Talk:USS Remey

Marianas not the Marshalls
It was in the Marianas, however, not the Marshalls, where the REMEY received its introduction to give and take fighting.

The ship departed from Kwajelein, June 10, 1944 in company with the bombardment group, and arrived off Saipan on D-Day minus one. As a member of Fire Support Unit One, it drew almost immediate attention from Japanese batteries on Saipan; three salvos straddled the REMEY as it closed the beach, but the destroyer's counter-fire proved the more effective and two enemy batteries were counted as knocked out in the exchange.

The following day, June 15th, guns on Tinian took the battleship TENNESSEE and the REMEY, its screen, under fire. The REMEY commenced rapid-fire on the shore installation in three minutes and had silenced three guns; and for this received a "well done" from the TENNESSEE which had been hit at the outset.

For more than a month the REMEY remained at Saipan, firing at shore targets, patrolling as anti-aircraft screen in the transport area, seldom having a quiet day.

The plan was to send the destroyers McDERMUT and MONSSEN down the western side of the Strait; the REMEY was to head the eastern unit, with the destroyers McGOWAN and MELVIN astern. Both units were to utilize the cover of land and to fire torpedoes only.

PT-boats advised of the continued approach of the enemy force into Surigao Strait, and at 2100 the crew of the REMEY was notified of the pending attack.

General Quarters was sounded at 0205, October 25, 1944.

At 0227 the REMEY, McGOWAN, and MELVIN went into attack disposition. Their course was due south. First contact with the enemy was at 0235. The range was 20 miles.

Enemy searchlights caught the destroyer briefly at 0258 when the range had been reduced to 7 miles, and the REMEY began to make smoke.

Despite the obvious reasons for extreme high tension throughout the attacking force, the run reached its climax without a faltering move. At 0300.45 the first torpedo was fired from 11,900 yards at the number two target, later learned to be the battleship FUSO.

Flashes on the third and fourth torpedoes drew an immediate response from the Japanese force. The REMEY again was illuminated by searchlights. The first enemy salvos sought out the attackers but fell short.

The torpedoes were away and the destroyer turned hard left. The engine room was called upon for all speed. Flank.

At 0305, topside personnel looked for shadows in which to crouch; star shells lit up the area and a salvo of 6-inch projectiles straddled the REMEY. To increase the danger, the wind was blowing the protective smoke screen to starboard, exposing the port side of the ship.

Surprisingly, subsequent salvos from the Japanese units decreased in accuracy after the first straddle, and as the REMEY weaved its way towards safety, both firing and illumination of the enemy deteriorated. None of the destroyers were hit.

Three explosions were observed in the enemy formation at 0308, the time that the REMEY's torpedoes were calculated to have crossed formation track. 0309 enemy salvos and starshells were falling short.

At 0311 the McDERMUT and MONSSEN fired torpedoes from 9,100 yards, abeam of the formation.

The REMEY's target, at 0311, was observed to be slowing and falling-astern of formation. The initial speed of 18 knots had dropped to 6 ½ knots by 0320, when another large explosion was observed.

By 0334 the withdrawal was completed. From between Hibuson and Dinagat Islands, the REMEY watched the rainbow of fire from Seventh Fleet battleships and cruisers as they riddled the confused but still approaching enemy.

In the later appraisal of Japanese losses, it was determined that one destroyer, in addition to the FUSO, was destroyed as a result of torpedo action by the five attacking ships of Destroyer Squadron Fifty-Four. -- — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gafrig (talk • contribs) 16:48, November 12, 2014‎


 * I moved your comments to the talk page. Please cite a verifiable and reliable source. Thank you. --Dual Freq (talk) 23:52, 12 November 2014 (UTC)