USS Brush (DD-745) - World War II

World War II

On 30 August 1944 Brush arrived at Pearl Harbor and after training got underway for Eniwetok, Marshall Islands, 28 September. From Eniwetok she escorted convoys to Ulithi and the Palau Islands.

Serving with the 5th and 3rd Fleets she took part in the Leyte operation (5 November – 16 December 1944); Luzon-Formosa-China coast-Nansei Shoto strikes (3–22 January 1945); invasion of Iwo Jima and the supporting 5th Fleet raids (15 February – 5 March), and Okinawa operation (17 March – 27 April), including 21 April bombardment of Minami Daito Shima. She retired to Ulithi, Caroline Islands, where she lay 30 April – 10 May before joining the 5th Fleet for the projected invasion of Kyushu, Japan. Brush lay at anchor in Leyte Gulf from 13 June to 1 July 1945 and then departed for a raid on the Japanese island of Hokkaidō. On 22 July Brush and other destroyers of her squadron conducted an anti-shipping sweep near the entrance of Tokyo Bay. She remained in this area on air-sea rescue duty until 14 September when she steamed into Tokyo Bay. On 24 September 1945 she left the Far East for the United States.

She arrived at Seattle, Washington, 15 October 1945 and operated along the west coast until early 1946 when she departed for Guam. She remained at Guam until 9 March and then steamed to Tsingtao, China, arriving on the 19th. With the exception of two voyages to the Philippine Islands, she operated in the East China Sea between Tsingtao and Shanghai until January 1947. Brush returned to Guam 18 January 1947 for repairs. Repairs completed 16 February 1947, she sailed to San Diego, via Saipan, Kwajalein, and Pearl Harbor, arriving 24 March. Until May 1950 Brush remained on the west coast participating in local operations, plane guard duties, and type training.