Service history USS Halsey Powell

1 service history

1.1 united states navy

1.1.1 world war ii

1.1.1.1 1944
1.1.1.2 1945


1.1.2 korean war
1.1.3 1954-1968


1.2 south korean navy

service history
united states navy
world war ii
1944

halsey powell conducted shakedown training off east coast, , sailed on 20 january 1944 norfolk join pacific fleet. arriving pearl harbor on 12 february, destroyer steamed majuro escort tankers hawaii, returning marshall islands in march escort , patrol duty. islands fell american amphibious troops, halsey powell , other ships protected task force air , submarine attack. destroyer carried out series of effective attacks on i-32 on 23 march, , after running out of depth charges yielded manlove , canastota complete kill.

following marshalls operation, halsey powell departed pearl harbor on 30 may rehearsals in connection upcoming marianas invasions. sortied assault force eniwetok on 11 june, , troops stormed ashore on saipan 4 days later took fire-support station off beaches, , effective force in victory. in addition screening, radar picket duties, , fire support ground forces, halsey powell sank net tender, cargo ship , numerous small craft in lagoon guns.

the operation success, entered saipan harbor on 21 june, after carrier forces had decimated japanese in battle of philippine sea. steamed tinian, bombarding shore positions, clearing way troops , screening through invasion there on 24 july. following spent 2 weeks on screening , radar picket duty off guam before returning eniwetok on 22 august join fast carrier task force.

halsey powell sortied vice admiral marc mitscher s famous fast carrier task force (then called tf 38), on 29 august. operating long periods @ sea underway refueling , replenishment, powerful carrier force represented ultimate in mobile striking power afloat. during september carriers, screened halsey powell , other destroyers, struck palaus , philippines, returning ulithi on 1 october.

five days later, halsey powell under command of cmdr. sidney d. b. merrill, ships sailed on 1 of important operations of long pacific war. after air strikes on okinawa great task force turned real objective, airfields on formosa. air battle raged 12–15 october, halsey powell assisting in splashing of many japanese aircraft. @ cost of 3 damaged ships, task force had driven off thousand enemy aircraft, downing on 500.

as invasion of leyte began, desperate japanese navy moved remaining units philippines. three-pronged attack, launched without air power, precipitated epochal battle leyte gulf. halsey powell screened admiral gerald f. bogan s carriers during strikes made 1 phase of battle, battle of sibuyan sea, on 24 october. battleship musashi sunk , vice admiral takeo kurita s ships delayed , confused. night bulk of tf 38 steamed north meet japanese fleet, , in battle off cape engaño next day major victory won. halsey powell picked downed pilots 29–30 october , returned ulithi task force on 9 november 1944. during remainder of 1944 tf 38 carried out heavy strikes against philippines , formosa.

1945

halsey powell hit kamikaze alongside hancock, 20 march 1945.

the fleet sailed south china sea on 9–15 january support invasion of lingayen gulf, , supporting ships fought off air attacks carriers struck bases in china , indochina. ticonderoga damaged kamikaze on 21 january, halsey powell assigned escort ulithi, arrived on 24 january 1945.

the carrier task force departed again in february attack japan itself. halsey powell screened carriers during attack, in covering attacks iwo jima invasion on 19 february, , later during more strikes on japan. destroyer shot down 1 attacking aircraft on 16 february , assisted many others. veteran carrier groups returned on 1 march ulithi, underway again on 14 march soften okinawa coming assault, , strike more blows @ japan. on 20 march, halsey powell alongside hancock when japanese aircraft attacked. destroyer getting clear, aircraft overshot carrier , crashed halsey powell. steering gear jammed, alert action engines averted collision. fires put out, , although 9 killed , on 30 wounded in attack ship reached ulithi on 25 march.

halsey powell arrived san pedro battle repairs on 8 may, pacific war reaching climax sailed again pearl harbor on 19 july 1945. arrived eniwetok on 17 august, 2 days after surrender of japan, , present in tokyo bay formal surrender ceremonies 2 september. ship supported occupation forces until departing 31 october puget sound. halsey powell decommissioned on 10 december 1946 @ san diego , placed in pacific reserve fleet.

korean war

with increased demands on navy result of korean war, halsey powell recommissioned on 27 april 1951. after shakedown , training exercises ship sailed familiar waters of far east 23 july long beach, arriving japan 16 august. joining task force 77, destroyer acted plane guard , screening ship while carrier planes kept constant pressure on communist lines , shore installations. halsey powell continued these operations off eastern coast of korea until october, when departed stabilized war zone training off okinawa. late in month returned take part in destructive bombardments of suwon dam, wonsan, hungnam, , other areas. patrolling , screening duties continued until ship sailed united states on 20 february 1952.

halsey powell got underway second tour in korea on 4 october 1952, , in next 7 months took part in shore bombardment , screening duties united nations command naval strength continued seal off north korea sea. destroyer returned united states 6 may 1953, , after training exercises out of san diego sailed once more japan on 26 december 1953. in 1954 after flight operations task force 77 off of korea in sea of japan halsey powell assigned task force 77.7 in south china sea part of flight operations off of vietnam.

1954-1968

uss halsey powell in 1959.

during next few years halsey powell made yearly cruises western pacific, operating task force 77 off korea, patrolling formosa strait, , engaging in tactical exercises other units of pacific fleet. in september–october 1958 ship aided nationalist chinese operations in quemoy-matsu crisis, convoying transports , standing deter attack communist chinese. seapower decisive force in checking spread of communism.

halsey powell s trim silhouette became familiar @ many far eastern ports. continued alternate these important operations 7th fleet training , readiness exercises off west coast. in recent years included practice cruises nrotc midshipmen. halsey powell continued important contributor peace in far east america s readiness @ sea. during may–july 1962, destroyer took part in important nuclear tests in pacific, , returned in 1963-1964 regular pattern of deployments.

on 1 january 1965, halsey powell assigned reserve destroyer squadron 27 long beach home port. operated naval reserve training ship through 1967, cruising between vancouver, canada, , mazatlán, mexico.

on 27 april 1968, halsey powell transferred south korea. stricken naval vessel register on 2 june 1975.

south korean navy

transferred south korea 27 april 1968, ex-halsey powell renamed roks seoul (dd-912), after nation s capital.

she stricken , scrapped in 1982.