USS ''Hammann'' (DD-412) was a

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 opposing ...

-era ''Sims''-class destroyer in the service of 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 ...

, named after

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

Charles Hammann Charles Hazeltine Hammann (March 16, 1892 – June 14, 1919) was an officer in the United States Navy, an early naval aviator, and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. Biography Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Hammann attended Baltimore Polytechn ...

, a

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

recipient from

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. ''Hammann'' was sunk during the

Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under ...

, while assisting the sinking aircraft carrier . ''Hammann'' was launched by the

Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company The Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company was a United States shipyard, active from 1917 to 1948. It was founded during World War I to build ships for the United States Shipping Board. During World War II, it built ships as part of the U.S. Gov ...

Kearny, New Jersey Kearny ( ) is a town in the western part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of Newark. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 40,684,Commander Arnold E. True in command. ''Hammann'' conducted shakedown off the East Coast and for the next two years participated in training and readiness operations off both coasts.

Service history

Pre-War

On 10 June 1939, while pulling away from the dock yard in Kearny, N.J., the Hammann briefly crossed paths with USS Warrington which was sailing from Sandy Hook, N.J., to New York, N.Y., with King

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...

and Queen Elizabeth aboard during their royal tour of the United States. On 14 June ''The Evening Star'' reported that during Hammann's

sea trial A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...

s off the coast of

Fire Island Fire Island is the large center island of the outer barrier islands parallel to the South Shore of Long Island, in the U.S. state of New York. Occasionally, the name is used to refer collectively to not only the central island, but also Lo ...

in the Atlantic Ocean, Senator Ernest Lundeen joined a civilian and press delegation aboard the ship which reached a maximum speed of 40 knots, put screws in full reverse, causing the ship to come to a complete stop in 58 seconds, and then the ship travelled in reverse at a top speed nearing 20 knots.

World War II

Transfer from North Atlantic Patrol to Pacific Duty

On 7 December 1941, 30 minutes after receiving news of the

Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...

, the Hammann and the other ships in the North Atlantic Patrol, left

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

and steamed for the United States. On 17 December, she arrived in Norfolk, Virginia, for fuel, supplies, and new crew. Shortly thereafter, she steamed around Cape Hatteras for Charleston, South Carolina. From there, in early January, she rendezvoused with

USS New Mexico (BB-40) USS ''New Mexico'' (BB-40) was a battleship in service with the United States Navy from 1918 to 1946. She was the lead ship of a class of three battleships, and the first ship to be named for the state of New Mexico. Her keel was laid down ...

and the troop transport President Hayes to escort the pair through 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 condui ...

for San Diego and later San Francisco. On 22 January 1942, she arrived in Pearl Harbor and joined Vice Admiral

Frank Jack Fletcher Frank Jack Fletcher (April 29, 1885 – April 25, 1973) was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War II. Fletcher commanded five different task forces through WWII; he was the operational task force commander at the pivotal battle ...

Task Force 17 Task Force 17 (TF17) was an aircraft carrier task force of the United States Navy during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. TF17 participated in several major carrier battles in the first year of the war. TF17 was initially centered around ...

for action in the South Pacific.

Pacific Duty

The destroyer took part in training maneuvers in the New Caledonia area during early March, and on 27 March the Task Force departed for the Coral Sea. ''Hammann'' acted as screening ship and plane guard for , Returning to

Tongatapu Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and the site of its capital, Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% of the nation ...

on 20 April, the Task Force sortied again into the Coral Sea on 27 April for a surprise air raid on Japanese Invasion forces on

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 1 ...

. While screening the carriers during the air raids of 4 May, ''Hammann'' was directed to rescue two fighter pilots downed on Guadalcanal, some 40 miles (65 km) to the north. Steaming at full speed, the destroyer arrived at dusk and sighted a marker on the beach, which proved to be a parachute. The motor whaleboat was put over the side, but dangerous surf prevented it from landing. Consequently, the pilots were recovered with the use of lines from the boat. This accomplished, an attempt was made to destroy the wreckage of the aircraft, but the rough water made this impossible, and ''Hammann'' returned to ''Lexington''s screen from this successful operation that night.

=The Battle of the Coral Sea

= On 8 May came the main action of the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first naval engagement fought entirely on both sides between aircraft and ships. During the exchange of air attacks, ''Hammann'' screened the carriers, firing at Japanese

torpedo planes A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carrying the weight ...

as they attacked. Just as the torpedo planes retired,

dive bombers A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact through ...

appeared, one exploding a bomb a scant 200 yards (200 m) off ''Hammann''s starboard bow. ''Lexington'', which had taken two devastating torpedo hits to port, was first thought to be under control, but a large internal explosion shortly before 1300, followed later by others, sealed her fate. As the order was given to abandon ship, ''Hammann'', , and stood by to receive survivors. The destroyer picked up nearly 500 men from the water before " Lady ''Lex''" went down the night of 8 May, torpedoed by .

=The Battle of Midway

USS Hammann sinking 1942-06-06 seen from USS Yorktown

The Battle of the Coral Sea, which checked the Japanese advance to the southeast, was over, but new demands called ''Hammann'' to the north. Under urgent orders from Admiral

Chester Nimitz Chester William Nimitz (; February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in C ...

to meet a new threat, ''Hammann'' moved to

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 R ...

with the Task Force, arriving on 27 May. After making repairs, it got underway on 30 May and was just in time to take part in the

. During the air battle on 4 June, ''Hammann'' screened , helping to shoot down many of the attacking aircraft. However, the carrier took two torpedo hits and, listing heavily, was abandoned that afternoon. ''Hammann'' picked up survivors in the water, including ''Yorktown''s skipper, Captain Buckmaster, and transferred them to the larger ships. Efforts were mounted to save the stricken carrier on the next morning. A

skeleton crew A skeleton crew is the minimum number of personnel needed to operate and maintain an item such as a business, organization, or ship at its most simple operating requirements. Skeleton crews are often utilized during an emergency and are meant to ...

returned on board the ''Yorktown'', and attempts were made to tow her to safety. ''Hammann'' came alongside on 6 June to transfer a damage control party. The destroyer then lay alongside, providing hoses and water for firefighting, power, and other services while tied up next to the carrier. The salvage party was making progress when the protective destroyer screen was penetrated by Japanese submarine after noon on 6 June. Four torpedoes were fired; one missed, two passed under ''Hammann'' and hit ''Yorktown'', and the fourth hit the destroyer amidships, breaking her in half. As the debris from the explosion rained down and the ships lurched apart, it was apparent that the ''Hammann'' was doomed. Life rafts were lowered and rescue efforts by surrounding ships commenced. The ''Hammann'' sank, bow first, in just four minutes. During that time, Chief Machinist Mate Daniel William Carlson was able to launch a life raft, pass out life vests, and help others over the side of the ship to safety. Following the sinking there was a violent

underwater explosion An underwater explosion (also known as an UNDEX) is a chemical or nuclear explosion that occurs under the surface of a body of water. While useful in anti-ship and submarine warfare, underwater bombs are not as effective against coastal facilities. ...

, the likely cause of which was the destroyer's depth charges and torpedoes. The explosion caused many deaths in the water, bringing the death toll to 80. Survivors were taken aboard the destroyers and .

Awards

''Hammann''s skipper, Commander Arnold True, was awarded the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

and a Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his performance while in command of ''Hammann'' at Coral Sea and Midway. ''Hammann'' also received two

battle stars 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 ...

for her service in World War II.

References

External links

USS ''Hammann''
a
Destroyer History Foundation
at Naval Historical Center

at Navsource.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Hammann, Uss (Dd-412) Hammann (DD-412) Hammann (DD-412) Ships built in Kearny, New Jersey Ships of the Battle of Midway Hammann (DD-412) Ships sunk by Japanese submarines 1939 ships Maritime incidents in June 1942