U.S.S. AARON WARD (DM 34) History

(Unidentified author)

In the early part of November 1944, USS AARON WARD (DM 34) was at Terminal Island, San Pedro, California, undergoing her final complete fitting out, taking aboard supplies and ammunition, and was making ready for her shakedown cruise. The remainder of the month was spent in gunnery practice and various training exercises after which the vessel got underway for an intensive shakedown cruise. January 1945 was spent in more drills and exercises in the vicinity of San Pedro, California. Then additional radio and radar equipment was installed in the ship.

On 9 February AARON WARD was underway for Pearl Harbor, T.H., arriving on the 15^th. There the crew and ship underwent more intensive training and, after loading supplies and ammunition, sailed for Ulithi in the Western Caroline Islands and as a part of Task Unit 12.5.4 performed anti-submarine screening duties. They arrived on 16 March and three days later were underway for Okinawa Shima, Ryukyu Islands, with Task Units 52,3.4.

On 23 March, the first unidentified planes were sighted but did not attack. Later, others approached but were turned back by gunfire from several ships of the group. On the 26thh, the sweep unit was attacked by an enemy aircraft which was shot down by the USS ADAMS (DM 27). Throughout this period of minesweeping operations, no damage was sustained by the ships. On 29 March, in several air attacks launched at the formation, the ships shot down three enemy planes.

The first day of April 1945 found USS AARON WARD operating with the same task unit, consisting of BUTLER, GHERARDI, HARDING, and JEFFERS, engaged in screening the fire support units advancing on the invasion beaches of Okinawa Shima. The following day while patrolling, AARON WARD was attacked by a low flying enemy plane but repulsed the attack. Later the formation was attacked and other ships shot down two of the Jap planes.

On 4 April the vessel steamed toward Saipan where she arrived on the 10^th. The same day she sailed for Guam to undergo minor repairs, arriving there 18 April. Underway again for Okinawa on the 19^th, she arrived on 23 April and after provisioning and fueling at Kerama Retto, DM 34 took up patrol duty in the vicinity. While on patrol with other ships of the unit, the formation was under constant attack through the night of the 27thths and during the battle AARON WARD shot down a single engine Jap plane. The following day she shot down one more with another probable.

On 30 April 1945, USS AARON WARD relieved USS BROWN (DD 546) as radar picket vessel off Okinawa and that night the patrolling ships were subjected to several air attacks, all of which were repulsed.

On the afternoon of 3 May the weather, which had been bad for flying since the ship had reported on the station, gradually cleared until visibility was excellent and enemy air attack was anticipated.

Approximately 45 minutes before sunset, the crew was summoned to battle stations when enemy aircraft were picked up by radar some 27 miles distant and were reported to be closing in rapidly. At approximately 1200 yards two enemy aircraft were seen to break away from the formation, one starting a suicide run on the AARON WARD.

The Kamikaze, which was flying a steady course at about 3000 feet, was taken under fire by the ship at about 7000 yards. The anti-aircraft fire was accurate and intense and, at about 4,000 yards, the plane dipped over in his suicide dive, smoking heavily from motor and fuselage. He finally crashed into the water about 100 yards off the starboard quarter, and disintegrated.

Due to his speed and terrific momentum, the engine, propeller and a section of a wing were thrown on board the ship but fortunately caused no personnel or material casualties.

This action was followed by a period of about twenty minuted during which a number of enemy aircraft were taken under fire, but no attacks were pressed home. This enabled the repair parties to isolate the damaged portions of the ship, attend the wounded and dying, and fight fires. It was never possible to properly maneuver the ship during the entire remaining action.

At the end of this lull, the entire formation was subjected to another vicious suicide air attack. In successive coordinated attacks, USS LITTLE was mortally damaged by three Kamikazes, LSM(R) 195 was sunk and LCS(L) 25 was dismasted. At the same time, one plane from this attacking group commenced a suicide dive on AARON WARD, from about 8,000 yards, and was taken under fire. Early hits were made and the Jap was destroyed by direct 5-inch hits at about 2,000 yards. Soon afterwards another enemy plane attempted a run on the ship but was also destroyed before it reached its objective.

At 1913 another Jap was sighted forward of the port beam beginning his run on the ship. As in all previous attacks, this plane was repeatedly hit and caught fire about 2,000 yards out. In spite of this he continued on and crashed into the main deck. Just prior to crashing, he released his bomb which exploded a few feet from the port side of the ship, showering the ship with shrapnel and blowing a large hole through the shell plating of the forward fire room. The explosion caused the flooding of the forward fireroom and the ship lost all power, becoming gradually dead in the water.

Not more than 4 seconds after this hit another jap, unobserved because of the smoke and flames, crashed into the deck house bulkhead. This plane was not believed to have carried a bomb, although a great deal of damage and a number of casualties resulted from concussion and flaming gasoline.

About a minute later still another Jap approached off the port quarter in a steep glide. None of the 5-inch mounts could be brought to bear on him and the plane crashed into the superstructure deck spraying the burning gasoline over the entire area. The deck was engulfed in flames, and the 40mm ammunition, exploding from the heat, caused heavy casualties among the remaining gun crews.

USS AARON WARD was not dead in the water, her weather decks and superstructure deck aft of number #1 stack a complete shambles, fires raging uncontrolled, automatic weapon ammunition exploding all over the after part of the ship, dead and dying strewn about her decks, and the repair parties fighting fire and water. The ship had already begun to settle in the water and list to port, but was still able to fight.

At 1921, another plane unidentified as to type made a high-speed low altitude run on the ship. The guns that were still in commission fired through the smoke and flames at the oncoming plane but no hits were made and it crashed into the superstructure at the base of number #2 stack. This plane carried a bomb. The force of the explosion blew the plane, number 2 stack, searchlight, and two gun mounts into the air, the mass falling across the deck just aft the number #1 stack.

This was the last hit on AARON WARD. She had suffered five direct hits from the Kamikazes, three of which carried bombs, plus the hit on #1 stack. In retaliation, four enemy planes had been shot down.

Then began the night long fight to save the ship and her crew by the damage control parties and the Medical Department. There was complete darkness except for the light of the fires still burning on the stricken vessel. Many small craft were already rescuing survivors and standing by to render aid and assistance. At 1935 USS LCS (L) 83 came alongside and began using her hoses to put out the fires and by 2045 the fires were completely extinguished.

AARON WARD remained in Kerama Retto undergoing temporary repairs until 11 June on which date she got underway for Pearl Harbor, via Ulithi, Western Carolina Islands; Guam, Marianas Islands and Eniwetok, Marshall Islands. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 30 June 1945, and from there sailed for New York Harbor, New York, and here she underwent permanent repairs to the battle damage received. There she remained through August and September and on the 28^th of the latter month, the ship was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Registry shortly thereafter, by a Directive of July 1946, USS AARON WARD was disposed of as scrap.

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