USS Saufley (DD/DDE/EDDE-465), a , was a warship of the United States Navy named for pioneering Naval Aviator, Lieutenant Richard Saufley, USN.
Saufley was laid down on 27 January 1942 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey; launched on 19 July 1942; sponsored by Saufley's widow, Mrs Helen (O’Rear) Scruggs (daughter of Judge Edward C. O’Rear of Frankfort, Kentucky), commissioned 29 August 1942.
World War II
Following shakedown off northern New England, Saufley made several coastal escort runs and then prepared for duty in the South Pacific. She departed Norfolk on 9 November. Arriving at Nouméa, New Caledonia, on 2 December, Saufley commenced participation in the Guadalcanal campaign three days later.
1943
Initially assigned to escort reinforcements from Espiritu Santo to Lunga Point, Saufley soon undertook anti-shipping sweeps in the waters north and west of Guadalcanal and conducted shore bombardment missions against enemy positions on the island. During the Japanese evacuation of Guadalcanal in late January and early February 1943, Saufley operated with Task Force 11 (TF11). On 19 February, she sailed to join other units staging for Operation Cleanslate, the occupation of the Russell Islands.
During that operation, Saufley transported troops, towed landing craft to the target islands, and provided shore bombardment in support of the troops as they landed on Pavuvu and Banika islands on 21 February. From these islands, aircraft would be able to cover operations against Rendova.
In March, Saufley resumed escort and antisubmarine duties in the southern Solomons-New Caledonia-New Hebrides area. Following an abbreviated availability at Sydney, Australia, she returned to Nouméa and resumed escort work until the end of June. On 30 June, as Allied forces moved toward Rendova, where Saufley bombarded Japanese shore installations.
July and August found Saufley engaged in assault operations against New Georgia and escort missions to the New Hebrides and Vella Lavella. On 31 August, she received minor damage, but no casualties, from near misses by shore batteries in "the Slot".
At 10:11 on 15 September, while Saufley was en route to Espiritu Santo in company with and two merchantmen, a torpedo wake was sighted. As Montgomery'''s sound gear was inoperative, Saufley initiated a search down the track of the torpedo wake. Over the period of the next three and one-half hours, she delivered five separate depth charge attacks against the submarine. At 14:43, Japanese submarine Ro-101, surfaced.Saufleys five-inch (127 mm) batteries and machine guns opened up on the conning tower of the submarine. A PBY flying boat moved in and dropped two depth charges. The first missed, but the second hit the submarine, which disappeared beneath the surface at 14:46. Saufleys crew then heard a large underwater explosion, and by 17:35 a slick of diesel oil covered a area of the ocean's surface centered around
During the remainder of September and well into October, Saufley was engaged in night anti-barge patrols between Kolombangara and Choiseul. She sank four barges during this period but sustained damage from Japanese aerial bombs on the night of 1 October which resulted in the death of two and the wounding of 11 crew members.
1944
The months of November and December 1943 and January 1944 found Saufley performing escort duties for the reinforcement of Bougainville. In February, Saufley was engaged in the assault on the Green Islands which broke the Japanese Rabaul-Buka supply line and provided the Allies with another airfield near Rabaul. Antisubmarine patrols were followed by call fire support missions during the occupation of Emirau Island. This action, which completed the "ring around Rabaul", took Saufley into April. She had returned to the Emirau-Mussau area when, on the morning of 7 April, she gained contact on a submerged submarine. Forty-five minutes and 18 depth charges later, two underwater explosions were heard. Within hours, oil covered the area. Postwar review of Japanese records identified the sunken submarine as the Type J1 submarine . Following escort duties to the Admiralties, Saufley returned to Purvis Bay on 18 April whence she conducted exercises with TF 38 into May.