Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
Monssen DD-436
The first Monssen (DD -436) was laid down 12 July 1939, by
Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Wash.; launched 16 May
1940, sponsored by Mrs. Mons Monssen, widow of Lieutenant
Monssen, and commissioned 14 March 1941, Lt. Comdr. R. N.
Smoot in command.
Following shakedown and training, Monssen reported to the
Atlantic Fleet 27 June 1941 as a unit of DesDiv 22. For the
next 5 months she operated in the northwestern Atlantic,
from the coast of New England and the Maritime Provinces to
Iceland, on neutrality patrol. Her escort and patrol duties
changed from neutral to belligerent 7 December 1941,
continuing until 9 February 1942 when she entered the
Boston Navy Yard for overhaul in preparation for her
transfer to the Pacific Fleet.
On 31 March she arrived at San Francisco, joined TF 16, and
departed 2 April. Steaming west, she was in the
antisubmarine screen for Hornet (CV-8) as the carrier
headed for "Shangri-La" with Lt. Col. J. H. Doolittle's B-
25's on her flight deck. In the early morning hours 18
April the force was sighted by the enemy and the Army
pilots manned their planes, ignoring the bad weather, the
daylight hours, and the additional 168 miles they would
have to fly over the planned 500 miles to their targets,
Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe.
Following the launch, the force returned to Pearl Harbor,
from which it sortied 30 April to aid Yorktown (CV-5) and
Lexington (CV-2) in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Reaching
the scene after the battle was over, the force returned to
Pearl Harbor, arriving 26 May. Two days later they departed
again, this time for Midway to repulse an expected assault
on that advanced base. By 2 June, TF 16 had rendezvoused
with TF 17 and was in position 350 miles northeast of
Midway. On the 4th the Battle of Midway commenced as
Japanese carrier planes flew against installations on the
island. By the 7th, the American forces had won one of the
decisive battles of history, sinking four carriers and one
cruiser at the cost of destroyer Hammann (DD-412) and
carrier Yorktown, and profoundly changing the course of the
war.
After Midway the force remained at Pearl Harbor for a month
before departing again for combat. Steaming via the Tonga
Islands, they headed for the Japanese held Solomons. By 7
August they were 40 miles from the targets, Guadalcanal and
Tulagi. On the 7th and 8th, Monssen with Buchanan (DD-484)
stood off Gavutu and Tanambago, circling those islands and
providing fire support to units of the 2d Marine Regiment
as the U.S. Navy struck with the first of its giant
amphibious assaults. She was then assigned to the screening
forces guarding the eastern approaches to Sealark, Lengo,
and Nggela Channels.
She remained in the immediate area through the Battle of
the Eastern Solomons, which prevented Japanese
reinforcements from reaching Guadalcanal, and then took up
duties patrolling the sea routes to Guadalcanal. At the end
of the month Saratoga (CV-3) was damaged and Monssen was
one of the ships designated to escort her to the Tonga
Islands.
Monssen returned to Guadalcanal 18 September to insure the
integrity of an Allied supply line and to block Japanese
efforts at resupply. On 8 November, she departed Noumea
with two cruisers and two other destroyers as TG 67.4,
under Rear Admiral Callaghan, as escort for transports
carrying reinforcements to the marines on Guadalcanal. At
the same time, another convoy set out from Espiritu Santo,
covered by one cruiser and four destroyers under Rear
Admiral Scott. Arriving off Lunga Point on the 12th, a day
after those from Espiritu Santo they commenced unloading.
By dusk as reports of Japanese ship movements from Truk
increased, 90 percent of the transports had been unladen
despite afternoon torpedo plane attacks, one of which had
cost Monssen the use of her fire control radar. The
transports were pulled out, escorted through Lengo Channel,
and seen safely on their way to Espiritu Santo. Then
Admiral Callaghans force, heavily outnumbered even with the
addition of, Admiral Scott's ships reversed course and
steamed back to engage the enemy in the initial action of
what would later be called the Naval Battle for
Guadalcanal.
Shortly, after 0140, 13 November, they sighted the enemy
fleet, under Vice Admiral Abe, 3 miles north of Kukum. The
enemy was headed toward Henderson Field to bombard it and
cripple Allied air operations long enough to sneak in 11 of
their transports, then en route to relieve their
beleaguered comrades fighting on the island.
Battle was given at 0150. At about 0220 Monssen forced to
rely on radio information and optics, was spot lighted, hit
by some 37 shells, and reduced to a burning hulk. Twenty
minutes later, completely immobilized in all departments,
the ship was ordered abandoned. After daybreak Monssen was
still a floating incinerator. C. C. Storey, BM2c, L. F.
Sturgeon, GM2c, and J. G. Hughes F1c, climbed back into the
inferno and rescued eight men still aboard and alive, five
of whom lived after reaching land. The survivors, 40
percent of the crew, were picked up at about 0800 and taken
to Guadalcanal. The ship itself continued to blaze until
early afternoon, when the waters of Ironbottom Sound closed
over her.
Monssen was awarded four battle stars for World War II
service.