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USS Witter
USS Witter (DE-636), a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Ensign Jean C. Witter (1921–1942), who was killed in action aboard the heavy cruiser San Francisco during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of 12–13 November 1942.
Witter was laid down on 28 April 1943 at San Francisco, California, by the Bethlehem Steel Company, launched on 17 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Jean C. Witter, and commissioned on December 29 1943.
Witter departed San Francisco on 18 January 1944 and began her shakedown training. During that cruise, she visited San Diego and then underwent post-shakedown repairs at the Mare Island Navy Yard before returning to San Francisco at the end of February. On March 8, she stood out of San Francisco and steamed, via Pearl Harbor, to the Gilbert Islands, arriving in Majuro lagoon on 22 March. She departed Majuro on 26 March and after side visits to Makin, Tarawa, and Abemama in the Gilberts, she arrived in Espiritu Santo on 3 April. There she remained for 12 days, escorting ships into and out of the harbor at Espiritu Santo. On 15 April, the destroyer escort stood out of Segond Channel to rendezvous at sea with SS William Charlie Yeager and escort that ship to the southern Solomons. They reached Tulagi on 21 April, and while the merchantman put into Tulagi Witter moved on to Purvis Bay at Florida Island.
On 25 April 1944, Witter departed the southern Solomons in company with Task Unit (TU) 34.9.6, bound for Cape Gloucester on the island of New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago. She arrived in Borgen Bay near Cape Gloucester on 28 April and remained until 1 May when she accompanied TU 34.9.6 to the Russell Islands subgroup of the Solomons. She arrived in the Russells on 3 May, but departed that same day for her primary theater of operations for the next 10 weeks, the island of New Guinea. On 5 May, she entered Milne Bay at the southeastern tip of New Guinea. By the time Witter reached that port, American forces had already made almost simultaneous landings at Aitape, Tanahmerah Bay, and Humboldt Bay, in actions known collectively as the Operations Reckless and Persecution. Thus, for the next several weeks, Witter drew duty escorting resupply and reinforcement convoys to the three landing areas, making stops at such intermediary places as Cape Cretin and Cape Sudest. After the 17 May assault on the Toem–Wakde–Sarmi area located a little farther up the northern coast of New Guinea, she added that region to her itinerary. At the end of the first week in July, Biak Island, located off the northern coast of New Guinea, opposite the large bay which separates the Vogelkop from the rest of the island, came within Witter's sphere of operations.
In mid-month, however, the destroyer escort left New Guinea for the northern Solomons. She departed Humboldt Bay on 15 July 1944 and, after a brief stop at Cape Cretin, arrived in the northern Solomons at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, on 18 July. On 20 July, she departed Empress Augusta Bay and, that same afternoon, arrived in the Treasury Islands subgroup. For almost three weeks, she remained in the vicinity of Blanche Harbor in the Treasuries, conducting anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare exercises.
Between 9 and 12 August 1944, she voyaged back to New Guinea, stopping at Finschhaven and Langemak Bay before returning to Blanche Harbor on the 12 August and resuming her exercise schedule in the Treasuries. On 21 August, she began a move farther north in the Solomons, arriving in the Green Islands subgroup that same day. Three days later, she moved on again, this time to Manus in the Admiralty Islands where she stopped overnight on 26–27 August. On the latter day, the warship made the brief voyage from Manus to Emirau Island. She remained there for almost a month, putting to sea only once during that period, between 19 and 22 September, to rescue the crew of a downed PBJ (the Navy version of the Army's B-25 Mitchell bomber).
After returning the rescued aircrewmen to Emirau on the 22 August 1944, she returned to sea that same day on her way back to Manus. From there, she continued her voyage toward Milne Bay on 24 September. On 26 September, she paused near Porlock and Cape Nelson to help SS Richard H. Dana, aground on Curtis Reef. While her boats assisted in the transfer of Army troops from the merchantman to the transport Stratford (AP-41), Witter patrolled to seaward to protect against possible enemy submarine attack. On 27 September, she resumed her voyage and arrived in Milne Bay that same day.
Between 29 September and 6 October 1944, Witter made a roundabout voyage from Milne Bay via Treasuries and back to New Guinea at Humboldt Bay. At Humboldt Bay, she reported for duty to TU 77.7.1 for the Leyte operation. Her task unit, a part of the 7th Fleet Service Force, departed Humboldt Bay on 12 October to take up replenishment station at sea some 180 miles west of the already-invested Palau Islands. At mid-month, the oilers she escorted refueled the Leyte invasion force at sea and, on the 18 October, headed for the anchorage at Kossol Passage in the Palaus. After two days in the Palaus, Witter and her charges got underway to join the main force in Leyte Gulf. They arrived in the gulf three days after October 20 assault.
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USS Witter
USS Witter (DE-636), a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Ensign Jean C. Witter (1921–1942), who was killed in action aboard the heavy cruiser San Francisco during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of 12–13 November 1942.
Witter was laid down on 28 April 1943 at San Francisco, California, by the Bethlehem Steel Company, launched on 17 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Jean C. Witter, and commissioned on December 29 1943.
Witter departed San Francisco on 18 January 1944 and began her shakedown training. During that cruise, she visited San Diego and then underwent post-shakedown repairs at the Mare Island Navy Yard before returning to San Francisco at the end of February. On March 8, she stood out of San Francisco and steamed, via Pearl Harbor, to the Gilbert Islands, arriving in Majuro lagoon on 22 March. She departed Majuro on 26 March and after side visits to Makin, Tarawa, and Abemama in the Gilberts, she arrived in Espiritu Santo on 3 April. There she remained for 12 days, escorting ships into and out of the harbor at Espiritu Santo. On 15 April, the destroyer escort stood out of Segond Channel to rendezvous at sea with SS William Charlie Yeager and escort that ship to the southern Solomons. They reached Tulagi on 21 April, and while the merchantman put into Tulagi Witter moved on to Purvis Bay at Florida Island.
On 25 April 1944, Witter departed the southern Solomons in company with Task Unit (TU) 34.9.6, bound for Cape Gloucester on the island of New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago. She arrived in Borgen Bay near Cape Gloucester on 28 April and remained until 1 May when she accompanied TU 34.9.6 to the Russell Islands subgroup of the Solomons. She arrived in the Russells on 3 May, but departed that same day for her primary theater of operations for the next 10 weeks, the island of New Guinea. On 5 May, she entered Milne Bay at the southeastern tip of New Guinea. By the time Witter reached that port, American forces had already made almost simultaneous landings at Aitape, Tanahmerah Bay, and Humboldt Bay, in actions known collectively as the Operations Reckless and Persecution. Thus, for the next several weeks, Witter drew duty escorting resupply and reinforcement convoys to the three landing areas, making stops at such intermediary places as Cape Cretin and Cape Sudest. After the 17 May assault on the Toem–Wakde–Sarmi area located a little farther up the northern coast of New Guinea, she added that region to her itinerary. At the end of the first week in July, Biak Island, located off the northern coast of New Guinea, opposite the large bay which separates the Vogelkop from the rest of the island, came within Witter's sphere of operations.
In mid-month, however, the destroyer escort left New Guinea for the northern Solomons. She departed Humboldt Bay on 15 July 1944 and, after a brief stop at Cape Cretin, arrived in the northern Solomons at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, on 18 July. On 20 July, she departed Empress Augusta Bay and, that same afternoon, arrived in the Treasury Islands subgroup. For almost three weeks, she remained in the vicinity of Blanche Harbor in the Treasuries, conducting anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare exercises.
Between 9 and 12 August 1944, she voyaged back to New Guinea, stopping at Finschhaven and Langemak Bay before returning to Blanche Harbor on the 12 August and resuming her exercise schedule in the Treasuries. On 21 August, she began a move farther north in the Solomons, arriving in the Green Islands subgroup that same day. Three days later, she moved on again, this time to Manus in the Admiralty Islands where she stopped overnight on 26–27 August. On the latter day, the warship made the brief voyage from Manus to Emirau Island. She remained there for almost a month, putting to sea only once during that period, between 19 and 22 September, to rescue the crew of a downed PBJ (the Navy version of the Army's B-25 Mitchell bomber).
After returning the rescued aircrewmen to Emirau on the 22 August 1944, she returned to sea that same day on her way back to Manus. From there, she continued her voyage toward Milne Bay on 24 September. On 26 September, she paused near Porlock and Cape Nelson to help SS Richard H. Dana, aground on Curtis Reef. While her boats assisted in the transfer of Army troops from the merchantman to the transport Stratford (AP-41), Witter patrolled to seaward to protect against possible enemy submarine attack. On 27 September, she resumed her voyage and arrived in Milne Bay that same day.
Between 29 September and 6 October 1944, Witter made a roundabout voyage from Milne Bay via Treasuries and back to New Guinea at Humboldt Bay. At Humboldt Bay, she reported for duty to TU 77.7.1 for the Leyte operation. Her task unit, a part of the 7th Fleet Service Force, departed Humboldt Bay on 12 October to take up replenishment station at sea some 180 miles west of the already-invested Palau Islands. At mid-month, the oilers she escorted refueled the Leyte invasion force at sea and, on the 18 October, headed for the anchorage at Kossol Passage in the Palaus. After two days in the Palaus, Witter and her charges got underway to join the main force in Leyte Gulf. They arrived in the gulf three days after October 20 assault.