Wreck of USS Aaron Ward (DD-483)

 Second World War 1939-1945, ship, shipwreck

Laid down in February 1941 and commissioned into US Navy service in March 1942, the USS Aaron Ward was the 29th Gleaves Class Destroyer to enter service when she joined the Pacific Fleet in May 1942. Sailing immediately for Pearl Harbor, she began convoy escort work between Hawaii and the Southern Solomon Islands.

By October 1942 the Aaron Ward was operating constantly in support of the Battle of Guadalcanal, conducting fire support missions and escorting resupply convoys into and out of Ironbottom Sound. As the conflict grew more intense, the crew of the Aaron Ward found themselves on the frontline against the full might of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13th, a battle which all but decimated the US Naval presence in Ironbottom Sound and saw the Aaron Ward heavily damaged by Japanese Cruiser and Destroyer fire with 15 men dead and 57 wounded. After lying dead in the water for several hours while her engine rooms were pumped out and narrowly avoiding several salvoes from the Battleship Hiei, the Aaron Ward was towed clear of the area for emergency repairs and like much of the US Fleet limped away from Guadalcanal for full overhaul and repairs in rear-area shipyards.

Emerging from the Pearl Harbor Yard in February 1943, the Ward rejoined the fight in the Southern Solomon Islands. Assigned to escort a convoy of an Amphibious Transport and three LST's from the Russell Islands to Tulagi, the Ward made her way back to Ironbottom Sound in the early morning of April 7th. As the ships neared their destination, reports of an impending Japanese air attack on Tulagi prompted the Ward to steam ahead of her convoy to supply them with air cover. Orders reached the Ward at 1330hrs to detach from her convoy to assist with repelling a concentrated dual-prong air assault on both Guadalcanal and Tulagi being mounted by as many as 150 aircraft, and the Destroyer and her crew went to flank speed to reach the action.

Arriving on station at 1419hrs, the Ward screened the heavily-laden USS LST-449 towards Tulagi when her lookouts sighted a group of Japanese Dive-Bombers heading straight for the ship. Engaging in frantic evasive maneuvering and throwing up significant AA fire, the Ward was unable to avoid being struck with a single bomb amidships which punched through her hull and detonated in her forward engine room, robbing her forward 5-inch and AA mounts of power. The most severe damage to the ship came from the bombs which landed wide of their target and exploded in the water, causing concussive effects which tore open several seams and opened large holes in the Ward's hull. Her gunners kept firing and eventually chased off their attackers while damage control parties went to work to save their ship, resorting to a bucket brigade to dewater her engine room when her onboard pumps failed. Once again dead in the water in Ironbottom Sound, the hapless Destroyer was taken under tow by the USS Ortolan (AM-45) and USS Vireo (AM-52) in an attempt to get her to Tulagi, but after several hours of tireless effort the crew were losing their fight against the inrushing water. As darkness began to fall the decision was made to beach the Aaron Ward on a shoal off Tinete Point but shortly after 2100 a damaged bulkhead failed and the ship began to settle rapidly by the Stern. The order to abandon ship was passed and within 20 minutes the Aaron Ward was left to her fate. The Veteran Destroyer was cast adrift by the USS Ortolan and sank Stern-first at this location at 2135hrs on April 7th, 1943. 27 of her crew were killed and 59 had been wounded in the Aaron Ward's final battle, and she received her fourth and final Battle Star for World War Two service.

Her wreck remained unlocated until it was discovered in 1994 lying on an even keel in 229ft (70m) of water. She is now a popular deep-water dive site for tourists vesting Tulagi.

www.navsource.org/archives/05/483.htm
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