| The USS Twining (DD540) was commissioned at Bethlehem Steel Company, San Francisco on 1 December 1943. After the usual shakedown Twining reported for duty in the Pacific Fleet in February 1944. For two months ships of Destroyer Squadron 53, including Twining, were utilized at Pearl Harbor for training and operations.
Twining left Pearl in May of 1944 with the with the Marianas invasion force and arrived at Saipan 13 June. Twining acted as a bombardment and fighter director ship throughout the Saipan and Tinian occupations. On 15 June 1944, a shore battery on Nafutan Point, Saipan, which opened up on the ship was effectively silenced after a brief exchange of salvoes. Later than same night a huge enemy ammunition dump was blown up near Aslite airfield by fire from Twining’s guns.
During the period 16–23 June 1944, Twining operated with Task Force 58 west of the Marianas in the defense against enemy air and surface actions in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Destroyer Division 106 less Wedderburn (DD684), plus Monssen (DD798) was ordered out ahead of battle-line as radar picket line. In this position on 19 June, Destroyer Division 106 bore the brunt of enemy air attacks against our force. Twining was credited with the  destruction of three planes.
After the Battle of the Philippine Sea the ship returned to Saipan and continued close support work there and at Tinian, finally being returned to Eniwetok in August 1944 with a machinery derangement.
After repairs were completed at Eniwetok the ship had the unique experience of riding out a small typhoon in a floating drydock.
On 15 September 1944, the Twining left Eniwetok and reported to the Fast Carrier Task Force 38, and operated in support of the Palau invasion (19 September–28 September) and the initial raids on Luzon (21-22 September) proceeding to and replenishing at Ulithi Atoll from 1 October to 6 October.
The Twining left Ulithi on 6 October 1944, with Task Force 38 to operate in support of the Leyte invasion (6 October–9 November) (14 November–22 November). In order to further support the Philippine landings Task Force 38 carried out the initial raids on Okinawa and Formosa from 12 October to 15 October, receiving considerable opposition from enemy aircraft. The Twining receiving credit for shooting down one enemy plane during the night of 12 October. After the completion of these raids we returned to the Philippine area participating in the Cape Engaņo engagement of the Battle for Leyte Gulf (25–26 October) and continued operations in this vicinity until 9 November when we returned to Ulithi for a short period of upkeep.
From 10 September 1944, until 20 January l945, still with the Fast Carrier Task Force, our operations were in support of the invasion of Luzon and the China Sea Sortie of the Third Fleet with raids on Indo China and the China Coast. It was during this period (17–18 December) that the Third Fleet rode out a terrific typhoon with three ships being lost and considerable damage to other units. The Twining—standing by the USS Monterey, which was on fire—came through with only minor damage.
On 27 January 1945, in Ulithi Atoll, Commander F. V. List, USN, relieved Commander E. K. Wakefield as Commanding Officer.
The Fleet sortied from Ulithi on 10 February 1945, now under the command of Admiral Spruance and known as "Famous Task Force 58" and proceeded to the home waters of the Japanese Empire where the initial Naval raids on Tokyo were carried out as a diversion for the support of the Iwo Jima occupation. On 20 February Destroyer Division 106 proceeded with San Francisco, Boston, Astoria, Wilkes-Barre and Pasadena to Iwo Jima for a shore bombardment mission returning to Task Force 58 on 22 February to continue raids on Japanese homeland.
From this time on we have operated continuously in Japanese water carrying out endless strikes against Japan home islands of Kyushu, Honshu and Hokkaido and directly supporting the invasion of Okinawa and the engagement off Western Kyushu in which the Jap battleship Yamato was sent to the bottom.
Our periods for upkeep and recreation in port have been extremely limited although we were thankful for the last two weeks of June at Leyte which enabled us to effect necessary repairs and have a small amount of shore recreation.
In the closing days of the Okinawa campaign the Task Group returned to the command of Admiral Halsey’s Third Fleet and after our availability at Leyte which ended 1 July we returned to Japanese waters to continue the strikes on the homeland. During the night of 24–25 July, Destroyer Squadron 53 with Cruiser Division 17, proceeded to close the shore of Japan to carry out an anti-shipping sweep of the Kii Suido and a bombardment of the Shiono-Misaki airfield. We returned to Task Force 38 and have continued the air strikes until today, 15 August 1945, when we were informed that Japan had agreed to unconditional surrender terms and ordered to cease hostilities. | |
