USS Remey (DD-688) - Service History - World War II - Bombardment of Japan

Bombardment of Japan

On 10 February 1945, she sortied with Task Group 58.5 (TG 58.5) and, steaming north, screened that group as its planes flew night fighter cover for the task force and conducted night harassment strikes against the enemy in the Tokyo area and then over Iwo Jima. Remey supported operations in the Volcano and Bonin Islands until 9 March, then got underway for Ulithi and a 2-day rest. On the 14th, she screened the sortie of TG 58.4, then sailed with that group as it struck enemy installations, shipping and troop concentrations on and around Kyūshū and the Ryūkyū Islands. On 1 April, the group covered the assault on Okinawa's Hagushi beaches, then remained in the area until 11 May as ground forces pushed across Japan's last bastion protecting her home islands. Replenished at Ulithi, the ships, now designated TG 38.4, were back off Okinawa before the end of the month. On 8 June, Remey joined TG 30.4 for the bombardment of Okino Daito, returned to TG 38.4 the next day, retiring to Leyte on the 11th.

By 1 July, the carriers were again ready to strike at the Japanese home islands. On the 10th sorties were flown against Tokyo and, on the 13th-14th, against northern Honshū and Hokkaidō. On the night of 14/15 July, Remey participated in the bombardment of Muroran. On the 16th, she screened the carriers as further strikes were launched against Honshū, then returned to the bombardment group as it shelled Hitachi. On the 18th, she rejoined TG 38.4, then shifted to TG 38.3 for screening duties as planes were sent against Shikoku and Kyūshū, concentrating on Kobe, 20th-22nd. Further strikes against the southern islands followed, but by 30 July, the Tokyo and Nagoya areas were again the targets. Weather conditions, including a typhoon, delayed further offensive action until 9 August, when Honshū was again hit.

Detached the following day, Remey, with others of her squadron, proceeded to the Kuril Islands where she joined TF 92 in an anti-shipping sweep in the Sea of Okhotsk on the 11th, then headed for Adak Island en route to a shipyard overhaul on the west coast. At Adak on the 14th, she received word of the Japanese surrender and orders to rejoin TF 92 for occupation duty in the Ominato area. Departing the Aleutian Islands at the end of August, she remained in Japanese waters until 15 September when she got underway for San Francisco.

Arriving on 1 October 1945, she shifted to San Diego in December. In commission, in reserve from January, Remey decommissioned on 10 December 1946 and was berthed at San Diego until ordered activated with the outbreak of hostilities in Korea.