page_title: USS Shaw (DD-373)
section_title: Further Service in World War II
hierarchical_section_title: USS Shaw (DD-373) / History / Further Service in World War II
caption_attribution_description: The U.S. Navy Mahan-class destroyer USS Shaw (DD-373), circa 1942.
context_page_description: USS Shaw (DD-373) was a Mahan-class destroyer and the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain John Shaw, a naval officer. Commissioned in 1936, Shaw was plagued by construction deficiencies and was not fully operational until 1938. After training in the Atlantic, she was transferred to the Pacific and in dry dock in Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.
  Shaw sustained major damage from several bomb hits by Japanese forces during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The spectacular explosion of her forward magazine provided one of the most iconic photographs of the attack. She was repaired within a few months of the attack, and served in the Pacific through the rest of World War II, earning 11 battle stars.
  Shaw was decommissioned in October 1945 and sold for scrap in July 1946.
context_section_description: For the next two months, she escorted convoys between the West Coast and Hawaii. In mid-October, as a unit of a carrier force centered on the Enterprise, Shaw departed from Pearl Harbor and steamed westwardly. Meeting with a carrier force centered on Hornet, the two carrier groups united as Task Force 61, and then moved north of the Santa Cruz Islands to intercept enemy forces headed to attack Guadalcanal.
  By mid-morning on the 26th, both carrier groups were under attack. As an accompanying ship, Porter, stopped to pick up survivors from a downed torpedo plane, she was torpedoed. Shaw went to Porter's assistance. Half an hour later, she was ordered to take off Porter's crew and sink the disabled destroyer. Periscope sightings followed by depth charge attacks delayed execution of the mission. By noon, however, the transfer was completed. An hour later, Porter was gone, and Shaw left the scene to rejoin the task force.
  Two days later,  Shaw headed for the New Hebrides, where she commenced escorting ships moving men and supplies to Guadalcanal. She continued that duty through November and December and into January 1943. On 10 January, while entering Nouméa Harbor, New Caledonia,  Shaw ran aground on Sournois Reef. She was freed on the 15th, but extensive damage to her hull, propellers, and sound gear necessitated temporary repairs at Nouméa – followed by lengthy repairs and rearmament at Pearl Harbor, which took through September.
  On 6 October, Shaw headed west again, reaching Nouméa on the 18th and Milne Bay, New Guinea, on the 24th. Now a unit of the 7th Amphibious Force, Shaw escorted reinforcements to Lae and Finschhafen for the remainder of October and during November. Following an unsuccessful diversionary assault by Army troops against Umtingalu, New Britain, on 15 December, Shaw recovered survivors from two rubber boats and escorted HMAS Westralia and Carter Hall back to Buna, Papua New Guinea.
  On 25 December, Shaw escorted units engaged in the assault against Cape Gloucester, where she provided gunfire support and served as fighter director ship. On the 26th,  Shaw sustained casualties and damage when attacked by two "Vals." Thirty-six men were injured, three of whom later died of their wounds. The Shaw returned to Cape Sudest, New Guinea, on the 27th; she transferred her wounded and dead to shore facilities there, and continued on to Milne Bay for temporary repairs. Permanent repairs were completed at Hunter's Point, California, on 1 May 1944.
  Shaw returned to Pearl Harbor on the 10th, joined the 5th Fleet there, and steamed toward the Marshall Islands on the 15th. She got underway from the Marshalls on 11 June with TF-52 to engage in the assault on Saipan Island. Four days later, the attack began. For the next three and one-half weeks, the destroyer rotated between screening and "call fire" support duties of the Marines on shore. In mid-July, Shaw was back in the Marshall Islands. On the 18th,  Shaw got underway to return to the Mariana Islands accompanying the Guam assault forces. During the action that followed,  Shaw performed escort and patrol duties.
  Shaw departed the Marianas on 23 September. Following a tender repair availability at Eniwetok, she rejoined the 7th Amphibious Force on 20 October and headed for Leyte Gulf on the 25th. Convoy escort duties between the Philippines and New Guinea involved  Shaw until the invasion of Luzon took place at Lingayen Gulf on 9 January 1945. From the 9th to the 15th, she performed screening, "call fire" support for the soldiers ashore, night illumination with star shells, and shore bombardment missions. Following this operation,  Shaw was involved in the recapture of Manila Bay, Luzon. After the Luzon operations,  Shaw supported the assault and occupation of Palawan Island during the period from 28 February to 4 March.
  In early April,  Shaw operated in the Visayas, setting two Japanese barges on fire off Bohol on 2 April. Damaged soon thereafter on an uncharted pinnacle, she underwent temporary repairs. On the 25th, she steamed toward the United States West Coast.  Sha
caption: USS Shaw (DD-373) after bow replacement
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