The seventh USS Morris, DD 417, flagship of Destroyer Squadron Two in World War II, was a ship of many distinctions. Built at Norfolk Navy Yard with sister Wainwright and commissioned there, 5 March 1940, the eighth ship of the Sims class Morris was named for Commodore Charles Morris, instrumental in bringing the fledgling US Navy
through its early trials*. Her first
commanding officer was Comdr. Harry B. (“Uncle Beanie”) Jarrett,
USN, under whom she operated in the
North Atlantic Patrol as
flagship of Destroyer Squadron 2 from the summer of 1941. In
December, while other ships of the squadron transferred to the
Pacific, Morris remained at Charleston where she became the first US destroyer
fitted with fire control radar Rejoining her squadron at Pearl
Harbor in February 1942, Morris was present at both the
Battles of the Coral Sea and of Midway in May and June. She was
damaged at the former while rescuing 500 crewmembers of the sinking
carrier Lexington, CV 2. Quickly repaired at Pearl Harbor,
she picked up 193 Yorktown shipmates when that carrier was
torpedoed during the latter battle. Then in October, during the
Guadalcanal campaign, she took off more than 500 survivors of the
sinking Hornet, CV 8, following the Battle of the Santa Cruz
Islands, again damaging her superstructure.
In May 1943, Morris was transferred to the Aleutian Islands;
then overhauled before returning to the Central Pacific. During the
Gilbert Islands operation, she stood by a sinking carrier for a
fourth time—Liscome Bay, CVE 56. She also participated in the
Marshall Islands operation, the occupation of New Guinea, the landings
at Leyte and the occupation of the Philippines.
On 6 April 1945, off Okinawa, Morris was crashed on
the forecastle by a “Kate” bomber carrying a heavy bomb or torpedo. The explosion heavily damaged her bow, blew out plating on her starboard side and caused fires, which spread quickly and continued to burn for more than two hours. After temporary repairs at Kerama Retto off Okinawa,
she departed 22 May and arrived at Hunters Point, San Francisco 18
June. Although repairs were begun, they were
suspended when Japan’s war effort collapsed. Morris was
decommissioned 9 November 1945, struck from the Naval Register 28
November, stripped and sold to Franklin Shipwrecking 2 August 1947,
and finally scrapped at Terminal Island by National Metal &
Steel Corp. in 1949. Morris earned 15
battle stars during her World War II career.
Copyright © 2001 - 2005 Great Uncle Bill