View source for USS Johnston (DD-557)

{{Short description|Fletcher-class destroyer that helped stop a large Japanese fleet in WWII}}
{{other ships|USS Johnston}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = USS_Johnston_(DD-557)_underway_on_27_October_1943_(NH_63495).jpg
| Ship caption = ''Johnston'' in Seattle, 27 October 1943
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Ship country = United States
| Ship flag = {{USN flag|1944}}
| Ship name = ''Johnston''
| Ship namesake = [[John V. Johnston]]
| Ship ordered = 
| Ship builder = [[Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation]]
| Ship laid down = 6 May 1942
| Ship launched = 25 March 1943
| Ship commissioned = 27 October 1943
| Ship struck = 27 November 1944
| Ship honors = [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]], 6 [[Battle Stars]]
| Ship fate = Sunk 25 October 1944, [[Battle off Samar]]
| Ship nickname = "GQ Johnny"{{sfn|Morison|1958c|p=255}}{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|p=52}}
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Ship class = {{sclass|Fletcher|destroyer}}
| Ship displacement ={{cvt|2100|LT|t|0|lk=on}} ([[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]])
| Ship length = {{cvt|376|ft|6|in|m}}
| Ship beam = {{cvt|39|ft|8|in|m|1}}
| Ship draft = {{cvt|17|ft|9|in|m|1}}
| Ship power = *4 × [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s
*{{cvt|60000|shp|kW|lk=on}}
| Ship propulsion =2 × shafts; 2 × geared [[steam turbine]]s
| Ship speed = {{convert|38|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range = {{cvt|6500|nmi|mi km|lk=in}} at {{cvt|15|kn}}
| Ship complement = 273
| Ship sensors =*1 × QC series [[sonar]]
*1 × Mk 4 or Mk 12 [[fire-control radar]]
*1 × [[SC radar|SC-2]] [[early-warning radar]]
*1 × [[SG radar|SG]] [[surface-search radar]]
| Ship armament = {{Fletcher class destroyer armament}}
}}
|}

'''USS ''Johnston'' (DD-557)''' was a {{sclass|Fletcher|destroyer}} built for the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War II]]. She was named after [[Lieutenant]] [[John V. Johnston]], an officer of the US Navy during the [[American Civil War]]. ''Johnston'' was [[laid down]] in May 1942 and was launched on 25 March 1943. She entered active duty on 27 October 1943 under the command of [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]] [[Ernest E. Evans]] and was assigned to the [[US Pacific Fleet]]. ''Johnston'' provided [[naval gunfire support]] for American ground forces during the [[Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign]] in January and February 1944 and again, after three months of patrol and escort duty in the [[Solomon Islands]], during [[Battle of Guam (1944)|the recapture]] of [[Guam]] in July. Thereafter, ''Johnston'' was tasked with escorting [[escort carrier]]s during the [[Mariana and Palau Islands campaign]] and the [[liberation of the Philippines]].

On 25 October 1944, while assigned as part of the escort to six escort carriers, ''Johnston'', two other ''Fletcher''-class destroyers, and four [[destroyer escort]]s were engaged by a large [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] flotilla. In what became known as the [[Battle off Samar]], ''Johnston'' and the other escort ships charged the Japanese ships to protect nearby US carriers and transport craft. After engaging several Japanese [[capital ships]] and a destroyer squadron, ''Johnston'' was sunk with 187 dead, including Evans. ''Johnston''{{'}}s wreck was discovered on 30 October 2019 but was not properly identified until March 2021. Lying more than {{convert|20,000|ft|sp=us}} below the surface of the ocean, it was the deepest shipwreck ever surveyed until the 22 June 2022 discovery of {{USS|Samuel B. Roberts|DE-413|6}}, sunk during the same engagement.

{{TOC limit|3}}

==Design and characteristics==
To rectify the [[Ship stability|top-heaviness and stability problems]] of the preceding {{sclass|Benson|destroyer|5}} and {{sclass|Gleaves|destroyer|4}}es, the ''Fletcher'' class was greatly increased in size over the older designs. This allowed them to accept additional [[anti-aircraft gun|anti-aircraft (AA) guns]] and electronic equipment as well as their operators without sacrificing guns or [[torpedo]]es as the older ships were forced to do during the war.{{sfn|Friedman|2005|pages=111–118}} The ''Fletcher''s [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|2100|LT|0|sp=us|lk=on}} at [[standard load]] and {{cvt|2544|LT|t|0}} at [[deep load]],{{sfn|McComb|2010|p=46}} roughly 30 percent more than the ''Benson''s and ''Gleaves''.{{sfn|Friedman|2005|pages=470–472}}

In early 1942, the design of the ''Fletcher''s was modified to reduce top weight and to simplify the construction of the [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]] by squaring off the curves at its front. One deck was removed from the aft [[superstructure]] and the base of the [[Mark 37 Gun Fire Control System|fire-control director]] above the bridge was shortened by {{convert|6|ft|spell=in}}. The splinter plating protecting the bridge and the director was also reduced in thickness. In addition, visibility from the bridge was improved by the addition of an open platform connected to the bridge wings.{{sfn|Raven|1986|p=10}}

The ships had an [[Length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|376|ft|6|in|sp=us}}, with a [[Draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|17|ft|9|in|sp=us}} and [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|39|ft|8|in|sp=us}}. The ships were powered by two [[General Electric]] geared [[steam turbines]] that each drove one [[propeller shaft]] using steam provided by four [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s. The turbines produced {{convert|60,000|shp|lk=on}} which was intended to give the ships a top speed of {{convert|37.8|kn|sp=us|lk=on}}. The destroyers carried enough [[fuel oil]] to give them a range of {{convert|4490|nmi|lk=on}} at {{convert|15|kn}}. They were crewed by 9 [[Officer (armed forces)|officers]] and 264 [[Enlisted rank|enlisted men]].{{sfn|Friedman|2005|p=472}}

===Armament, fire control, protection and sensors===
The [[main battery]] of the ''Fletcher''-class destroyers consisted of five [[dual-purpose gun|dual-purpose]] [[5"/38 caliber gun|{{convert|5|in|mm||abbr=on|sigfig=3}}/38 caliber guns]]{{efn|/38 refers to the length of the gun in terms of [[Caliber (artillery)|calibers]]. A/38 gun is 38 times long as its bore diameter.}} in single mounts which were grouped in [[superfiring]] pairs fore and after of the superstructure. The fifth mount was positioned on the aft superstructure forward of the aft pair. The guns were controlled by the Mark 37 director. Their anti-aircraft battery depended on the availability of the weapons, but ''Johnston'' was built with ten [[Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun|{{convert|40|mm|abbr=on}} Bofors guns]] in five powered twin-gun mounts and seven manually operated [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|{{convert|20|mm|abbr=on|1}} Oerlikon cannons]]. The forward pair of Bofors mounts were located forward of the bridge and the second pair were on platforms abreast the aft [[funnel (ship)|funnel]] with one mount on each [[broadside (naval)|broadside]]; the last mount was positioned between the aft superfiring pair of guns and the single mounts forward of them. Each mount was controlled by a nearby [[Ship gun fire-control system#Mark 51 Fire Control System|Mark 51 director]]. Four Oerlikons were located amidships, two on each broadside, and three were grouped in a triangle at the stern, next to the [[depth charge]] racks.{{sfn|Raven|1986|pages=60–61, 64–66, 140}}

The ships were fitted with two racks, each holding eight {{convert|600|lb|adj=on}} depth charges and adjacent to them were two storage racks with five depth charges each. Abreast the aft superstructure were six "K-gun" throwers, three on each side, with five {{convert|300|lb|adj=on}} depth charges. The destroyers were equipped with two quintuple rotating {{convert|21|in|adj=on|0}} [[torpedo tube]] mounts for [[Mark 15 torpedo]]es.{{sfn|Friedman|2005|p=117}}

The ''Fletcher''s had only minimal armor that was intended to protect against shell splinters and fragments. The sides of the propulsion machinery compartments consisted of plates {{convert|0.75|in}} of [[special treatment steel]] (STS) while the deck above them consisted of {{convert|0.5|in|adj=on|1}} STS. The "square bridge" ships like ''Johnston'' had the splinter armor of the bridge reduced from the 0.75-inch armor of the earlier "round bridge" ships to {{convert|0.25|in|1}}. Furthermore, the protective plating of the Mark 37 director was reduced from the earlier 0.75 inches to 0.5 inches.{{sfn|Friedman|2005|pages=115, 117}}
[[File:LCdr. Commander Ernest E. Evans, U.S. Navy, at the commissioning ceremonies of USS Johnston (DD-557) at Seattle, Washington (USA), on 27 October 1943 (NH 63499).jpg|thumb|[[Ernest E. Evans]], the [[Commander]] of ''Johnston'' for the entirety of her service, present at her commissioning, October 27th 1943.]]
The ''Fletcher''-class destroyers were equipped with a Mark 4 or Mark 12 [[fire-control radar]] on the roof of the Mark 37 director. A [[SC radar|SC-2]] [[early-warning radar]] and a [[SG radar|SG]] [[surface-search radar]] were fitted on the [[foremast]].{{sfn|Raven|1986|p=10}} For [[anti-submarine warfare|anti-submarine work]], the ships used a QC series [[sonar]].{{sfn|Friedman|2005|p=472}}

==Construction and service history==
Construction of ''Johnston'', named after [[Lieutenant]] [[John V. Johnston]], an officer of the US Navy during the [[American Civil War]], began with [[Keel laying|the laying]] of her [[keel]] at the [[Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation]]'s yard on 6 May 1942. Her [[Ceremonial ship launching|launch]], sponsored by Marie S. Klinger, Lt. Johnston's grandniece, took place on 25 March 1943. ''Johnston'' was finally [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] into the [[United States Navy]] and placed under the command of [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]] [[Ernest E. Evans]], a man of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] [[Cherokee]] descent who previously commanded the elderly destroyer [[USS Alden]] which partook in the [[Battle of the Java Sea]], on 27 October 1943.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Evans, Ernest Edwin |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/library/research-guides/modern-biographical-files-ndl/modern-bios-e/evans-ernest-edwin.html |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=NHHC |language=en-US}}</ref> She then sailed to the [[Puget Sound Naval Shipyard]] and [[fitted out]] into early November. On 15 November, ''Johnston'' sailed for [[San Diego, California]]. From 19 November to 1 January 1944, ''Johnston'' put out to sea for her [[shakedown cruise]] and her crew trained with fleet units near San Diego.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}

===Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign===
{{See also|Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign}}
[[File:Christening of USS Johnston (DD-557) at Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation, Washington (USA), on 25 March 1943 (NH 63302).jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of Johnston's christening and launch by Marie S. Klinger|Marie S. Klinger, grandniece of Lt. [[John V. Johnston]], at the ceremonial launch of USS ''Johnston'' on March 25, 1943]]

On 13 January 1944 ''Johnston'' set sail for [[Hawaii]] with a US Navy squadron led by [[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]] [[Jesse B. Oldendorf]] and arrived 21 January. From there, ''Johnston'' sailed to join the [[Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign|ongoing campaign]] against the [[Japanese Empire]] in the [[Gilbert Islands|Gilbert]] and [[Marshall Islands]].{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}} She arrived by 29 January and was assigned to Fire Support Group 53.5 under Oldendorf.{{sfn|Rohwer|2005|p=303}} On 30 January, she [[Screening (tactical)|screened]] for the [[cruisers]] {{USS|Santa Fe|CL-60|2}}, {{USS|Biloxi||2}}, {{USS|Indianapolis|CA-35|2}}, and the [[battleship]] {{USS|Maryland|BB-46|2}} as they provided [[naval gunfire support]] for American forces in the [[Wotje Atoll]]. ''Johnston'' sailed for the [[Kwajalein Atoll]],{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}} where from 31 January to 3 February she provided gunfire support for American forces attacking [[Roi-Namur]] Island.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}{{Sfn|Morison|1958a|p=245}}

''Johnston'' was reassigned on 5 February 1944 to escort transport ships to the [[Ellice Islands]] with destroyers {{USS|Haraden|DD-585|2}} and {{USS|Stansbury|DMS-8|2}}, and the [[destroyer-minesweeper]] {{USS|Long||2}}. The convoy set sail on 6 February but en route ''Johnston'' was ordered to return to the Marshalls for resupply. She arrived on 8 February, refueled, and then set sail for Kwajalein on 10 February. Her arrival was delayed until the next day after [[jellyfish]] clogged and overheated her [[surface condenser|condensers]].{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}

Almost as soon ''Johnston'' arrived, she was tasked with investigating a sighting of a Japanese submarine. No such vessel was detected.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}} Early on 12 February, Japanese [[bombers]] attacked Roi-Namur, inflicting heavy casualties to the occupying Americans.{{sfn|Morison|1963|p=310}} In response to their detection on radar, ''Johnston'' and the other present American ships [[Smoke screen|laid smoke]] to obscure their positions. They were not attacked. Over the next three days, ''Johnston'' resupplied, took on supplies from {{USS|New Mexico|BB-40|2}}, 5&nbsp;in shells from {{USS|Ringgold|DD-500|2}}, and fuel oil from {{USS|Suamico|AO-49|2}}.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}} ''Johnston'' was then attached to [[Operation Catchpole]], the American attack on [[Enewetak Atoll]].{{Sfn|Morison|1958a|p=347}}{{sfn|Rohwer|2005|p=306}} From 16 February to 18 February,{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}} ''Johnston'' screened for {{USS|Pennsylvania|BB-38|2}}, {{USS|Colorado|BB-45|2}}, {{USS|Tennessee|BB-43|2}}, ''Indianapolis'', and cruisers {{USS|Portland|CA-33|2}} and {{USS|Louisville|CA-28|2}} as they bombarded Engebi Island.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}{{sfn|Rohwer|2005|p=306}} Then, from 19 February to 25 February, ''Johnston'' provided gunfire support for American troops herself and patrolled for submarines.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}{{sfn|Roscoe|1953|p=393}}

===Solomon Islands campaign===
{{See also|Solomon Islands campaign}}

On 25 February 1944, ''Johnston'' was relieved of patrol duty and was assigned to screen the [[escort carrier]] {{USS|Manila Bay|CVE-61|2}} with {{USS|Hoel|DD-533|2}}. The trio was ordered back to the Marshall Islands on 28 February and arrived on 1 March. ''Johnston'' resupplied over the next five days. On 7 March the flotilla, joined by {{USS|Natoma Bay|CVE-62|2}}, sailed for [[Espiritu Santo]] and arrived on 13 March. ''Johnston'' docked in the [[auxiliary floating drydock]] {{USS|Waterford|ARD-5|2}} for minor repairs from 18 to 19 March, then set out for the [[Solomon Islands]] on 20 March. She arrived at [[Purvis Bay]], near [[Guadalcanal]], the following day and was subsequently assigned to patrol duties around [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]]. On 27–28 March, ''Johnston'' and her [[sister ship]]s {{USS|Franks|DD-554|2}}, {{USS|Haggard|DD-555|2}}, and {{USS|Hailey|DD-556|2}} were dispatched to bombard [[Kapingamarangi]] Atoll, in the [[Caroline Islands]]. Upon their return to the Solomons on 29 March, the destroyers were assigned additional patrol duties. For the rest of March and all of April, they patrolled the northern Solomons, escorted Allied shipping to and from them, and occasionally provided gunfire support for the [[US Army]]'s [[XIV Corps (United States)|XIV Corps]] on [[Bougainville Island]].{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}

''Johnston'' began May 1944 moored in Purvis Bay undergoing minor repairs. On 6 May, she sailed to [[New Georgia]] with ''Franks'', ''Haggard'', ''Hailey'', and ''Hoel'' to screen for {{USS|Montpelier|CL-57|2}} and {{USS|Cleveland|CL-55|2}} and then for a [[minelaying]] operation between Bougainville and [[Buka Island]] on 10 May.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}} Two days later, ''Haggard'', ''Franks'' and ''Johnston'' were alerted by an American scout plane to the presence of the {{Jsub|I-176}} off Buka. The destroyers immediately began searching for the vessel and, late on 16 May, discovered it. ''Haggard'', then ''Johnston'', and then ''Franks'' attacked the submarine with depth charges and sank it after midnight on 17 May.{{sfn|Roscoe|1953|pp=396–97}} The destroyers resumed their anti-submarine patrols on 18 May, then screened for ''Montpelier'', ''Cleveland'', and {{USS|Birmingham|CL-62|2}} as they shelled Japanese coastal guns on the [[Shortland Islands]] two days later. ''Johnston'' thereafter resumed patrol and escort duty, then docked with the [[destroyer tender]] {{USS|Dixie|AD-14|2}} for minor repairs from 27 May to 2 June.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}

===Mariana and Palau Islands campaign===
{{See also|Mariana and Palau Islands campaign}}

[[File:USS Johnston (DD-557) refueling from USS Millicoma (AO-73) in August 1944.jpg|thumb|right|alt=|''Johnston'' refueling from the [[Replenishment oiler|oiler]] {{USS|Millicoma|AO-73|2}}, 12 August 1944]]

On 3 June 1944, ''Johnston'' joined a convoy of US warships headed to Kwajalein to join a fleet gathering to [[Battle of Guam (1944)|recapture Guam]]. The convoy arrived on 8 June, then made for Guam four days later with the invasion force and arrived by 18 June. The ongoing [[Battle of Saipan]], however, delayed the invasion. On 30 June, the fleet was ordered to return to Kwajalein; ''Johnston'' arrived on 3 July and returned to patrol duty. When the invasion force was ordered back to Guam on 14 July, ''Johnston'' again sailed as part of its screen. The fleet arrived four days later.{{Sfn|Morison|1958b|p=419}} From 21 July to 1 August,{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}} ''Johnston'' joined several battleships, cruisers, and destroyers to furnish gunfire support for the [[1st Provisional Marine Brigade|1st Marine Brigade]] and the [[77th Sustainment Brigade|77th Infantry Division]].{{Sfn|Morison|1958b|p=419}}{{sfn|Rohwer|2005|p=344}} Afterwards, from 2 August to 9 August, she screened for American ships. On 9 August, ''Johnston'' was ordered, with ''Franks'', ''Haggard'', ''Haily'', {{USS|Halford|DD-480|2}}, {{USS|Guest|DD-472|2}}, {{USS|Minneapolis|CA-36|2}}, ''Cleveland'', and {{USS|Honolulu|CL-48|2}} to return to the Marshalls.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}

The flotilla arrived on 12 August, resupplied, and then sailed for Espiritu Santo from 19 August to 24 August. Three days later, after undergoing minor repairs, ''Johnston'' set sail for Purvis Bay with ''Pennsylvania'', {{USS|Idaho|BB-42|2}}, ''Louisville'', ''Minneapolis'', and seven other destroyers. The flotilla arrived on 29 August and joined [[escort carriers]] {{USS|Marcus Island|CVE-77|2}}, {{USS|Ommaney Bay|CVE-79|2}}, {{USS|Petrof Bay|CVE-80|2}}, {{USS|Kalinin Bay|CVE-68|2}}, with whom ''Johnston'' trained for carrier escort duty. On 4 September, ''Johnston'', ''Haggard'', ''Hailey'', and {{USS|Welles|DD-628|2}}, escorting ''Petrof Bay'', ''Kalinan Bay'', and {{USS|Saginaw Bay|CVE-82|2}}, set sail for the [[Palau Islands]] and the invasions [[Battle of Peleliu|of Peleliu]] and [[Battle of Angaur|of Angaur]]. ''Johnston'' escorted these escort carriers until 18 September, when ''Johnston'' was reassigned to escort {{USS|Kitkun Bay|CVE-71|2}}, {{USS|White Plains|CVE-66|2}}, and {{USS|Gambier Bay|CVE-73|2}}. ''Johnston'' and her charges received orders on 21 September to proceed to [[Ulithi]], an atoll in the Caroline Islands, where they arrived on 23 September.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}

=== Battle off Samar ===
{{See also|Battle of Leyte Gulf|Battle off Samar}}

The flotilla departed Ulithi on 25 September 1944 and arrived in [[Seeadler Harbor]], in the [[Admiralty Islands]] on 1 October 1944. There, on 12 October, ''Johnston'' was assigned to the [[US 7th Fleet]], which was preparing to [[liberation of the Philippines|invade the Philippines]].{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}} ''Johnston'' was attached, with ''Hoel'', {{USS|Heermann||2}}, and the [[destroyer escorts]] {{USS|Dennis||2}}, {{USS|John C. Butler||2}}, {{USS|Samuel B. Roberts|DE-413|2}}, and {{USS|Raymond|DE-341|2}}, to the escort carriers {{USS|Fanshaw Bay|CVE-70|2}}, {{USS|St. Lo||2}}, ''White Plains'', ''Gambier Bay'', ''Kalinin Bay'', and ''Kitkun Bay''.{{sfn|Rohwer|2005|p=366}}{{sfn|Roscoe|1953|p=425}} These ships formed TU 77.4.3 ([[call sign]] "Taffy 3"), a sub-unit of the 7th Fleet's Escort Carrier Group (TG 77.4) commanded by Rear Admiral [[Clifton Sprague]], aboard ''Fanshaw Bay'',{{sfn|Morison|1958c|pp=244, 420–21}} and sailed into [[Leyte Gulf]] on 17 October.{{sfn|Rohwer|2005|p=366}}

In response to the Invasion of the Philippines, on 18 October, the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] dispatched three fleets to cut off and destroy the American ground forces. The largest fleet was placed under the command of [[Vice Admiral]] [[Takeo Kurita]] and took a path that, on 25 October, led it to TG 77.4.{{sfn|Morison|1958c|pp=160–62, 167–68}}{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|pp=94–95}}

Though Kurita's fleet – by 25 October numbering four battleships, eight cruisers, and 11 destroyers{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|pp=153–54}} – had been attacked by US submarines and aircraft over the previous two days,{{sfn|Rohwer|2005|p=367}}{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|pp=119–23, 126}} TG 77.4 was not made aware of the Japanese force until Taffy 3's surface radar detected it at 0646.{{sfn|Morison|1958c|p=246}} ''Johnston'', {{convert|34,000|yds|sp=us}} south-east from the Japanese, was informed of its presence at 0650;{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}} eight minutes later, the Japanese opened fire, beginning the [[Battle off Samar]].{{sfn|Morison|1958c|pp=246, 250}} The force was led by Kurita's flagship, the battleship {{ship|Japanese battleship|Yamato||2}}, the largest and most powerfully armed and armored battleship ever built, displacing 72,808 tons and armed with nine [[46 cm/45 Type 94 naval gun|18.1-inch (46 cm)]] guns. Escorting ''Yamato'' came the older but still capable battleships {{ship|Japanese battleship|Nagato||2}}, {{ship|Japanese battleship|Kongō||2}}, and {{ship|Japanese battleship|Haruna||2}}, six [[heavy cruiser]]s, two [[light cruiser]]s, and eleven destroyers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hornfischer |first=James |title=Last stand of the tin can sailors |publisher=Bantam books |date=2005 |isbn=978-0-553-38148-1 |edition=Reprint |pages=137–138 |language=en}}</ref>

==== ''Johnston''{{'}}s torpedo charge ====
[[File:Destroyers laying smoke screen during Battle off Samar 1944.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Escort ships of Taffy 3 laying smoke while under fire, 25 October 1944|Escort ships of Taffy 3 laying smoke while under fire, 25 October 1944]]

At 0657, Sprague ordered Taffy 3 to head east at top speed and lay smoke.{{sfn|Morison|1958c|pp=250, 252}} Despite the overwhelming odds against the force, finding ''Johnston'' at the rear of the formation<!-- Morison 1958c, p. 252: that formation is a "rough circle [...] 2500 yards in diameter" -->,{{sfn|Morison|1958c|p=255}}{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|p=156}} [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] [[Ernest E. Evans]] ordered a turn to the northeast so that ''Johnston'' could charge the Japanese for a torpedo attack and lay smoke to cover the flotilla's escape.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|p=159}} Charging at the enemy, ''Johnston'' would come under fire from several ships. ''Nagato'' fired a single full salvo from her 16.1-inch (41&nbsp;cm) guns, while ''Haruna'' fired numerous 6-inch (152&nbsp;mm) secondary shells, but all missed their mark as Johnston remained undamaged. At 07:10, ''Johnston'' singled out a target, the heavy cruiser {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Kumano||2}}, leading a column of cruisers, as she sailed into the {{convert|18,000|yd|adj=on}} range of ''Johnston''{{'}}s 5-inch (127&nbsp;mm) main battery. ''Kumano'' and her sister ship {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Suzuya||2}} fired off numerous salvos, but again, not a single Japanese shell hit the American destroyer. In contrast ''Johnston'' fired more than 200 main battery shells at ''Kumano'' over the next five minutes, striking the cruiser at least 45 times and setting her superstructure on fire.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Johnston I (DD-557) |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/j/johnston-i.html |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=NHHC |language=en-US}}</ref>{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|pp=178–80}}{{sfn|Morison|1958c|p=256}} Then, having closed to {{convert|10000|yd|sp=us}}, ''Johnston'' fired all 10 of her torpedoes at ''Kumano'' and then turned to hide in her own smoke.{{sfn|Morison|1958c|p=256}}{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|pp=185–86}}{{sfn|Morison|1958c|pp=256–57}} The exact number of hits is unknown, but at least one torpedo hit ''Kumano'' and blew off her bow, forcing her out of the battle alongside ''Suzuya'' to escort her, right as a 14-inch (356&nbsp;mm) shell from Kongo landed mere inches from Johnston (but did not hit her), spraying red dye on the hull. Dashing back to the escort carriers, Commander Evans forced two heavy cruisers out of the engagement without being hit by a single Japanese projectile.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{cite AV media |title=USS Johnston's Last Stand |publisher=Yarnhub |via=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWkYEHoLrcs |access-date=2024-02-04 |language=en}}</ref>

==== Damage from ''Yamato'' ====
However, at 0730, at {{convert|20300|yd|m}}, battleship ''Yamato'' engaged a US "cruiser" and fired a single full nine gun broadside. Suddenly, three 18.1-inch (46&nbsp;cm) shells smashed into ''Johnston''.{{sfn|Morison|1958c|p=257}}{{sfn|Roscoe|1953|p=430}} Seconds later, three 6.1-inch (155&nbsp;mm) shells out of six fired from ''Yamato''{{'}}s secondary battery made their mark. The damage was initially recorded as three 14-inch (356&nbsp;mm) shells from ''Kongō'' at a distance of {{convert|14250|yd|m}}, but Japanese records displayed ''Kongō'' to be much farther and blinded by a rain squall, unable to fire her guns, as where ''Yamato'' claimed numerous hits with her main and secondary guns on a US "cruiser" at the same exact moment ''Johnston'' was hit.<ref name=":2" /> The light cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Noshiro||2}} and the destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Kishinami||2}} also observed ''Yamato'' sinking a US "cruiser" matching ''Johnston''{{'}}s location.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Lundgren |first=Robert |title=The World Wonder'd: What Really Happened Off Samar |publisher=Nimble Books |date=2014 |isbn=978-1-60888-046-1 |page=78 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite AV media |title=Dogfights: U.S. Beats Back the Japanese Navy (S1, E8) {{!}} Full Episode |publisher=History |via=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zrorXYgh-A |access-date=2024-02-04 |language=en}}</ref>

Having mistaken ''Johnston'' for a cruiser'', Yamato'' fired [[armour-piercing ammunition]] from her main guns, which over penetrated ''Johnston''{{'}}s unarmored hull without exploding. Still, the damage resulted in numerous casualties as ''Yamato''{{'}}s 6.1-inch (155&nbsp;mm) shells mostly landed upon her superstructure. One landed amidships, taking out an AA fire director, while the remaining two hit forward, tearing into the torpedo director and shredding the bridge, blowing off two of Evans's fingers and his shirt, and causing the loss of her [[gyrocompass]].<ref name=":1" />{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|pp=203–05}}<ref name=":0" /> Meanwhile, two 18.1-inch (46&nbsp;cm) shells landed amidships, severely damaging ''Johnston''{{'}}s engines, cutting her speed to {{convert|17|kn|sp=us}}. The remaining 18.1-inch (46&nbsp;cm) shell hit two thirds down the ship, cutting power to all of ''Johnston''{{'}}s 5-inch (127&nbsp;mm) guns.<ref name=":3">{{cite AV media |title=Newly Released Computer Model of USS Johnston Shipwreck Displays Evidence of Explosions |publisher=History X |via=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcUYuVA9Rfs |access-date=2024-02-04 |language=en}}</ref> Hidden in her smoke and a rain squall for the next ten minutes, ''Johnston''{{'}}s crew restored power to the forward main guns. The third was permanently disconnected from fire control and had to be operated manually.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}{{sfn|Morison|1958c|p=257}}

====Defense of the escort carriers====

After turning south to rejoin Taffy 3, ''Johnston'' encountered ''Hoel'', ''Heermann'', and ''Samuel B. Roberts'', en route to make their own torpedo attacks.{{sfn|Morison|1958c|pp=262–63}} Despite such immense damage, Evans turned ''Johnston'' around to follow and support them,{{sfn|Roscoe|1953|p=430}}{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|pp=226–27}}{{sfn|Morison|1958c|p=263}} in the process exchanging gunfire with the heavy cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Haguro||2}}. By 0820, the escorts had launched their torpedoes and turned south, making smoke and still exchanging fire with the Japanese, to rejoin Taffy 3. This was accomplished by 0840,{{sfn|Morison|1958c|pp=266–67}} when ''Heermann'' and ''Johnston'', enveloped in smoke, nearly collided.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}{{sfn|Morison|1958c|p=267}}{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|p=256}} At that time, ''Johnston'' spotted ''Kongō'', {{convert|7,000|yd|m}} distant, fired 30 shells at her, and then evaded returned fire from ''Kongō''.{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|p=264}}{{sfn|Morison|1958c|pp=267–68}} ''Johnston'' next sighted ''Gambier Bay'', immobile, listing to port, and under fire from numerous warships, and briefly fired on the heavy cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Chikuma|1938|2}} as the remaining destroyers attempted to cover her, achieving partial success at their own risk as ''Hoel'' was sunk by gunfire from ''Kongō'', a heavy cruiser, and ''Yamato''{{'}}s secondary battery, while ''Chikuma'' engaged in an intense point blank range duel with ''Heermann'' and ''Samuel B. Roberts'' (''Yamato'' still targeted ''Gambier Bay'' with her main guns, which would later sink at 0911).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-30 |title=Yamato and Musashi Internet Photo Archive |url=http://www.battleshipyamato.com/ |access-date=2024-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330044330/http://www.battleshipyamato.com/ |archive-date=30 March 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hoel I (DD-533) |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/h/hoel-i.html |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=NHHC |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Johnston'' ceased fire as six Japanese destroyers led by the light cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Yahagi|1942|2}} approached the other carriers.{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|pp=264, 272–73}}{{sfn|Morison|1958c|p=272}}<ref name=":1" />

''Johnston'' engaged the entire squadron, opening fire on ''Yahagi'' at 0850 from 10,000 yards and closed to {{convert|7000|yds}}. ''Johnston'' attempted to [[Crossing the T|cross the squadron's T]], limiting them to their forward guns, but the Japanese squadron reacted, turning and engaging the American destroyer with their broadsides.<ref>{{Citation |title=Dogfights: U.S. Beats Back the Japanese Navy (S1, E8) {{!}} Full Episode |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zrorXYgh-A |access-date=2024-02-19 |language=en}}</ref> ''Johnston'' hit ''Yahagi'' 12 times and was in turn struck by several 5-inch (127&nbsp;mm) shells.{{sfn|Morison|1958c|p=272}} ''Yahagi'' scored critical damage as at least two 6-inch (152&nbsp;mm) shells hit the bow and disabled ''Johnston''{{'}}s remaining 5-inch (127&nbsp;mm) guns, leaving her completely defenseless and starting a large fire that forced the evacuation of the bridge. ''Yahagi'' was then [[strafed]] by US aircraft, turned to starboard and disengaged.<ref name=":3" /> ''Johnston'' turned her fire on the Japanese destroyers, which soon also banked starboard and, with ''Yahagi'', discharged their torpedoes at the carriers without effect.{{sfn|Morison|1958c|pp=272–73}}{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|pp=273–75}} The destroyers then focused on ''Johnston'', and, in short order, denuded her of her main mast, last engine, rendered the bridge uninhabitable, and set much of the ship ablaze.{{sfn|Morison|1958c|pp=273–74}} Evans moved his command to the [[stern|fantail]], where,{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|p=316}} at 0945, he ordered the crew to abandon ship, as under sustained and intense gunfire damage, ''Johnston'' began to split apart around two thirds down the ship where she was hit by an 18.1-inch (46&nbsp;cm) shell from ''Yamato'' earlier in the battle.<ref name=":3" />{{sfn|Roscoe|1953|p=431}}{{sfn|Morison|1958c|p=274}} At 1010, ''Johnston'' rolled over and sank. As she sank, the crew of the {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Yukikaze|1939|6}} sailed past ''Johnston'' and saluted her crew. Of her complement of 327 men, 186 men and officers died.{{sfn|Morison|1958c|pp=273–74}} Commander Ernest E Evans was observed abandoning ship in a lifeboat but was never seen again and presumed dead.<ref name=":1" /> The remaining 141 men were rescued by American vessels after 50 hours at sea. ''Johnston'' was struck from the [[Navy Register]] on 27 November 1944.{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}

==Awards==
''Johnston'' received six [[battle stars]] and, for the action at Samar, a [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]].{{sfn|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}} For the same action, Commander Evans was posthumously awarded the [[Medal of Honor]].{{sfn|Hornfischer|2004|p=416}}

==Wreck discovery==
On 30 October 2019, the [[research vessel]] (RV) {{RV|Petrel||2}}, belonging to [[Vulcan Inc.]], discovered the remains of what was believed to be ''Johnston'' at the bottom of the [[Philippine Trench]]. The remains consisted of a deck gun, a propeller shaft, and some miscellaneous debris that could not be used to identify the wreck,<ref>{{cite news|last=Werner|first=Ben|title=Wreck of Famed WWII Destroyer USS Johnston May Have Been Found|url=https://news.usni.org/2019/10/30/wreck-of-famed-wwii-destroyer-uss-johnston-may-have-been-found|work=[[USNI News]]|date=31 October 2019|access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref> but additional debris was observed lying deeper than the RV could reach.<ref name=bbc>{{cite news|last=Morelle|first=Rebecca|author-link=Rebecca Morelle|title=USS Johnston: Sub dives to deepest-known shipwreck|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56608713|work=BBC|date=2 April 2021|access-date=27 January 2021}}</ref> On 31 March 2021, the research vessel {{ship|DSV|Limiting Factor}} of [[Caladan Oceanic]], financed and piloted by [[Victor Vescovo]],<ref>{{cite news|date=1 April 2021 |title= Wreckage Confirmed as Heroic USS Johnstion (DD 557)|work= Naval History and Heritage Command News |publisher= [[Naval History and Heritage Command]] |url= https://www.history.navy.mil/news-and-events/news/2021/wreckage-confirmed-as-heroic-uss-johnston--dd-557-.html |access-date= 31 December 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211214225136/https://www.history.navy.mil/news-and-events/news/2021/wreckage-confirmed-as-heroic-uss-johnston--dd-557-.html |archive-date= 14 December 2021 |url-status= live}}</ref> surveyed and photographed the deeper wreck and definitively identified it as ''Johnston'' at a depth of {{cvt|21180|ft}}. Until {{USS|Samuel B. Roberts|DE-413|2}} was discovered on 22 June 2022, ''Johnston'' was the deepest discovered shipwreck in the world.<ref name=bbc/><ref name="Guardian-deepest">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/04/us-navy-ship-sunk-nearly-80-years-ago-reached-in-worlds-deepest-shipwreck-dive |title=US Navy ship sunk nearly 80 years ago reached in world's deepest shipwreck dive |agency=[[Agence France-Presse]] |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 April 2021 |access-date=4 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Buckley|first=Julia|title=Explorers find the world's deepest shipwreck four miles under the Pacific|url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/sammy-b-roberts-wreck-victor-vescovo/index.html|work=CNN|date=24 June 2022|access-date=24 June 2022}}</ref>

<gallery class="center">
Starboard bow of the wreck of the USS Johnston DD-557.jpg|Starboard bow of the wreck of USS ''Johnston''
Bridge and Mk 37 Gun Fire Control System (top) of wreck of the USS Johnston DD-557.jpg|Bridge and Mk 37 Gun Fire Control System (top) of wreck
Gun turret No. 51 on the bow of the wreck of the USS Johnston DD-557.jpg|Gun turret No. 51 on the bow of the wreck
</gallery>Naval historian Parks Stevenson created a 3-D model of ''Johnston''{{'}}s wreck which shows just how much damage the ship took, and the state the wreck is in. The forward two thirds of the hull still sit upright with her forward 5-inch (127&nbsp;mm) guns and rangefinder turned to starboard at the enemy ships she faced before she went down. Her hull number, 557, is still a bright white and clearly visible, and her hull is buried in the sand up to the waterline. Enemy damage plagues ''Johnston'' as shell holes from numerous destroyers and ''Yahagi'' riddle the ship, punching into the sides and wrecking her superstructure, and ''Johnston'' split in two where she was hit by an 18.1-inch (46&nbsp;cm) shell from ''Yamato'', leaving ''Johnston''{{'}}s back third undiscovered, if it is even recognizable. Despite that, the bridge is still fully intact and recognizable, with damage from a 6.1-inch (155&nbsp;mm) shell from ''Yamato''{{'}}s secondary battery putting a hole beneath where Evans commanded the ship. Her AA guns are still trained, and several holes in ''Johnston'' line up with accounts of enemy damage (such as a 5-inch (127&nbsp;mm) destroyer shell plunging into the superstructure and disabling her radio control).<ref name=":3" />

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite DANFS|last=Cressman|first=Robert J.|title=Johnston I (DD-557)|url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/j/johnston-i.html|date=7 April 2021|access-date=1 April 2021|ref={{sfnRef|DANFS: Johnston (DD-557)}}}}
* {{Cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|author-link=Norman Friedman|title=U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History|year=2005|publisher=Naval Institute Press|edition=Revised|isbn=1-55750-442-3}}
* {{Cite book|last=Hornfischer|first=James D.|author-link=James D. Hornfischer|title=[[The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors]]|date=2004|publisher=Bantam Books|isbn=978-0-553-80257-3}}
* {{cite book|last=McComb|first=Dave|title=US Destroyers 1942–45: Wartime Classes|year=2010|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-1-84603-444-2}}
* {{Cite book|last=Morison|first=Samuel Eliot|author-link=Samuel Eliot Morison|title=Aleutians, Gilberts, and Marshalls: June 1942 – April 1944|series=[[History of United States Naval Operations in World War II]]|volume=VII|year=1958|publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company]]|isbn=978-0-316-58307-7|ref={{sfnref|Morison|1958a}}}}
* {{Cite book|last=Morison|first=Samuel Eliot|title=New Guinea and the Marianas: March 1944 – August 1944|series=History of United States Naval Operations in World War II|volume=VIII|year=1958|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|isbn=978-0-252-07038-9|ref={{sfnref|Morison|1958b}}}}
* {{Cite book|last=Morison|first=Samuel Eliot|title=Leyte: June 1944 – January 1945|series=History of United States Naval Operations in World War II|volume=XII|year=1958|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|isbn=978-0-316-58317-6|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofuniteds00mori|ref={{sfnref|Morison|1958c}}}}
* {{cite book|last=Morison|first=Samuel Eliot|title=[[The Two-Ocean War]]: A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War|year=1963|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|isbn=978-0-19-647250-8}}
*{{cite book |last1=Raven |first1=Alan |title=''Fletcher''-class Destroyers |date=1986|orig-date=1982 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=0-87021-193-5|series=Anatomy of the Ship}}
* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third Revised |isbn=1-59114-119-2|author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}
* {{cite book|last=Roscoe|first=Theodore|author-link=Theodore Roscoe|title=United States Destroyer Operations in World War II|year=1953|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=0-87021-726-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesdest0000rosc}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|last1=Lacroix|first1=Eric|last2=Wells II|first2=Linton |title=Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|date=1997|isbn=0-87021-311-3 |name-list-style=amp |author-link2=Linton Wells II}}
*{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Evan |title=Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign, 1941-1945 |date=2006 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York |isbn=978-0-7432-5221-8}}
* {{cite book|last=Williams| first= Mike|chapter=''Yahagi'' - One Light Cruiser at Leyte Gulf| editor-last=Jordan |editor-first= John| publisher=Conway| location=London| date=2012|title=Warship 2012| pages=81–97| isbn=978-1-84486-156-9}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}

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{{Fletcher class destroyer}}

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[[Category:1943 ships]]
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