USS Ellyson (DD-454)

USS "Ellyson" (DD-454/DMS-19), a . "Ellyson" and USS|Hambleton|DD-455|2 continued the attack with depth charges, forcing "U-616" to surface again. "Ellyson" sank her with gunfire on the morning of the 17th, then rescued 30 survivors.

"Ellyson" arrived at Plymouth, on 22 May 1944 for last-minute preparations for the invasion of France. On 6 June she covered "Ranger"s assault on Pointe de Hoc to knock out the heavy gun emplacements reported there. On 25 June she saw action off Cherbourg, blasting gun installations, destroying naval mines, and laying a smoke screen for larger fleet units.

"Ellyson" sailed from Portland Harbour on 29 June 1944, to invade southern France on 15 August. She led the destroyer fires support group in directly behind the minesweepers and knocked out defenses for the incoming troops. On patrol on 27 August she illuminated a suspicious fishing vessel and captured it, finding 50 German submariners trying to escape. "Ellyson" remained on patrol to cover the landing of reinforcements and support the invasion until October, then sailed for Boston, arriving 8 November to begin conversion to a high-speed minesweeper. She was reclassified to hull classification symbol DMS-19 on 15 November 1944.

1945

After training in Chesapeake Bay, "Ellyson" sailed from Norfolk, on 3 January 1945 for the Pacific. On 24 March she arrived off Okinawa with the rest of her squadron to sweep in advance of the invasion. After thus making possible the pre-assault bombardment, she supported smaller minesweepers clearing approaches to the beaches and inner harbors. After the landings of 1 April "Ellyson" joined the radar picket line. The varied and dangerous duties assigned her squadron in the Okinawa operation took a heavy toll, only three of the 12 ships with whom she sailed in the next three months survived undamaged. "Ellyson" went to the aid of her sister ship USS|Emmons|DMS-22|2 on 6 April, attempting to tow the abandoned kamikaze victim. Flames and the threat of a magazine explosion forced "Ellyson" to sink the stricken destroyer early on 7 April to prevent her drifting on to Japanese-held Ie Shima. "Ellyson" herself was attacked several times and accounted for a number of Japanese planes.

In July 1945 "Ellyson" became flagship for the task group sweeping the East China Sea. Upon the ceasefire, she joined Third Fleet off Tokyo Bay and cleared it for the incoming occupation fleet units. In September she returned to Okinawa, and from her base at Buckner Bay, served as command ship for clearing the Inland Sea. She sailed from Japan on 5 December for Norfolk, arriving 5 January 1946.

Post war

"Ellyson" remained in the Atlantic, based at Charleston, South Carolina, primarily, for training as far as the Caribbean Sea. In 1948 she was immobilized at Charleston, resumed operations that November when she sailed to Argentia to sweep for an amphibious exercise. Attached to Mine Force, Atlantic Fleet, "Ellyson" continued to operate from Charleston on training duty along the east coast and in the Caribbean. She served in the Mediterranean with the Sixth Fleet in 1949, 1951, and 1953. On 4 May 1954 her hull classification symbol reverted to DD-454. She was decommissioned 19 October 1954, and transferred to the Japanese Government 20 October 1954 under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. She served in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as "Asakaze".

In 1970 the ship was returned to the United States, and was sold to Taiwan, where she was cannibalized for spare parts.

Awards

"Ellyson" received seven battle stars for World War II service.

Fictional ships

The television show "JAG" occasionally featured a fictional frigate called USS "Ellyson", which bears hull number 19. FFG-19 is the sclass|Oliver Hazard Perry|frigate USS|John A. Moore|FFG-19|2.

References

External links

* [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/benson-gleavesclass/ussellyson/index.html USS "Ellyson" page] at [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/index.html Destroyer History Foundation]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/e3/ellyson.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Ellyson"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/454.htm navsource.org: USS "Ellyson"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd454txt.htm hazegray.org: USS "Ellyson"]