USS Maury DD-401

The USS Maury (DD-401) was laid down on 24 March 1936 by the Union Plant of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in San Francisco. She was launched on 14 February 1938. The Maury was a destroyer in the Gridley class, named for Mathew Maury.

History of Service in World War II

The Maury was commissioned on 5 August 1938 and assigned to the Pacific Fleet. She operated out of Pearl Harbor and it was in this capacity she found herself when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. When word of the attack came, the ship went to general quarters and began to search for the Japanese attack fleet. The Maury returned to Pearl Harbor and for the remainder of 1941 she screened Enterprise as they patrolled the area to prevent further Japanese attack.

In early 1942, the Maury traveled along with the Enterprise and the Yorktown to raid enemy installations on Reuters Islands, Tarao and Maloelap Atoll. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 5 February. The Maury was part of the 24 February attack on Wake Island and the 4 March attack on Marcus Island. She returned to Oahu on 10 March for anti-aircraft and anti-submarine duty.

The Maury left the relative safety of Pearl Harbor for the Battle of the Coral Sea on 30 April. She arrived after the end of the battle and on 28 May, sailed for Midway Island to assist in protecting that base. As the Battle of Midway began on the 4th, she, along with Task Force 17, were 350 miles northeast of the Island.

Along with the task force, the Maury left Pearl Harbor after a month. She sailed for the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific and arrived near Guadalcanal on 7 August. After assisting in landing operations, plane guard duty and general support of the assault troops, she fought in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on 24 and 25 August, where she sustained serious damage. The task force then returned to Pearl Harbor on 10 September through the Tonga Islands. The force returned to the Pacific by 26 October and engaged in battle near Santa Cruz.

For 10 months, the Maury traveled in a destroyer division throughout the Solomons. She served anti-submarine and escort duty near Guadalcanal, New Georgia, Vella Lavella, Russel, Rendova, and Munda, and supported the invasions of Makin and Tarawa on 20 November 1943.

She screened carriers as part of Task Force 58, working in the raids of the Palaus, Eniwetok, Tarao, Wotje, Palaus, Ulithi, Yap, and Woleai, among others. Along with her task force, she supported the Marianas Islands operations and assisted in the Saipan bombardment, Rota and Guam raids, and the Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima attacks.

The Maury also served in the Battle of the Philippine Sea by screening carriers. She retired on 27 June 1944 to Eniwetok. As screen for the Fast Carrier Force, she raided Iwo Jima on 4 July, supported the Tinian and Guam landings, and struck again at Iwo Jima and supported operations near Yap, Ulithi, Peleliu, Ngesebus and Angaur.

The task force stuck enemy installations near Manila Bay on 15 October, covered forces in Leyte Gulf, and on the 23rd, engaged a Japanese carrier force near Formosa. The Maury spent the larger part of November near the Philippines in support of Leyte and Samar operations, then on 27 December 1944, she sailed to Lingayen Gulf to support the invasion of Luzon as escort for Task Group 78.12. She then went on to rejoin Task Force 77 at the end of January and guarded Lingayen Gulf until 10 February 1945.

The Fate of the Maury

The Maury returned to Ulithi on 16 February and was assigned as an escort for the battleship Mississippi on her voyage back to Pearl Harbor. They departed Ulithi on 22 March and docked at Pearl on 3 April 1945. For the six weeks that followed, the Maury conducted training exercises. She then sailed for the U.S. east coast, transiting the Panama Canal and arriving at New York on 14 June.

On 18 August she sailed for Philadelphia and was decommissioned on 19 October 1945. She was struck from the naval register on 1 November 1945 and sold to Hugo Neu on 13 June 1946. The vessel was resold to Northern Metal Company of Philadelphia and scrapped by the end of 1946.

Asbestos Risks

The naturally occurring mineral asbestos was commonly used on Navy vessels for various reasons and in many different locations. Unfortunately, exposure to asbestos has been noted to cause the development of asbestos-related diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. The manufacturers that produced asbestos-containing materials knew these side effects but elected not to disclose the information or protect workers and sailors.

Because of this, many who have contracted an asbestos-related disease have received compensation to help pay for treatment options and lost income. If you would like to learn more about compensation, treatment options and asbestos exposure, please fill out the request form on this page to receive a complimentary packet.

Sources:

Destroyers Index