History of the USS COTTEN

WORLD WAR II

The U.S.S. COTTEN DD-669, a 2050 ton destroyer of the Fletcher class was built by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. of Kearny , New Jersey; her keel being laid 8 February 1943. Only 166 days passed before the ship was officially launched on 12 June 1943, setting a new record for shipbuilding. The ship was christened by Mrs. Bessie Henderson Cotten, widow of the late Captain Lyman Atkinson Cotten after whom the ship was named. Captain Cotten served on twenty three navy ships during his long and honorable career. The COTTEN was commisssioned 24 July 1943 with Lt. Commander F. T. Sloat in command.

Departing Norfolk 9 October 1943, the COTTEN arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 31 October. She joined the 5th Fleet, and on 10 November sortied for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands, screening the escort carriers , providing air support and patrolling against submarines off Tarawa.

Returning to Pearl Harbor 7 January 1944, she sailed with the vast carrier TF-58 on 16 January for air strikes on the Marshall Islands on 29 and 30 January. Based at Majuro, the COTTEN participated in the Truk raid of 16 and 17 February; supported the landings at Emirau Island; and screened the carriers as they launched strikes at Palau, Yap, Ulithi, and Wolei between 30 March and 1 April.

Continuing her screening, she joined in covering the Hollandia Operation from 21 to 24 April and air strikes on Truk, Satawan, and Ponape between 29 April and 1 May.

After a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor the COTTEN rejoined TF-58 for the invasion of the Marianas. She screened the carriers during air strikes on Saipan, sank a sampan 17 June; shot down a dive bomber making a run on the carrier Enterprise CV-6 during the battle of the Philippine Sea of 19 and 20 June; and screened air strikes on Guam, the Palaus, Yap, Ulithi, and the Bonins.

She sailed from Eniwetok 30 August 1944 for raids to neutralize Japanese bases in the Philippines during the invasion of the western Carolines, returning to Ulithi 1 October. Five days later she sortied with TF-38 for strikes on Okinawa, northern Luzon and Formosa from 10 to 14 October. When the crippled Canberra CA-70 and Houston CL-81 were used as lures to draw out the Japanese fleet, COTTEN waited with the striking force, then from 15 October she operated in support of the Leyte landings as aircrraft from our carriers struck Luzon repeatedly. She fought off the air attacks on the escort carriers during the Battle of Surigao Strait phase of the Battle for Leyte Gulf on 24, 25 & 26 October and joined in the pursuit of the remnants of the Japanese fleet after the battle.

She joined TF-38 to pound Luzon 5 November. On 24 November 1944 the COTTEN attacked the Japanese submarine I-19. From the debris that appeared in the water it is believed the sub was sunk. It was never heard from again.

The COTTEN survived the 18 December typhoon which damaged the 3rd Fleet, and arrived at Ulithi to repair storm damage and replenish 24 December. On 30 December 1944 COTTEN, in TF-38, put to sea to support the invasion of Luzon by screening during strikes on Formosa, Luzon, 6 & 7 January, Camranh Bay, Indo-China; Hong Kong and Canton; and the Nansei Shoto. On 10 February the task force, TF-58 sortied to open the Iwo Jima operation with a strike on Honshu on 16 February, with COTTEN on the advanced scouting line.

They returned to Iwo Jima to fly cover over the invasion landings on 19 February. Except for screening another raid on Japan on 25 February and one on Okinawa 1 March, COTTEN remained on fire support duty off Iwo Jima until 28 March, sinking two enemy picket boats. After overhaul and training on the West Coast, COTTEN sailed by way of Pearl Harbor for the raid on Wake Island 6 August, called at Eniwetok and Guam, and anchored in Tokyo Bay 3 September. She remained in Japan carrying out a variety of occupation duties until 5 December then sailed for home arriving at San Diego 22 December and New York 17 January 1946.

After having served the nation both honorably and well the COTTEN was placed out of commission in reserve at Charleston, South Carolina 15 July 1946.

CALLED TO SERVE AGAIN

THE KOREAN WAR

On 25 June 1950 troops from communist-ruled North Korea invaded South Korea. The U.S.S. COTTEN was called upon again as the United States and 15 other members of the United Nations went to the aid of South Korea.

The COTTEN was recommissioned 3 July 1951 at Charleston and returned to the Atlantic Fleet. After conducting training operations in the Caribbean and acting as plane guard for several carriers out of Mayport, Florida, she sailed from her home port of Newport, Rhode Island 18 May 1953, under the command of Commander Walter J. Roundtree, for a tour of duty in the western Pacific and Korea. After stops at Balboa, Panama Canal Zone; San Diego; and Midway Island the COTTEN arrived in Japan and tied up at Yokosuka in Tokyo Bay for seven days.

On 29 June 1953 the COTTEN, along with the destroyers Daly DD-519 and Smalley DD-565, departed to join TF-77 in Korean waters. For several days the destroyers provided plane guard duty for the carriers making air raids on Korean soil. On 6 July the COTTEN received orders that she was to finally engage the enemy. She departed the carriers and rendezvoused with the cruiser U.S.S. St. Paul on 7 July. Upon arriving at Kosong they proceeded to shell gun emplacements, supply lines, storage areas and other targets.

The COTTEN and the ST. PAUL then proceeded north to the perilous Wonson Harbor, the site of the longest siege in history. There they destroyed radar sites, storage areas, and truck convoys as well as scattering troop concentrations. On the second day return fire from shore installations scored one hit on the ST.PAUL (no casualties). The COTTEN, though under fire, was not hit. At this point the battleship NEW JERSEY got into the act with her 16 inch guns and the shore batteries were silenced.

On 13 July the COTTEN returned to the bomb line at Kosong and resumed shelling the afore mentioned targets with great success. On 15 July the COTTEN rejoined TF-77 for two more days of screening duty, then rest at the port of Sasebo, Japan.

On July 26 after over 3 years of bloodshed an armistice was signed in Korea at 10:01 am. It was later learned that the COTTEN was the only destroyer from DesDiv-302 to face the enemy. The COTTEN continued to operate in the area participating in anti-submarine warfare training.

On 25 September the crew's pride in the COTTEN was confirmed when Task Force Commander, Admiral Hickey, transfered to the COTTEN by high-line to present the ship with the DesLant Battle Efficiency Plaque for fiscal year 1953.

On 4 November word came that the COTTEN's duty in the Korean Theater was over. The ship returned home by circumnavigating the globe, stopping at: Hong Kong; Singapore; Colombo, Ceylon; Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia; Aden; Port Said, Egypt; Pireus, Greece; Cannes, France; Gibraltar; and Bermuda. The COTTEN reached her home port of Newport, Rhode Island on 15 January, 1954.

COLD WAR DUTY

Local operations and exercises in the Caribbean were followed by a tour with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean from 28 July to 28 November 1955. On 4 January 1957 she departed Newport for a new area of operations, calling at Trinidad, Freetown, Mombasa, Karachi and Aden before returning to Newport 1 July 1957.

On 3 September she sailed for 6th Fleet duty in the Mediterranean. Returning to Newport 27 November, COTTEN continued East Coast and Caribbean operations until making a final tour of duty in the Mediteranean, Red Sea and Persian Gulf between March and November 1959.

On 2 May 1960 she was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Norfolk, Virginia. The COTTEN received ten battle stars, nine for World War II and one for Korean War service.

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Questions and comments about this web page should be addressed to William Lewis.