USS John R. Craig (DD-885) was a Gearing-classdestroyer in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1979. She was sunk as a target in June 1980.
History
Namesake and commissioning
The destroyer was named for Lieutenant Commander John R. Craig. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Craig graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1930 and received flight training the following year. During 1935 and 1936 he underwent submarine training. Prior to the outbreak of World War II, he commanded USS R-17 (SS-94). He took command of USS Grampus (SS-207) on 16 September 1942. During the next 6 months he led the submarine on high risk attacks against Japanese shipping. While on her sixth war patrol, Grampus was lost in the Southwest Pacific with all hands on 22 March 1943. He was declared dead on 23 March 1944. Craig was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for his extraordinary heroism.[1]
After shakedown in Caribbean John R. Craig, departed Charleston, South Carolina on 19 January 1946 for Naval Station San Diego, arriving 1 February. On 7 February it left to join the United States Seventh Fleet and assist in repatriating Japanese soldiers from North China. The destroyer returned San Diego on 31 January 1947. In the years prior to the Korean conflict it alternated Far Eastern deployments with periods of training off the California coast.
Korean War
In the lead-up to the Korean War, the USS Craig was dispatched to Jeju Island to enforce a naval blockade, preventing insurgents from obtaining mainland help. (see: Jeju Uprising) On May 19, Colonel Rothwell Brown was designated the supreme military commander on Jeju island and tasked with suppressing the revolt, declaring “I’m not interested in the cause of the uprising. My mission is to crack down only.” The crackdown would ultimately end in more than 30,000 dead, including more than 14,000 civilians.[2]
After the Korean War broke out, John R. Craig arrived in the combat zone on 19 February 1951. She immediately commenced operations with Task Force 77, screening aircraft carrier strikes on enemy shore positions. During the Chinese spring offensive the destroyer performed shore bombardment in the Wonsan area, knocking out enemy installations and disrupting transportation. But for two brief periods in San Diego, she continued operations off Korea during the remainder of the conflict.
Cold War
Following the cessation of hostilities in July 1953, John R. Craig continued patrol operations south of the 38th parallel. From 1954 to 1962 the destroyer engaged in exercises off the West Coast with annual deployments to the Far East. During her 1955 cruise she took an active part in the evacuation of Chinese nationalists from the Dachen Islands during the First Taiwan Strait Crisis. Subsequent cruises consisted of exercises with the Japanese Self Defense Force in 1957, anti-submarine warfare exercises, Taiwan Strait patrol and maneuvers with the Republic of China Navy during the 1961 cruise.
On 9 April 1972 while supporting ARVN and American units close to the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone, the John R. Craig took North Vietnamese artillery fire, using 105 mmhowitzers captured from the ARVN. Hundreds of artillery shells fell around her and she was struck by numerous fragments as well as five direct hits which started several fires. One hit at the waterline flooded a compartment with 3 feet (0.91 m) of water, and was dead in the water until the electrical systems and power could be restored. After a quick fix with a soft patch at Da Nang she returned to fight and support allied units the next day, again receiving enemy fire, but did not take any hits.
^FSCC Permanent War Journal 1–31 July 1965, pages 51-52 NGF 101-113 (USS Craig and USS Stoddard DD-566)
^Command Diary 2nd Bn 3rd Marines July 1965 pages 55-56 report Crowd (3rd Regiment) from Shove (Division G-2) 28th at 2050H and 2215H and 29 July 1235H "NGF and heavy firefight."
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.
Photo gallery of John R. Craig at NavSource Naval History