USS Ingersoll (DD-652) was a in the United States Navy, serving from 28 June 1943 through 19 May 1974. Ingersoll saw action mainly in the Pacific Ocean Areas during World War II, and during the Korean War and Vietnam Wars.
Namesakes
Ingersoll was named for Admiral Royal R. Ingersoll, former Chief of Staff of the Atlantic Fleet in the early 20th century, and his grandson Lieutenant Royal R. Ingersoll II.
Royal Rodney Ingersoll II was born on 17 December 1913 in Manila, Philippines, and he was the son of Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll, and the grandson of Rear Admiral Royal R. Ingersoll. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1934, he served on the battleship and the destroyer . He reported on board the aircraft carrier during its fitting-out (pre-commissioning) period in 1941 and served on the Hornet during the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in April 1942, the Hornet'''s maiden combat voyage.
He was killed during the Battle of Midway by machine gun fire from a crippled F4F Wildcat fighter from the which was making an emergency landing on board the Hornet. Its wounded pilot was either unable to, or failed to, cut off its guns. Four enlisted men were also killed and 20 more sailors were wounded in this accident.
History
USS Ingersoll was launched by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine, 28 June 1942. She was co-sponsored by Miss Alice Jean Ingersoll, granddaughter of the Admiral, and Mrs. R. R. Ingersoll, II, widow of Lieutenant Royal R. Ingersoll II. Ingersoll was commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 31 August 1943.
World War II
Ingersoll conducted shakedown training off Bermuda during September and October 1943, and returned to Boston to embark Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll, Commander in Chief of the Atlantic Fleet, son of the first namesake and father of the second, for a fleet review, 10 November 1943. The ship sailed 29 November to join the Pacific Fleet; and, after stops at the Panama Canal and San Diego, arrived at Pearl Harbor 21 December. There she joined Task Force 58 for the invasion of the Marshall Islands.
The destroyer departed 16 January with the Southern Bombardment Group, and began preinvasion firing on Kwajalein 30 January. The landings began next day with Ingersoll lying offshore in her support role. She retired to Majuro on 5 February, but was underway again 16 February to screen the fast carrier forces in their raid on Truk from 17 to 18 February. After air strikes in the Marianas, Ingersoll returned with the carriers to Majuro 26 February. Then on 7 March the destroyer sailed for Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, but soon returned to Task Force 58 for carrier strikes against the Palaus and Hollandia. In the months that followed, the ships hit Pohnpei twice with shore bombardments and screened carrier strikes in the Palaus in connection with the advance of American combined forces.Ingersoll took part in preinvasion bombardments of Peleliu on 7 September, and early in October joined Task Force 38. The fleet rendezvoused on 7 October west of the Marianas, and launched air strikes on Okinawa and the Philippines. The ships then moved to their real objective— Japanese air strength on Formosa. In 3 days of attacks Formosa's value as a base was severely reduced, while air strikes on the U.S. fleet were repulsed by Combat Air Patrol and the gunfire of Ingersoll and her sister ships. The carrier groups turned southward from Formosa to launch strikes against targets in the Philippines.
In late October, the Japanese moved in a three-pronged attack to repel the invasion of the Philippines to force a decisive naval battle. The ensuing battle was the four-part Battle of Leyte Gulf, in which Ingersoll and her task group also took part. When Admiral Halsey detached part of his fleet southward to intercept Japanese ships off Samar on 25 October 1944, Ingersoll joined Admiral Dubose's task group in pursuit of the fleeing remnants of the Japanese fleet. During the long stern chase Ingersoll fired one torpedo at long range, but the group did not engage the remaining Japanese heavy ships.Ingersoll returned to Ulithi for a rest and overhaul. She got underway again in January 1945 with fast carrier forces for strikes on Formosa, the Philippines, and the coast of China. From 3 to 9 January these operations supported the invasion of Lingayen Gulf. The fast carrier force then operated in the South China Sea, striking Indochina, Hainan, and the China coast. This operation was completed 20 January; Ingersoll was detached 1 February to sail to Pearl Harbor. She arrived 7 February, and after training exercises steamed to San Pedro, California, on 15 February 1945.