ever-present ATA 199 leftPearl Harbor on the final leg of this trek on 12 September to arrive at U.S.Naval Shipyard Hunter's Point, San Francisco, California, on 26 September1945. During the long, slow tow, taking nearly two months, the towline hadbeen parted nine times.

Thus was the USS HUGH W. HADLEY (DD774) entered on the roster ofAmerica's combatant ships, as another fighting constituent of the UnitedStates Navy whose crew would not give up their ship. On 15 December1945, USS HADLEY was decommissioned.

For the action at Okinawa, several Medals were awarded to various officersand crew members, including Navy Crosses for both the CommandingOfficer and the Gunnery Officer and, for all aboard, the USS HADLEY wasawarded The Presidential Unit Citation, signed, for the President, by JamesForrestal, Secretary of the Navy.


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Photo of engine room crew of USS Hadley DD 774. Recognize anyone?

(bottom row, third from left)


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Presidential Unit CitationTHE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY

WASHINGTON

The President of the United States takes pleasure inpresenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to theUNITEDSTATES SHIP HUGH W. HADLEY

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

"For extraordinary heroism in action as Fighter Direction Shipon Radar Picket Station Number 15 during an attack byapproximately 100 enemy Japanese planes, forty milesnorthwest of the Okinawa Transport Area, May 11, 1945.Fighting valiantly against waves of hostile suicide and dive-bombing planes plunging toward her from all directions, theU.S.S. HUGH HADLEY sent up relentless barrages of

antiaircraft fire during one of the most furious air-sea battlesof the war. Repeatedly finding her targets, she destroyedtwenty enemy planes, skillfully directed her Combat Air Patrolin shooting down at least forty others and, by her vigilanceand superb battle readiness, avoided damage to herself untilsubjected to a coordinated attack by ten Japanese planes.Assisting in the destruction of all ten of these, she wascrashed by one bomb and three suicide planes withdevastating effect. With all engineering spaces flooded andwith a fire raging amidships, the gallant officers and men ofthe HUGH W. HADLEY fought desperately against almost

insurmountable odds and, by their indomitable determination,fortitude and skill, brought the damage under control,enabling their ship to be towed to port and saved. Her brilliantperformance in this action reflects the highest credit upon theHUGH W. HADLEY and the United States Naval Service."

For the President,James Forrestal (signature)Secretary of the Navy


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Service Ribbons (Medals) earned by John M. Lyons as a resultof his service onboard the USS Hadley, May 11, 1945

TOOMANY TOLIST

APPROX.100 PURPLEHEART

ALL CREWMEMBERSABOARD

11MAY1945

COMBATACTIONRIBBON

ALL CREW

MEMBERSABOARD

11

MAY1945

PRESIDENTIAL

UNIT CITATION1


AMERICANTHEATER MEDAL


ASIATIC PACIFICTHEATER MEDAL1(Star is for Battle of Okinawa)


WORLD WAR IIVICTORY MEDAL


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International News Services

DESTROYER HADLEY HIT BY 3 JAP SUICIDE PLANES IN 95 FLAMING

MINUTES

BUT VALIANT CREWS DOWNED 23 ENEMY PLANES

Somewhere in the Western Pacific

Men of the fighting destroyer USS Hadley told today (June 18)how they shot down a record of 23 Jap Planes in 94 flamingminutes during which the vessel was hit by three suicideplanes.

The Hadley was left dead in the water after the action but thevaliant ship and her crew refused to quit. The action was the

destroyer's first major engagement since she wascommissioned last November. Her captain is Commander B. J.Mullaney, New Bedford, Mass.

With the destroyer Evans which shot down 19 planes in thesame action, the Hadley took a guard station off Okinawa onthe night of May 10. This job in connection with combat airpatrol was to intercept Jap planes roaring down for a crack atAmerican shipping in the Okinawa.

The first target of the enemy aircraft is a ship on patrol and

the men who sweat out the watches through the long nightknow it. From sunset to dawn, weary gun crews were at battlestations and Jap planes were reported all over the area. At7:45 AM. the Hadley shot down a Jap float plane and the actionappeared over. But it was only the beginning. Ten minuteslater Jap planes were coming in from all directions andcontinued to attack for the next hour and a half. Every gunaboard the ship was fired until it was blistering hot. A total of156 enemy aircraft took part in the attacks and the Hadley andEvans bagged 42 of them. American planes accounted foranother 50 Jap planes.

The Evans was hit by several Kamikaze suicide planes andwent out of action at 9 a. m. and the Hadley continued to fightalone.

The battle was a wild scramble according to S1/c FranklinGebbart, Lafayette, Ind., who said things were happening toofast to follow. "I ran to my station a 20 millimeter gun mount


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and saw a Jap float plane coming in astern. He bellied up about1,200 yards out and every gun was turned on him." "Wesplashed him in flames right there."

Gunner's Mate Third Class August Hodde, Brenham, Tex., gun

captain of a 40 millimeter on the port side, said: "Then thestarted coming in all directions and everyone was shooting atthe nearest plane. We would shift targets all the time and itdidn't seem like we had been at the guns long before an hourhad gone by. The Nips were splashing all around us and I thinkmy crew got two. About this time we were hit by the firstKamikaze and another went between the stacks so low heclipped the radio antenna."

All this time the Hadley was operating a 27 knots with herrudder hard over to circle and give every gun a chance to fire.

Most of the time she was separated from the Evans by two tothree miles.. The first formation of Jap planes which wasspotted streaking to pass the Hadley but she shot down four ofthem. In furious action between 8:30 and 9:00 AM, the Hadleyattached a large formation of Japs head-on and shot down 12.

From his gun position on the starboard side, GM2/c RichardBennett, Ventura, Calif., said he saw nine Jap planes coming inat once. The Japs evidently had been saving their fiercestattack until the last. The Hadley fought off the bulk assaultsfor the next 20 minutes with all her guns firing in all

directions. Ten Jap planes surrounding the Hadley turned toattack simultaneously, four on each side of the bow and twoastern. All 10 were shot down either by the Hadley's guns orcovering Corsairs which had been doing a magnificent job ofsupport.

It was in the final period of the action, lasting not more thanfour minutes, that the Hadley suffered almost all her damage.She was hit by one bomb and two Kamikazes. With fires ragingall about and a number of her men killed or wounded theHadley appeared doomed and the order was given to abandon

ship. But then 50 officers and men under Damage ControlOfficer Lt. Craig Clemons, Storm Lake, Iowa, organized for alast ditch battle to save the destroyer. Save her they did.Disregarding their own safety, the men had the flames undercontrol in fifteen minutes. Two small craft came to the rescueand made fast along the sides of the Hadley.


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"When the men heard the order to abandon ship passed, manygun crews jumped over the side but came back a few minuteslater to help flight the fires and jettison ammunition. Examplesof heroism were almost too numerous to single out formention.


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This document was written for the NAVY History Section at the

Pentagon and is the personal recollection ofThomas Dwyer,LTJG, member of the crew of the USS HUGH W. HADLEY.

On the morning of 11 May 1945, USS HUGH W. HADLEY (DD774) waspatrolling on Radar Picket Station 15, some 60 miles north of Okinawa'sPoint BOLO, in company with USS EVANS (DD552) and four support craft.Commencing at about 0755, and continuing until 0940, the two destroyersand their escorts were subjected to a succession of waves of kamikazeattacks by some 150 Japanese aircraft. These aircraft had flown fromsouthern Kyushu airfields and were en route to attack ships and shoreinstallations at Okinawa. HADLEY's and EVANS's job, together with the 12Marine F-4U CORSAIR pilots assigned as combat air patrol (CAP) was toprevent them from carrying out their mission.

The Marines joined the fray first, ranging out to intercept the Japaneseaircraft as they approached from the north. Obviously, the Marines couldnot stop them all, and many broke through circling the two destroyers likethe Indians around the wagon train. From time to time the Japanese wouldlaunch crudely coordinated attacks by from 4 to 12 aircraft against theembattled ships.

EVANS put up a valiant struggle until she was knocked out of action atabout 0900.

Some twenty minutes later, HADLEY took her first kamikaze hit on the afterport quad 40mm mount (Mount 44). Mount Captain Nicholas's last wordswere, "We'll get the S. 0. B." as the aircraft dove right down the barrels ofthe gun mount, killing the gun crew on the spot. Almost simultaneouslyseveral bombs penetrated the ship and detonated under the keel lifting, theship out of the water. Shortly thereafter, another aircraft struck thestarboard side amidships at the water line. The fuselage pierced the hulland caused heavy loss of life and severe flooding in the engine and firerooms. Yet another kamikaze dove on the ship and passed between theforemast and the after stack, clipping some wires as it fell harmlessly intothe sea.

HADLEY was now dead in the water and mortally wounded. The ship was inimminent danger of capsizing, due to the flooding caused by the hit at thewater line. Fires were raging back aft from the hit on Mt, 44, and Torpexwas dripping from the punctured torpedo warheads into the flames, themain battery was out of action, and she was still under attack.

At this moment, CDR BARON J. MULLANEY, Hadley's Commanding Officer,ordered the signalmen on the bridge to hoist the colors at all six signal


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halyards, to join the battle ensign flying from the foremast. As the colorsrose on the halyards, he passed the word, "If this ship sinks, she'll sinkwith her colors flying. " This act of defiance in the face of the enemycreated a tremendous stimulus to the surviving HADLEY crewmen, whocontinued to fight the ship while desperately trying to keep her afloat.

After two more unsuccessful attacks, the remnants of the enemy forcewithdrew. HADLEY was credited with shooting down 25Japanese aircraftin the 105 minute engagement and EVANS with 15. The Presidential UnitCitation subsequently awarded HADLEY stated, in part that "this was thegreatest air-sea battle of World War II."

Meanwhile, the Marine fighter pilots were busy shooting down some 50Japanese planes while trying to shield the ships from attack. At least oneMarine pilot, having run out of ammunition, downed a potential kamikazeby damaging the Jap's tail assembly with his propeller. Ultimately, all of theMarines ran out of ammunition, but they requested permission to remain

on station until dwindling fuel supplies forced them to return to base.

On a humorous note, one of the LSM(R) skippers came alongside theburning and sinking HADLEY and yelled, "Hey HADLEY, if you promise notto blow up, I'll take you in tow."

On the following day, 12 May, HADLEY was towed to the vicinity of IeShima, where USS PANAMINT, Flagship for ADM R. K. TURNER, USN,Commander Amphibious Task Force was anchored. As the batteredHADLEY limped under tow past PANAMINT, with seven ensigns still flying,the Admiral passed the word over the ship's bull horn,

"Render honors to that man-of-war standing downmy port side." The men of HADLEY, although exhausted from thebattle, and deeply saddened by the loss of so many of their shipmates,proudly returned these unprecedented honors.

My purpose in putting these thoughts on paper is to pay tribute to theunflagging devotion and courage of the HADLEY crew - the engineers whodied at their posts below decks; the gun crew that refused to leave theirstation in the face of certain death; the damage control crews who kept herafloat against all odds; the officers and men all - but most especially to a

great inspirational combat leader -COMMANDER BARON JOSEPHMULLANEY, USN, our Commanding Officer.

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USS Hadley History