page_title: USS Fanning (DD-385)
section_title: 1944
hierarchical_section_title: USS Fanning (DD-385) / History / 1944
caption_attribution_description: Forward plan view of the USS Fanning (DD-385) at Mare Island on 22 Nov 1943. She was in overhaul at the shipyard from 9 Oct until 23 November 1943. USS Case (DD-370) is aft of Fanning. Source: http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/385.htm Accessed: 20 April 2006
context_page_description: USS Fanning (DD-385) was a Mahan-class destroyer, in the United States Navy named for Nathaniel Fanning. Her first action was during World War II, immediately following the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Fanning continued to serve in the Pacific Theatre throughout the war, and was decommissioned 14 December 1945. She was one of the last Mahan-class destroyers. Fanning and USS Dunlap were built from the same basic Mahan design but slightly modified. Some sources refer to them as the Dunlap-class destroyers.
context_section_description: On 19 January 1944 Fanning sailed with TG-58.4 for operations in the Marshalls where planes from Saratoga (CV-3) struck at Wotje, Taroa, Utirik, and Rongelap with a 4-day uninterrupted bombardment of Eniwetok which precursed a later all-out attack. For the remainder of the month Fanning and other units of the escort group shuttled between Kwajalein and Eniwetok, making 25 strikes in 19 days, and providing support for the amphibious landings on the latter island.
  In March 1944 Fanning, Saratoga, Dunlap (DD-384), and Cummings (DD-365) were ordered to report to the British Eastern Fleet, primarily British units reinforced with Australian, Dutch and French warships. The planned joint operations were intended to transfer operational expertise to the Fleet Air Arm aircrews, divert Japanese attention from American activities elsewhere and cripple Japanese mobility in the south east Asia region. HMS Illustrious and Saratoga launched air strikes against Sabang, Sumatra, (19 April) to destroy refineries, storage and transportation facilities. On 17 May this powerful force hit Soerabaja, Java, where harbor facilities and refineries presented the chief targets.
  Detached from the Eastern Fleet late in May, Fanning set course for San Francisco with calls at Fremantle and Sydney, Australia, and Noumea in passage. On 17 July she stood out for San Diego with Baltimore (CA-68) and on the 21st escorted President Roosevelt, embarked in the cruiser, north to Adak and Kodiak, Alaska. On 7 August the President shifted to Cummings who got underway for Bremerton in company with Fanning and Dunlap.
  The destroyer engaged in shore bombardment and other exercises until 17 September when she again steamed for the forward areas. After escorting SS Antigua to Eniwetok, she patrolled with TG 57.7 off Tinian and performed escort duty with TG 30.2 for a diversionary strike against Marcus Island on 9 October.
  Fanning sortied with TG 38.1 on 16 October to screen a carrier group which launched two strikes against Luzon before moving in to support the Leyte landings. 22 October found the group underway for refueling and replenishment at Ulithi but word of an advancing Japanese fleet caused them to reverse course and the destroyer sped to participate in the action at San Bernardino Strait.
  After logistics were completed at Ulithi, Fanning moved to Saipan to rejoin TG 30.2 for a series of assaults on Iwo Jima, the first of these on 11–12 November. An assignment as radar picket occupied her until 4 December when she returned to bombard Iwo on the 8th. During the third attack (24 and 27 December) she set a patrol vessel on fire.
caption: USS Fanning at Mare Island
exif: {}