uboat.net

  Front page - Fighting the U-boats - Allied Warships

Follow us on Twitter
@uboatnet

Notable events involving Wiley include:

24 Jul 1945
On 24 July 1945, Task Force 74, under T/Rear-Admiral R.F. Good, USN, departed Subic Bay for exercises.

Task Force 74 was made up of the following Task Units;
74.1 under Commodore J.A. Collins, CB, RAN, was made up of the heavy cruiser HMAS Shropshire (Capt. C.A.G. Nichols, MVO, DSO, RN, flying the broad pendant of Commodore J.A. Collins, CB, RAN), light cruiser HMAS Hobart (Capt. R.S. Dowling, RAN) and the destroyers USS Albert W. Grant (T/Cdr. G.S. Higginbotham, USN, with COMDESDIV 112, T/Capt. B.J. Mullaney, USN on board), USS Killen (T/Cdr. J.L. Semmes, USN), HMAS Warramunga (Cdr. M.J. Clark, DSC, RAN) and HMAS Bataan (Cdr. H.M. Burrell, RAN).
74.2 under T/Rear-Admiral R.F. Good, USN, was made up of the heavy cruisers USS San Francisco (T/Capt. J.E. Whelchel, USN, flying the flag of T/Rear-Admiral R.F. Good, USN), USS Tuscaloosa (T/Capt. J.G. Atkins, USN), USS New Orleans (T/Capt. J.E. Hurff, USN) and the destroyers USS Haraden (Lt.Cdr. L.J. O'Brien, Jr., USN, with COMDESRON 51, T/Capt. H.J. Martin, USN), USS Stevens (T/Cdr. G.W. Pressey, USN), USS Hart (T/Cdr. W.D. Coleman, USN), USS Metcalf (T/Cdr. D.L. Martineau, USN), USS Shields (T/Lt.Cdr. G.T. McDaniel, Jr., USN, also COMDESDIV 115) and USS Wiley (T/Cdr. B.P. Field, Jr., USN).
74.3 under T/Capt. H.L. Challenger, USN, was made up of the light cruisers USS Phoenix (T/Capt. H.L. Challenger, USN), USS Nashville (T/Capt. A. MacOndray, Jr., USN) and the destroyers USS Charrette (T/Lt.Cdr. G.P. Joyce, USN, with COMDESDIV 102, T/Capt. W.H. Watson, Jr., USN), USS Conner (T/Lt.Cdr. W.A. Sissons, USN), USS Bell (T/Cdr. B.H. Shupper, USN) and USS Burns (T/Cdr. J.T. Bullen, Jr., USN).

At 0730I/24, the destroyers commenced leaving Subic Bay in the following order; HMAS Bataan, USS Killen, USS Haradan, USS Albert W. Grant, USS Hart, USS Charrette, USS Bell, USS Burns and USS Conner. From 0743I/24, the cruisers USS San Francisco, USS New Orleans, USS Tuscaloosa, USS Phoenix, USS Nashville and USS Shropshire commenced leaving Subic Bay.

At 0953I/24, the Task Force commenced scheduled AA exercises. These were completed at 1146I/24.

At 1159I/24, the light cruiser HMAS Hobart and the destroyers HMAS Warramunga, USS Wiley and USS Stevens joined the formation. These had departed Subic Bay shortly before 1000I/24.

At 1900I/24, USS Hart and USS Conner were detached for picket duty and did not participate in this night's exercises.

Around 2015I/24, the formation closed the imaginary enemy for a simulated attack. This exercise took about half an hour and included simulated torpedo attacks.

The Task Force then cruised in the general area off Subic Bay throughout the night.

At 0627I/25, USS Conner returned from picket duty and resumed her station in the destroyer screen. At 0655I/25, USS Hart also rejoined. On returning from their picket stations both destroyers acted as target for tracking drills.

Tactical maneuver exercises were carried out durning the morning.

At 1300I/25, schedules AA firing exercises commenced.

At 1706I/25, Destroyer Division 102 left the formation and formed in column in the following order; USS Charrette, USS Bell, USS Conner and USS Burns. At 1807I/25, Destroyer Division 102 formed a scouting line with an interval of 5 miles between ships. At 2002I/25, the division maneuvered to close the range to the remainder of the Task Force and at 2114I/25 they commenced torpedo attacks on the cruisers with a simulated firing of torpedoes at 2131I/25. At 2142I/25 the exercises were completed. USS Charrette and USS Conner took station in the destroyer screen while USS Bell and USS Burns took station as picket destroyers for the night.

At 0603I/26, USS Burns returned from picket duty followed by USS Bell at 0640I/26. Both destroyers took up station in the screen.

At 0936I/26, commenced Force tactical maneuvers which were completed around 1252I/26. At 1152I/26, USS Stevens had been detached to investigate a reported plane crash.

At 1302I/26, scheduled AA firing exercises commenced. At 1413I/26, USS Stevens rejoined. AA exercises were completed at 1500I/26. At 1433I/26, CTF 74 hoisted his flag in USS Tuscaloosa, having transferred from USS San Francisco by means of USS Albert W. Grant.

At 1503I/26, USS Tuscaloosa, USS New Orleans, USS Charrette, USS Conner, USS Bell and USS Burns parted company for Manila Bay where they arrived later the same day. These ships were now known as Task Unit 74.4.

All the other ships proceeded to Subic Bay also arrived there later in the afternoon of the 26th. (1)

31 Jul 1945
Exercises were commenced by ships from Task Force 74.

Around 0630I/31, the destroyers USS Wiley (T/Cdr. B.P. Field, Jr., USN) and USS Hart (T/Cdr. W.D. Coleman, USN) departed Subic Bay for A/S exercises with the submarine USS Carbonero (T/Cdr. C.L. Murphy, USN).

Around 0700I/31, the heavy cruiser Tuscaloosa and the destroyers Shields and Metcalf departed Manila Bay for exercises.

Around 0730I/31, the heavy cruisers USS San Francisco (T/Capt. J.E. Whelchel, USN, flying the flag of T/Rear-Admiral R.F. Good, USN), HMAS Shropshire (Capt. C.A.G. Nichols, MVO, DSO, RN, flying the broad pendant of Commodore J.A. Collins, CB, RAN), light cruisers USS Phoenix (T/Capt. H.L. Challenger, USN), USS Nashville (T/Capt. A. MacOndray, Jr., USN), HMAS Hobart (Capt. R.S. Dowling, RAN) and the destroyers USS Haraden (Lt.Cdr. L.J. O'Brien, Jr., USN, with COMDESRON 51, T/Capt. H.J. Martin, USN), USS Stevens (T/Cdr. G.W. Pressey, USN), USS Shields (T/Cdr. G.B. Madden, USN, also COMDESDIV 115), USS Metcalf (T/Cdr. D.L. Martineau, USN), HMAS Warramunga (Cdr. M.J. Clark, DSC, RAN) and HMAS Bataan (Cdr. H.M. Burrell, RAN) departed Subic Bay for exercises.

Around 0800I/31, the heavy cruiser USS New Orleans (T/Capt. J.E. Hurff, USN) and the destroyers USS Bell (T/Cdr. B.H. Shupper, USN) and USS Burns (T/Cdr. J.T. Bullen, Jr., USN) departed Manila Bay for exercises.

Exercises commenced around 0930I/31.

Around 1515I/31, USS Carbonero proceeded to Subic Bay escorted by USS Hart. USS Hart then rejoined USS Wiley around 1730I/31 and both destroyers then joined the other ships of Task Force 74 for the exercises.

During the night of 31 July / 1 August, USS Stevens and USS Metcalf were detached to serve as picked destroyers. They rejoined shortly after 0700I/1.

On the two above destroyers rejoining, USS Bell and USS Burns detached for A/S exercises with USS Carbonero.

AA exercises were conducted during the morning of 1 August and at noon USS Bell and USS Burns rejoined on completion of their A/S exercises, which were then taken over by USS Stevens and USS Metcalf.

The remainder of the day was spent conducting gunnery and tactical exercises. Around 1645I/1, USS Stevens and USS Metcalf rejoined on completion of their A/S exercises.

Around 2130I/1, USS Bell and USS Hart were detached to take up picket stations for the night. They rejoined around 0700I/2.

Around 1400I/2, USS San Francisco, USS Haraden, USS Stevens and HMAS Bataan parted company to proceed to Manila Bay where they arrived around 1630I/2.

The remainder of Task Force 74 arrived at Subic Bay around the same time.

As an Amazon Associate uboat.net earns a commission from qualifying purchases.