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THE
HISTORY OF THE USS JOHN W. WEEKS DD 701
Built
as a 2200 ton ALLEN M. SUMNER class destroyer, the JOHN W. WEEKS slid down the
ways at Federal Ship Company's Kearny, New Jersey Ship Yards on 21 May 1944.
Sponsoring the new ship was Mrs. John W. Davidge, daughter of the late
Secretary of War, John W. Weeks, in whose honor the vessel was named. Secretary Weeks
graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1881, and in 1883 he resigned to engage
in civil engineering. He On
21 July 1944, the vessel was placed in full commission as the USS JOHN W. WEEKS
DD 701 in a commissioning ceremony at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York.
Embarked, as her FIRST commanding officer was Commander Robert A.
Theobald, Jr. USN. Cdr. Theobald at
that time, had already received the Navy Cross for saving a destroyer while it
was underway to Pearl Harbor Upon
completion of this training period, WEEKS returned to Brooklyn and underwent her
post shakedown yard availability. By
16 October her post yard trials had been completed and she stood out for
Argentia, Newfoundland where she engaged in a series of tests and training, then
returning to New York on 7 November. After
accompanying the new battleship MISSOURI on a trial speed run, orders for the
John W. Weeks were received directing her to proceed to the West Coast and then
on to the forward area. In company with battleships MISSOURI, TEXAS, and ARKANSAS; and escort carriers SHAMROCK BAY and WAKE ISLAND, destroyer WEEKS stood out from New York en route for In company with battleships MISSOURI, TEXAS, and ARKANSAS; and escort carriers SHAMROCK BAY and WAKE ISLAND, destroyer WEEKS stood out from New York en route for Panama Canal. On 17 November the force entered the Canal and transited it to the Pacific side. After reporting to the Pacific Fleet, WEEKS continued up coast, arriving at San Francisco on 28 November 1944. The
West Coast visit was briefs WEEKS cleared port on the 30th, to arrive at Pearl
Harbor 5 December, where she stood by awaiting further orders. After a two-week stay, the WEEKS departed en route for
Eniwetok in the Marshals, arriving on Christmas Day 1944. Underway again, DD 701 arrived at Ulithi in the Carolinas on
27 December and there reported for duty with the famed 3rd Fleet. In support of Army operations ashore on
Luzon, Philippines, the Third Fleet stood out from Ulithi in early January 1945,
conducting neutralizing air strikes in the South China Sea area throughout most
of the month. During this period
WEEKS steamed on station as an escort in the force while strikes were launched
against Saigon and Camranh Bay on Indo China; Hong Kong, Amoy, Swatow, Canton
and Hainan on China’s east coast. Other
strikes were conducted against the southern islands of the Nansei Shoto and
Formosa. During
this month-long thrust, the force traversed 3,800 miles of waters heretofore
considered the enemy's own by Allied Surface Craft. The destruction of enemy aircraft and airfield facilities in
all these strikes lead to a lessening of Japanese air effort against the Luzon
assault forces. On 28 January 1945,
this fast carrier force returned to Ulithi for logistics and recreation. On 11 February, the carrier assault group sorted from Ulithi to conduct strikes on Tokyo in pre-invasion support of Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands. On 16 February, the task force lay 80 miles off the coast of Tokyo and launched aircraft for one of the first of a series of soundings the Empire capital was to experience. U.S. forces had obtained complete tactical surprise and all enemy efforts to damage our ships during the operation were unsuccessful. At the end of the two day strike [16-17 February] the score was 322 enemy aircraft shot out of the air and 177 destroyed on the ground compared to a total of 49 U.S. aircraft lost. At the close of the 17 February assault, the fast carrier force retired towards Iwo Jima to give more direct support. While
operating as picket for the support carrier group off Iwo Jima, John W. Weeks
was attacked by a twin-engine bomber (Betty) on 20 February, shortly after
sunset. The plane made a suicide
dive on the ship but missed and was shot down.
The Betty strafed the Weeks; the plane hit the after section striking the
nose cones of the torpedoes in the aft tubes.
This was the only damage caused by this attack.
The torpedoes were jettisoned into the sea. After refueling Task Force 58 cleared the Bonin Islands for
renewed attacks on Tokyo. On
25 February Admiral Mitscher's force arrived off the coast of Honshu and
launched strikes under very adverse weather conditions that greatly hampered the
operations. The following day the
Island of Jachijo, off the coast of Honshu, was attacked and heavy damage was
inflicted on ground installations. Returning
to Iwo Jima, Task Force 58 lent support from 1 to 4 March and retired to Ulithi
for a period of upkeep, logistics and recreation. On
14 March JOHN W. WEEKS stood out from Ulithi in company with Task Force 58 and
set course for Kyushu, Japan, to conduct air strikes. On the 17th the destroyer
sank a Jap mine with gunfire very close to the position for launching the
attacks. In
the early hours of 18 March planes were launched for the Kyushu assault and the
first enemy aircraft appeared over the carrier group at 0305 hours, bogeys
remained in the area most of the time. At
dusk the ships proceeded to Kobe, a heavy industrialized area on Osaka Island,
Japan While the aircraft were conducting strikes on Kobe (19 March), enemy planes hovered over the force. Five planes were splashed in the WEEKS vicinity in the morning and during the afternoon, the destroyer scored assists when two of four attackers were knocked down. During
the morning activity over Task Force 58, two bombs had hit the carrier FRANKLIN,
causing great damage. At dusk the
group started a slow retirement and JOHN W. WEEKS ran escort for the crippled
carrier, which was undertow at six knots. By
noon of the 20th, FRANKLIN was operating under her own power. At
daylight on the morning of the 22 March, the task force made a rendezvous with
fueling and replenishing groups, the WEEKS and other destroyers engaged in
passing mail, passengers, etc. By
sunset the force was ready to resume operations and stood out on a course for
the Okinawa operating area. The Task Group arrived off the Okinawa coast at sunrise on the 23rd; air strikes were launched throughout the day as part of the pre-invasion bombardment plan. Destroyers and battleships fired at the shores of the island on 24 March, Task Force 58 launched air strikes all day long and at dusk rejoining the destroyers and battleships to proceed to replenishing area. At
0800 on the 25th, the force refueled.
Destroyers went about the business of passing mail, equipment etc. and
also took firing practice drills. At
dusk a course was set to return to Okinawa.
Strikes were resumed and continued throughout the 26th & 27th, on the
night of 27th, Cruiser Division 17, and destroyer Division 124 (of which the
WEEKS was flagship) were detached for bombardment of the island of Minami Daito
Jima. Bombarding for over 30 minutes this group fired over 3000 rounds of Main Battery ammunition into the enemy gun emplacements on the Japanese held island. Large fires were seen burning on the island as the ships departed from the area. At dawn the group made contact once again with the tanker and supply ships, the force cleared the area and returned to the Okinawa operation. After
resuming support of carrier strikes on Okinawa, JOHN W. WEEKS and other
destroyers topped off their fuel tanks in preparation for the initial landings
on Okinawa. The following day was
spent refueling and taking on supplies, and by 3 April the force was lending
their support to the beachhead landings. On
6 April, JOHN W. WEEKS and other destroyers were ordered to READY torpedoes;
this indicated prospects of
possible
surface force action. Searches on 7 April located a Jap surface force at a
distance, first strikes against this force during the day resulted in the
sinking of the mighty Jap battleship YAMOTO, a cruiser and several destroyers.
During the flight operations, JOHN W. WEEKS steaming abreast of the
carrier HANCOCK, at 1212 hours, a JUDY (dive bomber) hurtled into the formation.
The WEEKS' firing bearing was open only a few seconds, and although
hitting the Judy with some momentary bursts
of
AA fire, the plane crashed aboard the HANCOCK causing explosions and major
fires. DD
701 in a heroic rescue mission stopped dead in the water, putting her whaleboat
over, picking up 26 survivors from the water while still under enemy fire.
Running out of time the JOHN W.WEEKS was force to leave the whaleboat
with both the Coxswain, and boat Engineer when she was ordered back into the
Task Force screen. The ship picked
them up later that evening. Four
hours later the HANCOCK had made repairs to enable the carrier to recover their
planes. Okinawa operations
continued throughout the 8th and the Task Force retired to refuel.
During the period of 9 April to 9 May, WEEKS operated on picket station,
escort runs and shore support fire remaining at
sea
for 83 straight days, a record for a destroyer that still
stands. On 10 May JOHN W.WEEKS took part in bombardment of an airstrip on Minawi Daito Shima. Next day these ships resumed operations, DD 701 taking up a radar picket station. On the 26th the task group cleared the area of operations to refuel. At midnight of the 27th the force changed designation from Task Group 38.3 back to Task Group 58.3 due to Admiral Mitchers's assuming command. On 1 June, JOHN W. WEEKS arrived at Leyte Gulf, Philippines, where the next thirty days were spent in a period of rest and repairs. From
1 July to 15 August, WEEKS participated in the final phase of assault against
the Empire Islands as a unit of Task Force 38.
During this period of operation WEEKS, with Commander, Destroyer Division
124 embarked acted as a radar picket ship, being accredited with one sure
"knock down" and one assist.
During
this time she also
participated
in the first anti-shipping sweep of the area between Shima and Point Awa, Tokyo
Bay. This
daring
raid was accomplished within sight of mainland Japan, so much so that the fleet
dipped their flags to all of the ship that participated as the ships returned to
the Task Force. The WEEKS picked up 2 downed British pilots returning from
that action. Only seven days before the war was over, four die-hard Kamikaze pilots attacked the WEEKS, BORIE, HANK and a newly arrived destroyer the BENNER while on picket duty. The WEEKS brought the first one DOWN with heavy 40mm and 5 inch 38 fire. The second came in over the WEEKS and then banked left and crashed into the BORIE near the bridge, killing 60 men. The third and fourth were brought down by a combination of fire from all ships. During this engagement, two 5 inch 38 shells from one of the ships in the group hit the WEEKS. She suffered some damage on the port flank by fire that exploded a small tank of diesel fuel oil, she also received a large amount of shrapnel some which pierced the outer bulkhead of a 40mm magazine In which one of the personnel was killed. Eleven other men were also wounded. On 8 September, JOHN W. WEEKS arrived in Tokyo Bay for upkeep & recreation. On 14 September she stood out and commenced escort operations with Task Force 38 in maintaining routine air patrol over the Empire. She was detached and sent to Pusan, Korea to patrol the waters in an attempt to stop Japanese from smuggling stolen artifacts from Korea to Japan. On 26 September, she arrived in Eniwetok for a brief period of upkeep. WEEKS tour of occupation duty of the Japanese Islands from 8 October until late December, took her to various ports that included a tour of the atomic bomb site in the city of Nagasaki, and the tour of duty at the Strait of Korea. On 30 December 1945, she cleared the Japanese area and arrived at Eniwetok on 6 January 1946, for a short stay before going on to Pearl Harbor. Three days later the JOHN W. WEEKS stood out for the West Coast and on 20 January the destroyer steamed under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco Harbor. On 2 February she got underway on orders from Atlantic Fleet. On 14 February she transited the Panama Canal once again back to the Atlantic Coast arriving at Norfolk, Virginia, on the 19th. After receiving some repairs, WEEKS moved up the coast to Casco Bay, Maine, for extended tender repair period. Upon completion the WEEKS got underway for Charleston Navy Yard, reporting to the Commander, Fourth Fleet, Atlantic. At this time the JOHN W. WEEKS was immobilized and left inactive for the following 13 months. Back
in operation in May 1947, WEEKS commenced a period of Training Cruises off the
East Coast embarked with Naval Reservists.
Operations out of Charleston continued until 12 July, when she stood out
for New Orleans, which was to become her base for further operations.
After rounding the Florida peninsula the WEEKS arrived at her destination
16 July 1947. During
assignment at New Orleans, the WEEKS participated in several cruises & a
visit to Canal Zone, Jamaica, Cuba and other ports.
She also continued this phase of naval training during cruises into the
Gulf of Mexico. On 6 September she
sailed for Europe, returned 8 February 1950 & was decommissioned 31 May
1950. The
Korean Conflict exploded on the scene, when Truman ordered American Forces into
action; JOHN W. WEEKS was re-commissioned 24 October 1950, and commenced
training cruises in the Atlantic and Caribbean. During her European cruise January 1952, she participated in the attempt to save the ill-fated "FLYING ENTERPRISE", which foundered and sank in a 90-mile gale on 10 January 1952. The destroyer made a valiant and daring attempt, and stood by while the Enterprise Captain refused to leave his ship. He was finally taken off via a tugboat just before the ship sank. The WEEKS returned to Norfolk on 6 February to engage in coastal operations and midshipman cruises to Europe The WEEKS sailed on an around the world cruise 3 November 1953, and while in the Far East she operated with units of the 7th Fleet off the coast of Korea. She completed the cruise when she returned via the Mediterranean arriving Norfolk 4 June 1954. From 1954 to 1963 she operated with the Atlantic Fleet and during this period made five Mediterranean cruises and two NATO exercises. JOHN
W. WEEKS was operating with the 6th fleet in 1956 when a crisis erupted in the
Mid East over the Suez Canal. Remaining on patrol as a concrete symbol in getting peaceful
outcome. One year later on another Near East deployment she and other units stood by to prevent subversion of Jordan. The Med cruise of 1958 included exercises with navies of Baghdad-Pact countries. Weeks was also active in U.S. waters, busy with midshipman at sea training & anti submarine exercises. In 1959 she participated in "OPERATION INLAND SEAS" during the opening of the St. Lawrence Sea Way. JOHN W.WEEKS was the first and only U.S. Navy combatant ship to enter and sail in each of the Great Lakes. During this cruise she escorted HMS BRITANNIA, with Queen of England aboard, from Chicago to Sault Sainte Marie. On 9 March 1960
the WEEKS, in company with the AULT (DD-698), transited the Bosporus and the two
became the first U.S. war ships to enter the Black Sea since 1945.
On this cruise she had a rendezvous with the TRITON (SSRN 586) near the
end of the nuclear powered submarine’s cruise around the world. Returning to Norfolk, she visited the Caribbean and the New England coast on training cruises. In the fall she went to the Mediterranean afterwards, returning to Norfolk on 3 March 1962. Midshipman during the summer kept the ship in good trim. October found Soviet offensive missiles in
Cuba, this prompted President Kennedy to order a quarantine of the island.
JOHN W. WEEKS escorted replenishment ships to the quarantine area.
This display of national strength and determination forced the Kremlin to
withdraw the missiles; JOHN W.WEEKS then returned to San Juan, Puerto Rico and
then to Norfolk. Early
in 1963, while preparing for another Mediterranean cruise, in April, she
received the Battle Efficiency "E” for outstanding service; she then
headed to the Mediterranean Sea 29 November.
At the end of 1963 she was patrolling off troubled Cyprus, standing by to
evacuate Americans, if necessary, off the island.
On New Year's Day she was en route to the Red Sea to join the U.S. Middle
East Force, she was the first ship to transit the Suez Canal during 1964. After visiting a number of Middle East
cities, she proceeded to head west from Karachi, Pakistan, on 6 February.
Refueled at Aden; then turned south for patrol along the Zanzibar coast during
the revolution off of Mombasa, Kenya, on 24 February. She then transited the
Suez Canal on 6 March. After
patrolling the Med on 12 May, the WEEKS departed Pollenca Bay, Majorca for home
and reached Norfolk on the 23rd. After
overhaul in Norfolk Naval Shipyard, she departed Hampton Roads on 9 November for
Guantánamo Bay, Cuba for refresher training.
The WEEKS returned to Norfolk early January 1965, to prepare for another
Mediterranean Cruise. Underway on
18 February she arrived at Valencia, Spain on 5 March. She stopped at Naples, Italy for two weeks en route to the
Suez Canal and two months duty in the Red Sea.
Returning back to the Mediterranean on 2 June, she then headed for
Norfolk. Late that summer, she was on the Gemini 5
recover team. For the remainder of
the year, operating out of Norfolk doing ASW exercises, in the Caribbean and
along the Atlantic Coast, until returning to Norfolk 3 February 1966.
After serving as a sonar ship school at Key west, Florida during March
and April, this Veteran Destroyer departed Norfolk on 16 May once more for
European waters. Steaming with Desron 2, the WEEKS cruised
the west coast of Europe from Norway to France, taking part in ASW exercises. During operation "Straight Laced", a simulated
invasion of the Norwegian coast, operating with British and German ships.
During this ASW exercise, she made the only simulated submarine kills in
the operation. Departing North
Ireland, on 24 August. She arrived
2 September in Norfolk. During
remainder of the year she served as a school ship at Key West and joined ASW
exercises along the Atlantic Coast and in the Caribbean.
This duty continued till early July 1967, when she departed Norfolk to
deploy in South Atlantic & Indian Ocean.
Steaming via Puerto Rico and Recife, Brazil, touching African ports from
the Gulf of Guinea to the Red Sea. In
late 1967, the JOHN W. WEEKS returned to Norfolk.
She then received orders to prepare to get underway for the Pacific, and
to report to WESPAC for duty in the Viet Nam area of combat. We have been
informed, that as old as she was, on a number of occasions during her service in
Viet Nam, that the Weeks was called on to stay out at sea longer then scheduled,
in order to take a newer destroyer's station, because the newer one had broken
down, and was forced to return to base. Upon
returning John W. Weeks was de-commissioned at the Charleston Naval base for the
second, and last time, in her long service in the U.S. Navy, and for our
country. In 1970, she was towed out off the Virginia Capes and was sunk as a target in 1330 fathoms during a U.S. Navy landing forces exercise. This WW 2 destroyer was a great example of American workmanship during those war years. It was more remarkable considering the speed in its construction. The WEEKS was expected to last only 10 to 12 years, but she hung in there for 26 years, and she traveled an untold amount of sea miles, all over the globe. She
did what she was meant to do, and right up to the end she did it well, and never missed when she was called upon.
At the 1994 reunion of this ship, Rear Admiral Jim Eastwood, USNR, who
served on this ship during the Viet Nam War as a Junior officer said, "You
of the original crew breathed the first life into the Weeks, and set the pattern
for a happy, and efficient ship, and she was still that way when we put her to
sleep in 1970". Anyone
ever visiting the Naval Academy at Annapolis will find in the Academy cemetery,
that the John W. Weeks DD 701 is set in a stone that stands at the grave of
Captain Robert A. Theobald, her first Skipper.
The likeness of this ship appears on his grave marker complete with the
Hull Number 701, and will be there for posterity.
This was done at the request of his spouse, Peggy Theobald, who told me
that the John W. Weeks was the only ship he ever spoke of, even though he served
in several other destroyers and ships. END |
Send mail to Len Budzynski with questions or comments about this web site.
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was a
Senator from Massachusetts during World War One and in 1916 received more than
100 votes for the presidential candidacy at the Republican National Convention.
when that port was attacked on 7 December 1941.