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USS Pringle
USS Pringle
USS Pringle
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USS Pringle (DD-477) December 1942, with unique catapult and aircraft, and 5 inch (127 mm) guns trained to port.
History
United States
NamesakeJoel R. P. Pringle
BuilderCharleston Navy Yard
Laid down31 July 1941
Launched2 May 1942
Commissioned15 September 1942
FateSunk by Kamikaze off Okinawa,[1] 16 April 1945
General characteristics
Class & typeFletcher-class destroyer
Displacement2,050 tons
Length376 ft 6 in (114.7 m)
Beam39 ft 8 in (12.1 m)
Draft17 ft 9 in (5.4 m)
Propulsion
  • 60,000 shp (45 MW)
  • 2 propellers
Speed35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range6500 nm at 15 kn (12,000 km at 28 km/h)
Complement336
Armament
Aircraft carried1, one catapult (removed 1943)

USS Pringle (DD-477), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Vice Admiral Joel R. P. Pringle (1873–1932).

Pringle was laid down by the Charleston Navy Yard, on 31 July 1941; launched on 2 May 1942, sponsored by Mrs. John D. H. Kane; and commissioned on 15 September 1942.

Service history

[edit]

Pringle was one of the three Fletcher-class destroyers to be built (out of 6 planned) with a catapult for a float plane. The catapult and an aircraft crane were located just aft of the number 2 smokestack, in place of the after torpedo tube mount, 5-inch mount number 3, and the 2nd deck of the after deck house which normally carried a twin 40 mm anti-aircraft gun on most ships of the class. (The twin 40 mm mount was moved to the fantail, just forward of the depth charge racks, where most ships of the class carried 20 mm mounts.) It was intended that the float plane be used for scouting for the destroyer flotilla to which the ship was attached. It would be launched by the catapult, land on the water next to the ship, and be recovered by the aircraft crane. Pringle was the first of five ships that eventually received the catapult to use it operationally. Due to design problems with the derrick, Pringle could not recover the Kingfisher airplane. Two ships constructed in 1943, USS Stevens and USS Halford, had redesigned derricks.[2] Stevens became the first of the five ships to successfully launch and recover the plane. All were ultimately converted to the standard Fletcher-class configuration.

Following shakedown, Pringle joined convoy ON 154 in mid-Atlantic 1 January 1943 to escort the Halifax-bound contingent. While on this duty she was the first U.S. destroyer to use an aircraft with catapult. The float plane was catapulted off to search for enemy submarines. Recovery of the plane in the prevailing weather for a ship the size of Pringle was difficult. After reaching Halifax, Pringle proceeded to Charleston Naval Shipyard for a brief overhaul, during which her catapult was removed, returning her to standard Fletcher configuration.[3]

On 6 February, she got underway for the Pacific Theater, escorting the British aircraft carrier HMS Victorious from Norfolk Navy Yard to the Pacific. Arriving off Guadalcanal on 30 May, she took up patrol duties off the Solomons, and, on the night of 17/18 July, joined Waller and Saufley in attacking three Japanese destroyers off Vanga Point, Kolombangara. Scoring several torpedo hits, she also shot down one Japanese plane.

As the Solomon Islands campaign continued into August, Pringle screened advance units of the Vella Lavella assault force, escorted LSTs through Gizo strait, and on the 24th covered minelaying operations off Kolombangara under Japanese guns. On the night of 3/4 September, Pringle with Dyson made a sweep of Japanese barges between Gambi Head, Choiseul, and Kolombangara, sinking three.

While escorting Task Group 31.7 into Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, on 11 November 10 days after the initial landing there, Pringle shot down one Japanese plane and damaged another. With the exception of a run to Sydney in late January 1944, she continued to operate in the Solomons for the next few months. She swept the southwest coast of Bougainville during daylight in early March, bombarding enemy installations and beached barges.

The Marianas operation produced another long period of bombardment, screening and anti-submarine missions for Pringle. During the assaults on Saipan and Tinian, she conducted fire support operations. She then returned to San Francisco, California, for refit and to rest her crew.

After overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Pringle sailed for Pearl Harbor on 19 October. She departed Pearl Harbor on 10 November for the Philippines to take part in the upcoming invasion. From 27 to 28 November, she bombarded enemy shore positions near Ormoc Bay, Leyte, shooting down a Japanese plane on the same day. On 27 November, she and Saufley, Waller, and Renshaw combined to sink IJA transport submarine MaruYu-No.2. On 28 November, these destroyers sink I-46.[4]

Pringle came under her most intense air attack while escorting a re-supply echelon to Mindoro from 27 to 30 December. Several ships in the convoy were sunk, while Pringle shot down two planes. On the 30th, a kamikaze crashed into her after deckhouse, killing 11 men and injuring 20, totally destroying one 40 mm mount and damaging two 5-inch mounts.

Back in service in February, Pringle screened transports to Iwo Jima for the assault there on the 17th, then provided fire support for the Marines ashore. Returning to Ulithi on 4 March, she prepared for the assault on Okinawa.

Fate

[edit]

Operating with Destroyer Division 90, she screened transport areas, covered minesweepers, and provided support fire. Assigned to radar picket duty on 15 April, she shot down two kamikazes on 16 April 1945 before a third crashed into her bridge, and plowed through the superstructure deck, abaft the base of number one stack. A single 1,000-pound bomb, or two 500-pounders, penetrated the main and superstructure decks and exploded with a violent eruption, buckling the keel and splitting the vessel in two at the forward fire room. Six minutes later, 258 survivors watched Pringle slide beneath the surface. 69 were killed.[5]

Honors

[edit]

Pringle earned 10 battle stars for World War II service.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

USS Pringle

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from Grokipedia
USS Pringle (DD-477) was a * in the United States , named for Joel R. P. Pringle (1873–1932), a pioneering naval aviator who commanded air detachments during and later served as chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics. Built by the Charleston Navy Yard in , she was laid down on 31 July 1941, launched on 2 May 1942, and commissioned on 15 September 1942 under the command of Harold O. Larson. With a displacement of 2,050 tons (standard) and 2,940 tons (full load), she measured 376 feet 5 inches in length, had a beam of 39 feet 7 inches, and could reach speeds of 35 knots while carrying a complement of 329 officers and enlisted men. Her armament included five 5-inch/38-caliber guns, ten 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, seven 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, ten 21-inch torpedo tubes, two depth charge tracks, and six projectors. During , Pringle operated exclusively in the Pacific Theater, conducting convoy escorts, shore bombardments, anti-submarine patrols, and duties across multiple campaigns. Following shakedown training off and operations in the Atlantic, she transited to the Pacific in early 1943, joining (DesRon 23) and participating in the , including the New Georgia landings and the in August 1943, where she helped sink three Japanese destroyers. In September 1943, she supported landings at and the Treasury Islands, sinking Japanese barges and downing enemy aircraft off Bougainville. Notable for being the first U.S. destroyer to launch an OS2U Kingfisher scout plane from her catapult on 1 , Pringle continued her service in the Gilbert and operations before screening amphibious assaults in the Marianas campaign (June–August 1944), where she provided fire support at Saipan and Tinian. In late 1944, Pringle took part in the campaign, escorting convoys to and while fending off intense Japanese air attacks; on 30 December 1944, she was struck by a off , resulting in 11 deaths and 20 injuries but remaining operational after repairs. Early 1945 saw her involved in the invasion, where she conducted search and rescue for survivors from the sunk carrier USS Bismarck Sea on 22 February and provided gunfire support during the landings. Assigned to the Okinawa campaign from April 1945, she screened transports and patrolled picket stations amid escalating threats. On 16 April 1945, during No. 3, Pringle was on Picket Station 14 approximately 65 miles northwest of Ie Shima when, at 0920, an Val struck her forward stack, followed by a massive explosion at 0926 that broke her in two; she sank within six minutes, claiming 62 lives while 251 survivors were rescued by USS Hobson (DMS-26), LCS(L)-34, and LSM(R)-191 amid ongoing air attacks. Stricken from the on 28 April 1945, Pringle was posthumously awarded ten battle stars for her service.

Design and construction

Fletcher-class features

The Fletcher-class destroyers formed the backbone of the U.S. Navy's destroyer force during , renowned for their balance of speed, firepower, and endurance in fleet screening, , and surface engagements. These vessels displaced 2,050 tons standard and 2,940 tons at full load, with overall dimensions of 376 feet 5 inches (114.7 meters) in length, a beam of 39 feet 7 inches (12.1 meters), and a draft of 13 feet 9 inches (4.2 meters), allowing for a maximum speed of 37.5 knots. Their flush-deck design enhanced structural integrity while providing ample internal volume for machinery and ammunition, making them highly adaptable to wartime demands. In terms of armament, the class featured five 5-inch/38 caliber dual-purpose guns mounted singly for versatile anti-surface and anti-aircraft fire, complemented initially by two quintuple 21-inch mounts for offensive strikes against enemy shipping. Anti-aircraft batteries evolved during the war, incorporating 40 mm and 20 mm Oerlikon guns to counter increasing aerial threats, though early configurations prioritized and armament. Propulsion came from four oil-fired boilers supplying steam to two geared turbines, generating 60,000 shaft horsepower for reliable high-speed operations across vast Pacific distances. The standard crew numbered 329 officers and enlisted personnel, sufficient to maintain round-the-clock vigilance and combat readiness. USS Pringle's initial configuration included a distinctive experimental feature: a catapult amidships for launching a single Vought OS2U Kingfisher floatplane, which replaced the aft torpedo tube mount and No. 3 5-inch gun to enable scouting, gunnery spotting, and submarine searches. Pringle was one of three Fletcher-class destroyers experimentally fitted with the catapult out of six planned. This setup marked Pringle as the first U.S. destroyer to successfully catapult and recover such an aircraft at sea on 5 December 1942. The catapult was removed in early 1943 during subsequent modifications to restore standard armament.

Building and launch

The USS Pringle (DD-477) was laid down on 31 1941 at the Charleston Yard in , amid the U.S. 's urgent wartime expansion to bolster its force against escalating Axis threats in and . Construction at the yard progressed concurrently with other Fletcher-class , focusing on hull fabrication, initial superstructure assembly, and machinery outfitting by skilled shipyard workers operating under accelerated schedules to support the national . The ship was launched on 2 May 1942, sponsored by Mrs. John D. H. Kane, daughter of the namesake Joel R. P. Pringle, a distinguished career officer who rose to command key naval units before his death in 1932.

Commissioning and modifications

The USS Pringle was commissioned on 15 September 1942 at the Charleston Navy Yard in , with Harold O. Larson serving as her first . During the outfitting period following her launch on 2 May and extending through September, the ship received her complete armament, including four 5-inch/38-caliber guns in single mounts (No. 3 temporarily removed for ), one quintuple 21-inch mount (five tubes), and multiple anti-aircraft machine guns, along with systems such as the SG surface-search set for enhanced detection capabilities. As an experimental feature unique to a small group of Fletcher-class destroyers, a stern was installed to launch a single Vought OS2U-3 floatplane for scouting duties, necessitating the temporary sacrifice of the after mount, the No. 3 5-inch gun mount, a deckhouse, two twin 40 mm mounts, and three single 20 mm guns to accommodate the and launch mechanism. Preparations for shakedown included initial sea trials conducted in the Atlantic off the U.S. East Coast, with builder's trials and ammunition loading completed at the Naval Ammunition Depot in Charleston by 1 December 1942, followed by indoctrination exercises with the Atlantic Fleet and focused and gunnery training at , , from 6 to 18 December 1942. The experimental and floatplane were retained during these early phases but proved impractical for operational use, leading to their removal by 15 January 1943 during an overhaul at the Charleston Navy Yard; this modification standardized Pringle for frontline combat by restoring her original configuration and adding additional anti-aircraft armament, including a 40 mm mount in the vacated space. The ship's initial crew completed training during this period, after which Pringle was assigned to (DesRon 22), Destroyer Division 43 (DesDiv 43), and proceeded to her .

Operational history

Shakedown and Atlantic duties

Following her commissioning on 15 September 1942 at , under the command of Lt. Cmdr. Harold O. Larson, USS Pringle (DD-477) completed outfitting and initial training at the Charleston Navy Yard. On 2 December 1942, she commenced her by departing Charleston for , where she encountered heavy weather that tested her seaworthiness. Off Norfolk on 5 December, Pringle catapulted a OS2U-3 floatplane from her experimental deck-mounted , marking the second such launch from a and demonstrating the system's potential for scouting and observation. From 6 to 18 December 1942, Pringle conducted intensive antisubmarine warfare and gunnery training exercises at Casco Bay, Maine, honing her crew's skills in convoy protection and combat readiness. On 1 January 1943, she rendezvoused with Convoy ON 154 approximately 1,800 miles east of Casco Bay in the mid-Atlantic, joining as an escort to bolster defenses against German U-boat threats during the ship's first operational deployment. While on this duty, Pringle became the first U.S. destroyer to employ a catapult-launched aircraft in a combat-related setting, using the Kingfisher for scouting ahead of the convoy; she also assisted in escorting the rescue vessel Toward, which carried 162 survivors from earlier torpedoed merchant ships. The convoy reached Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 9 January 1943 without losses, validating the value of aircraft spotting despite challenges in recovering the floatplane amid rough seas. Returning to the , Pringle underwent a post-shakedown overhaul at the Charleston Yard from 15 to 30 January 1943, during which her catapult, hangar, and associated aviation equipment were removed due to operational impracticalities for destroyer use in fleet actions. This modification streamlined her configuration for Pacific service, eliminating the trade-offs in armament and deck space. On 6 February 1943, Pringle departed as part of an escort for the British aircraft carrier HMS Victorious bound for the Pacific, transiting the on 12 February and reaching Balboa, Canal Zone, the following day. She continued westward with Victorious and destroyers Bache (DD-470) and Converse (DD-509), arriving at on 4 March 1943 to complete preparations for transfer to the South Pacific Fleet.

Solomon Islands campaign

In mid-1943, USS Pringle joined Task Force 31 off Guadalcanal to support Allied operations in the Solomon Islands, arriving on 20 May after escorting a convoy from Nouméa and immediately beginning patrols in the Lunga Point area to screen transports. By late June, she departed Efate to participate in Operation Toenails, the New Georgia campaign, where on 30 June she led a minelaying force that planted 336 mines off Shortland Harbor between Alu and Munia Islands as a diversion for landings on New Georgia, while also supporting a brief bombardment of nearby Japanese positions; the operation proceeded undetected by enemy forces. Throughout early July, Pringle screened cruisers during patrols in Kula Gulf searching for Japanese "Tokyo Express" reinforcements and provided gunfire support, bombarding targets north of Munda Point on 11 July to aid ground forces. As the campaign progressed into August, Pringle screened advance units and escorted landing ships through Gizo Strait for the 15 August landings on , while patrolling "The Slot" to interdict Japanese barge traffic and surface raids. On 21 August off , during a Japanese air raid, Pringle's anti-aircraft fire downed one enemy plane, but the ship suffered her first combat casualties from a low-level attack resembling an early strike, with one sailor killed and 26 injured, including 10 seriously; she underwent minor repairs afterward. Later that month, on 24–25 August, she supported another minelaying operation in Blackett Strait and investigated a suspected submarine contact. On 3 September, in company with USS Dyson, Pringle swept Japanese barge traffic between Choiseul and , sinking three loaded barges to disrupt enemy supply lines. In October, Pringle escorted convoys to the Treasury Islands and bombarded positions on Mono Island on 27 October to cover Marine landings there. Shifting focus to Bougainville, she escorted reinforcement convoys to Cape Torokina from 9 to 19 November following the 1 November landings at Empress Augusta Bay, during which her gunners shot down a Nakajima Rufe fighter on 11 November near the bay; she also patrolled the area to protect the beachhead. With the exception of a run to Sydney in late January 1944, Pringle continued to operate in the Solomons for the next few months. On 16 February 1944 near the Green Islands, she rescued downed pilots from a crashed aircraft. After a few days' rest, she escorted a reinforcement convoy to the Green Islands by way of the Russell Islands from 21 to 27 February 1944. In early March 1944, she swept the southwest coast of Bougainville, bombarding enemy installations and beached barges. These actions contributed to total casualties in the Solomon Islands period of one killed and multiple injured, with Pringle continuing escort duties into early 1944.

Central Pacific operations

In June 1944, USS Pringle deployed to the Marianas as part of Task Group 51.18, departing on 1 June and arriving off Saipan on 16 June after staging at Kwajalein. Assigned to fire support sector No. 6, she provided shore bombardment during the initial landings on 17 June from 0745 to 2200, targeting Japanese positions and firing on a Mitsubishi A6M Zeke . Throughout late June, Pringle continued screening duties, conducted call fire, and provided nighttime illumination off Saipan while patrolling the transport areas. Pringle screened fast carriers during the from 19 to 20 June, known as the "Marianas ," contributing to the decisive U.S. victory that neutralized much of Japan's carrier-based air power. She bombarded Tinian on 18 June and again on 24 July in support of Marine landings, providing call fire and screening larger warships like USS Louisville. Off from 20 to 22 July, Pringle screened the cruiser bombardments by USS Montpelier and USS Cleveland, then returned to Saipan for demonstration firing before resuming Tinian operations through early August. In addition to fire support, Pringle conducted anti-submarine searches off Saipan on 15 July and patrolled for enemy threats, sinking several Japanese barges during the campaign. Her crew downed multiple enemy aircraft in defensive actions, including the Zeke on 17 June. On 25 June off Tinian, she recovered the crew of a downed flying boat. Detached in mid-August after patrolling Apra Harbor, , Pringle sailed to and then to , arriving on 1 September for a six-week refit at , including drydocking from 16 to 30 September to enhance her anti-aircraft capabilities. Departing on 19 October, she reached on 25 October for training exercises in gunnery and through 8 November. Pringle then proceeded to , transitioning to support operations in the .

Philippine and late-war actions

Following her operations in the Central Pacific, USS Pringle entered at midday on 25 November 1944 and joined Task Group 77.2 to screen transports amid the ongoing Battle for , conducting routine patrols and mail delivery to bolster Allied forces ashore. During this period, under the command of Lt. Cmdr. John L. Kelley Jr., who had assumed duties on 29 May 1944, the destroyer conducted routine patrols and mail delivery to bolster Allied forces ashore. On 27–28 November 1944, Pringle, operating with destroyers USS Waller (DD-466), USS Saufley (DD-465), and USS Renshaw (DD-499), executed a night surface action in Ormoc Bay, bombarding Japanese troop concentrations and shore installations to disrupt enemy reinforcements. During the engagement, the group detected and sank the Japanese I-46 via depth charges and gunfire after it surfaced and attempted to flee, marking a significant antisubmarine victory with all 112 aboard lost; Pringle also shot down a Japanese amid air attacks on the task group. In December 1944, as part of preparations for the landings, Pringle escorted resupply convoys to , facing intensified threats during the 27–30 December transit of Uncle 15. On 30 December off , a aircraft struck the after deckhouse, killing 11 crewmen, injuring 20 others, destroying one 40 mm mount, and damaging two 5-inch guns along with equipment; several ships were sunk in the attack, but Pringle downed two enemy planes prior to the hit. The ship underwent emergency repairs alongside USS Midas (ARB-5) before proceeding to Manus in the for full restoration from early January 1945, including standard antiaircraft enhancements from her 1944 overhaul to improve defense against aerial assaults. Returning to action in late January 1945, Pringle escorted transports from Ulithi to Saipan, then rejoined Task Group 51.12 for the Iwo Jima invasion, departing Saipan on 17 February and arriving off the island on D-Day, 19 February. She screened the transport area while delivering naval gunfire support to Marines ashore, suppressing enemy positions through the month's end. On 22 February, amid the ongoing battle, Pringle searched for missing aviators from USS Saratoga (CV-3) and recovered the bodies of two sailors from the sunk escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95)—CCS(AA)(T) Charles N. Lincoln and TM 1c(T) Samuel S. Barnette—for burial at sea.

Sinking

Prelude to Okinawa

Following her participation in the campaign, USS Pringle returned to on 4 March 1945 to prepare for the upcoming invasion of Okinawa. After staging there for the assault, the destroyer weighed anchor on 27 March 1945 and joined the screen for Transport Group Baker en route to Okinawa. The transit proceeded without incident, and Pringle arrived off the southwest coast of Okinawa before dawn on 1 April 1945. As part of the —the largest amphibious assault in the , involving over 1,600 ships and 350,000 naval personnel—Pringle conducted an antisubmarine sweep of the transport area that morning before assuming a screening station amid the landings on the Hagushi beaches. From 2 to 8 April, she screened the transports and patrolled offshore to protect against air and submarine threats as U.S. forces secured the beachheads. On 9 April, Pringle was assigned to Task Group 51.19 and screened amphibious forces during the landings on Ie Shima on 10 April, while also providing harassing fire and star-shell illumination in Nakagusuku Bay to support ground operations. Through 13 April, Pringle continued screening duties at Ie Shima before shifting to radar picket patrols, relieving another on Station No. 14 approximately 65 miles northwest of the island on 14 April. Positioned on the outer , she provided early warning against intensifying Japanese air attacks, including strikes that had begun targeting the invasion fleet shortly after the initial landings. This rotation between transport screening and picket duty underscored Pringle's critical role in defending the vulnerable amphibious forces during the campaign's early phases.

Kamikaze attack

On 16 April 1945, during the intense assaults of Operation Kikusui No. 3 in the , USS Pringle (DD-477) was on duty at Station No. 14, approximately 65 miles northwest of Ie Shima at position 27°26'N, 127°00'E. At around 0910, three Japanese Aichi D3A1 "Val" dive bombers, configured as , approached the picket group from the north at an altitude of 2,000 feet, weaving to evade detection and fire while closing to 11,000–12,000 yards. Pringle's (CAP) of U.S. Navy F4U Corsair fighters initially engaged the incoming aircraft, but as the Vals descended to low altitude and split their approach, the CAP's effectiveness waned. At 10,000 yards, Pringle opened fire with her 5-inch guns, scoring hits that downed one Val and forced a second to veer away, while the USS (DD-374), operating nearby, contributed antiaircraft fire to suppress the threat. Despite these defensive efforts, the third Val pressed its attack, diving from 1,000 feet at approximately 0920 and striking Pringle amidships at the base of her forward stack, with its starboard wing shearing the bridge structure before the aircraft penetrated the main deck into the forward fireroom. The impact detonated the Val's payload—estimated as a 1,000-pound bomb or two 500-pound bombs—triggering a massive explosion that demolished the midships section, buckled the , and split the hull from the stack to the stern, igniting fuel and ammunition magazines in secondary blasts. The forward section drifted briefly amid intense flames and smoke, while the aft portion sank rapidly; the entire ship foundered by 0926, just six minutes after the hit, with no opportunity for effective control. Of Pringle's complement of 313 officers and enlisted men, 62 were killed or missing in the attack, including several on the bridge, and 113 were wounded, with 43 of the injured later transferred to the hospital ship USS Hope (AH-7) for treatment.

Rescue and aftermath

Following the kamikaze strike at approximately 0920 on 16 , the forward section of USS Pringle capsized and sank by 0926, leaving survivors in the water amid ongoing aerial threats and shark activity approximately 70 miles northwest of Okinawa's Motobu Peninsula. Many of the 251 survivors clung to wreckage, life rafts, or floating debris for up to two to three hours before efforts commenced around 1000, demonstrating collective endurance in hazardous conditions that included strafing runs by Japanese aircraft and the need for gunfire to deter approaching sharks. Rescue operations were conducted by nearby vessels, including the destroyer-minesweeper (DMS-26), which picked up 100 survivors while fending off additional attackers and shooting down two planes; landing craft support (large) LCS(L)-34 and (rocket) LSM(R)-191, which rescued the remaining 151 survivors, for a total of 251 saved from the 313-man crew. Of these, 113 suffered injuries, primarily burns from the ensuing fires and shrapnel wounds, with 43 of the most severely affected transferred to the hospital ship USS Hope (AH-7) for advanced treatment later that day. The remaining survivors were distributed among the rescue ships and provided initial care amid the chaos of the ongoing . Administratively, Pringle was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 April 1945, with no salvage attempted due to the wreck's location in deep water off Okinawa, where it remains unrecovered. The loss, which claimed 62 lives, underscored vulnerabilities in destroyer deployments and contributed to U.S. Navy adaptations in anti-kamikaze tactics, including enhanced fighter patrols and antiaircraft coordination to better protect forward screening forces.

Awards and legacy

Battle stars

The USS Pringle was awarded a total of 10 battle stars for her service in , recognizing direct participation in key Pacific theater campaigns. These stars were conferred posthumously upon the ship after her loss. Her commanding officers and crew qualified for associated individual honors, including Purple Hearts for those wounded or . The battle stars correspond to her involvement in operations including the , Bougainville, the Marianas campaign, the Philippines campaign ( and ), , and Okinawa.

Memorials and recognition

The USS Pringle Survivors' Association was established in the years following to unite surviving crew members, their families, and descendants in commemorating the ship's service and the loss of 62 lives during its sinking. The group held annual reunions through the 2010s, fostering bonds among veterans and preserving personal stories of the attack off Okinawa. The association's official website, usspringle.org, serves as a digital archive, hosting crew rosters, historical photographs, survivor testimonies, and details of memorial events. Physical memorials honor the ship and its crew at key sites tied to its history. A bronze plaque was dedicated on April 22, 1990, at Battery Park in —near the former Charleston Navy Yard where Pringle was built—recognizing the destroyer's launch on May 2, 1942, and its sinking on April 16, 1945. A nearby historical marker further commemorates these milestones, inscribed with "Launched at on May 2, 1942. Lost to Enemy Action off Okinawa on April 16, 1945." The 62 crew members killed or missing from the sinking—out of 320 aboard—are honored on the Walls of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii, administered by the as part of the Pacific theater commemorations; many remain buried at sea due to the rapid nature of the attack. The ship's history receives formal recognition in official U.S. publications, including a dedicated entry in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), which chronicles Pringle's shakedown cruises, Pacific campaigns, and ultimate fate as a radar during the . Detailed accounts of the kamikaze strike and rescue operations appear in the Naval History and Heritage Command's article "The Destruction of USS Pringle," emphasizing the destroyer's role in screening amphibious forces and the tactical challenges of picket duty. While broader naval histories like Samuel Eliot Morison's works cover the Okinawa campaign's kamikaze onslaught, Pringle's specific contributions are preserved through survivor-maintained records and archives. Pringle's legacy underscores the heavy toll on U.S. destroyers from organized assaults in the war's final months, with its sinking illustrating the vulnerability of isolated picket ships despite anti-aircraft modifications like enhanced gun mounts and integration. These experiences contributed to post-war refinements in naval anti-aircraft tactics, including improved fighter direction and ship screening formations to counter suicide attacks. The vessel's namesake, Vice Admiral Joel R. P. Pringle (1873–1932), is profiled in naval biographies for pioneering destroyer flotilla command during and his leadership in Atlantic operations, reflecting the enduring valor associated with the ship's name.
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