USS PORTERFIELD DD
682 USS PORTERFIELD DD
682
HISTORY PAGE 2
From: Gill's U.S. Navy Ships Histories
HISTORY OF
USS PORTERFIELD DD 682
From launch December 12,1942 to Decommissioning 1945
During her extremely active World II career USS PORTERFIELD earned ten Battle Stars in' nine major operations and destroyed 16 enemy aircraft and one surface ship, steaming 255,000 miles.
PORTERFIELD was built by the Bethlehem Steel Company at San Pedro, California, where her keel was laid on 12 December 1942. Launched on 13 June 1943 the ship wa5 sponsored by Mrs. Louis B. Porterfield, widow of Rear Admiral Porterfield, the ships namesake,
USS PORTERFIELD was commissioned on 30 October 1943, with Commander J. C. Woefel, USNP serving as the destroyer's first commanding officer. Among the ship's original complement was Ensign James C., Porterfield, one of Admiral PORTERFIELD's sons.
Following her shakedown, Porterfield joined Task Force 53 and began rehearsals for the invasion of the Marshall Islands. The group got underway on 12 January 1944 and arrived off the Marshall's on the 31st.
PORTERFIELD's first job was shore bombardment on Ennomennet and Ennifoirr.Islands, followed by harassing and neutralizing fire on Roi and Namur. Fighting continued on for several days during which time the destroyer patrolled the area on anti-submarine searches with negative results.
By 4 February the situation was well in hand, and PORTERFIELD left to convoy several cargo and transport ships to Funafuti. Here she joined three merchantmen and another destroyer, USS FLETCHER, in route to Majuro.
Upon their arrival in Majuro the small convoy learned, to their astonishment, that a scout plane had reported them as an enemy task force approaching the island, causing the island to remain alerted for 12 hours.while planes made an ambitious search.
On 20 February PORTERFIELD got underway from Majuro in company with a division of battleships for shore bombardment in the Marshall's. The destroyers screened as the battleships guns.worked over enemy installations thoroughly for two days.
After a quick voyage to Pearl Harbor, PORTERFIELD joined the replenishment group for the fast carrier task force, screening the oilier which refueled the striking forces during the raids on Yap, Palau and Sawatan. This duty continued until the last of April,, when PORTERFIELD again set course for Pearl Harbor.
On 13 May, while still in Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant Commander D. W. Wulzen USN, relieved Commander J. C. Woefel, USN, as Commanding Officer of the Porterfield.
After having been in Pearl. Harbor a short while, Porterfield received her next assignment; screening escort carriers during the impending Marinas invasion. The group sortie from Pearl Harbor on 30 June, with PORTERFIELD's group, of jeep carriers furnishing air coverage for the advance. During, the dawn alert on 3 June, PORTERFIELD recovered a man lost overboard from one of the carriers as the group proceeded toward Eniwetok. Another man was picked up later in the day.
The group arrived off Saipan on-15 June and enemy air attacks began shortly thereafter. PORTERFIELD,:L stayed with the force, rescuing two pilots, before being sent to Eniwetok. on 1 July for dry-docking. After her repairs, the ship reached Saipan again on 11 July and operated with the carrier screen until sent to Guam early in August 1944.
On 3 August, PORTERFIELD was detached from the carrier group to join the hard-hitting Carrier Task Force 58/38. She rendezvoused with Task Group 58.4 east of Guam on 6 August and operated with that group during the rest of the Guam campaign, returning to Eniwetok. for upkeep on l6 August 1944,
The group put to sea again on 29 August and launched raids against Palau and Mindanao in support of the landings in the Palaus. The ships remained in the general area between-the Philippines and the Palaus. during all of September, striking at islands within the Philippines and refueling just west of the Palaus. No serious resistance was encountered and the force retired to Ulithi for logistics, interrupted by a tropical storm early in October.
Logistics-completed, the carrier force left Ulithi on 6 October, with Okinawa and Formosa as their objectives. Air raids were heavier this time, and PORTERFIELD splashed three planes, also rescuing the crew of a torpedo bomber from USS HORNET. Following the attacks on Okinawa and Formosa, the group was sent to the Philippines, lying in wait for units of the Japanese Fleet, which were supposed to be planning an attack.
During 24 October, enemy air activity was intensified and USS PRINCETON, which was just ahead of PORTERFIELD, was hit by a Japanese dive bomber, and later had to be sunk.
The air battle was now going full blast, but none of the activity got within range of PORTERFIELD's guns until afternoon, when a group of enemy planes bombed her formation. PORTERFIELD escaped damage however.
At dawn of the next day the carrier planes from the began their strikes against the Japanese sorties, crippling the entire group and sending it scurrying- back toward Japan. PORTERFIELD was ordered to join four cruisers to finish off the damaged ships, and crowded on steam to join the cruisers. They were not hard to find, as their location was marked by the funeral-pyre smoke from a burning and sinking Japanese light carrier.
The group soon caught up with three other and proceeded to join battle with one, who chose to fight a hopeless rear-guard action to let the other two escape. Their opponent proved to be an able seaman, using every trick in the bag for over an hour before sinking just as the destroyers were pressing a torpedo attack The other two ships made good their escape and because of low fuel, further search had to be abandoned with the group returning to Ulithi.
Their stay in Ulichi was of short duration, however, as the group sortied again on the first of November for an operating area east of Samar. Steaming was routine, until USS RENO was suddenly hit by a torpedo during the night of 3 November and was forced to retire.
On the morning of the 5th, the carriers launched a strike against Luzon, amid gathering stormy weather. One pilot from LANGLEY crashed stunning himself, and had to be hauled board PORTERFIELD by a life boat.
The Japanese struck back in the early afternoon, and LEXINGTON took a Kamikaze crash. Again PORTERFIELD was undamaged, but did not fare so well two days later when typhoon struck a fueling rendezvous cast of the Visayas. The storm continued for several days, with the heavy seas smashing in the port bulwark. Following further strikes on Luzon, PORTERFIELD returned to Ulithi for.dry-docking.
on 22 November she again sortied for more raids on Luzon, returning to Ulithi for logistics and upkeep oil 3 December. A week later she was again underway for Luzon, and recovered another LANGLEY pilot on the 13th. Though strikes were again interrupted by a typhoon, and PORTERFIELD made it back to Ulithi on Christmas Eve.
On the Group's next raid, it was decided to enter the South. China Sea via the Baslii. Channel between Formosa and Luzon. One inside, the group conducted a shipping raid along the China coast which cost the Japanese a heavy toll of their remaining shipping strength.
The group cleared the China Sea on 19 January 1945, and again sent planes against Formosa. The Japanese defense was more effective this time, however, as two suicide planes crashed into USS TICONDEROGA and one bomb hit LANGLEY's flight deck. Further strikes were launched against Okinawa Gunto before the group returned to Ulitht on 27 January. During this period the Commanding Officer, Commander D. Wulzen, was awarded the Bronze Star.
On 10 February the ships sortied again, bound for Tokyo and subsequent support of the Iwo Jima landings. On the second day out, two pilots from thc; carrier COWPENS were rescued, one by swimmers. The four swimmers were later awarded the: Navy and Marine Corps Medal for Heroism.
The fast Carrier Task Force penetrated to within 60 of Jima to Tokyo without being attacked., and then retired toward Iwo Jima to provide direct support for the landings there. in route, a small Japanese picket boat was taken under fire, and later was sunk by another destroyer.
The carrier planes flew direct support missions until 23 February, when the group refueled and set course for Tokyo. During the Iwo Jima campaign PORTERFIELD added another plane to her credit. The group prowled off the Japanese home islands for several day, striking almost at will.
Early on the morning of 26 February, PORTERFIELD picked up Japanese picket boat on her radar screen, and promptly engaged her. The 150 f@ot b,;at put up 'I stiff' fight, aided by rough seas which made fire control difficult, but PORTERFIELD sank her within fifteen minutes.
The following day, with the weather steadily improving, the task group refueled and PORTERFIELD departed forUlithi, arriving on 1 March. She stayed in.Ulithi for three weeks before leaving for Okinawa Jima, where she was to lend fire support for the landings on Kerama Retto and Okinawa.
PORTERFIELD's lack of air search radar left her vulnerable to sneak air attacks, but it did save her from radar picket duty, where many destroyers were sunk by Kamikazes during the campaign She drew her share of air raids, though, as she performed her assigned tasks of patrol and bombardment. The worst came on 6 April, just as the ships were forming for night retirement. Suicide planes swarmed over the formation., diving at any ship which presented a good target. PORTERFIELD shot down one, and was then sent to the aid of the destroyers LEUTZE and NEWCOMB.
The attack was still in full swing when PORTERFIELD maneuvered close to the two burning ships, putting over boats to rescue survivors,. As the only ship in the immediate vicinity still operating, it seemed inevitable that she would be attacked also but no planes came over until another destroyer and a minesweeper had arrived to take LEUTZE and NEWCOMB. in tow. PORTERFIELD searched the area for an hour, picking up several survivors before darkness closed in, She then screened the damaged ships to Kerama Retto and transferred the wounded to a hospital ship.
Later that day, PORTERFIELD was ordered out with Task Force 54, to intercept units of the Japanese fleet, including the giant battleship YAMATO, which were steaming toward Okinawa. The two forces never met, however, as planes of Task Force 58 destroyed the Japanese units. PORTERFIELD then returned to Okinawa, continuing on screening and bombardment duty duping which she downed two Japanese planes on 10 April 1945.
On the 12th, another heavy air attack materialized. PORTERFIELD, in the leading screen position in her formation, met the attackers, which included about 10 Bombers and Torpedo planes. one of her five-inch guns out of commission, she nevertheless threw up a tremendous amount of highly accurate fire, downing ,four planes before they could get past her. Four more were brought down as they proceeded over PORTERFIELD to the heavy units. Two managed to crash into ships, one hitting a destroyer and another smashing into a battleship.
PORTERFIELD continued her fine fire support, shooting down another enemy plane before being forced to return to the rear area because of damage to one engine. Upon arriving in Saipan, however, the ship was immediately ordered back to Okinawa as a convoy escort.
Early in May, however, the ship was ordered back to Ulithi where she remained until 20 June, During this timo, Commander D. W. Wulzcn, Commanding Officer, was awarded the Silver Star for the.action on 26 February in which Japanese picket boat was sunk.
On 20 June the ship got underway for Okinawa, only to find that the engine previously damaged was still inoperative, On 4 July PORTERFIELD was ordered back to the Puget Sound Navy Yard for an availability. Prior to the ship's departure, Lieutenant Commander A. F. Fischer, USN, relieved Commander D. W. Wulzn, USN, as Commanding Officer.
The ship arrived at the Puget Sound Navy Yard on 2 July, and was still undergoing repairs when the end of the war was announced. On 27 September she reported to the Pacific Fleet and on 3 October got underway for San Diego for decommissioning. She was returned to active duty in November 1950, and as of November 1952 is active with the Pacific Fleet.
USS PORTERFIELD (DD 682) earned Ten Battle Stars on the Asiatic-Pacific Area Service Medal for participating in the following operations:
1 Star/Marshall Islands Operation
Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls 31 January 1944 to 8 February 1944
1 Star/Asiatic-Pacific Raids -- 1944
PaIau Yap, Ulithi, Waleai Raids 30 March to 1 April 1944
Truk, Satawan,, Ponape Raid -- 29 April to 1 May 1944
1 Star/Hollandia Operation ( Aitape Humboldt Bay-Tanahmerah Bay) 21 April to 24 April 1944
1 Star/Marinas Operation
Capture and Occupation of Saipan -- 15 June to 5 August 1944 Capture and Occupation of Guam
1 August to 3 August 1944
1 Star/Tinian Capture and Occupation -- 25 July to 5 August
I Star/Western Caroline Islands Operation
Capture and Occupation of Southern Palau Islands -- 6 September to 14 October 1944
Assualts on the Phillippino Islands 9 to 24 September 1944
1 Star/Leyte Operation
THIRD Fleet supporting operation Okinawa Attack --10 October 1944
Northern'Luzon and Fornosa Attacks -- 11 to 14 October 1944
Luzon Attacks -- 15, 17 to 10 October 1944, 5 to 6, 13 to 14 19 to 25 November 1944; and 14 -to 16 December 1944.
Viscyas Attacks -- 21 October 1944
Battle of Surigao Strait -- 24 to 26 October 1944
1 Star/Luzon Operation: THIRD Fleet supporting operation Formosa Attacks -- 2 to 4, 9, 15, and 21 January 1945
Luzon on Attacks 6 to 7 January 1945
China Coast Attack 12 and 16 January 1945
Nansei Shoto Attack 22.January 1945
1 Star/Iwo Jima Operation: FIFTH Fleet Raids against Honshu and the Nansei Shoto - 15 to 16 and 25 February 1945 and I March 1945 Assault and Occupation of' Iwo- Jina -- 15 February to 1 March 1945
1 Star/Okinawa: Gunto Operation Assault and Occupation of Okinawa Gunto - 25 March to 3 May 1945
Compiled: -December 1952
USS Balch DD363 / USS Porterfield
DD682 
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