USS Colahan (DD-658)
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USS ''Colahan'' (DD-658) 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 ...
of the United States Navy.


Namesake

Charles Ellwood Colahan was born on 25 October 1849 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy 4 June 1869. His career included command of , and . On 1 July 1900, he was promoted from the rank of vice lieutenant-commander to commander in the U.S. Navy. Following a lengthy illness, Colahan died at his home in Lambertville, New Jersey on 11 March 1904. His funeral was held in the United States Naval Academy chapel on 14 March. The full complement of officers and professors who were employed by the Naval Academy at the time attended the funeral and marched with the casket to the Navy cemetery where Colahan's remains were interred. Also accompanying the casket were the Naval Academy Band, a brigade of Naval Academy midshipmen, who were commanded by Commander W. F. Fullam, U.S.N., and a group of serving seamen. The pallbearers were: Honorary, Commander
Charles J. Badger Charles Johnston Badger (August 6, 1853 – September 7, 1932) was an admiral in the United States Navy. His active-duty career included service in the Spanish–American War and World War I. Early life and education The son of Commodore Oscar ...
, U.S.N.; Commander
William F. Halsey William Frederick "Bull" Halsey Jr. (October 30, 1882 – August 16, 1959) was an American Navy admiral during World War II. He is one of four officers to have attained the rank of five-star fleet admiral of the United States Navy, the others ...
, U.S.N.; Lieutenant Commander W. C. P. Muir, U.S.N.; Professors Philip R. Alger and Nathaniel M. Terry, U.S.N.; and W. H. G. Bullard, U.S.N.Commander Charles E. Colahan
(obituary). ''The United Service: A Monthly Review of Naval and Military Affairs'', Vol. V, Third Series, p. 516. New York, New York: L.R. Hamersly, Jr., 1904.


Construction and commissioning

''Colahan'' was launched on 3 May 1943 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N.Y., sponsored by Mrs. P. C. Hinkamp, adopted granddaughter of Commander Colahan; and commissioned on 23 August 1943.


Service history


World War II

''Colahan'' arrived at Pearl Harbor on 11 December 1943 to join the Pacific Fleet. She sortied with Task Force 52 (TF 52) for the invasion of the Marshall Islands on 19 January 1944, and screened during her bombardment of Enubuj and Kwajalein Islands on 31 January. After repairs and training at Pearl Harbor, ''Colahan'' sailed on 31 May 1944 to rejoin 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 ...
, operated on radar picket, shore bombardment and fire support duty during the bombardment, capture, and occupation of Guam from 12 July to 15 August and screened air strikes in support of the invasion of the southern Palaus from 29 August to 28 September. ''Colahan'' screened the Fast Carrier Task Force (then 3rd Fleet's TF 38, later 5th Fleet's TF 58) as it prepared for the Leyte assault with air strikes on the
Nansei Shoto The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...
and
Formosa Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territorie ...
from 10–14 October, then began strikes in the Philippines until 20 October, day of the landings. Carriers she guarded struck the retiring Japanese forces after the Battle of Surigao Strait phase of the massive Battle for Leyte Gulf of 24–26 October. Continued air operations in the Philippines claimed her services until she put into Ulithi for repairs late in December after riding out "Halsey's Typhoon". From 30 December 1944 to 22 January 1945, ''Colahan'' resumed duty as advanced radar picket for the 3rd Fleet raids on Formosa, Luzon,
Camranh Bay Cam Ranh Bay ( vi, Vịnh Cam Ranh) is a deep-water bay in Vietnam in Khánh Hòa Province. It is located at an inlet of the South China Sea situated on the southeastern coast of Vietnam, between Phan Rang and Nha Trang, approximately 290 kilome ...
in Indo-China, Hong Kong, and Hainan Island which were coordinated with the Lingayen assault. On 10 February, she put to sea to serve on the scouting line as TF 58 swept close to Japan for air strikes in the Tokyo area. ''Colahan'' served on radar picket duty off Iwo Jima as it was invaded on 19 February, and for 5 days afterward, returning to Ulithi for repairs and replenishment. ''Colahan'' operated with TF 58 in preparations for the Okinawa operation, from 14 March to 1 April, screening during air strikes on
Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...
and Okinawa. Continuing carrier task force operations after the initial assault, she went to the aid of on 29 April, rescuing some 140 survivors of the '' kamikaze'' victim. After replenishing at San Pedro Bay, Leyte, ''Colahan'' rejoined TF 38 on 13 June for the last great series of air raids against the
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 home islands. On 24 July 1945, she mistook the U.S. Navy
submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
for a Japanese picket boat while ''Toro'' was on the surface south of Shikoku performing lifeguard duty for
Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
air strikes and opened gunfire at a range of , straddling ''Toro'' with her first
salvo A salvo is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute. As a tactic in warfare, the intent is to cripple an enemy in one blow and prevent them from fighting b ...
.Hinman & Campbell, pp. 300–301. ''Toro'' crash-dived to a depth of , sustaining no damage or casualties, and later reported that ''Colohan'' was still firing as ''Toro'' passed a depth of . Hostilities with Japan ended on 15 August 1945. Entering
Sagami Wan lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshu, central Japan, contained within the scope of the Miura Peninsula, in Kanagawa, to the east, the Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to the west, and the Shōnan coastline to the north, while t ...
on 27 August 1945, ''Colahan'' became harbor entrance control vessel for Tokyo Bay until 3 September. On 8 October, she aided the Japanese MV ''Kiri Marti'', which had gone aground on Miyake Shima, and transferred the survivors to Okubo. Clearing Tokyo Bay on 31 October 1945, ''Colahan'' returned to San Diego where she was placed out of commission in reserve on 14 June 1946, and assigned to the
12th Naval District The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...
for use in training United States Naval Reserve personnel.


1950-1966

Recommissioned on 16 December 1950, ''Colahan'' had training from her home port at San Diego until 20 August 1951, when she cleared San Francisco for service in the Korean War with the 7th Fleet. Conducting shore bombardment and fire support to aid forces ashore, she also had antisubmarine training off Okinawa before returning to the west coast on 10 March 1952. On 1 November 1952, she sailed again from San Diego to bombard Korean targets and screen carriers, as well as serve on the
Taiwan Patrol Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nor ...
and train off Okinawa. She returned to the west coast 1 June 1953, and in 1954-1957, returned to the Far East for service with the 7th Fleet. From 1958 to 1963, her operations have been along the west coast, training members of the Naval Reserve. In August 1961, she and her Naval Reservists were deployed to the active fleet as part of President Kennedy's response to the Berlin wall crisis. After several months of training, she was deployed to the Western Pacific on 2 February 1962. On 15 April 1962 she escorted the USS Princeton, LPH-5 to South Vietnam so it could deliver helicopters and advisors to Soc Trang. She returned from the WestPac cruise on 17 July 1962. ''Colahan'' was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1966. She was sunk as target off California on 18 December 1966.


Awards

''Colahan'' received eight battle stars for World War II service, and five for Korean War service.


References


Citations

*


Bibliography


Hinman, Charles R., and Douglas E. Campbell. ''The Submarine Has No Friends: Friendly Fire Incidents Involving U.S. Submarines During World War II''. Syneca Research Group, Inc., 2019.
.


External links



{{DEFAULTSORT:Colahan (Dd-658) World War II destroyers of the United States Cold War destroyers of the United States Korean War destroyers of the United States Ships built in Staten Island 1943 ships Fletcher-class destroyers of the United States Navy Friendly fire incidents of World War II Maritime incidents in July 1945 Maritime incidents in 1966 Ships sunk as targets Shipwrecks of the California coast