Bennett DD- 473

Bennett

(DD-473: dp. 2050; 1. 37ff'5"; b. 39'7"; dr. 17'9" s. 35 k.;
cpl. 329; a. 5 5", 10 21" TT.; cl. Fletcher)

Bennett (DD-473) was launched 16 April 1942 by Boston Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. Floyd Bennett, widow of Aviation Machinist Bennett, and commissioned 9 February 1943, Commander E;. B. Taylor in command.

Bennett arrived at Pearl Harbor 31 May and spent the next two mouths patrolling in the Hawaiian Islands. After escorting a convoy to Efate, New Hebrides, she acted as a plane guard and patrolled out of Uilfate (27 August 28 October). Moving to the Solomon Islands 4 November, she patrolled and escorted convoys until 5 April 1944. Included in her Solomons' service was support of the Cape Torokina, Bougainville (1 November 1943) and Green Island (15 February 1944) landings, and bombardments of Kavieng New Ireland (18 February 1944) and Rabaul, New Britain (29 February). Bennett then moved north to take part in the invasions of Saipan (14 June-1 July) and Guam (2-16 August). Returning to the South Pacific later in the month. she supported the invasion of the Palaus ~ ~25 September ) and then returned to San Francisco for repairs, arriving 25 October 1944.

Bennett returned to Pentl Harbor 24 December and remained in Hawaiian waters for the next month. Then she steamed west to take part in the Iwo Jima landings ( 19 February-5 March 1945 ), where she was slightly damaged by a dud bomb (1 March). On 1 April she was a unit of the forces taking part in the invasion of Okinawa. At 0850, 7 April, firing every gun, she was hit by a Japanese suicide plane, killing three men, wounding 18, damaging the forward engine room, and knocking out all Electrical power. Bennett was able to make Kerama Retto under her own power and on the following day departed for Saipan under tow of Yuma (ATF-94). After emergency repairs, she steamed to Puget Sound Navy Yard where she underwent further repairs (May-August 1945). In August she reported to Adak, Aleutian Islands, and made one run to Petropavlovsk, Kamehatka, with weather personnel (28 August-28 September). Returning to San Diego, Calif'., she was placed in cOmmission in reserve 21 December 1946 and out of commission in reserve 18 April 1918.

Benett received nine battle stars for her service in World War II.