USN
Sims Class Destroyer
1942
Seawolf Productions 2002
Built
Kearny, New Jersey
Commissioned
May 1939
Dementions
348' 4" x 36' x 12' 10"
Tons
1,570
Armament
5 x 5"/38AA
8 x 21" tt.(2x4)
Crew
279
Wartime History
Served in the Atlantic and Caribbean area into April 1940,
then transited the Panama Canal to take up duties in the Pacific. With
several other ships, she was sent back through the canal in June 1941
to reinforce the Navy's forces in the North Atlantic. During the last
months of the year, both before and after war formally began with Germany
on 11 December, she escorted convoys to and from Iceland, took part
in anti-submarine actions, and carried out patrols.
Anderson returned to the Pacific in early 1942 and remained in that ocean for the rest of her service. She accompanied USS Yorktown in the south Pacific in March and April, was part of USS Lexington's screen during the Battle of the Coral Sea in early May and was back with Yorktown a month later for the Battle of Midway. When the carrier Hornet was sent to serve off Guadalcanal, Anderson operated with the USS Hornet the carrier's loss in the late October 1942 Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.
For the rest of the Guadalcanal Campaign, and beyond, Anderson remained in the south Pacific, screening heavy ships, escorting convoys, bombarding the enemy ashore and carrying out patrols. She returned to the U.S. for overhaul in March 1943 and went north for Aleutians' operations during July-September. The destroyer's next assignments were to support the invasions of the Gilbert Islands in November 1943 and the Marshalls in early 1944. She was hit by Japanese coast-defense gunfire while bombarding Wotje on 30 January. Further damaged by grounding two days later, Anderson was under repair until mid-June 1944. July-November 1944 was spent with the Seventh Fleet, including participation in landings at Morotai and Leyte. During the latter operation, on 1 November, she was hit by a Japanese suicide plane and again had to return to the U.S. for repairs.
Postwar
In early 1946, Anderson voyaged back to Pearl Harbor, where she stayed
until May, then proceeded on to the Marshall Islands for use as a target
ship in the upcoming "Operation Crossroads" nuclear weapons
tests. USS Anderson on July 1, 1946 in the "Able" atomic bomb
explosion at Bikini Atoll.
She is sunk on her side at 170' and divable.
References
Thanks to US Navy Ships for historical information
