USS Dewey (DD-349) - World War II

World War II

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941, Dewey was undergoing tender overhaul. She took the enemy planes under attack and that afternoon got underway to patrol in the Hawaiian area. On 15 December she joined TF 11 sailing to relieve the Marine garrison on Wake Island, which fell on 23 December. Dewey returned to her patrol assignment.

In February 1942 she rejoined TF 11 for a projected strike on Rabaul. The force was sighted by two enemy patrol planes and the strike was canceled after Dewey aided in downing some of 18 bombers led to the force by radio reports from the patrol planes. She continued to screen Lexington in the strikes on Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea, on 10 March and returned to Pearl Harbor on the 26th.

TF 11 sortied from Pearl Harbor 15 April 1942 for operations in the Solomon Islands. On 5 May word came that the Japanese were advancing on Port Moresby, and Dewey's group joined Yorktown in the Battle of the Coral Sea. When Lexington came under intensive attack, Dewey joined in sending up antiaircraft fire, suffering five men wounded from enemy strafing. Lexington was badly hit, and as fires raged out of control, she was abandoned, with Dewey rescuing 112 of the carrier's survivors. She screened Yorktown into Noumea 12 May, and then returned to Pearl Harbor 25 May in the screen for Enterprise.

Dewey sailed three days later in the Enterprise task force. The Battle of Midway was joined 2 to 6 June, and throughout this action Dewey screened Platte. Returning to Pearl Harbor 9 June, Dewey escorted Saratoga as the carrier brought an air squadron to Midway between 22 and 29 June. On 7 July she cleared for the initial landings on Guadalcanal, which she bombarded 7 August. On that day of the first assault, Dewey fired on attacking dive bombers, whose bombs wounded one of her men. She went to the rescue of two ships, aiding Jarvis to regain power, and towing George F. Elliott until her damage made it necessary to abandon her. Dewey rescued 40 of the transport's survivors.

Dewey remained in the Solomons to protect supply and communication lines, and screened Saratoga during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on 24 August 1942. She escorted Saratoga, damaged by submarine torpedo 31 August, to Pearl Harbor, arriving 23 September, and 6 days later sailed for overhaul at San Francisco. On 27 December 1942 she got underway for duty in Alaskan waters. When Worden ran aground at Amchitka, Dewey attempted to tow her off the rocks, then aided in rescuing her survivors when stormy weather forced her abandonment. On 7 April 1943, Dewey sailed for San Pedro to escort an assault group to Attu for the invasion 11 May. She also took part in the landings at Kiska 15 August, before escorting a group of LSTs to San Francisco, arriving 19 September.