United States Navy — Destroyer

USS Coghlan (DD-606) — service history

This is the full service history. For the vessel's particulars, photograph and specifications, see the entry.

In the words of the US Navy. The account below is reproduced verbatim from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command — a work of the United States Government, in the public domain, and the only text on this site not written here.

Contents

Before commissioning
Second World War 1939–1945
1942 Amchatka 2
1943 Komandorski Islands 2
1944 Saipan 2
Vietnam War period 1964–1975
1971 1
References 5

Periods, years and the actions beside them are read out of the text — the source is one continuous narrative with no divisions of its own. A period is the calendar, not a claim: a vessel with a 1951 section was not necessarily off Korea.

Before commissioning

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Coghlan (DD-606) after her launch at the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California (USA), on 12 February 1942. U.S. Navy Burau of Ships photo 19-NN - DD-606 Coghlan - 19-NN-DD-606-1 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

DD-606: displacement 1,620; length 347'9"; beam 361"; draft 17'4"; speed 38 knots; complement 262; armament 4 5-inch, 5 21-inch torpedo tubes; class Benson )

Second World War 1939–1945

1942 Amchatka

The second Coghlan (DD-606) was launched 12 February 1942 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co., Inc., San Francisco, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. Graham Coghlan; commissioned on 10 July 1942, Lt. Cmdr. B. F. Tompkins in command; and reported to the Pacific Fleet.

Coghlan sailed from San Francisco on 22 September 1942 for Pearl Harbor and Kodiak, Alaska, arriving on 13 October for convoy and patrol duty. She supported Army landings on Amchatka 12 January 1943, and participated in the bombardment of Gibson Island at the entrance of Chicago Harbor 18 February. On 20 February, she aided in the sinking of a Japanese merchantman. On 15 March she cleared Dutch Harbor with a force to patrol against Japanese shipping south and west of Kiska to prevent reinforcement of enemy-held Attu.

1943 Komandorski Islands

On 26 March 1943, her group turned a larger Japanese force back in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands. In this action, Coghlan screened the light cruiser Richmond (CL-9), and laid smoke for the disabled heavy cruiser Salt Lake City (CA-25). She bombarded Holtz and Chicago harbors 26 April, and with the southern support group covered the landings on Attu from 11 May to 2 June. Overhauled at San Francisco in July, Coghlan returned to Adak on 13 August for two final weeks on patrol in the Aleutians.

Coghlan sailed on 25 August 1943 for Pearl Harbor, arriving on 1 September. After taking part in the raids on Baker and Tarawa Islands from 15 to 17 September and the attack on Wake on 5 October, Coghlan replenished at Pearl Harbor and sailed on 31 October for escort and screening duties in the assault on the Gilberts. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 11 December.

1944 Saipan

Coghlan sailed from Pearl Harbor on 22 January 1944 to screen carriers giving air coverage to the landings in the Marshalls. She returned, screening transports, to Pearl Harbor 8 March for overhaul. On her next cruise, from 14 to 22 April, she escorted a carrier to sea on its way to Majuro, returning to Pearl Harbor 22 April. On 24 May she sailed for Eniwetok, where she joined the screen of landing ships bound for the invasion of Saipan on 15 June. Coghlan gave fire support and patrolled off the island until 23 June. After replenishing at Eniwetok, the destroyer returned to Saipan 17 July to support the landings at Tinian 24 July. After providing fire support until the island was secured on 1 August, Coghlan sailed for a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor.

Coghlan arrived at Manus, in the Admilrsalty Islands, on 8 October 1944, and sailed for the operations in the Philippines on 6 November. She conducted convoy escort duty from Humboldt Bay and Palau to Leyte, and supported the landings at Ormoc Bay on 7 and 8 December, firing in the heavy kamikaze attack on the first day. On 9 January 1945 she entered Lingayen Gulf for patrol and screening operations in support of the landings. She continued to operate in the Philippines until 8 April, when she cleared San Pedro Bay for a stateside overhaul. She returned to Pearl Harbor 22 July, and on 26 August arrived at Okinawa for occupation duty, carrying passengers, mail, and light freight between Okinawa and Japan. On 23 October she sailed for Pearl Harbor, San Diego, and Charleston, where she arrived 2 December. After overhaul and a year of inactivity, Coghlan was decommissioned and placed in reserve 31 March 1947.

Vietnam War period 1964–1975

1971

Stricken from the Navy Register on 1 July 1971, the veteran of combat in the Aleutians and the Pacific was sold to Aardvark International of Chester, Pa., on 12 June 1974 and broken up for scrap.

References

Every work this entry draws on. There are no numbered markers in the text above: what we hold is the provenance of the page — this history, this article, these photographs.

History Coghlan II (DD-606) Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command. A work of the United States Government, in the public domain — the only text on this site reproduced verbatim.
Facts USS Coghlan (DD-606) Structured facts only — dates, dimensions, armament and fate. No wording is taken from it. Harvested 1 August 2026.
Photograph USS Coghlan U.S. Navy — NavSource ( direct link ) — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
Photograph USS Coghlan (DD-606) after her launch on 12 February 1942 U.S. Navy Burau of Ships photo 19-NN - DD-606 Coghlan - 19-NN-DD-606-1 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
Photograph USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) and USS Markab (AD-21) at Dutch Harbor on 29 March 1943 U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo 80-G-299023 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons