USN:
Clemson class destroyer USS Brooks (DD-232, future APD-10) making steam at sea trials, 1920.
Between 1931-39 she was placed out of commission. She was recommissioned in 1939 and served in the Atlantic until 1941, switching to the Pacific Theatre during
World War II where she was badly damaged at the Battle of Lingayen Gulf in January 1945
As a patrol and escort ship,
Brooks operated between
California,
Washington, and
Alaska during the first year of World War II. On 20 September 1942, she arrived at
Seattle, to commence conversion to a high-speed transport. On 1 December 1942, her classification was changed to APD-10 and she was assigned to the South Pacific
She served as a transport and minesweeper during the Lae,
New Guinea, landings (4–14 September 1943);
Finschhafen, New Guinea, landings (22 and 29–30 September);
Cape Gloucester,
New Britain, assault (26 and 28–29 December);
Saidor, New Guinea, landings (2 January-17 February 1944);
Admiralty Islands landings (29 February-5 March and 19 March);
Hollandia, New Guinea, assault (22–28 April); capture of
Saipan (14–22 June);
Leyte occupation (18 November-4 December);
Mindoro invasion (12–18 December); and the
Lingayen Gulf,
Luzon, landings (3–6 January 1945)
At 1252 on 6 January 1945, the worst day for the Navy during the costly Invasion of Lingayen Gulf, a Japanese
kamikaze crashed into
Brooks' port side, causing extensive damage and starting a fire amidships. The main and auxiliary steam lines were severed, the fire main was broken, and the sea valve to the condenser was pierced, causing the forward engine room to flood. Three of
Brooks' crew were killed and 11 wounded. A number of
Brooks's abandoned survivors, were rescued by the adjacent
HMAS Warramunga (I44) and later transferred to her sister ship the
USS Hovey, a minesweeper staged in Minesweeping Unit 1 for the Lingayen invasion, as was
Brooks. Five more of
Brooks's crew were killed when the
US Hovey was sunk by an aerial torpedo at 455 on the following morning of 7 January. The badly damaged
Brooks was towed to
San Pedro, California, Watch Hill and decommissioned there on 2 August 1945.
