Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
Fletcher DD-445
Fletcher (DD-445) was launched 3 May 1942 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock
Co. Kearny, N.J.; sponsored by Mrs. F. F. Fletcher, widow of Admiral
Fletcher; and commissioned 30 June 1942. Lieutenant Commander W. M. Cole in
command. She was reclassified DDE-446 on 26 March 1949.
Fletcher arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia, 5 October 1942 from the east
coast, and at once began escort and patrol duty in the Guadalcanal operation,
bombarding Lunga Point 30 October. Sailing from Espiritu Santo 9 November to
cover the landing of reinforcements on the embattled island, she joined in
driving off a heavy enemy air attack on the transports 12 November, splashing
several enemy aircraft. This was the opening phase of the Battle of
Guadalcanal a 3-day air and surface action in which American naval forces
fought so determinedly and tenaciously to hold control of the seas in the
Solomons that the Japanese never again sent large naval forces into the
waters around Guadalcanal. Fletcher played an important part in the surface
action off Guadalcanal 13 November, firing guns and torpedoes in the general
melee which sank two Japanese destroyers and damaged battleship Hiei, later
sent to the bottom by carrier and Marine aircraft.
Fletcher retired to replenish at Espiritu Santo arriving the day after the
battle, and after patrolling against submarines off Noumea, sortied 30
November 1942 with a force of cruisers and destroyers to intercept a force of
enemy transports and destroyers expected to attempt a reinforcement of
Guadalcanal that night. Fletcher led the force through Lengo Channel, and
made the first radar contact with the enemy off Tassafaronga Point just
before midnight. The resulting battle saw one Japanese destroyer sunk and
one slightly damaged and four American cruisers badly damaged, all but one of
which were saved by superb damage control measures. Fletcher rescued
survivors of Northampton (CA-26), ingeniously using cork floated cargo nets
to take great groups of them from the water.
The destroyer continued to operate in the Solomons patrolling, bombarding
shore targets, driving off Japanese air attacks, rescuing downed aviators,
destroying Japanese landing barges and covering new landings on the northern
coast of Guadalcanal. Out on patrol 11 February 1943, Fletcher was alerted
by a smoke float dropped by a plane from Helena (CL-50), and sped to attack
and sink Japanese submarine RO-102. She sailed in support of the landings on
the Russell Islands 21 February, bombarded Munda airfield on New Georgia
during the night of 5-6 March, and continued to guard the movement of
transports in the Solomons.
Between 23 April 1943 and 4 May, Fletcher was in Sydney, Australia, for a
well earned breather and a chance to put the ship in top condition for
another month of general duty in the Solomons. She left Espiritu Santo 19
June for a stateside overhaul, returning to Noumea 27 September to resume her
former activities until 31 October. Then she sortied with a carrier task
group to provide air support for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands,
fighting off a Japanese counter-attack from the air 26 November. Again
Fletcher fired on Japanese aircraft on 4 December when the task group came
under attack after it had made a strike on Kwajalein.
Fletcher returned to Pearl Harbor 9 December 1943 and after a brief overhaul
and training on the west coast, was ready for the attack on the Marshalls.
She screened a force of transports from San Diego to Lahaina Roads between 13
and 21 January 1944, then joined a bombardment group to fire on Wotje Atoll
30 January. Next day she rendezvoused with the main attack force for the
landings on Kwajalein, screening the transports and patrolling off the atoll
until 4 February. After escorting empty transports to Funafuti, Fletcher
reported at Majuro 15 February for duty screening battleships in bombardments
of Taroa and Wotje on 20 and 21 February, then patrolled off Eniwetok.
After joining in training exercises off Port Purvis, Fletcher arrived at Cape
Sudest, Netherlands New Guinea, 18 April 1944. This was her base during the
next month as she supported the Humboldt Bay landings with bombardment on
tiny Ali and Seleo Islands 23 April, and by covering reinforcement landings
on 30 April. After escorting a convoy to Noumea, out of which she patrolled
against submarines in late May, Fletcher arrived at Humboldt Bay 5 June. She
made one patrol against any attempt of the Japanese to reinforce their Biak
garrison, then covered and provided shore bombardment for the invasions of
Noemfoor, Sansapor, and Morotai, as well as patrolling and escorting
reinforcements for these various operations through the summer.
Fletcher reached Manus 9 October 1944 from Humboldt Bay to prepare for the
invasion of Leyte, for which she sortied 12 October screening transports. She
covered them while they sent their boats ashore in the initial landings 20
October, and next day departed for New Guinea, thus clearing Leyte Gulf
before the great battle for its control broke out. She returned to Leyte with
transports carrying reinforcements 23 November, and through the next month,
continued her support of the first phase of the Philippine Liberation,
escorting convoys, firing prelanding bombardments at Ormoc Bay and Mindoro,
and firing on Japanese aircraft in several attacks.
On 4 January 1945, Fletcher sortied from San Pedro Bay to provide close cover
for the Luzon Attack Force as it sailed toward its objective. She splashed at
least one of the many Japanese aircraft which attacked on 8 January, and
during the landings in Lingayen Gulf the next day, patrolled the Gulf. After
supporting the landings on San Antonio Beach, Luzon, 29 January she entered
Subic Bay to cover minesweeping, then on 31 January provided fire support to
the landings in Nasugbu Bay. Fletcher began 4 days of operations in the
occupation of Bataan and Corregidor 13 February, firing a preliminary
bombardment, giving fire support on call, and covering minesweepers opening
Manila Bay. On 14 February, while firing on Japanese batteries at Los
Cochinos Point, Fletcher took a hit which killed eight and wounded three of
her men. She continued to fire as she controlled damage, and a half-hour
later added rescue operations to her activities as she took the survivors off
YMS-48, also hit by Japanese fire. Fletcher's firing in Manila Bay continued
until the 17th.
Fletcher took part in the landings at Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and
Zamboanga, covered minesweeping and landings at Tarakan, and gave local
patrol and escort service in the Philippines until 13 May 1945, when she
sailed for a west coast overhaul. After exercises off San Diego and in the
Hawaiian Islands, she was immobilized at San Diego until placed in commission
in reserve 7 August 1946 and out of commission in reserve 15 January 1947.
Recommissioned 3 October 1949 as a specialist in antisubmarine warfare,
Fletcher sailed for San Diego 1 May 1950 for a tour of duty with the 7th
Fleet in the western Pacific. At the outbreak of the Korean Conflict, she lay
at Hong Kong with Valley Forge (CV-45), and on 3 July arrived off Korea with
the Valley Forge group, augmented by British carrier HMS Triumph, to begin
launching air strikes on North Korea. Through the summer, she sailed off
Korea on this duty, replenishing when necessary at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, or
Sasebo, Japan. She also participated in the invasion of Inchon from 13 to 17
September, and returned to Pearl Harbor, her homeport 11 November.
On 19 November 1951, Fletcher cleared Pearl Harbor for another tour of duty
screening the carriers of the 7th Fleet in Korean operations. She also fired
shore bombardment on two occasions, participated in antisubmarine training
off Okinawa, and patrolled in the Taiwan Straits. Returning to Pearl Harbor
20 June 1952, she was at sea again from 5 September to 24 November for atomic
tests in the Marshalls, then completed another tour of Far Eastern duty from
14 May 1953 to 30 November.
Annually from 1954 through 1962 Fletcher sailed to the Far East for duty with
the 7th Fleet, in 1955 providing antisubmarine screening for the evacuation
of the Tachen Islands. In both 1957 and 1958 she made her outward bound
passage by way of Samoa and Australia. Intensive antisubmarine training was
her major occupation during periods between deployment.
Fletcher received 15 battle stars for World War II service, and five for
Korean War service.