History of the USS Rall

Summary History of the USS Rall

	Name:	*USS Rall*
	Namesake:	Lieutenant (jg) R. R. Rall, DC, USN, who received special recognition from the US Navy for his development and implementation of a program which expedited treatment of shipboard casualties. He was killed 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor.
	Hull number:	DE-304
	Class:	Evarts
	Length:	289' 5"
	Beam:	35' 1" ft
	Draft:	8' 3"
	Displacement:	1140 tons
	Initial Complement:	10 officers, 5 chief petty officers, 52 petty officer ratings and 138 non-rated men
	Armament:	Three 3"/50 guns, one 1.1" quad mount gun, nine 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, depth charges, hedgehogs
	Date commissioned:	8 April 1944
	Date decommissioned:	24 September 1945
	Built by:	Mare Island Naval Shipyard

	8 April 1944	The Rall was placed in commission at Mare Island Navy Yard in California.
	9 June 1944	The Rall departed from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, escorting the USS City of Dalhart (IX 156).
	23 September 1944	The Rall sortied from Pearl Harbor, as part of a task group attached to the Third Fleet, escorting ships carrying the Garrison Force for Ulithi Atoll.
	2 November 1944	The Rall sortied from Ulithi Lagoon as part of the oiler task group (30.8) which was engaged in fueling Admiral Halsey's Third Fleet, conducting supporting operations for the landings at Leyte Gulf.
	20 November 1944	The USS Mississinew (AO 59) was torpedoed by a midget submarine in Ulithi Lagoon. The Rall headed pursued and dropped one depth charge, the first depth charge dropped by any ship in that action. She turned, headed toward the swirl a second time and two more charges were dropped. Two men swimming in the vicinity were observed, confirmed by the USS Halloran (DE 305) and after subsequent attacks made in the area a boat picked up debris with Japanese writing. Several days later the bodies of two Japanese were recovered nearby. Evidence indicated the Rall had sunk one midget submarine.
	5 December 1944	The Rall crossed the equator for the first time.
	4 April 1945	While enroute to the Nansei Shoto Islands, the Rall made an underwater submarine contact. The group was in a zone used by US submarines moving to and from their operating areas and no charges were dropped. The contact was believed to be an enemy submarine as it failed to reply to the Rall's challenges and adopted evasive tactics.
	9 April 1945	The Rall arrived at Okinawa Shima and she reported to the screen commander for radar picket duty.
	12 April 1945	At 1925, the ship, alerted by "Air Flash Red," went to General Quarters. During the next three hours, fourteen separate air attacks were tracked into the area. The Rall was attacked by five enemy planes. During the subsequent action, lasting about three minutes, the Rall's gunners brought down three planes. A fourth plane was shot down by a nearby cruiser, but the fifth plane, a Kamikaze, though hit repeatedly by the ship's guns, broke through and crashed into the ship on the starboard side aft. The Kamikaze's 500 pound bomb went through the ship below the main deck aft, exited the port side and exploded about fifteen feet from the ship. 21 enlisted men were killed, 36 enlisted men wounded and 2 officers wounded. Material damage was severe. The ship headed toward the Hagushi Beach Anchorage of Okinawa Shima under her own power.
	15 April 1945	Damaged, the Rall proceeded to Kerama Retto.
	19 April 1945	The Rall proceeded to Ulithi Lagoon.
	18 May 1945	She arrived in Seattle for permanent repairs, overhaul and alterations.
	12 July 1945	The Rall got underway for San Diego, California, for refresher training.
	28 July 1945	The Rall left San Diego for Pearl Harbor.
	3 September 1945	The Rall left Pearl Harbor with orders to proceed to Charleston, South Carolina, for decommissioning.
	9 September 1945	She arrived in San Pedro.
	19 September 1945	The Rall arrived in Panama and transited the canal.
	24 September 1945	She arrived in Charleston, South Carolina and proceeded to the Charleston Navy Yard for decommissioning. She was decommissioned 11 December 1945 and struck from the Naval Register 3 January 1946. She was sold for scrap 18 March 1947.

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