USS Brown (DD-546) - World War II

World War II

On 10 November 1943 Brown departed Pearl Harbor in company with Task Force 50 (TF 50) en route to the forward area. During Brown's very active service in the Pacific she screened carriers during

• the Gilbert Islands invasion (21 November–6 December 1943);
• Kavieng, New Ireland raids (25 December 1943–4 January 1944),
• Marshall Islands raids (29 January–7 February),
• Truk raid (16–17 February);
• Palau-Yap-Woleai raids (30 March–2 April);
• assault and capture of Hollandia, New Guinea (21–28 April);
• Truk raid (29 April);
• bombardment of Satawan (30 April);
• Ponape raids (1 May);
• Marcus Island raid (19–20 May);
• Wake Island raid (23 May);
• strikes in support of the assault on Saipan (1–26 June);
• Battle of the Philippine Sea, during which she rescued four American pilots (19–20 June),
• bombardment of Iwo Jima (4 July),
• assaults on Guam and on Tinian (12 July–6 August);
• Yap raids (26–28 July);
• Chichi Jima raids (4–5 August);
• raids on Palau, Mindanao, Talaud, and Morotai,
• supporting the capture of the Southern Palaus and Ulithi (6–15 September);
• raids against Luzon and the Visayas (21–24 September);
• raids on Okinawa, Formosa, and Luzon (10–19 October);
• Battle for Leyte Gulf (26 October);
• raids on Manila and the Visayas (6 November),
• and raids against northern and central Philippines in support of the seizing of Mindoro Island (15–16 December).

Task Force 88 was caught in a typhoon (17–18 December) and strikes against Luzon were canceled in order to search for survivors of three missing destroyers. On 21 December Brown recovered 18 survivors of Hull and six survivors of Monaghan. Brown then proceeded to Ulithi and received orders to return to Seattle, Washington, for overhaul. Repairs completed on 1 March 1945, she was ready for sea. After a brief stop at Pearl Harbor, Brown headed westward to take part in the Okinawa operation (1 April–30 June 1945), during which she was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her service as a radar picket ship; 3d Fleet operations against Japan (30 June–15 July); and the minesweeping operations southwest of Okinawa.

With the cessation of hostilities Brown served with the occupation forces in Japan until 28 October 1945. She then departed for Naval Station San Diego, arriving 17 November 1945. She went out of commission in reserve 1 August 1946 at San Diego.