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Photo # 19-N-38244:  USS Wilson off the Mare Island Navy Yard, 2 December 1942

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Wilson (DD-408), 1939-1948

USS Wilson, a 1500-ton Benham class destroyer, was built at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington. Commissioned in July 1939, she operated along the west coasts of the United States, Central and South America into April 1940, when she went to Hawaii to participate in Fleet Problem XXI. In June 1941, after a year mainly spent in the Hawaiian area, Wilson was transferred to the Atlantic. In the last half of that year, and first months of 1942, she served an escort for major fleet units off the U.S. east coast and, in March-May 1942, steamed across the ocean to Iceland and the British Isles.

Wilson returned to the Pacific as part of a task group centered around USS Wasp, and accompanied it to the south Pacific in July 1942. Early in the next month, she provided bombardment and anti-aircraft services to the invasion force during landings at Guadalcanal and Tulagi. While in that area on 9 August, Wilson engaged Japanese cruisers during the Battle of Savo Island, and later rescued survivors of the sunken cruisers Quincy, Astoria and Vincennes.

Following a west coast overhaul, Wilson was back off Guadalcanal in January 1943, in time for the last weeks of the fighting there. She subsequently participated in landings on the Russell Islands, bombarded enemy positions on New Georgia and escorted shipping in and around the Solomon Islands. In November 1943, the destroyer screened U.S. aircraft carriers during strikes on Rabaul and Nauru and was similarly employed during attacks on the Marshall and Caroline Islands in January and February 1944.

In June and July 1944, Wilson served with the carrier task forces during the Marianas Campaign and the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and also fired her guns at small craft and shore targets at Guam. After overhaul work in August-October 1944, she battled enemy suicide planes in late December while escorting a convoy to Mindoro, in the central Philippines. The next month, Wilson again engaged hostile aircraft and shore positions during the Lingayen Gulf invasion. On 16 April 1945, during the campaign for Okinawa, she was hit by a "Kamikaze", which cost the lives of five of her crewmen and left an unexploded bomb in her after hull. Soon repaired, she served in the Okinawa area until June and operated out of Saipan until the war ended in August.

Wilson was employed on occupation duty until December 1945, when she returned to the U.S. west coast. In May of the next year, she was assigned to Operation "Crossroads" target duty. Made radioactive by the July atomic bomb tests at Bikini, USS Wilson was decommissioned in August 1946 and sunk in deep water off Kwajalein on 8 March 1948.

USS Wilson was named in honor of Boatswain Charles Wilson (1836-??), who served heroically on board USS Carondelet during combat action in 1862.

This page features selected views of USS Wilson (DD-408).


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 97725

USS Wilson (DD-408)


Underway in the Puget Sound area, Washington, circa 1939-40.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 69KB; 740 x 505 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-K-435 (Color)

USS Wilson (DD-408)

Refueling at sea from USS Wasp (CV-7), 1942. A convoy of transports is visible in the distance.
It is possible that this view was taken during the Guadalcanal-Tulagi operation, in July-August 1942.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 121KB; 595 x 765 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 19-N-38243

USS Wilson (DD-408)


Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 2 December 1942.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 75KB; 740 x 615 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 19-N-38244

USS Wilson (DD-408)


Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 2 December 1942.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 76KB; 740 x 620 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 19-N-38245

USS Wilson (DD-408)


Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 2 December 1942.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 64KB; 740 x 490 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 19-N-38248

USS Wilson (DD-408)


At the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 1 December 1942.
Circles mark alterations made during her recent overhaul.
Note Mk. 33 gun director atop her pilothouse, with a FD radar antenna mounted on its front.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 125KB; 600 x 765 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 80-G-K-388 (Color)

Convoy at sea, circa 1942

The destroyer to the right is USS Wilson (DD-408), which served in the Atlantic until June 1942 and was thereafter in the Pacific. Ship at the far left is a New Orleans class heavy cruiser.
It is possible that this view is of the Guadalcanal-Tulagi invasion convoy, in July-August 1942.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 595 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 

In addition to the photographs presented above, the following two views, taken during the Guadalcanal-Tulagi invasion, show a destroyer that may be USS Wilson:

  • Photo # NH 97740: Smoke rises from Tulagi Island after it was bombed by U.S. aircraft, 7 August 1942; and
  • Photo # NH 97761: View off Florida Island on 7 August 1942.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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    Page made 6 November 2001
    Links added 26 February 2002