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Any
contributions to this area would be greatly appreciated.
Please keep them G-rated.
If you would care to purchase (well worth it) a book of the Potter's
exploits during WWII, please
e-mail me and your request will be
forwarded.
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History of
the USS Stephen Potter (DD-538)
World War II
OperationsStephen
Potter was laid down on 27 October 1942 by the Bethlehem Steel Co., San
Francisco, Calif.; launched on 28 April 1943; sponsored by Misses Sally
and Marian Potter; and commissioned on 21 October 1943, Comdr. C. H.
Crichton in command. Stephen Potter held her shakedown in the San
Diego area and returned to San Francisco on 8 December The ship sailed
for Hawaii late in the month and arrived at Pearl Harbor on the last day
of 1943. The destroyer was assigned to Task Force (TF) 58 which sorted,
on 16 January 1944, to launch air strikes against the Marshall Islands.
Strikes began on the 29th in preparation for the amphibious assault
which began on the 31st. Stephen Potter was in the screen of the
fast carriers when they made the first strike against Truk on 17 and 18
February. Intrepid (CV-11) was damaged on the 17th by an aircraft
torpedo, and the DD escorted the carrier back to the Marshals. Stephen
Potter departed there on 27 February, called at Pearl Harbor, and sailed
to the west coast of the United States. She arrived on 13 March and,
five days later, began the voyage back to Majuro where she rejoined the
fast carriers. Stephen Potter screened the carriers as they
launched strikes on 21 and 22 April supporting the assault on
Hollandia, New Guinea. At the end of the month, they returned again to
bomb Truk. Stephen Potter, Monterey (CVL-26) and MacDonough (DD-351)
were steaming south of Truk on 30 April when MacDonough made a radar
contact on a submarine which soon disappeared as the enemy submerged.
Sonar contact was made, and MacDonough made two depth charge attacks.
Stephen Potter came to assist with an attack, and a plane from Monterey
gave its support. Several deep explosions were heard, and much oil and
debris came to the surface as 1-174 died. On 1 May, the destroyer
participated in the bombardment of Ponape Island in the Carolines. The
task force refueled and rearmed at Majuro and, on 19 and 20 May,
attacked Marcus Island before bombing Wake on the 23d. The ships
returned to Eniwetok for refit in preparation for the Mariana Islands
campaign. |
| Task Group
(TG) 58.2 sortied on 6 June and, a week later, began strikes against
Saipan. On 17 June, the task force moved into the Philippine Sea to
block a strong Japanese fleet which threatened the American conquest of
Saipan. The Battle of the Philippine Sea, commonly referred to as the
"Marianas Turkey Shoot," began on 19 June and lasted for two
days. During the battle, Stephen Potter rescued seven downed pilots.
After a five-day refit period at Eniwetok, the ships attacked targets in
the Bonin, Palau, and Caroline Islands during July before returning to
the Marshalls for replenishment. On 30 July, Stephen Potter joined
TG 58.4 which, from 31 July to 8 August, provided air support for United
States troops fighting on Guam. The destroyer steamed from Eniwetok on
30 August, rendezvoused with TG 38.2 on 3 September and screened the
fast carriers as their aircraft pounded the Philippines from 9 to 25
September. Strikes were launched against Mindanao, Luzon, Cebu, Leyte,
Anguar, and Manila Bay. The task group was at Ulithi from 1 to 6 October
when it again got underway. Stephen Potter screened Admiral
Bogan's carriers as they launched strikes against Okinawa on 10 October
and against Formosa on the 12th, 13th, and 14th. On 13 October, Canberra
(CA-70) was torpedoed below her armor belt and lost all power. She was
taken in tow by Wichita (CA-45), and Stephen Potter was assigned as one
of their escorts. The next day, Houston (CL-81), hit by a torpedo in the
engine room, was taken in tow by Boston (CA-69) and joined the retiring
Canberra group, now designated Task Unit (TU) 30.3.1. Munsee (AT-107)
relieved Wichita of towing Canberra on the 15th, and Pawnee (AT-74)
relieved Boston of her duties on the 16th. Houston was torpedoed again
on the 16th, and all unnecessary men were removed. Stephen Potter took
83 on board. She detached to return to TG 38.2 on the 20th, which was en
route to the Philippines to support Allied landings on Leyte which began
that day. Air strikes were flown against Luzon on 22 October, and the
carriers retired toward Manus the next day. |
| On 1
November, Stephen Potter proceeded to Ulithi, via Saipan, where she
rendezvoused with the fast carriers and escorted them to the
Philippines. Air strikes were flown against the Visayas area, Manila,
and Luzon from 11 to 25 November when the force retired. The task
group had a short rest at Ulithi and, on 11 December, moved to the
operating area east of Luzon to support the landings at Mindoro.
Beginning on the 14th, the carriers launched strikes against Luzon for
three consecutive days and, after refueling, returned to Ulithi on the
24th. Stephen Potter was underway again on 30 December 1944 to
join TG 38.2 en route to a launching point for attacks against Formosa.
Air strikes were launched against Formosa and Okinawa for two days and,
after moving southeast, against Luzon on 6 and 7 January 1945. Stephen
Potter entered the South China Sea on 9 January with the carriers which
launched air strikes against Saigon and Camranh Bay, Indochina, on the
12th and Formosa on the 15th. Strikes were made against Hainan and Hong
Kong on 16 January, after which American planes made a photographic
reconnaissance of Okinawa before retiring to Ulithi. The destroyer
sortied with TG 58.2 on 10 February and participated in the carrier
strikes against the Tokyo area on 16 and 17 February. From 19 through 22
February, strikes were launched against Iwo Jima to support the landing
there. Two days later, the carriers sailed towards Japan and, on the
25th, launched air strikes against targets in the Tokyo Bay area before
returning to Ulithi on 1 March. The task group was at sea again on
14 March and four days later, launched attacks against airfields on
Kyushu and against Japanese shipping at Kobe and Kure. The strikes
continued the next day. The destroyer rescued a downed pilot on the 18th
and saved another on the 19th. The task group was under enemy air attack
both days. As the forces withdrew they were under constant air attack.
Franklin (CV-13) was hit on the 19th and Enterprise (CV-6) on the next
day. Stephen Potter was in the screen that escorted the carriers back to
Ulithi. The destroyer was at sea again in 5 April with TG
58.2, in an area east of Okinawa. Strikes were flown against that island
stronghold until 13 May when air raids were launched against Kyushu. On
11 May, she picked up 107 survivors from Bunker Hill (CV-17) which had
been hit by a kamikaze. Strikes were launched against Okinawa again from
22 to 28 May, and the group then sailed for Leyte. Stephen Potter then
sailed for the United States, via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor, arriving at
San Francisco on 9 July. She underwent overhaul at the Mare Island
Navy Yard until 31 August. The war was over, and the destroyer was
destined to be placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet. After preparations
were completed for placing her in "moth balls," Stephen Potter was
placed out of commission, in reserve, on 21 September 1945 and berthed
at Long Beach. |
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