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USS LONGSHAW (DD-559)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NIBM

CLASS - FLETCHER As Built.
Displacement 2924 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 376' 5"(oa) x 39' 7" x 13' 9" (Max)
Armament 5 x 5"/38AA, 10 x 40mm, 7 x 20mm AA, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; General Electric Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 38 Knots, Range 6500 NM@ 15 Knots, Crew 273.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Seattle Tacoma Shipbuilding. June 16 1942.
Launched June 4 1943 and commissioned December 4 1943.
Fate Grounded off Okinawa and sunk by Japanese Shore Batteries May 18 1945.
84 of her crew were lost with the ship and remain on duty.

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Longshaw 50kWilliam Longshaw was born in Russell Street, Manchester, England in April 1836 and emigrated to the United States of America with his parents (William and Margaret) from the port of Liverpool to New York, United States arriving 31 March 1842 on board the Ship Siberia. William was the eldest of two children born to William and Margaret Longshaw, his brother Luther M. Longshaw was born 31 July 1843 in Lowell, Massachusetts and died 27 May 1921 in Baltimore, Maryland. Luther served in the United States Army from 1866 to 1875. He was a Second then First Lieutenant in the 4th Infantry Regiment.[2] William Longshaw applied to the United States Military Academy, New York, in a letter dated 22 February 1853,[3] he stated he would be 17 years old next April (1853) - his application was accepted. He studied pharmacology at University of Louisiana (now Tulane University) and received a medical degree from the University of Michigan in 1859. He entered the Navy as an assistant surgeon 25 April 1862. While serving in the screw steamer Lehigh, Longshaw showed outstanding courage in an engagement with Confederate batteries on Sullivan's Island, Charleston, South Carolina, 16 November 1863. After the ship had grounded while shelling Confederate forts at Cummings Point, a hawser had to be passed to steamer Nahant, which was standing by. Dr. Longshaw, in an open boat, carried a line for the first two hawsers across to Nahant. Confederate fire was so intense that both hawsers were shot away. Lehigh was eventually refloated when Nahant pulled her free with a third hawser. Longshaw's gallantry in this action was praised by Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles. Dr. William Longshaw, Jr. was killed in the assault on Fort Fisher, 15 January 1865, while binding up the wounds of a dying marine. Though he had received a leave of absence that same day, he voluntarily postponed his departure to serve during the assault. He is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett, Massachusetts. Source BUMED 09-8627-1.Bill Gonyo/Lorraine Longshaw Harrietha
Longshaw 82kArtist's conception of the Longshaw as she appeared after original construction by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource.Navy Yard Associates
Longshaw 122kUndated, location unknown.-
Longshaw 104kUndated, location unknown. The ship is painted in camouflage Measure 32, Design 21d.Captain Jerry Mason USN
Longshaw 317kUndated newspaper clipping, location unknown.Bob
Henley 450kPanoramic view of Longshaw, taken from aboard Essex (CV-9), moored at Ulithi, 01 November 1944. Carrier Hornet (CV-12) is moored at right.
National Archives photo 80-G-352997
Rick Davis and John Chiquoine
Longshaw 180kUSS Longshaw (DD-559) three minutes after the forward magazine of the ship blew up. Photo was taken with an artillery flare by III PHIB Corps (COMPHIBFORPAC), 18 May 1945. The ship was hit by a Japanese coastal battery off Okinawa. Courtesy of Fleet Admiral Nimitz. Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 62570.Robert Hurst/Mike Green
Longshaw   Longshaw   Longshaw
Battle damage images taken by crewman David M. Nelson RM2c of the LCI(M) 356 on May 18, 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa.
Bob
Longshaw 177kUSS Longshaw (DD-559) explodes off Okinawa on 19 May 1945. The ship had run aground and taken fire from Japanese shore batteries, until it was abandoned and ultimately destroyed by US gunfire and torpedoes. Other ship in image may be USS Arikara (ATF-98). Collection: Admiral Harry W. Hill. Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NHF-075-C.04.Mike Green

USS LONGSHAW DD-559 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The hazegray Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)

Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves


CDR Daniel Thomas Birtwell Jr.    Dec 4 1943 - Dec 8 1943

LT Neal Almgren    Dec 8 1943 - Dec 13 1943 (Acting)

CDR Robert Hursey Speck    Dec 13 1943 - Jan 28 1945 (Later RADM)

CDR Theodore Robert Vogeley    Jan 28 1945 - May 10 1945 (Later RADM)

LCDR Clarence William Becker    May 10 1945 - May 18 1945


Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Joe Schneider
Address:
Phone:
E-mail: joenjul59@bellsouth.net


Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.


Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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This page was created by Fred Willishaw (ex ARG-4, AS-11 & DD-692) and is maintained by David L. Wright
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Last Updated 21 December 2017