History of USS Hadley DD 774

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What follows is a brief history of the USS HUGH W. HADLEY, one of WWII's most distinguished and heroic naval combatants....

USS HUGH W. HADLEY (DD774) was constructed at the Bethlehem Steel Company Shipbuilding Yards at Terminal Island, California, during the first months of 1944. Mrs. Hugh William Hadley acted as sponsor at the launching on July 16. The ship was named in honor of her late husband, Commander Hadley, USN, who had gallantly given his life while serving as commander of a transport division during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands. This vessel was commissioned on 25 November 1944, and Commander L.C. Chamberlain, USN, assumed command. The nucleus crew of rated enlisted men was believed to be of an exceptionally high standard of excellence, and the roster of former destroyers on which these men had served would include most of the destroyers which had distinguished themselves during World War II.

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HADLEY reported to Commander Operational Training Command, Pacific, in San Diego, for shakedown on 23 December 1944. Training in all phases of anti-submarine warfare, torpedo firing, gunnery, amphibious warfare, engineering, communications, fighter direction, and damage control was supervised by Captain Glenn Roy Hartwig, USN, Commander Destroyer Squadron 66, the squadron to which Hadley was attached. He had shifted his flag to this ship, and remained aboard throughout the shakedown period. On 13 January, Commander Baron Joseph Mullaney, USN, relieved Commander Chamberlain as Commanding Officer. The final inspection took place on 5 February, and the ship was certified "very good"; in all departments. HADLEY was ready for combat. Statistics Standard Displacement: 2,200 tons Length Overall: 376 feet, 6 inches, Beam: 40 feet, 10 inches, Speed: 35 knots plus, Complement: 343 aboard at commissioning, Armament: 6 x 5 inch/38 caliber dual-purpose guns, 10 21 inch torpedo tubes, plus 40MM and 20MM AA guns. Following a 14-day post-shakedown availability at the San Diego Naval Repair Base, HADLEY left on 21 February 1945, took screening station on HMS RANEE (CVE 03), and escorted the British carrier to Pearl Harbor. Upon arrival, HADLEY reported to Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet, for further orders. On 7 March she proceeded as the single escort member of Task Unit 12.5.6 in company with the USS SANTEE (CVE 29) enroute to Ulithi. Under orders of the Commander 5th Fleet, HADLEY left Ulithi on 25 March for Okinawa in company with Task Unit 53.2.2 consisting of many LST's [Landing Ship Tank] and escorts. The passage was without incident, and at 1650, 31 March Takashiki Jima of the Okinawa group was sighted. The crew stood at General Quarters throughout that night as Japanese planes were reported to be in the vicinity. HADLEY fired for the first time and drew her first blood by shooting down one of the harassing Bettys [Japanese twinengined bomber]. None of the Unit was damaged, and the LSTs landed their troops on Okinawa Easter morning April 1, 1945. The task unit was dissolved upon arrival, and HADLEY was assigned as an anti-submarine patrol station outside the transport area off Hagushi Beach. Low flying enemy planes again kept her at GQ at night. After fueling at Kerama Retto, she reported to report to Commander Task Group 51.2 on the USS ANCON (AGC4), patrolling in a retirement area east of Okinawa. During the 4th day of this patrol, Task Group 51.2 was ordered to proceed to Saipan, arriving on 14 April. Enroute, HADLEY had her first experience screening transports with fast and veteran destroyers, and also succeeding in destroying her first mine with machine gun fire. Six days later she was again underway for Okinawa in company with Task Unit 94.19.12, exploding another floating menace along the way.

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On 27 April, HADLEY arrived at Okinawa and was returned to the antisubmarine patrol station. The next day she was ordered to join USS R. H. SMITH (DM23), 2 LSMs and 4 LCS(L) on radar picket station. She picked up a Marine pilot from the water after the engine of his F4U Corsair failed and he was forced to ditch. The first 2 days in May were restful, as the Okinawa area was blessed with an overcast sky, making enemy air raids impractical; but blue skies brought the Japs back in force. USS AARON WARD (DM 34), predecessor to the HADLEY at the Terminal Island Shipbuilding Yards, was reported in sinking condition after absorbing 6 suicide plane hits in her unequal match on a picket station to the south of the HADLEY's position The night of 3-4 May was not pleasant as several enemy raids from the north had the crew again at general quarters continuously during the seemingly endless night. At sunrise, HADLEY secured from general quarters; but at 0745 the crew rushed to their battle stations to learn the USS SHEA, 1000 yards on the port quarter, had been hit by a Baka bomb and was burning badly. HADLEY took control of the Combat Air Patrol (CAP) until relieved 2 hours later by a fighter-direction equipped destroyer. When relieved, HADLEY reported to Kerama Retto for logistics, after which she resumed station off Hagushi Beach. On 7 May, HADLEY was directed alongside the USS BROWN (DD 546), a veteran radar picket ship, for transfer of communications equipment from BROWN to make HADLEY a fully equipped fighter-direction ship. The job was completed in record time. BROWN radio technicians were well aware of the significance of the fact that BROWN was one of the few regulars that had survived the picket line. Radar picket ships were scarce. At 1350, 10 May, HADLEY took station with USS EVANS (DD 552) as support ship. At 0636, 11 May a Jap plane was shot down by the CAP, but it proved to be only the frontrunner of an estimated 150-plane group that was approaching from the North. The CAP of 12 marine F4U Corsairs soon had their hands full and, at 0750, and enemy observation plane was taken under fire and shot down close to HADLEY. At about 0755 the entire CAP was ordered out in different formations to intercept and engage the horde of enemy planes fast closing in. It was learned later that the CAP had destroyed about 40 or 50 planes. HADLEY and EVANS were attacked continuously by numerous enemy aircraft coming in groups of 4 or 6 on each ship. During the early period of the engagement, enemy aircraft were sighted trying to pass the formation headed for Okinawa. These were flying extremely low on both bows and apparently ignoring HADLEY. The ship accounted for 4 of these. From 0830 to 0900 she was attacked by groups of planes coming in on both bows; she shot down 12 of these during this period by firing, at times all guns in various directions. EVANS was about 3 miles to the north fighting off a number of planes by herself, several of which were seen to be destroyed. At 0900 EVANS was hit and put out of action. At one time towards the close

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of the battle, when friendly planes were closing in to assist, the four support ships were prevented from shooting down two friendlies whom they had taken under fire. For 20 minutes, HADLEY fought off the enemy single-handed. Finally, at 0920, 10

enemy planes which had surrounded HADLEY attacked the ship simultaneously: 4 on the starboard bow under fire by the main battery and machine guns, 4 on the port bow under fire by forward machine guns; and 2 astern under fire from machine guns. All 10 planes were destroyed in a remarkable fight, and each plane
was conclusively accounted for. As a result of this attack, HADLEY was (1) hit by a bomb aft, (2) hit by a Baka bomb released from a low-flying Betty, (3) struck by a suicide plane aft, and (4) hit by a suicide plane in the rigging. HADLEY's gunners were not the only ones whose ammunition was running low as more and more Jap planes splashed into the sea. Our Marines in their Corsair fighters overhead, radioed that "we are out of ammunition, but we're not leaving the fight." One twin-engine Betty was forced into the sea by a Corsair who got above him and rode him down; another Corsair flew through a hail of shells from HADLEY in an attempt to divert a Jap plane from a suicide dive. Twice he forced the Jap out of his dive, but even though the intrepid Marine flew almost into the muzzles of HADLEY's guns, he was unable to prevent the Jap, riddled from tail to prop, from hitting the ship.

By this time the ship was badly holed with both engine rooms and one fireroom flooding as the ship settled down and listed rapidly. All 5 inch

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guns were out of action; a fire was raging aft of number two stack; ammunition was exploding; and the entire ship was engulfed in a thick, black smoke. This smoke forced the crew to take shelter, some by jumping over the side, others by crowding forward awaiting orders. The ship was helpless to defend herself and the situation appeared very dark. The Commanding Officer received reports from the Chief Engineer and Damage Control Officer, which indicated that the main spaces were flooded and the ship was rapidly developing into a state which would capsize her. The exploding ammunition and the raging fire were very dangerous. The engineers secured the forward boilers to prevent them from blowing up. The order "prepare to abandon ship" was given and life rafts and life boats were put over the side. A party of about 50 men and officers was organized to make a last fight to save the ship. The remainder of the crew and the wounded were put over into the water. From this point on, a truly amazing, courageous, and efficient group of men and officers were utter disregard for their own personal safety approached the explosions and the fire with hoses, and for 15 minutes kept up this work. One officer fought the fire without shoes, on the blistering hot deck. Torpedoes were jettisoned, weights removed from the starboard side, and finally, the fire was extinguished and the list and the flooding controlled. Although the ship was still in an extremely dangerous condition, one fireroom bulkhead held, and the ship was finally towed to the Ie Shima anchorage. Today, HADLEY proudly displays the 25 Japanese flags painted on her bridge, testifying to the number of enemy planes she destroyed. DD 774 established a record for destroyers in adding 23 of those flags to her scoreboard as the result of a single engagement. 28 of her crew died at their battle stations, 3 died soon after of injuries sustained; 68 others were injured. Not one of these men left his post of duty as the enemy planes came in, even after the ship had been hit and ammunition was running low. Examples of bravery and resourcefulness were continuous throughout the action.

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The mission was accomplished. The transports at the Okinawa anchorage were saved from an attack by 156 enemy planes by the action in which HADLEY took such a great part. She bore the brunt of the enemy strength and took everything that they had to throw at her. It was a proud day for destroyer men. Ammunition expended in this 1 hour, 40 minute air battle: 801 rounds of 5"38 8950 rounds of 40MM 5990 rounds of 20MM. After noon on 11 May 1945 the groggy vessel was towed into Ie Shima where she stayed until considered in safe enough condition to be towed to Kerama Retto on 14 May. There, in floating dry-dock ARD 28, the hard-working USS ZANIAH (AG70) ship repair unit started patching, bracing, and strengthening the battered hull. A patch was secured to the hole in the starboard side where a suicide plane had entered the engineering spaces, carrying delayed action bomb(s), which went through the ship's bottom, exploded, and broke upward a large portion of the after-keel section of the ship. The early morning hours of 19 June, the crew manned the rail to say goodbye to Captain Mullaney who had been relieved as Commanding Officer by Commander Roy A. Newton, USN. On 15 July, HADLEY, resting on the keel blocks of floating dry-dock ARD 28, was towed by ATF 150 from Kerama Retto to Buckner Bay off eastern Okinawa. She was undocked 22 days later and again taken alongside ZANIAH, this time in Buckner Bay.

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The 6,800 mile voyage at the end of a tow line began on 29 July, when ATA 199 took her in tow and joined a slow convoy enroute to Saipan. The 3rd day underway, heavy seas and violent winds verified radio reports that a 65-mph typhoon was being encountered. On 1 August, the ship rolled as far as 57 degrees to port, but the towline held. The tow continued to Eniwetok, thence to Pearl Harbor where it was learned from Commander Destroyers, Pacific Fleet, that the ship was to be decommissioned upon arrival in the United States. HADLEY and the ever-present ATA 199 left Pearl Harbor on the final leg of this trek on 12 September to arrive at U.S. Naval Shipyard Hunter's Point, San Francisco, California, on 26 September 1945. During the long, slow tow, taking nearly two months, the towline had been parted nine times. Thus was the USS HUGH W. HADLEY (DD774) entered on the roster of America's combatant ships, as another fighting constituent of the United States Navy whose crew would not give up their ship. On 15 December 1945, USS HADLEY was decommissioned. For the action at Okinawa, several Medals were awarded to various officers and crew members, including Navy Crosses for both the Commanding Officer and the Gunnery Officer and, for all aboard, the USS HADLEY was awarded The Presidential Unit Citation, signed, for the President, by James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy.

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Photo of engine room crew of USS Hadley DD 774. Recognize anyone? (bottom row, third from left)

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Presidential Unit Citation

THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WASHINGTON

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to the UNITED
STATES SHIP HUGH W. HADLEY for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

"For extraordinary heroism in action as Fighter Direction Ship on Radar Picket Station Number 15 during an attack by approximately 100 enemy Japanese planes, forty miles northwest of the Okinawa Transport Area, May 11, 1945. Fighting valiantly against waves of hostile suicide and divebombing planes plunging toward her from all directions, the U.S.S. HUGH HADLEY sent up relentless barrages of antiaircraft fire during one of the most furious air-sea battles of the war. Repeatedly finding her targets, she destroyed twenty enemy planes, skillfully directed her Combat Air Patrol in shooting down at least forty others and, by her vigilance and superb battle readiness, avoided damage to herself until subjected to a coordinated attack by ten Japanese planes. Assisting in the destruction of all ten of these, she was crashed by one bomb and three suicide planes with devastating effect. With all engineering spaces flooded and with a fire raging amidships, the gallant officers and men of the HUGH W. HADLEY fought desperately against almost insurmountable odds and, by their indomitable determination, fortitude and skill, brought the damage under control, enabling their ship to be towed to port and saved. Her brilliant performance in this action reflects the highest credit upon the HUGH W. HADLEY and the United States Naval Service." For the President, James Forrestal (signature) Secretary of the Navy

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Service Ribbons (Medals) earned by John M. Lyons as a result of his service onboard the USS Hadley, May 11, 1945 TOO MANY TO LIST APPROX. 100 PURPLE HEART

ALL CREW MEMBERS ABOARD ALL CREW MEMBERS ABOARD

11 MAY 1945 11 MAY 1945

COMBAT ACTION RIBBON PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION1

ALL CREW MEMBERS ABOARD ALL CREW MEMBERS ABOARD ALL CREW MEMBERS ABOARD

AMERICAN THEATER MEDAL

ASIATIC PACIFIC THEATER MEDAL1

(Star is for Battle of Okinawa)

WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL

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International News Services

DESTROYER HADLEY HIT BY 3 JAP SUICIDE PLANES IN 95 FLAMING MINUTES BUT VALIANT CREWS DOWNED 23 ENEMY PLANES Somewhere in the Western Pacific Men of the fighting destroyer USS Hadley told today (June 18) how they shot down a record of 23 Jap Planes in 94 flaming minutes during which the vessel was hit by three suicide planes. The Hadley was left dead in the water after the action but the valiant ship and her crew refused to quit. The action was the destroyer's first major engagement since she was commissioned last November. Her captain is Commander B. J. Mullaney, New Bedford, Mass. With the destroyer Evans which shot down 19 planes in the same action, the Hadley took a guard station off Okinawa on the night of May 10. This job in connection with combat air patrol was to intercept Jap planes roaring down for a crack at American shipping in the Okinawa. The first target of the enemy aircraft is a ship on patrol and the men who sweat out the watches through the long night know it. From sunset to dawn, weary gun crews were at battle stations and Jap planes were reported all over the area. At 7:45 AM. the Hadley shot down a Jap float plane and the action appeared over. But it was only the beginning. Ten minutes later Jap planes were coming in from all directions and continued to attack for the next hour and a half. Every gun aboard the ship was fired until it was blistering hot. A total of 156 enemy aircraft took part in the attacks and the Hadley and Evans bagged 42 of them. American planes accounted for another 50 Jap planes. The Evans was hit by several Kamikaze suicide planes and went out of action at 9 a. m. and the Hadley continued to fight alone. The battle was a wild scramble according to S1/c Franklin Gebbart, Lafayette, Ind., who said things were happening too fast to follow. "I ran to my station a 20 millimeter gun mount

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and saw a Jap float plane coming in astern. He bellied up about 1,200 yards out and every gun was turned on him." "We splashed him in flames right there." Gunner's Mate Third Class August Hodde, Brenham, Tex., gun captain of a 40 millimeter on the port side, said: "Then the started coming in all directions and everyone was shooting at the nearest plane. We would shift targets all the time and it didn't seem like we had been at the guns long before an hour had gone by. The Nips were splashing all around us and I think my crew got two. About this time we were hit by the first Kamikaze and another went between the stacks so low he clipped the radio antenna." All this time the Hadley was operating a 27 knots with her rudder hard over to circle and give every gun a chance to fire. Most of the time she was separated from the Evans by two to three miles.. The first formation of Jap planes which was spotted streaking to pass the Hadley but she shot down four of them. In furious action between 8:30 and 9:00 AM, the Hadley attached a large formation of Japs head-on and shot down 12. From his gun position on the starboard side, GM2/c Richard Bennett, Ventura, Calif., said he saw nine Jap planes coming in at once. The Japs evidently had been saving their fiercest attack until the last. The Hadley fought off the bulk assaults for the next 20 minutes with all her guns firing in all directions. Ten Jap planes surrounding the Hadley turned to attack simultaneously, four on each side of the bow and two astern. All 10 were shot down either by the Hadley's guns or covering Corsairs which had been doing a magnificent job of support. It was in the final period of the action, lasting not more than four minutes, that the Hadley suffered almost all her damage. She was hit by one bomb and two Kamikazes. With fires raging all about and a number of her men killed or wounded the Hadley appeared doomed and the order was given to abandon ship. But then 50 officers and men under Damage Control Officer Lt. Craig Clemons, Storm Lake, Iowa, organized for a last ditch battle to save the destroyer. Save her they did. Disregarding their own safety, the men had the flames under control in fifteen minutes. Two small craft came to the rescue and made fast along the sides of the Hadley.

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"When the men heard the order to abandon ship passed, many gun crews jumped over the side but came back a few minutes later to help flight the fires and jettison ammunition. Examples of heroism were almost too numerous to single out for mention.

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This document was written for the NAVY History Section at the Pentagon and is the personal recollection of Thomas Dwyer, LTJG, member of the crew of the USS HUGH W. HADLEY.

On the morning of 11 May 1945, USS HUGH W. HADLEY (DD774) was patrolling on Radar Picket Station 15, some 60 miles north of Okinawa's Point BOLO, in company with USS EVANS (DD552) and four support craft. Commencing at about 0755, and continuing until 0940, the two destroyers and their escorts were subjected to a succession of waves of kamikaze attacks by some 150 Japanese aircraft. These aircraft had flown from southern Kyushu airfields and were en route to attack ships and shore installations at Okinawa. HADLEY's and EVANS's job, together with the 12 Marine F-4U CORSAIR pilots assigned as combat air patrol (CAP) was to prevent them from carrying out their mission. The Marines joined the fray first, ranging out to intercept the Japanese aircraft as they approached from the north. Obviously, the Marines could not stop them all, and many broke through circling the two destroyers like the Indians around the wagon train. From time to time the Japanese would launch crudely coordinated attacks by from 4 to 12 aircraft against the embattled ships. EVANS put up a valiant struggle until she was knocked out of action at about 0900. Some twenty minutes later, HADLEY took her first kamikaze hit on the after port quad 40mm mount (Mount 44). Mount Captain Nicholas's last words were, "We'll get the S. 0. B." as the aircraft dove right down the barrels of the gun mount, killing the gun crew on the spot. Almost simultaneously several bombs penetrated the ship and detonated under the keel lifting, the ship out of the water. Shortly thereafter, another aircraft struck the starboard side amidships at the water line. The fuselage pierced the hull and caused heavy loss of life and severe flooding in the engine and fire rooms. Yet another kamikaze dove on the ship and passed between the foremast and the after stack, clipping some wires as it fell harmlessly into the sea. HADLEY was now dead in the water and mortally wounded. The ship was in imminent danger of capsizing, due to the flooding caused by the hit at the water line. Fires were raging back aft from the hit on Mt, 44, and Torpex was dripping from the punctured torpedo warheads into the flames, the main battery was out of action, and she was still under attack. At this moment, CDR BARON J. MULLANEY, Hadley's Commanding Officer, ordered the signalmen on the bridge to hoist the colors at all six signal

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halyards, to join the battle ensign flying from the foremast. As the colors rose on the halyards, he passed the word, "If this ship sinks, she'll sink with her colors flying. " This act of defiance in the face of the enemy created a tremendous stimulus to the surviving HADLEY crewmen, who continued to fight the ship while desperately trying to keep her afloat. After two more unsuccessful attacks, the remnants of the enemy force withdrew. HADLEY was credited with shooting down 25 Japanese aircraft in the 105 minute engagement and EVANS with 15. The Presidential Unit Citation subsequently awarded HADLEY stated, in part that "this was the greatest air-sea battle of World War II." Meanwhile, the Marine fighter pilots were busy shooting down some 50 Japanese planes while trying to shield the ships from attack. At least one Marine pilot, having run out of ammunition, downed a potential kamikaze by damaging the Jap's tail assembly with his propeller. Ultimately, all of the Marines ran out of ammunition, but they requested permission to remain on station until dwindling fuel supplies forced them to return to base. On a humorous note, one of the LSM(R) skippers came alongside the burning and sinking HADLEY and yelled, "Hey HADLEY, if you promise not to blow up, I'll take you in tow." On the following day, 12 May, HADLEY was towed to the vicinity of Ie Shima, where USS PANAMINT, Flagship for ADM R. K. TURNER, USN, Commander Amphibious Task Force was anchored. As the battered HADLEY limped under tow past PANAMINT, with seven ensigns still flying, the Admiral passed the word over the ship's bull horn,

"Render honors to that man-of-war standing down my port side." The men of HADLEY, although exhausted from the
battle, and deeply saddened by the loss of so many of their shipmates, proudly returned these unprecedented honors. My purpose in putting these thoughts on paper is to pay tribute to the unflagging devotion and courage of the HADLEY crew - the engineers who died at their posts below decks; the gun crew that refused to leave their station in the face of certain death; the damage control crews who kept her afloat against all odds; the officers and men all - but most especially to a great inspirational combat leader -COMMANDER BARON JOSEPH MULLANEY, USN, our Commanding Officer.