References Used for this page:

1) Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

2) USS Yarnall Homepage

3) Naval Historical Center, Dep. of Navy, Wash. HyperWar: World War II on the World Wide Web

America at War:  WWII (1945)

Named for James Shedden Palmer, born in 1810 in New Jersey.  He was appointed Midshipman on 1 January 1925.  He commanded FLIRT during the Mexican war, and IROQUIOS and HARTFORD during the Civil War.  He commanded the Naval station at New Orleans and the West Gulf Squadron during 1864. Appointed to command the West Indian Squadron to 1864, he was commisioned Rear Admiral on 25 July 1866.  He died on 7 December 1867 at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

    (Thanks to Willard Miller and Jane Miller for forwarding this to me)

Wickes Class Destroyer:

Displacement: 1060-1090 tons

Length: 314'4"

Beam: 30'6"

Draft: 8'8"

Speed: 35 knots

Armament: 4 4"/50, 1 3"/23, 6x3 21" torpedo tubes; or 6 3"/50, 1 3"/23, 6x3 21" torpedo tubes

Complement: 149

Geared turbines with twin screws, 26,000 h.p.

Built at Bethlehem, Fore River and commissioned 22 November 1918

Converted to Mine Sweeper (DMS-5) 19 November 1940

    James Shedden Palmer, born in 1810 in New Jersey, was appointed Midshipman 1 January 1825.  He commanded Flirt, during the Mexican War, and Iroquios and Hartford during the Civil War.  He commanded the Naval Station at New Orleans and the West Gulf Squadron during 1964.  Appointed to command the West Indian Squadron in 1865, he was commissioned Rear Admiral 25 July 1866 and died 7 December 1867 at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

(DD-161: dp. 1,191; l. 314'5", b. 31'8", dr. 9'2", s. 35 k., cpl 122; a. 4 4", 2 3", 12 21" tt.; cl. Wickes)

   Palmer (DD-161) was laid down 29 May 1918 by Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, Mass.; launched 18 August 1918; sponsored by Mrs. Robert C. Hilliard; and commissioned 22 November 1918, Comdr. R. R. Stewart in command.

    Assigned to the Pacific, Palmer joined in fleet operations until decommissioning at San Diego 31 May 1922. There she was in reserve until recommissioning 7 August 1940. Converted to a minesweeper with the designation DM-5 from 19 November 1940, she returned to the Atlantic and joined Mine Division 19 out of Norfolk for escort duty in the Atlantic and Caribbean. She sortied 24 October 1942 screening TF 34 to the invasion of North Africa, arriving 7 November off Fedala, where she made an exploratory sweep before taking station in the antisubmarine screen. Next day Palmer seized French trawler Joseph Elise, and engaged an enemy shore battery.

    Palmer served on patrol and escort off North Africa until 12 December, then returned to Atlantic escort duty through 1943, plying coastal, Caribbean and Northwestern Atlantic routes. Ordered to the Pacific, she trained out of San Diego then joined TF 53 at Pearl Harbor, sailing with it 22 January 1944 for the assault on Kwajalein. Palmer remained in the Marshalls until 12 February laying buoys and screening transports, then made escort voyages to Pearl Harbor and Majuro.

    Preceding the invasion force by two days, Palmer arrived off Saipan for a five hour sweep 13 June, then screened transports during the landings. Screening duty to Eniwetok caused her to miss the Battle of the Philippine Sea, but she returned to Saipan for screening duties, 22 June - 8 July.

    Palmer arrived off Guam 22 July, the day after the island was invaded, to screen transports off Apra for 5 days. Returning to Pearl Harbor, Palmer prepared for the return to the Philippines, a vast operation in which the aging converted destroyers would once again prove themselves. Staging at Manus, her force arrived off Leyte Gulf 17 October to sweep the main channels and transport areas during the three days before the landings. After escorting the transports through the safe channels, the minesweepers made a quick sweep in Surigao Strait, then returned to Manus 23 October, the eve of the Battle for Leyte Gulf.

    Replenished, Palmer cleared Manus 23 December for Lingayen Gulf, where she was to repeat the successful operations carried out at Leyte. Harassed en route by enemy ships and planes, Palmer and her force successfully penetrated Lingayen Gulf early 7 January 1945, and began their sweep under enemy air attack. At about 1545, a violent explosion occurred, knocking out Palmerr's port low pressure turbine. She began recovering sweeping gear and left formation to make repairs. Three hours later, at 1840, a Japanese twin-engine bomber flew low overhead and dropped two bombs which hit portside. A huge fire, threatening the magazines, billowed skyward, and Palmer sank in six minutes. Of her crew, 2 were killed, 38 wounded, and 26 missing in action.

    Palmer received 5 battle stars for World War II service.

Transcribed by Patrick Long

"The War Years", by Willard E. Miller [former crew member]