USS Dorsey

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Dorsey was at sea with TF 3 bound for Johnston Island. The force returned to its base on 9 December, and Dorsey was assigned to the Hawaiian Sea Frontier for patrol, local escort, and training duty. Except for overhaul at San Francisco from 1 January to 11 February 1943, she remained on this duty until 24 September 1943.

After scouting convoys to Efate, New Hebrides, and Noumea, New Caledonia, Dorsey sailed to the Solomon Islands for patrol and minesweeping operations. She swept and patrolled off Cape Torokina, Bougainville, and screened transports during the landings of 1 November, returning on 8 November and 13 November with reinforcement and supply convoys. She escorted from her base at Port Purvis on Florida Island to Noumea until 29 March 1944, then screened transports between Port Purvis, Kwajalein, Manus, and New Georgia until arriving at Majuro on 12 May for duty towing targets at high speed for ships in training. From 20 June to 9 July she guarded convoys between Kwajalein and Eniwetok, then escorted the escort carrier Makin Island to Pearl Harbor, and proceeded to San Francisco for overhaul.

Returning to Pearl Harbor on 1 October 1944, Dorsey had towing duty and joined in minesweeping experiments until 9 November when she got underway as convoy escort for Port Purvis. On 1 December, she arrived at Manus for minesweeping operations until 23 December. Continuing to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, Dorsey sortied on 2 January 1945 for the invasion of Lingayen Gulf. During the pre-invasion minesweeping she accounted for several attacking planes and rescued five survivors from stricken LCI(G)-70.

Dorsey arrived off Iwo Jima for pre-invasion minesweeping on 16 February 1945. She patrolled during the assault landings, and towed Gamble to safety on 18 February. She sailed from Iwo Jima on 1 March for Ulithi to prepare for the invasion of Okinawa, where she arrived 25 March to sweep mines. On 27 March she was struck a glancing blow by a Mitsubishi Ki-51 kamikaze which killed three of her crew and wounded two.[1] Dorsey remained on duty, screening assault shipping during the landings of 1 April and patrolling until 4 April when she departed for Pearl Harbor and battle damage repairs.

Returning to Okinawa 1 July 1945, Dorsey joined the minesweeping unit operating in conjunction with the 3rd Fleet raids on the Japanese home islands. She sailed on 14 September for minesweeping operations in the Van Diemen Straits, returning to Okinawa five days later. On 9 October, she was grounded by a severe typhoon. Decommissioned on 8 December 1945, her battered hulk was destroyed on 1 January 1946.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.