USS ''Stevens'' (DD-479) was a ''Fletcher''-class

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

in service with the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

from 1943 to 1946. She was finally sold for scrap in 1973.

History

USS ''Stevens'' (DD-479) was named for both

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

Thomas H. Stevens, Jr. (1819–1896), and his father,

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Thomas Holdup Stevens Captain Thomas Holdup Stevens, USN (February 22, 1795 – January 21, 1841) was an American naval commander in the War of 1812. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Thomas Holdup was orphaned at an early age and was adopted by General Daniel St ...

(1795–1841). She was laid down on 30 December 1941 at the

Charleston Navy Yard Charleston Naval Shipyard (formerly known as the Charleston Navy Yard) was a U.S. Navy ship building and repair facility located along the west bank of the Cooper River, in North Charleston, South Carolina and part of Naval Base Charleston. H ...

; launched on 24 June 1942, co-sponsored by Mrs. Roland Curtin and Mrs. Frederick Stevens Hicks; and commissioned on 1 February 1943 at the Charleston Navy Yard.

1943

''Stevens'' was one of the three ''Fletcher''-class destroyers to be completed with a

catapult A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden release of stored p ...

for a

float plane A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, m ...

, the others being (DD-477) and ''Halford'' (DD-480). The catapult and an aircraft crane were located just aft of the number 2

smokestack A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...

, in place of the after

torpedo tube A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...

mount, 5 inch mount number 3, and the 2nd deck of the after deck house which normally carried a twin 40 mm anti-aircraft gun on most ships of the class. (The twin 40 mm mount was moved to the

fantail Fantails are small insectivorous songbirds of the genus ''Rhipidura'' in the family Rhipiduridae, native to Australasia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Most of the species are about long, specialist aerial feeders, and named as "f ...

, just forward of the depth charge racks, where most ships of the class carried 20 mm mounts.) It was intended that the float plane be used for scouting for the destroyer flotilla which the ship was attached to. It would be launched by the catapult, land on the water next to the ship, and be recovered by the aircraft crane. It turned out to be not operationally suitable for the intended purpose, and the 3 ships were ultimately converted to the standard Fletcher-class configuration. ''Stevens'' completed shakedown in the Atlantic during the spring of 1943, then escorted coastal

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

s before heading for the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...

in July. On 26 July she transited the canal, and moored at Balboa the following day. She departed on 28 July, headed west to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, and entered

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

on 9 August. By that time, American industrial prowess was beginning to produce and put into action the powerful naval force which, within two years, brought the

Japanese Empire The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

to its knees. ''Stevens'', one of a new class of fast, well-armed destroyers, joined three new ''Essex''-class

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

s and the fast

battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

s ''Alabama'' (BB-60) and ''South Dakota'' (BB-57) in augmenting the

U.S. Pacific Fleet The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is a theater-level component command of the United States Navy, located in the Pacific Ocean. It provides naval forces to the Indo-Pacific Command. Fleet headquarters is at Joint Base Pearl Harbor� ...

. In late August, she accompanied the Task Force 15 (TF 15) carriers to warm-up raids on the

Gilbert Islands The Gilbert Islands ( gil, Tungaru;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this n ...

. Their planes hit

Marcus Island , also known as Marcus Island, is an isolated Japanese coral atoll in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, located some southeast of Tokyo and east of the closest Japanese island, South Iwo Jima of the Ogasawara Islands, and nearly on a straight line ...

on the 31st and

Tarawa Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati
''

Wake Island Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of To ...

. By the time of her departure from the west coast on the 6th, the assaults on Makin and on Tarawa had been made, and the

atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gr ...

s were all but secure.

1944: Central and South Pacific

Though she had missed out on the first hop of the leapfrog across the Central Pacific, ''Stevens'' rejoined the

5th Fleet The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It has been responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean since 1995 after a 48-year hiatus. It shares a commander and headq ...

in time to be part of the second jump. Attached to Task Group 52.8 (TG 52.8), the fire support group, the destroyer participated in Operation Flintlock, the Kwajalein phase of the conquest of the Marshall Islands, in late January and early February 1944. She bombarded the islands before the landings and afterward delivered support gunfire to the Marines until it was no longer necessary. However, ''Stevens tour of duty with the 5th Fleet in the Central Pacific soon ended, for she cleared

Kwajalein Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese: ) is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking residents (about 1,000 mostly U.S. civilia ...

on 4 February 1944 for the

South Pacific area The South Pacific Area (SOPAC) was a multinational U.S.-led military command active during World War II. It was a part of the U.S. Pacific Ocean Areas under Admiral Chester Nimitz. The delineation and establishment of the Pacific Ocean Areas was ...

. She stopped at

Funafuti Funafuti is the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 6,320 people (2017 census), and so it has more people than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with approximately 60% of the population. It consists of a narrow sweep of la ...

, in the

Ellice Islands Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northea ...

, from 8 to 13 February; then joined ''Lang'' (DD-399), ''Hogan'' (DD-178), ''Hamilton'' (DD-141), and ''Stansbury'' (DD-180) to screen Transport Divisions 24 and 26. The convoy divided on the 15th, and the

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

detachment, consisting of ''Stevens'' and ''Lang'' screening ''DuPage'' (APA-41), ''Aquarius'' (AKA-16), and ''Almaack'' (AK-27), arrived off

Koli Point Koli may refer to: Places * Koli, Finland, a hill in Finland * Koli National Park, a national park in Finland * Koli, Iran (disambiguation), several places in Iran * Koli Airfield, a former airfield in the South Pacific Other uses * Koli peo ...

three days later. On 19 February, ''Stevens'' departed Guadalcanal to accompany ''Almaack'' to

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

. They reached

Nouméa Nouméa () is the capital and largest city of the French special collectivity of New Caledonia and is also the largest francophone city in Oceania. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, a ...

on 22 February. After four days at the French port, the destroyer got underway in company with SS ''Japara'' back to the Solomons. On 4 March, she screened the merchantman into

Tulagi Tulagi, less commonly known as Tulaghi, is a small island——in Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Ngella Sule. The town of the same name on the island (pop. 1,750) was the capital of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate from 18 ...

harbor; fueled at nearby

Port Purvis A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

Florida Island The Nggela Islands, also known as the Florida Islands, are a small island group in the Central Province of Solomon Islands, a sovereign state (since 1978) in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The chain is composed of four larger islands and about ...

; then took station ahead of SS ''Mormacwren'' for a voyage to

Efate Efate (french: Éfaté) is an island in the Pacific Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in Vanuatu. It is also known as Île Vate. Geography It is the most populous (approx. 66,000) island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanua ...

. The ''Stevens'' put into

Havannah Harbor Port Havannah is a port village on Efate Island in Vanuatu. History World War II With Japanese forces establishing bases on Guadalcanal which threatened the sea route between the U.S. and Australia, Admiral King distributed the joint basic pla ...

on 5 March after parting company with the merchantman, which continued on independently to Auckland, New Zealand. Following 10 days in the Efate area, the ''Stevens'' sortied with

Task Force 37 Task Force 37 (TF 37) was a United States Navy task force active during World War II. Task Force numbers were in constant use, and there were several incarnations of TF 37 during World War II. The British Pacific Fleet The British Pacific Flee ...

to bombard the

Kavieng Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2009, it had a population of 17,248. Kavi ...

area of northwestern New Ireland. Until mid-March, an assault upon this area had been assumed to be necessary to complete the circle around the huge Japanese base at

Rabaul Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about 600 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in ...

New Britain New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the Dam ...

Island and to provide a base for operations north to the Philippines. However, the decision to occupy part of the

Admiralty Islands The Admiralty Islands are an archipelago group of 18 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-co ...

obviated Kavieng as a base; and the planners felt that the air campaign against Rabaul was proceeding so well that it was neutralizing that large Japanese base without the occupation of Kavieng. Consequently, the naval bombardment, during which the ''Stevens'' concentrated on the islands of Nusa and Nusalik, was the only phase of the operation carried out, but it was nevertheless highly effective.

Samuel Eliot Morison Samuel Eliot Morison (July 9, 1887 – May 15, 1976) was an American historian noted for his works of maritime history and American history that were both authoritative and popular. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1912, and ta ...

quotes

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese sources which attest to the "demoralizing" effect of the bombardments, in which ''Stevens'', two

escort carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft ...

s, and 14 other destroyers joined the battleships ''New Mexico'' (BB-40), (BB-41), ''Tennessee'' (BB-43), and ''Idaho'' (BB-42). The ''Stevens'' returned to Efate on 25 March 1944, and she remained there almost two weeks. On 5 April, she got underway with Destroyer Squadron 25 (DesRon 25) to steam up the eastern coast of

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

. After stopovers at

Milne Bay Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, south-eastern Papua New Guinea. More than long and over wide, Milne Bay is a sheltered deep-water harbor accessible via Ward Hunt Strait. It is surrounded by the heavily wooded Stirling Range to t ...

and

Cape Sudest Cape Sudest is a cape in Papua New Guinea, next to Oro Bay. There was an important U.S military base there in World War II. It was situated in Oro Province Oro Province, formerly (and officially still) Northern Province, is a coastal province of P ...

, the destroyers rendezvoused with TG 77.4 off

Cape Cretin A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck. History Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. Th ...

on 19 April and steamed on to the Hollandia, New Guinea, invasion area. TG 77.4, the second echelon of the

Hollandia invasion The Battle of Hollandia (code-named Operation Reckless) was an engagement between Allies of World War II and Japanese forces during World War II. The majority of the Allied force was provided by the United States, with the bulk of two United St ...

force, divided on 2 April, and the ''Stevens'' screened the western reinforcement group while its troops landed at Tanamerah Bay. She departed from Hollandia on 30 April 1944 and retraced her steps down the east coast of New Guinea, then she headed east to the Solomon Islands, entering Purvis Bay on 10 May. For almost a month, she remained in the Solomons, escorting convoys, conducting combat training, and resting and resupplying in port. Then, on 4 June 1944, she steamed on a course for the Marshall Islands, reaching Kwajalein on the 8th, patrolling there until the 12th, and then steaming for Eniwetok. She entered that lagoon on 28 June, and stayed there until 17 July, when she departed in the screen of TG 53.3, transporting troops to the Guam assault. The task group arrived off

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

early on the morning of the day of the landings, 21 July 1944; and the ''Stevens'' fired on enemy positions as the troops disembarked from the transports and landed on the island. The destroyer continued her fire support role of delivering harassing, interdiction, and call fire in support of the American troops and Marines ashore until her departure on 26 July 1944. The ''Stevens'' returned to Eniwetok on 30 July, and then she steamed for Guadalcanal the following day. ''Stevens'' reached Guadalcanal on 5 August, but continued on to

Espiritu Santo Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. Geography The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region o ...

, which she reached the next day. She departed Espiritu Santo on 14 August and moored in Purvis Bay two days later. On 17 July the ''Stevens'' headed for New Guinea. The ''Stevens'' arrived at

Humboldt Bay Humboldt Bay is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on the rugged North Coast of California, entirely within Humboldt County, United States. It is the largest protected body of water on the West Coast between Sa ...

on 21 July, and then made a trip to

Maffin Bay Maffin Bay, known as Teluk Maffin in Indonesian, is a small bay in the Pacific Ocean on the Northern coast of New Guinea. It is in Papua, Indonesia, below the Foja Mountains near Wakde, about 125 miles west of Jayapura. Maffin Bay was a landing s ...

and back; then, on 7 September, she stood out of Humboldt Bay for Aitape. She joined Task Force 77 at Aitape and, on 10 September, sortied with that task force for

Morotai Morotai Island ( id, Pulau Morotai) is an island in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is one of Indonesia's northernmost islands. Morotai is a rugged, forested island lying to the north of Halmahera. It ha ...

in the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around t ...

. Five days later, the assault troops stormed ashore on Morotai, to little opposition. The ''Stevens'' patrolled while the transports unloaded men and equipment. Late that afternoon, she steamed back towards Humboldt Bay, escorting HMAS ''Manoora'' and HMAS ''Kanimbla''. This small convoy reached its destination on 18 September; and the following day, ''Stevens'' joined ''McKee'' (DD-575) in the screen of another echelon bound for Morotai. Upon her arrival back at Morotai, the ''Stevens'' began patrolling as a

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

and

anti-submarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...

picket off Kaoe Bay, and serving on night's

patrol A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as Law enforcement officer, law enforcement officers, military personnel, or Security guard, security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. Etymology Fro ...

south of Morotai. The ''Stevens'' remained in the vicinity of Morotai from 23 September until 3 October. During that time, she continued her various patrols; fought off air attacks; and, after 25 September, served as headquarters for the landing craft control officer. On 3 October, she cleared Morotai in company with the ''Lang'' (DD-399). The two destroyers put into

two days later. On 16 October the ''Stevens'' got underway in the screen of TG 78.6, Leyte Reinforcement Group One. After a six-day voyage, the convoy arrived in

Leyte Gulf Leyte Gulf is a gulf in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, and is bounded by two islands; Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. On the south of the bay is Mindanao Isl ...

, and the ''Stevens'' refueled before escorting TG 78.10 back to New Guinea. Between 28 October and 9 December 1944, the ''Stevens'' accompanied three more convoys from the New Guinea area to Leyte Gulf.

1945: Philippines and Borneo

From 9 December 1944, until 7 June 1945, ''Stevens'' operated primarily in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

; her only break being a voyage from

Lingayen Gulf The Lingayen Gulf is a large gulf on northwestern Luzon in the Philippines, stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central. The Agno River and the Balili ...

to Manus; she then proceeded back via Hollandia to

Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...

, where she remained from 13 February to 4 March. From 20 to 23 December 1944, she escorted to

Guiuan Guiuan ( �giˌwan; war, Bungto han Guiuan, fil, Bayan ng Guiuan), officially the Municipality of Guiuan, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines. It constitutes the southeastern extremity of Samar Island and ...

Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...

and back to Leyte. Between 27 December 1944 and 1 January 1945, while screening a resupply echelon (TU 78.3.15) to

Mindoro Mindoro is the seventh largest and eighth-most populous island in the Philippines. With a total land area of 10,571 km2 ( 4,082 sq.mi ) and has a population of 1,408,454 as of 2020 census. It is located off the southwestern coast of Luz ...

and back, the ''Stevens'' shot down three enemy planes during frequent air attacks that occurred in the area. On 9 January 1945, she got underway to escort a

supply Supply may refer to: *The amount of a resource that is available **Supply (economics), the amount of a product which is available to customers **Materiel, the goods and equipment for a military unit to fulfill its mission *Supply, as in confidenc ...

echelon to

. On the day before the convoy's arrival, it was attacked by six Japanese planes; four were downed by the screen's

anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

fire, and the other two departed. The ''Stevens convoy reached Lingayen Gulf on 13 January, and she patrolled on a

radar picket A radar picket is a radar-equipped station, ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a nation or military (including naval) force to protect it from surprise attack, typically air attack, or from cr ...

station until 18 January, and also stood by to deliver fire support if necessary. On 23 January she returned to Leyte Island. On 2 February she rendezvoused with Task Unit 78.12.9 (TU 78.12.9), and then escorted it into San Pedro Bay on 5 February; then she departed again to rendezvous with TU 78.7.2 off Dulag, Philippines. ''Stevens'' guarded that convoy to Lingayen Gulf, arriving on 9 February and remaining there until 13 February 1945. After returning from a voyage to Manus and Hollandia, back to the Philippines, she put into

Manila Bay Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phili ...

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

, on 6 March, and on the 9th, she headed for Lingayen Gulf. En route, she stopped over at Mindoro on the night of 10/11 March; then she arrived at Lingayen on 12 March. From 13 to 15 March, she joined in a search for downed American flyers. The ''Frazier'' picked up six men of a

B-24 The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

crew, and the ''Stevens'' was released to overtake and join TG 72.4 on 16 March. She refueled at

Mangarin Bay Mangarin Bay is a bay of the South China Sea, on the west coast of Mindoro island, in Occidental Mindoro Province of the Philippines. The bay is shoal, and sheltered from the wind by Mangarin Point to the east and by Ilin Island. Magarin Poin ...

, that day, and then got underway with the cruiser , and the destroyers , and to support the landings at

Iloilo Iloilo (), officially the Province of Iloilo ( hil, Kapuoran sang Iloilo; krj, Kapuoran kang Iloilo; tl, Lalawigan ng Iloilo), is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is the City of Iloilo, the ...

Panay Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and has a total population of 4,542,926 as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City o ...

Island from 18 to 20 March. She cleared Panay on the 20th, arrived at Mindoro on 21 March, and then joined the screen of TG 74.2. For the next month, ''Stevens'' operated out of

Subic Bay Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about northwest of Manila Bay. An extension of the South China Sea, its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility, U.S. Naval Base Subi ...

. Next, on 14 April, she got underway with TG 74.2 to participate in the landings in the

Parang Parang is a popular folk music originating from Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago that was brought to Trinidad and Tobago by Venezuelan migrants who were primarily of Amerindian, Spanish, Mestizo, Pardo, and African heritage, something which i ...

- Malabang-

Cotabato Cotabato or North Cotabato ( hil, Aminhan Cotabato; ceb, Amihanang Cotabato; Maguindanaon: ''Pangutaran Kutawatu'', Jawi: ڤڠوترن كوتاواتو; fil, Hilagang Cotabato), officially the Province of Cotabato, is a landlocked province in ...

area of

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

Island. ''Stevens'' arrived off

Polloc Harbor Parang, officially the Municipality of Parang (Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Inged nu Parang'', Jawi Alphabet, Jawi: ايڠايد نو ڤارڠ; Iranun language, Iranun: ''Inged a Parang'', ايڠايد ا ڤارڠ; tl, Bayan ng Parang), ...

on 17 April and patrolled the landing area, screening the cruiser and delivering fire support for the troops, until 19 April. She returned to Subic Bay, Luzon, on 21 April, and then remained for a week and a day. On 29 April 1945, ''Stevens'' steamed back to Mindanao, and, after a stop at Police Harbor, she reached

Davao Gulf Davao Gulf is a gulf situated in the southeastern portion of Mindanao in the Philippines. It has an area of or about 520,000 hectares. Davao Gulf cuts into the island of Mindanao from the Philippine Sea. It is surrounded by all five provinces in ...

, Mindanao on 1 May. On 3 May, she supported the

minesweeping Minesweeping is the practice of the removal of explosive naval mines, usually by a specially designed ship called a minesweeper using various measures to either capture or detonate the mines, but sometimes also with an aircraft made for that ...

units in the Santa Cruz area and again screened the ''Denver'', while the cruiser delivered fire support with her guns. ''Stevens'' headed back to Subic Bay, Luzon, that same day, and she arrived on 6 May. She spent the following month in the Manila Bay-Subic Bay area, engaged in exercises, upkeep, repairs, and shore leave. On 7 June ''Stevens'' departed the Philippines with TG 74.2 to support the invasion of

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...

in the

. From 9 to 11 June, she patrolled off

Brunei Bay Brunei Bay ( ms, Teluk Brunei) is on the northwestern coast of Borneo island, in Brunei and Malaysia. Brunei Bay is located 5°00'43.44", 115°17'26.66"; east of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It is the ocean gateway to the isolated Temburong Dis ...

, Borneo, in the support force for the attack group. On the 11th, she steamed for

Tawi Tawi Tawi-Tawi, officially the Province of Tawi-Tawi ( tl, Lalawigan ng Tawi-Tawi; Tausug: ''Wilaya' sin Tawi-Tawi''; Sinama: ''Jawi Jawi/Jauih Jauih''), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim ...

with most of the task force. After stopping at Tawi Tawi over the night of 12/13 June, she arrived at

Balikpapan Balikpapan is a seaport city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the east coast of the island of Borneo, the city is the financial center of Kalimantan. Balikpapan is the city with the largest economy in Kalimantan with an estimated 2 ...

, Borneo, on 15 June, and supported the Balikpapan invasion until 2 July. From 15 to 17 June, she supported the minesweepers. On the 17th, she bombarded the beaches at Klandasan and also fought off an air attack that evening during night retirement. She conducted another shore bombardment on 19 June, and then engaged shore batteries on 21 and 23 June, silencing two of them on the 23rd. The troops landed on 1 July, and the ''Stevens'' helped cover them with counter-battery and harassing fire throughout the day and into the night. The following day, she departed Balikpapan en route to

, the Philippines. The ''Stevens'' entered San Pedro Bay on 5 July and then remained there for one week. On 12 July, she steamed out of the bay, and then reached Subic Bay three days later. The ''Stevens'' conducted tactical and

anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...

SWexercises in the Manila Bay-Subic Bay area of Luzon for the duration of the War in the Pacific. On 28 August 1945, almost two weeks after the cessation of hostilities, ''Stevens'' departed from Subic Bay with TG 71.1 and headed for the

Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. It is one of four seas named after common colour terms ...

and western Korea. On 30 August, the ''Stevens'', , and were dispatched to

Buckner Bay is a bay on the southern coast of Okinawa Island on the Pacific Ocean in Japan. The bay covers and ranges between to deep. The bay is surrounded by the municipalities of Uruma, Kitanakagusuku, Nakagusuku, Nishihara, Yonabaru, Nanjō, all in ...

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

, where they reported to Carrier Division 5 for duty. ''Stevens'' exited that bay two days later in the screen of the carriers of TF 72 and steamed for

Inchon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

. On 10 September, she put into Inchon for repairs and, from 19 to 20 September, she screened the cruiser to

Tsingtao Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...

, China. There, she assisted in the internment of Japanese ships until 29 September; then she shifted to Taku Bar where she supported troop landings until 6 October. On 7 October, ''Stevens'' arrived at Chefoo Harbor, joined TU 71.1.5, and then steamed for Inchon. Following a five-day stay there, she departed on 13 October with troops, sailors, and Marines, bound for the United States. The ''Stevens'' stopped at Guam on 19 October, and after steaming to Hawaii, she spent two days at

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

. From there, she steamed to the West Coast, reaching

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, on 7 November 1945.

Post-war

On 8 November 1945, after discharging her passengers, the ''Stevens'' steamed to

San Pedro, Los Angeles San Pedro ( ; Spanish: " St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...

, and there reported for duty to the 19th (Reserve) Fleet for a deactivation overhaul. She was decommissioned on 2 July 1946, and she remained with the

Pacific Reserve Fleet The United States Navy maintains a number of its ships as part of a reserve fleet, often called the "Mothball Fleet". While the details of the maintenance activity have changed several times, the basics are constant: keep the ships afloat and ...

until 1 December 1972 when her name was stricken from the

Navy list A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval author ...

. On 27 November 1973, her hulk was sold to Zidell Explorations, Inc., of

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, for scrapping.

Awards

The USS ''Stevens'' was awarded nine

battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...

s for her service during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Trivia

Comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

artist

Sam Glanzman Samuel Joseph Glanzman (December 5, 1924 – July 12, 2017) was an American comics artist and memoirist. Glanzman is best known for his Charlton Comics series ''Hercules'', about the mythological Greek demigod; his autobiographical war stories abo ...

served aboard the ''Stevens'' from 1941 until 1945, and chronicled his years aboard her in a series of short stories for

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

and in a pair of

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

graphic novels, ''A Sailor's Story'' and ''A Sailor's Story, Book Two: Winds, Dreams, and Dragons''.

References

External links

navsource.org: USS ''Stevens''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens (DD-479) World War II destroyers of the United States Ships built in Charleston, South Carolina 1942 ships Fletcher-class destroyers of the United States Navy