Флетчер классының эсминеці «Филип»

Fletcher class destroyer

USS Philip (DD/DDE 498), a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral John W. Philip (1840–1900).

Philip was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey, 7 May 1942; launched 13 October 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Barrett Philip; and commissioned 21 November 1942. Among the junior officers at commissioning was Ensign Benjamin C. Bradlee, who later became executive editor of The Washington Post.

Philips first mission came during the early morning of 30 June 1943 when she bombarded installations in the Shortland Islands area in the southwest Pacific. Operating in the screen of the Second Transport Group, Philip, on 15 August 1943, made a good showing in her first scrape with the enemy. Several bomb splashes were seen near Barakoma Beach, Vella Lavella, indicating that Japanese bombers were attacking the LCIs unloading there. A few minutes later, two dive bombers headed for Philip to unload their explosives. Each dropped a bomb, but both missed. The first aircraft, taken under fire by the ship's guns, kept getting closer until a friendly F4U Corsair took over the fight. Guns were shifted to the second and they soon shot it down. Japanese aircraft came back for another attack at nightfall. Silhouetted clearly against a full moon, Philip was the most desirable target. One torpedo wake passed a few yards astern and another crossed parallel to the ship after it was seen in time to take evasive action. The ship's guns kept firing at one of the bombers, finally shooting it down. Again during the next evening, Japanese aircraft made several attacks. This time, their objective proved to be the cumbersome LSTs withdrawing from Barakoma Beach. While laying a heavy smoke screen and shooting at the aircraft, Philip collided with Waller under the cover of her own smoke. Although damage to both vessels resulted, damage control parties of both ships rigged up shoring to prevent flooding and stayed in the battle. Philip kept her guns firing at the Japanese aircraft, one was shot down and another was claimed as a possible kill. The Japanese continued to press their attacks in an attempt to dislodge American forces from their toehold on the Solomons. One aircraft released its torpedo and then flew between the ship's stacks and another was shot down, crashing into the sea 30 yards to port. A second attack brought another close call; two torpedoes dropped 15 yards astern. Philips anti aircraft guncrews shot down one of the torpedo bombers. Two days later, while leading a convoy out of Tulagi, the destroyer launched a pair of attacks on what appeared to be a Japanese submarine, without damage to the enemy. On 27 October, the destroyer fired at mortar emplacements on Mono Island and then came into Blanche Harbor, Treasury Island, Solomons. Six enemy Aichi D3A aircraft attempted to destroy the transports sitting there. The attack was repelled and Philip did her share by hitting one aircraft, which was seen to fly away in flames. A barge sweep off Bougainville and bombardment of Choiseul Bay was conducted on 8 January 1944; ten days later, the destroyer returned for gunnery support on Bougainville, raking the island's northeast shores with surface fire. Leading a convoy of LCIs into Bougainville on 15 February, Philip weathered a bombing attack similar to earlier actions; but retaliated in like manner, damaging one aircraft and repelling the others. After a bombardment of Empress Augusta Bay 14 March, Philip left to take part in the Marianas campaign. From 17 June to the end of July, the destroyer's guns were in use almost daily against enemy positions on Saipan and Tinian. Known gun emplacements, troop concentrations, and air fields were the main targets, although several smaller engagements were performed at small craft in Tinian and boats in Tanapag Harbor.

The Philippines came next. An assault on Mindoro, 12–15 December, was her initial step. One airplane was damaged in the battle. More fierce airplane attacks came when Philip joined a screening force around a resupply echelon traveling from Leyte to Mindoro, later that month. Frequent raids with coordinated bombing and suicide attacks by as many as six planes at one time greeted the slow convoy during its entire trip. Two of the attackers were shot down by the destroyer and another was damaged. A 20 millimeter shell, fired by an LCT at a Japanese plane, landed upon the aluminum spray shield on the ship's starboard bridge wing, tearing a hole in the structure and wounding two men. One of the wounded men died five hours after the accident. Many of the ships were not as fortunate as Philip, which escaped with comparatively little damage. Kamikaze aircraft struck many of the less maneuverable merchant ships. When Gansevoort received a hit from a kamikaze Philip assisted with two of her men, acting upon their own initiative, boarding the crippled destroyer, setting her depth charges on safe, and jettisoning them. Steaming out of Leyte 5 January 1945, Philip sailed to join a task group which went on to invade Lingayen Gulf, Luzon Island, Philippines, 9 January. The destroyer remained in the area until 12 January, screening the transports as they unloaded. Several air attacks and suicide boat assaults were encountered during the journey from Leyte. During the early morning of 10 January, the destroyer challenged a small boat which it picked up on radar. The small craft, acting queerly, did not reply. After illuminating the small explosive laden boat, Philip opened with its 20 millimeter and .45 sub machine guns. The boat turned sharply, headed directly for the ship's port side amidships but was exploded 20 yards short of her mark. Two brief fire support missions were conducted in the occupation of Zamboanga Peninsula, Mindanao, during March, and assaults on Sanga Sanga and Jolo Islands, Sulu Archipelago, Philippines, were successfully conducted by Philip during 2–10 April.