The Year 1952 – Timeline & Shipmates
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The Year 1952 – Timeline & Shipmates (The 7 changes since the Jan 2019 draft are shown in red.) CO: Edward P. Madley, CDR; before Oct 51 - Nov 53 XO: LCDR Everett J. Bondesen, LCDR; Feb 51 - Apr 52 New XO: Walter P. Smiley, LCDR; Apr 52 - Oct 53 Known officers (rank shown is highest while onboard): William James Cox, LT James Radja, LTJG M.T. Ford, LT Samuel Rogers, LTJG Posey Martin, LT Homer Skelton, LTJG (first name?), Piazzio, LTJG Clifford Suer, LTJG Lester Wittenberg, LTJG 1952 USS COLLETT Timeline Legend: CDD = http://www.multied.com/Navy/destroyer/Collettdd730.html - via Art Horsch. DBD = “20th Century Day by Day” book. PD = 1952 Personnel Diary (a USN document) via Chuck Kiesling. WD = Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary. Events: (Korean War: 25 Jun 1950 to 27 Jul 1953 – per WD.) COLLETT’s third tour of duty [beginning in early in Nov 1952] is less eventful than the second. She serves as part of the screen for Task Force 77, spends some time with British carrier elements off the Korean west coast, throws shells into target areas on both coasts, destroys floating mines, and generally keeps herself busy in a destroyer’s capacity as “jack of all trades” – per a 1964 version of “History of USS COLLETT” ++ Jan ++ January – COLLETT is in WESTPAC. COLLETT’s second tour of duty in the Korean War continues: Duties include screening TF 77 as it conducts air strikes on the Korean east coast, ASW training off Okinawa, patrolling the Taiwan Strait, & conducting shore bombardments along the Korean coast – per CDD. 30 Jan – Take passengers onboard – per PD. ++ Feb ++ Early Feb – COLLETT’s second tour of duty in the Korean War ends – per CDD. 06 Feb – Gain a day crossing International Date Line going east toward Pearl Harbor– per PD. 11 Feb – *COLLETT returns to San Diego – per a 1964 version of “History of the USS COLLETT” *Get underway – per PD. 17 Feb – Disembark passengers – per PD. 18 Feb – At San Diego, CA – per Ed Shumer in Mar 2010. During Feb – At San Diego in dry dock – per Jerry Mendenhall in Apr 2010. ++ Mar ++ March – COLLETT is based at San Diego – per Ed Shumer in Mar 2010. 24 Mar – Get underway – per PD. ++ Apr ++ April – COLLETT is based at San Diego – per Ed Shumer in Mar 2010. 07 Apr – Get underway – per PD. 15 Apr – President Truman signs Japanese peace treaty – per DBD. 22 Apr – Atmospheric A-bomb test in NV – per DBD. 27 Apr – Near Azores, Destroyer HOBSON collides with USS WASP; 176 lost – per DBD. Per Chuck Kiesling in May 10, actually the WASP ran over the HOBSON. To make sure it did not happen in TF77 when she got there in 1953 her radio call sign was CAN OPENER. She almost got us when a boot ensign used relative bearing instead of true bearing for change of station to launch aircraft. 29 Apr – Air France plane attacked by Soviet fighter plane between Frankfurt & Berlin – per DBD. 30 Apr – PDs signed by LCDR W.P. Smiley (XO). ++ May ++ May – COLLETT is based at San Diego – per Ed Shumer in Mar 2010. ++ Jun ++ June – COLLETT is based at San Diego for the entire month – per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010. (See NOTE 1 below) 02 Jun – Get underway – per PD. 11 Jun – COLLETT is in San Diego – per Ed Shumer in Mar 2010. 16 Jun – Get underway – per PD. 16 Jun – Swedish warplane shot down by Soviet warplane over Baltic – per DBD. ++ Jul ++ July – COLLETT is based at San Diego for the entire month – per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010. (See NOTE 2 below). ++ Aug ++ 11 Aug – Get underway – per PD. Mid Aug – Depart San Diego for Long Beach which is her new home port for the remainder of Aug – per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010. (See NOTE 2 below). 27 Aug – Get underway – per PD. Late Aug or Early Sep – Depart Long Beach for San Francisco & Treasure Island Naval Station– per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010. ++ Sep ++ Early Sep or Late Aug – Depart Long Beach for San Francisco & Treasure Island Naval Station – per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010. (See NOTE 2 below). Early Sep – *After 2 or 3days at Treasure Island, depart for Pearl Harbor, HI – per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010. *Departed Treasure Island & escorted the USS CURTIS (AV-?) toward Eniwetok for an H-Bomb test; we were either relieved by another Tin Can division on the way or after we arrived; we then proceeded to Pearl Harbor, HI – per Roger Farmer in Dec 2010. *(Time per Jim Rigdon.) – We hit a whale or shark on the way to Pearl Harbor & spent 10 days there for repairs – per John Speranza. Late Sep or Early Oct – After 2 or 3 weeks in Pearl Harbor, depart for Midway Island – per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010. ++ Oct ++ Early Oct or Late Sep – After 2 or 3 weeks in Pearl Harbor, depart for Midway Island – per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010. (See NOTE 2 below). 03 Oct – Britain tests their first A-bomb off coast of Australia – per DBD. 07 Oct – Get underway – per PD. Mid Oct – *Stop at Midway Island to refuel – per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010. *Lose a day crossing the International Date Line going west to Yokosuka, Japan – per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010. 28 Oct – Get underway – per PD. Late Oct – Arrive Yokosuka; stay for about 2 weeks – per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010. ++ Nov ++ Nov – COLLETT is in WESTPAC. Early Nov – Depart Yokosuka for duty with Task Force 77 (her third tour of duty in the Korean War) – per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010. (See NOTE 2 below). 12 Nov – US lends Japan 68 warships – per DBD. 16 Nov – US reports explosion of first H Bomb at Eniwetok Atoll – per WD. ++ Dec ++ December – COLLETT continues third tour of duty in the Korean War – per CDD. 17 Dec – Get underway – per PD. 17 Dec – President-Elect Eisenhower visits Korea – per DBD. NOTE 1: Per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010, omitted “crossing the International Date Line in June 1952 & the beginning of COLLETT’s third tour of duty in the Korean War” in Jun 1952. NOTE 2: Per Jim Rigdon in Apr 2010, omitted the phrase “COLLETT continues third tour of duty in the Korean War” in Jul - Nov 1952. NOTE 3: The following also occurred sometime in 1952 per John Speranza. We made port in Sasebo, Hong Kong, & we were supposed to go to the Philippines to spend Christmas, but we were escorting the USS ROCHESTER & she decided to go to Hong Kong so we went to Hong Kong. We also went to Chica Jima to help restock Naval Personnel there. We circled Nan Do Island & in the morning the lookouts saw a floating mine. So we shot at it with small arms, but that was a joke. Then they put the 40's in single fire & that was another joke, finally they put the 40’s in full auto & blew the thing up. We also ran into a typhoon in the China Sea. That was when I broke my wrist falling against the lathe in the Electrical Shop. We also picked up a downed airman off the N. Korean coast. In Sep 10, Everett Bondesen added: The carrier directed the aircraft to ditch near the COLLETT; a helo from the carrier picked up the pilot from the ice cold water and delivered him to COLLETT. After reviving him with a hot water bath, the grateful American pilot gave his side arm to the CO & yellow life raft to the XO.) In Jan 11, Gerald Gardner added (with reference to a newspaper article via google.com): Nan Do Island was used as a prisoner of war camp located off the East coast of South Korea. Our duty was to patrol between the Island and mainland to prevent any attempt by North Korea to rescue their soldiers. It was very cold. This is when ice formed on the bow of the ship, making it bow heavy. Volunteers chipped at it. We were issued extreme cold weather gear. I still have a pair of wool socks and face protector. We also did shore bombardment when relieved of patrol duty. This is the only time we were fired at during my deployment that I can remember. I think there were three shots observed. We departed the scene at flank speed. I was on the landing party that was to go ashore as spotters for shore bombardment. I operated the portable hand-held radio. If my memory is correct, we departed the ship for the shore but were called back, I believe because either we could not find a safe place to land or the sea too rough. It was the scariest hour or so of my entire career. NOTE 4: Per Chuck Kiesling in 2010, there were 120 shipmates on board for the entire year of 1952, however, per the PD, 496 shipmates served for some time during the year. Chuck believes this is the year that the stick mast was replaced with the tripod mast. Also, DEHAVEN, MANSFIELD, & SWENSON had their 40 mm gun mounts replaced with 3 inch 50 gun mounts, but COLLETT did not. NOTE 5: Also on this usscollett.com website for 1952: * See Photos by, for, or via Bill Abshire, Jim Brousseau, Leonard Criswell, Gerald Gardner, Bill Kephart, Howard Leazer, John Speranza (of USS De Haven), George Styles. * See History by, for, or via Roger Farmer, Ed Shumer. *See Stories by (none yet). 1952 USS COLLETT Shipmates The following list includes information from USN Personnel Diaries & other publicly available sources.