USS Twiggs (DD-591)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Twiggs.

USS Twiggs (DD-591), in camouflage paint, 23 February 1945.
History
United States
Name	USS Twiggs
Namesake	Levi Twiggs
Builder	Charleston Navy Yard
Laid down	20 January 1943
Launched	7 April 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. Roland S. Morris
Commissioned	4 November 1943
Stricken	11 July 1945
Fate	Sunk by off Okinawa, 16 June 1945
General characteristics
Class and type	Fletcher-class destroyer
Displacement	2,050 long tons (2,080 t)
Length	376 ft 6 in (114.76 m)
Beam	39 ft 8 in (12.09 m)
Draft	17 ft 9 in (5.41 m)
Propulsion	60,000 shp (45,000 kW) 2 propellers
Speed	35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range	6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	273
Armament	5 × 5 in (130 mm) guns 4 × 40 mm AA guns 4 × 20 mm AA guns 10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 × depth charge projectors, 2 × depth charge tracks

USS Twiggs (DD-591) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy and the second ship to be named for Major Levi Twiggs (1793–1847) of the United States Marine Corps. Twiggs was laid down on 20 January 1943 at the Charleston Navy Yard and launched on 7 April 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Roland S. Morris. The destroyer was commissioned on 4 November 1943. She was sunk on 16 June 1945 by a Japanese kamikaze aircraft near Okinawa.

History

Following a shakedown cruise to Bermuda in December 1943, Twiggs operated out of Norfolk as a training ship until 12 May 1944, when she departed Hampton Roads in company with the aircraft carrier Franklin and the destroyers Cushing, and Richard P. Leary and proceeded, via the Panama Canal and San Diego, to Hawaii. After arriving at Pearl Harbor on 6 June, Twiggs took part in exercises and drills in Hawaiian waters and escorted convoys operating between Oahu and Eniwetok. Throughout most of July, Twiggs worked out of Eniwetok alternating exercises with escort and radar picket duties. On 19 August, she returned to Pearl Harbor to begin rehearsals for the long-awaited return to the Philippines.

On 15 September, in preparation for the assault on Leyte, Twiggs departed Pearl Harbor as a member of Destroyer Squadron 49 (DesRon 49), screening Task Group 79.2 (TG 79.2), Transport Attack Group "Baker", which steamed via Eniwetok for Manus in the Admiralty Islands. After final preparations for the impending invasion, she departed Seeadler Harbor on 14 October. Arriving off Leyte on 20 October, Twiggs provided antiaircraft protection for the transports during the landings. In the following days of heavy enemy air activity, she continued to support the invasion and, on one occasion, rescued a downed aviator from the escort carrier Petrof Bay. Twiggs departed Leyte on 25 October, steamed via Mios Woendi Island to Manus, and arrived at Seeadler Harbor on 1 November.

Twiggs next rendezvoused with the destroyers Haraden and Halligan for escort duty among the Palau Islands. Stationed east of Mindanao, she protected convoys on the approaches to Leyte. On 10 December, Twiggs left Kossol Roads, between Peleliu and Angaur, with a task force bound for the occupation of Mindoro Island. Luzon was the key to the liberation of the Philippines, and Mindoro was the first step in the assault on Luzon. From 13 through 17 December, Twiggs provided antiaircraft cover for the force as it steamed through Surigao Strait and the Mindoro Sea.

Late in 1944, Japan began organized and concerted use of kamikazes. On 13 December, a Japanese aircraft crashed into Haraden. Twiggs aided the severely damaged destroyer, fighting fires and treating casualties. Twiggs was then detached from the convoy to guide Haraden, which had lost communications and radar in the engagement, until the battered vessel made visual contact with a tow convoy off Silino Island. Twiggs then returned to the Mindanao Sea and resumed her duties with the task unit. US Army Air Force flights out of Leyte augmented escort protection of the convoy. Twiggs retired to the Palaus on 20 December.

Twiggs sortied from Kossol Roads on 1 January 1945 protecting a large task force intended for the invasion of Luzon. In the Sulu and South China Seas, several ships of the convoy were hit by Japanese plane attacks; and, on 4 January 1945, Twiggs rescued 211 survivors of the escort carrier Ommaney Bay, which had been destroyed by fire and explosion following an attack by a Japanese plane. Raids by both torpedo and kamikaze aircraft continued as Twiggs operated northwest of Cape Bolinao in support of the Lingayen assault. After taking on food and ammunition at Mindoro, Twiggs briefly ran an antisubmarine patrol off the entrance of Manganin Bay. Underway on 21 January, she arrived in Ulithi on 25 January for minor repairs and maintenance in preparation for the conquest of the Volcano Islands.

Iwo Jima

Twiggs joined the Bombardment Group which sortied from Ulithi on 10 February for rehearsals at Loesip Island. On 16 February, the force arrived off Iwo Jima where Twiggs quickly began fire support for pre-assault underwater demolition operations off the eastern beaches. She also conducted screening and harassing activities, firing on Japanese shore units and providing illumination. On the 17th, a suicide plane attack on Twiggs resulted in a close call when the plane, in an obvious attempt to crash into the destroyer, crossed her fantail before hitting the water off her port beam and sinking without exploding. The destroyer continued activities to support American ground forces during the grueling battle for Iwo Jima. On 10 March, she retired toward the Carolines, arriving at Ulithi two days later for rest and replenishment.

Okinawa

On 25 March 1945, as part of Task Force 54 (TF 54), Twiggs arrived off Okinawa to take part in the preinvasion bombardment. In addition to antisubmarine and antiaircraft patrols, she supported ground forces with night harassing fire. Kamikaze aircraft were very active at this time, as the Japanese desperately defended the island. On 28 April, a day of heavy air activity, a kamikaze splashed close aboard Twiggs while she was on radar picket duty with Task Group 51. Bomb blast and fragmentation from the splashed airplane blew in the hull plating between the main and first platform deck causing structural damage. The underwater body was dished in, and the starboard propeller was bent. Nestor (ARB-6) repaired the damage; and, on 17 May, Twiggs returned to duty with the gunfire and covering forces off Okinawa.

In June, the battle for Okinawa was drawing to its close. Twiggs continued radar picket duties in the western fire support area and supported strikes on Iheya Shima and Iheya-Aguni with pre-landing bombardment and gunfire support. On 16 June, Twiggs was on radar picket duty off Senaga Shima in the western fire support area. At 20:30, a single, low-flying Japanese B6N torpedo bomber dropped a torpedo which struck the Twiggs on her port side, exploding her number 2 magazine. The plane then circled back and completed its kamikaze mission in a suicide crash; the explosion enveloped the destroyer in flame and, within an hour she had sunk, leaving only 188 survivors.

Death Of A Destroyer

On the 16th of June 1945, Twiggs was on radar picket duty Southwest of Senaga Shima in the western fire support area, along with the USS Putnam (DD-757), USS Brattleboro (PCE(R)-852), and other various vessels. What follows is the sequence of events from the USS Putnam's report of the rescue.

"At 20:45 Item, while lying to bearing 100° T, distant 5500 yards from SENEGA SHIMA, OKINAWA, a terrific explosion was seen bearing 180° T. A check on the remote P.P.I on the bridge Indicated a surface target at that bearing distant 6200 yards. Proceeded in that direction at once, and the vague outline of a ship was seen In the flames which had Immediately followed the explosion. Ship was reported by voice radio to be TWIGGS. Upon arrival at the scene at 20:57, closed the TWIGGS to about 500 yards, and put motor whale—boat In the water. Other vessels were arriving, and ComDesRon Sixy-Six assumed immediate charge of operations and coordinated rescue work continuously and expeditiously.

While proceeding to the scene, preparations were made to go alongside to windward to fight fires and send over fire and rescue party, but it was soon that the TWIGGS was a furiously burning, twisted wreck, and the five search—lights disclosed many survivors in the water on all sides of the ship, and speed pressed into the immediate rescue of these men. The appearance of the TWIGGS with all structure forward of the bridge gone or twisted up vertically with fires raging throughout except the fantail, indicated a forward magazine explosion. It appeared that except for a small group of men amidships, and two men hanging on a line over the stern, the ship had been abandoned.

Oil on the water began to catch fire adjacent to the TWIGGS, aid several small boats, Including ours, closed the burning oil in search of additional survivors. Our motorwhale towed three life rafts and one floater net filled with men to the ship, and picked up many men in the water. Other ship's boats delivered survivors to us also. About fourteen (14) swimmers were permitted to dive over the side, and they brought in men near the ship, but unable to reach our side. Four floater nets were dropped over the side, and three men swam and towed these nets to nearby survivors who were hauled alongside.

All during this time the TWIGGS was burning furiously, particularly around the bridge structure and forward torpedo tubes, midship machine guns, and after deck house including 5" mounts three and four. Almost continuous minor explosions were observed which were believed to be 40mm, 20mm, and 5" ammunition. Burning fragments were thrown short distances about the ship, around the rescue boats, and further igniting the thick, heavy oil layer on the water. Attempts to close the surface oil fires with the ship at time to extinguish flames, were prevented by the survivors in the water all about the stern and propellors. At 21:29 there was a tremendous explosion on the TWIGGS, followed by a momentary Inferno of fire throughout the ship, and she sunk In less than a minute, leaving a large burning oil fire on the surface which gradually disappeared."

Accounts of survivors taken by Public Information Officer, Lt. John G. Norris aboard a homeward-bound transport, show many on board mistook the Japanese Nakajima B6N bomber that attacked the Twiggs to be a friendly Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber.

"It was a little after eight—Just about dark—when it happened" said Schmidt. " e had been bombarding the Japs left on the tip of Okinawa . A plane came over the island, very low, flew across our po t bow and dropped its' fish'. They said it looked like one r our TBF's and we got no warning", said Chief Machinists Mate Charles F. Schmidt.

Similar accounts are seen from two Chief Petty Officers who had been on deck when the torpedo hit, they were Chief Commissary Steward William J. Monvicz, and Chief Pharmacists Mate Joseph E. Deworcki.

"Doc' Deworcki and I were drinking coffee on the forward engine hatch when I saw this plane--it looked like a TBF--come flying towards us In the dusk," said Monvicz. "I said to Doc, 'that damn fool is going to hurt somebody, he's flying too low.' It flew over our bow, Just missing us, and then all hell broke loose. There was an explosion, followed by another aft in about two minutes."

After dropping its torpedo, the kamikaze quickly circled the destroyer before smashing into her, causing further damage and intense fires to break out. The destroyer’s commanding officer, Commander George Philip Jr., was mortally wounded on the bridge. Having served for all 84 days of combat action Twiggs encountered off Okinawa, he would posthumously receive the Navy Cross.

Several men trapped below decks looked for any escape topside while others attempted damage control measures to put out fires and burning fuel oil engulfing the ship. Eventually, it became clear that the ship was going to sink, leading many of the crew to abandon ship. Out of 188 Sailors that survived, fellow destroyer Putnam (DD-757) rescued 114 of them.

In total, Twiggs lost 152 men to the kamikaze attack off Senega Shima, one of just five destroyers to have more than half their crew killed and wounded in suicide attacks (the others being Halligan (DD-584), Luce (DD-522), Morrison (DD-560), and Drexler (DD-741) during the battle.

With Okinawa secured a little over a week later, and the war nearly over, the survivors received 30 days leave upon returning home, with several being permanently discharged from service after the Japanese surrender on 15 August.

Twiggs was struck from the Navy list on 11 July 1945; and, in 1957, her hulk was donated to the government of the Ryukyu Islands.

Twiggs received four battle stars for World War II service.

See also

• See USS Twiggs for other ships of the same name.
• See Battle Of Okinawa for details of the entire invasion.
• See Fletcher class destroyer for information of the ships design and class.

References

• Brown, David. Warship Losses of World War Two. Arms and Amour, London, Great Britain, 1990. ISBN 0-85368-802-8.
•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• navsource.org: USS Twiggs
• hazegray.org: USS Twiggs