USS Nicholas (DD-449) - 1945

1945

On the first day of the new year, 1945, the destroyer joined TG77.3, the Close Support Group for the Lingayen Gulf assault. En route to Luzon, her group was harassed by enemy midget submarines and almost constant air raids. After a two day bombardment, Army troops landed at Lingayen Gulf 9 January. Until the 18th, Nicholas provided fire support, then patrolled to the west of Luzon with the covering escort carrier group. On the 24th, she captured a motor boat being used by three Japanese to escape from the island and on the 29th provided close cover for the landings in Zambales Province.

During the first part of February she escorted vessels between Leyte and Mindoro, whence she proceeded to Manila Bay to shell Corregidor, other islands in Manila Bay, and shore installations at Mariveles. Resuming escort work on the 17th, she guarded minesweepers as they cleared Basilan Strait in mid-March and then supported the occupation of the Zamboanga area. In April. she returned to Luzon to support the Sixth Army as it fought to reoccupy the island and then on the 24th resumed operations in the Netherlands East Indies. From then until 5 May she supported the Tarakan operation after which she steamed north again to Luzon, thence to Leyte where she joined TU30.12.2 and departed for Okinawa, 15 June. Following strikes on Sakishima, she joined TG30.8 at Ulithi and screened that group as it refueled and resuppIied the fast aircraft carriers at sea. On 11 August she reported to CTG38.4, a fast carrier task group, and on the 13th screened the carriers during strikes against the Tokyo area. On the 15th hostilities ceased.

Approaching Japan in August 1945, Admiral William Halsey, commander of the U.S. Third Fleet ordered that Nicholas and her sisters O'Bannon and Taylor be present in Tokyo Bay for Japan's surrender "because of their valorous fight up the long road from the South Pacific to the very end." Assigned to his Flagship Task Group, the "Nick" disseminated Japanese pilots and peace emissaries among the fleet, escorted battleship Missouri (BB-63) into Tokyo Bay, and transported Allied and U.S. representatives to the formal surrender on Missouri 2 September. Nicholas then joined in the repatriation of Allied POWs. Departing the Far East 5 October, she arrived at Seattle on the 19th and continued on to San Pedro, arriving 1 November to begin inactivation.