DestroyersBetween the two world wars, the United States builtthe Navy’s destroyer fleet to 184 ships. Destroyers alsobecame prime factors in America’s policy to turn overolder destroyers (fig. 5-9) to Britain after the Britishentered the war against Germany. When the Japaneseattacked Pearl Harbor, a destroyer, USS Ward (DD 139),was among the first American forces to fire against theenemy, sinking a Japanese midget submarine.Destroyers went on to distinguish themselves infighting enemy submarines both in the Atlantic andPacific theaters.WORLD WAR IIOn the morning of December 7, 1941, the “RisingSun” came out of the west when the Japanese pouncedon Pearl Harbor. On that morning, over 15 U.S. Navyships were sunk or damaged, including all 8 battleshipsof the Pacific Fleet (fig. 5-10). Some 3,400 Navy andMarine Corps personnel were killed or wounded. TheUnited States declared war on Japan the next day.Pacific ArenaThe Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the firstattack in history conducted solely from aircraft carriers.The attack proved beyond a doubt that aircraft hadbecome an essential part of naval armament.Fortunately, no United States carriers were lost duringthe attack on Pearl Harbor. The USS Yorktown, USSWasp, and USS Ranger were in the Atlantic, and theUSS Saratoga was in San Diego. The USS Lexingtonwas about 425 miles south of Midway, and the USSEnterprise was 200 miles west of the Pearl Harbor.The Japanese Imperial Navy captured island afterisland in the South Pacific as it advanced towardAustralia. The U.S. Navy’s air arm finally stopped thatadvance in early May 1942, which set the scene for theturning point of the war in the Pacific.At the Battle of Coral Sea, the two fleets never saweach other—the battle was fought entirely with aircraftlaunched from carriers. The USS Lexington and USSYorktown, jointly under the command of Admiral F. J.Fletcher, launched 93 attack planes against the Japanesecarriers Shoho, Shokaku, and Zuikaku. Within 5minutes, the Shoho was hit with 10 heavy bombs and 15torpedoes. The USS Lexington’s radio crackled with thevoice of Lieutenant Commander Dixon of the air group,“Scratch one flattop. Dixon to carrier, scratch oneflattop!” The other two enemy carriers were so badlydamaged that their services to the Japanese fleet werelost for weeks. The United States suffered the loss of anoiler, an escort, and the USS Lexington. Even thoughAmerican losses were heavy in tonnage and men,Australia had been saved from invasion.5-19Student Notes:Figure 5-9.—Destroyer built shortly after World War I.
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