Wreck of USS Twiggs (DD-591)
Japan /
Okinawa /
Tomigusuku /
World
/ Japan
/ Okinawa
/ Tomigusuku
World / Japan / Okinawa
Second World War 1939-1945, shipwreck, destroyer (ship), draw only border, United States Navy
USS Twiggs was a Fletcher Class Destroyer laid down at the Charleston Navy Yard in April 1943 and commissioned into US Navy service in November of the same year. Assigned to the US Atlantic Fleet for shakedown and training, the Twiggs and her crew were reassigned to the Pacific Fleet as escorts for the recently commissioned USS Franklin (CV-13), arriving at Pearl Harbor on June 6th, 1944.
Engaged in training and escorting convoys between Oahu and Eniwetok through August 1944, the Twiggs stood out of Pearl on September 15th as a member of Destroyer Squadron 49, which was assigned to Task Group 79.2 and bound for the Philippine Islands. After touching at Manaus to combine forces with the balance of the US Naval armada, the Twiggs arrived off Leyte on October 20th with the entire US Philippine Invasion Force and screened the ships of Transport Attack Group "Baker" as they landed US forces on the Japanese-held islands. Remaining on station and repelling several waves of Japanese air attack in the days that followed, the Twiggs withdrew with the ships of Baker Group to Manaus on October 25th and began convoy escort and radar picket duty off the Palau Islands through December.
Rejoining the fight on December 10th, the Twiggs joined the Allied Task Force bound for the Island of Mindoro and screened their passage through the Surigao Strait then provided anti-aircraft and fire support as US troops went ashore. Alternating between a convoy escort and a fire support ship through the month of December and into January 1945 as US forces invaded Luzon Island, the Twiggs retired from Filipino waters in late January to Ulithi atoll for a brief period of upkeep and crew liberty before she was again at sea, this time bound for the tiny island of Iwo Jima. Twiggs and her crew arrived off the imposing Mt. Surabachi on February 16th and remained on station providing fire support as the Battle of Iwo Jima raged ashore until March 10th, when she again retired to Ulithi for repairs, upkeep and much needed R&R for her crew.
Once again ready for action by late March, the Twiggs stood out of Ulithi on March 25th bound for Okinawa, arriving once more in the vanguard force and providing pre-invasion bombardment of Japanese positions onshore, which she continued for several weeks after the initial landings took place on April 1st. Gradually withdrawn to Radar Picket Duty as part of a US attempt to provide early warning against the massive number of Japanese Kamikaze aircraft being hurled against the American Fleet, the Twiggs and her crew fought off numerous attacks successfully, but a near-miss from a downed Japanese bomber on April 28th damaged her propeller and hull badly enough to warrant her withdrawal back to Kerama Retto anchorage, where she was under repair alongside the USS Nestor (ARB-6) until May 17th.
Twiggs returned to her fire support and radar picket duty and continued her work in support of US forces through the end of May and into June when it finally seemed that the nightmarish Battle of Okinawa was nearing an end. Assigned to Picket Station 11 in the Western Fire Support Area as mop-up operations continued onshore, the Twiggs and her crew assumed their station on June 14th. Two days later as the sun was setting, reports began flashing of Japanese aircraft inside the outer picket ring, sending Twigg's crew to General Quarters. Brightly lit by the sun, the Destroyer made a perfect target for the pilot of a D4Y "Judy" torpedo bomber, who dropped out of the low cloud deck and approached the Twiggs from the West, using the bright sunlight to shield his approach. Sighted by gunners when only a mere 1000 yards away, the Twiggs crew opened fire on their attacker but were too late to stop the Japanese pilot from releasing his torpedo and zooming back into the cloud cover. With such limited warning that the ship was under attack, the Twiggs was unable to make much headway before the torpedo slammed into her Stern on her Port side beneath her rear 5-inch mounts, causing her entire after magazine to detonate at 2030hrs. Seconds later the Japanese plane reappeared from the clouds in his suicide dive, and drove his fuel-laden aircraft into the Twigg's forward gun mounts, causing heavy damage and covering the bow in flames.
Those stationed below decks that survived the aft magazine detonation were quickly forced from their posts by intense heat and flames, and damage control teams were powerless to fight the raging inferno consuming much of their ships after spaces. Topside crews fared little better as raging gasoline fires poured into holes punched by the Kamikaze in Twigg's deck, spreading fires in her fore spaces as well and rendering firefighting efforts all but useless. As other ships closed on the burning Destroyer to render assistance the Twigg was rocked by a second massive detonation, this time from her forward 5-inch magazines, which blew out large portions of her hill and showered the area in shrapnel and exploding ammunition. Needing no further confirmation to abandon ship, Twigg's surviving crew took to the water where they were hastily pulled out before further ammunition detonations made the area around the ship too dangerous for rescue attempts. Remaining afloat for less than an hour after the kamikaze attack, the Twigg's burning hulk finally flooded and sank at this location shortly after 2115hrs on June 16th, 1945, taking 152 of her crew, including her Captain, with her to the bottom. A further 41 of her men died of their injuries after rescue.
For her actions in the Second World War, USS Twigg received four Battle Stars. Her wreck was formally donated to the Government of Okinawa in 1957 and is designated a War Grave.
www.navsource.org/archives/05/591.htm
Engaged in training and escorting convoys between Oahu and Eniwetok through August 1944, the Twiggs stood out of Pearl on September 15th as a member of Destroyer Squadron 49, which was assigned to Task Group 79.2 and bound for the Philippine Islands. After touching at Manaus to combine forces with the balance of the US Naval armada, the Twiggs arrived off Leyte on October 20th with the entire US Philippine Invasion Force and screened the ships of Transport Attack Group "Baker" as they landed US forces on the Japanese-held islands. Remaining on station and repelling several waves of Japanese air attack in the days that followed, the Twiggs withdrew with the ships of Baker Group to Manaus on October 25th and began convoy escort and radar picket duty off the Palau Islands through December.
Rejoining the fight on December 10th, the Twiggs joined the Allied Task Force bound for the Island of Mindoro and screened their passage through the Surigao Strait then provided anti-aircraft and fire support as US troops went ashore. Alternating between a convoy escort and a fire support ship through the month of December and into January 1945 as US forces invaded Luzon Island, the Twiggs retired from Filipino waters in late January to Ulithi atoll for a brief period of upkeep and crew liberty before she was again at sea, this time bound for the tiny island of Iwo Jima. Twiggs and her crew arrived off the imposing Mt. Surabachi on February 16th and remained on station providing fire support as the Battle of Iwo Jima raged ashore until March 10th, when she again retired to Ulithi for repairs, upkeep and much needed R&R for her crew.
Once again ready for action by late March, the Twiggs stood out of Ulithi on March 25th bound for Okinawa, arriving once more in the vanguard force and providing pre-invasion bombardment of Japanese positions onshore, which she continued for several weeks after the initial landings took place on April 1st. Gradually withdrawn to Radar Picket Duty as part of a US attempt to provide early warning against the massive number of Japanese Kamikaze aircraft being hurled against the American Fleet, the Twiggs and her crew fought off numerous attacks successfully, but a near-miss from a downed Japanese bomber on April 28th damaged her propeller and hull badly enough to warrant her withdrawal back to Kerama Retto anchorage, where she was under repair alongside the USS Nestor (ARB-6) until May 17th.
Twiggs returned to her fire support and radar picket duty and continued her work in support of US forces through the end of May and into June when it finally seemed that the nightmarish Battle of Okinawa was nearing an end. Assigned to Picket Station 11 in the Western Fire Support Area as mop-up operations continued onshore, the Twiggs and her crew assumed their station on June 14th. Two days later as the sun was setting, reports began flashing of Japanese aircraft inside the outer picket ring, sending Twigg's crew to General Quarters. Brightly lit by the sun, the Destroyer made a perfect target for the pilot of a D4Y "Judy" torpedo bomber, who dropped out of the low cloud deck and approached the Twiggs from the West, using the bright sunlight to shield his approach. Sighted by gunners when only a mere 1000 yards away, the Twiggs crew opened fire on their attacker but were too late to stop the Japanese pilot from releasing his torpedo and zooming back into the cloud cover. With such limited warning that the ship was under attack, the Twiggs was unable to make much headway before the torpedo slammed into her Stern on her Port side beneath her rear 5-inch mounts, causing her entire after magazine to detonate at 2030hrs. Seconds later the Japanese plane reappeared from the clouds in his suicide dive, and drove his fuel-laden aircraft into the Twigg's forward gun mounts, causing heavy damage and covering the bow in flames.
Those stationed below decks that survived the aft magazine detonation were quickly forced from their posts by intense heat and flames, and damage control teams were powerless to fight the raging inferno consuming much of their ships after spaces. Topside crews fared little better as raging gasoline fires poured into holes punched by the Kamikaze in Twigg's deck, spreading fires in her fore spaces as well and rendering firefighting efforts all but useless. As other ships closed on the burning Destroyer to render assistance the Twigg was rocked by a second massive detonation, this time from her forward 5-inch magazines, which blew out large portions of her hill and showered the area in shrapnel and exploding ammunition. Needing no further confirmation to abandon ship, Twigg's surviving crew took to the water where they were hastily pulled out before further ammunition detonations made the area around the ship too dangerous for rescue attempts. Remaining afloat for less than an hour after the kamikaze attack, the Twigg's burning hulk finally flooded and sank at this location shortly after 2115hrs on June 16th, 1945, taking 152 of her crew, including her Captain, with her to the bottom. A further 41 of her men died of their injuries after rescue.
For her actions in the Second World War, USS Twigg received four Battle Stars. Her wreck was formally donated to the Government of Okinawa in 1957 and is designated a War Grave.
www.navsource.org/archives/05/591.htm
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Twiggs_(DD-591)
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 26°10'6"N 127°35'13"E
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