>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1969) Vol. 4, p.168.





LYMAN





	Chan Lyman, born in the township of Grandriver, Cass 

County, Mo., 30 December 1912, enlisted in the Navy 23 

August 1928 and completed 4 years in the Naval Reserve.  

After earning his Merchant Marine officer’s license, he was 

commissioned ensign in the Naval Reserve 16 January 1940.



	Following Pearl Harbor, he was called to active duty 

and reported 9 January 1942 to fleet oiler NEOSHO (AO-23).  

On 7 May, during the Battle of the Coral Sea, NEOSHO and her 

escorting destroyer were attacked by three separate flights 

of aircraft.  Ensign Lyman lost his life when eight bombs 

and a suicide plane set his ship afire.





DE-302

Displacement:  1,140 t.

Length:  289’5”

Beam:  35’1”

Draft:  8’3”

Speed:  21 k.

Complement:  156

Armament:  3 3”; 4 1.1”; 9 20mm;

	8 depth charge projectors;

	2 depth charge tracks;

	1 hedge hog

Class:  EVARTS



	LYMAN (DE-302) was laid down 22 April 1943 by Mare 

Island Navy Yard, Calif.; launched 19 August 1943; sponsored 

by Mrs. Chan Lyman, wife of Ensign Lyman; and commissioned 

19 February 1944, Lt. Comdr. James W. Wilson in command.



	LYMAN cleared San Francisco Bay 23 April 1944 for duty 

at Pearl Harbor as a training ship.  With other destroyer 

escorts, she acted as target for fleet submarines and screen 

for escort carriers training flight squadrons.



	On 20 August, she departed Pearl Harbor and began 13 

months screening the vital supply ships of the 3d and 5th 

Fleets.  Arriving off Kossol Passage 20 September, she 

screened the Western Garrison Group during the invasions of 

the Palau Islands.  Departing Peleliu 22 October, LYMAN 

formed part of the escort which brought the 1st Marines to 

the Russell Islands.



	Her first port availability period at Manus, Admiralty 

Islands, was marked 7 November by the explosion of an 

ammunition ship nearby.  A week later at Ulithi, a Japanese 

midget submarine managed to torpedo an oiler in the same 

anchorage.  LYMAN weighed anchor 16 December, screening 

auxiliaries supporting the invasion of Lingayen Gulf, Luzon.  

She returned to Ulithi 14 January 1945, but again early in 

February was at sea protecting a replenishment group during 

the capture of Iwo Jima.  Her logistic support group was 

also in the Ryukyus from 22 March to 11 June supporting the 

fierce struggle for strategically important Okinawa.  During 

this later action, a typhoon of 5 June caused the ship to 

roll 65 degrees and accomplished what enemy action had been 

unable to achieve:  the withdrawal of LYMAN for repairs.



	Underway again 3 July, the destroyer escort ended the 

war guarding the supply ships the 3d Fleet, then striking 

the Japanese home islands.  Entering Tokyo Bay 30 August 

with a group of tankers, she remained to witness the 

surrender ceremony of 2 September.  Departing the next day, 

she steamed eastward collecting passengers at each stop.  

She debarked 80 veterans at San Francisco 8 October.



	Inactivation began almost immediately and was completed 

after LYMAN sailed to Richmond, Calif., 8 November.  

Decommissioned 5 December 1945, she was sold to the Puget 

Sound Navigation Co., Seattle, Wash., 26 December 1946.



	LYMAN received five battle stars for World War II 

service.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com