Hyman (DD 732), original flagship of DesRon 66, off Boston on 17 July 1944.
Destroyer Squadron 63
1945
Destroyer Squadron 63 was—after DesRons
60,
61 and
62,
MinRon 3 and
DesRon 66—the sixth squadron of
Allen M. Sumner-class 2,200-tonners, units of which formed in the Pacific during World War II. Administratively, the squadron was composed of nine ships commissioned between June and December 1944 as follows:
Of DesDiv 125, only Compton and Gainard operated in World War II:
- Following shakedown, Soley operated in training duty off the Atlantic Coast and did not arrive in the western Pacific until after the surrender in September 1945.
- Harlan R. Dickson departed for the Pacific in August but was immediately ordered home again.
- Hugh Purvis arrived at Hawaii only in time for post-war training exercises.
Destroyer Squadron 63
World War II Operations
Hyman from DesDiv 126 served as squadron flagship, initially of Captain Frederick Moosbrugger (who later commanded Task Flotilla 5, the destroyers on Okinawa radar picket stations). She and Mannert L. Abele arrieved in the Pacific in time to support the Iwo Jima operation in February 1945.
All six DesRon 63 destroyers in the Pacific—Compton and Gainard plus DesDiv 126—operated at Okinawa. There, DesDiv 126 suffered severely:
- On 6 April, Hyman was crashed near her torpedo tubes. She retired to San Francisco for repairs until July.
- On the 12th, Purdy, operating with Cassin Young, splashed a plane but was hit by its bomb. She also retired to San Francisco.
- Also on the 12th, Mannert L. Abele was struck in quick succession by a kamikaze aircraft and a Baka bomb. She sank quickly with one-third casualties.
- On 28 May, Drexler was sunk with a loss of 60 per cent of her crew.
The squadron’s two survivors in the war zone, DesDiv 125’s Compton and Gainard, operated mainly between Okinawa and Leyte for the duration of the war.
DECORATIONS
Gainard and Purdy were awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for their performances at Okinawa.
