Most decorated USN ships of WWII

[MarcusAurelius]

Here's a list of the most decorated U.S. Navy ships that served in World War II. I've seen a few discrepencies between sources, but this should be pretty comprehensive. If you see any errors or omissions, let me know and I'll get it updated.

It might be interesting to track battle honors for a WaS fleet, as well.

20 battle stars
USS Enterprise (CV-6), Yorktown class aircraft carrier

17 battle stars
USS Minneapolis (CA-36), New Orleans class heavy cruiser
USS New Orleans (CA-32), New Orleans class heavy cruiser
USS O'Bannon (DD-450), Fletcher class destroyer
USS San Francisco (CA-38), New Orleans class heavy cruiser

16 battle stars
USS Buchanan (DD-484), Gleaves class destroyer
USS Maury (DD-401), Gridley class destroyer
USS Nicholas (DD-449), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Portland (CA-33), Portland class heavy cruiser
USS Russell (DD-414), Sims class destroyer
USS Saufley (DD-465), Fletcher class destroyer

15 battle stars
USS Fletcher (DD-445), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Narwhal (SS-167), Narwhal class submarine
USS North Carolina (BB-55), North Carolina class battleship
USS San Diego (CL-53), Atlanta class light cruiser
USS Taylor (DD-468), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Thresher (SS-200), Tambor class submarine

14 battle stars
USS Conyngham (DD-371), Mahan class destroyer
USS Edwards (DD-619), Gleaves class destroyer
USS Farragut (DD-348), Farragut class destroyer
USS Hughes (DD-410), Sims class destroyer
USS Jenkins (DD-447), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Nautilus (SS-168), Narwhal class submarine
USS Tautog (SS-199), Tambor class submarine

13 battle stars
USS Brown (DD-546), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Cleveland (CL-55), Cleveland class light cruiser
USS Dewey (DD-349), Farragut class destroyer
USS Essex (CV-9), Essex class aircraft carrier
USS Finback (SS-230), Gato class submarine
USS Louisville (CA-28), Northampton class heavy cruiser
USS Montpelier (CL-57), Cleveland class light cruiser
USS Mustin (DD-413), Sims class destroyer
USS Patterson (DD-392), Bagley class destroyer
USS Pensacola (CA-24), Pensacola class heavy cruiser
USS San Juan (CL-54), Atlanta class light cruiser
USS Seawolf (SS-197), Sargo class submarine
USS South Dakota (BB-57), South Dakota class battleship
USS Suwanee (CVE-27), Sangamon class escort carrier
USS Washington (BB-56), North Carolina class battleship
USS Wichita (CA-45), Wichita class heavy cruiser

[MarcusAurelius]

I haven't taken the list much further at this point. But there are at least 40 other ships that earned 10 or more battle stars. Of those, here are a few notable units we already have miniatures for in WaS:

12 battle stars
USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24), Independence class aircraft carrier
USS Cowpens (CVL-25), Independence class aircraft carrier

11 battle stars
USS Boise (CL-47), Brooklyn class light cruiser
USS Denver (CL-58), Cleveland class light cruiser
USS Monterey (CVL-26), Independence class aircraft carrier
USS Salt Lake City (CA-25), Pensacola class heavy cruiser

10 battle stars
USS Boston (CA-69), Baltimore class heavy cruiser
USS Columbia (CL-56), Cleveland class light cruiser
USS Tennessee (BB-43), Tennessee class battleship

[Autarch]

It might be interesting to track battle honors for a WaS fleet, as well.


Lol, the way this game plays, most ships would only get one battle star.

Posthumously...

Interesting list, though. What exactly are the parameters of receiving a battle star? Just being present at point of contact or must shots be fired in anger?

[TheJudge]

I suppose you could earn battle stars for the following:

Battle(obviously)- scoring a hit on a ship, evading hits from enemy ships, shooting down aircraft.

Rescue- aiding in the rescue of downed airmen or another ship.

Damage control- aiding in the damage control of a stricken ship. I believe it was the Birmingham next to the Princeton during Leyte Gulf that was helping to fight fires when Princeton exploded. This would certainly constitue bravery.

[The_Lucky_Y]

Interesting thing that the big guns(battleships)are not on the top places and only a few aircraft carriers lead the big ship rooster.

[TheJudge]

That is interesting but consider that the battleships didn't have that many confrontations overall and ships like destroyers had way more, it's easy to figure out.

Escorting a convoy alone deserves a battle star even if nothing happened. It must have been scary as hell floating across the north Atlantic at night knowing full well that 20-30 submarines were waiting for you.

Destroyers had the (dis)honor of sub chasing, escort duty, radar picket, AA, and ship to ship engagements so they had to do it all.

I quite imagine that aircraft were given seperate awards for sinking ships, splashing planes, etc while their ships earned different honors. Not sure about this though.

[swarbs]

While this isn't battlestar related I've always thought it was cool that the USS Pennsylvania owns the record for most rounds fired in anger of any US warship (despite her main battery not even having time to open up at Surigao Strait). So since she didn't make it on to the top of the battlestar list she should have a decoration for Most Nervous Gunners, but as a native Pennsylvanian myself I prefer just to admire the crew's efforts.

[MarcusAurelius]

Interesting list, though. What exactly are the parameters of receiving a battle star? Just being present at point of contact or must shots be fired in anger?

Battle stars were issued to U.S. Navy ships for meritorious participation in battle, or for having suffered during battle conditions.

For example, the USS Enterprise earned 20 of a total 22 battle stars awarded in the Pacific theater of operations during World War II. Here's the breakdown:

1. Pearl Harbor (Dec 7-10, 1941, anti-submarine action)
2. Pacific Raids (Feb 1-Mar 4, 1942, Marshall, Wake and Marcus Islands)
3. Battle of Midway (Jun 4-6, 1942)
4. Battle of Guadalcanal (Aug 7-9, 1942, invasion by USMC 1st Division)
5. Capture and Defense of Guadalcanal (Aug 10-25, 1942)
6. Battle of the Eastern Solomons (Aug 24, 1942)
7. Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands (Oct 26, 1942)
8. Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (Nov 13-15, 1942)
9. Battle of Rennell Island Jan 29-30, 1943)
10. Gilbert Islands Operations (Nov 19-Dec 4, 1943, Makin Islands invasion)
11. Marshall Islands Operations (Jan 28-Feb 8, 1944)
12. Asiatic-Pacific Raids (Feb 16-May 1, 1944, Truk, Palau)
13. New Guinea Operations (Apr 21-24, 1944)
14. Mariana Islands Operations (Jun 11-24, 1944, Battle of the Philippine Sea)
15. Western Pacific Operations (Aug 31-Oct 18, 1944, Palau, Okinawa, Formosa)
16. Invasion of Leyte Island (Oct 15-26, 1944, Battle of Leyte Gulf)
17. Luzon Operations (Jan 6-16, 1945)
18. Night Carrier Group 90/5th Fleet Raids (Feb 15-16, 1945)
19. Assault and Occupation of Iwo Jima (Feb 23-Mar 12, 1945)
20. Okinawa Operations (Mar 18-May 16, 1945)

[MarcusAurelius]

That is interesting but consider that the battleships didn't have that many confrontations overall and ships like destroyers had way more, it's easy to figure out. Destroyers had the (dis)honor of sub chasing, escort duty, radar picket, AA, and ship to ship engagements so they had to do it all.

I couldn't find a specific breakdown of which operations the USS O'Bannon was awarded battle stars for. But her service record during World War II was certainly extensive, including:

First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (Nov 13, 1942)
Battle of Kula Gulf (Jul 6, 1943)
Battle of Kolombangara (Jul 12-13, 1943)
Battle of Vella Lavella (Oct 6, 1943)
Battle of Leyte Gulf (Oct 24, 1944)

In addition, O'Bannon saw combat during escort duties (attacking subs and enemy aircraft) and provided fire support for many of the Allied island invasions throughout the Pacific campaign.

[MarcusAurelius]

Interesting thing that the big guns(battleships)are not on the top places and only a few aircraft carriers lead the big ship rooster.

Actually, I think this list would make for an effective task force (circa late 1944), including a submarine screening force. Consider:

2 aircraft carriers (Enterprise, Essex)
1 battleship (North Carolina)
6 heavy cruisers (Louisville, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Pensacola, Portland, San Francisco)
3 light cruisers (Cleveland, Montpelier, San Diego)
17 destroyers (Brown, Buchanan, Conyngham, Dewey, Edwards, Farragut, Fletcher, Hughes, Jenkins, Maury, Mustin, Nicholas, O'Bannon, Patterson, Russell, Saufley, Taylor)
5 submarines (Finback, Narwhal, Nautilus, Tautog, Thresher)

The Navy commissioned far more destroyers during the war than carriers and battleships. So it only makes sense that they're well-represented here.

[MarcusAurelius]

Continuing the list, here are more U.S. Navy ships that earned 10 or more battle stars for World War II service. Three of the most interesting entries: the USS Cimarron, USS Caliente and USS Platte — oilers that took part in the Pacific campaign.

12 battle stars
USS Bagley (DD-386), Bagley class destroyer
USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24), Independence class aircraft carrier
USS Bradford (DD-545), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Cowpens (CVL-25), Independence class aircraft carrier
USS Dale (DD-353), Farragut class destroyer
USS Drum (SS-228), Gato class submarine
USS Frazier (DD-607), Benson class destroyer
USS Flying Fish (SS-229), Gato class submarine
USS Lansdowne (DD-486), Gleaves class destroyer
USS Monaghan (DD-354), Farragut class destroyer
USS Radford (DD-446), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Ralph Talbot (DD-390), Bagley class destroyer
USS Riddle (DE-185), Cannon class destroyer escort
USS Silversides (SS-236), Gato class submarine
USS Thatcher (DD-514), Fletcher class destroyer

11 battle stars
USS Bangust (DE-739), Cannon class destroyer escort
USS Boise (CL-47), Brooklyn class light cruiser
USS Boyd (DD-544), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Bunker Hill (CV-17), Essex class aircraft carrier
USS Burns (DD-588), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Chenango (CVE-28), Sangamon class escort carrier
USS Chester (CA-27), Northampton class heavy cruiser
USS Converse (DD-509), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Cony (DD-508), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Denver (CL-58), Cleveland class light cruiser
USS Dyson (DD-572), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Fahrenholt (DD-491), Benson class destroyer
USS Guardfish (SS-217), Gato class submarine
USS Gudgeon (SS-211), Tambor class submarine
USS Haddock (SS-231), Gato class submarine
USS Harrison (DD-573), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Helm (DD-388), Bagley class destroyer
USS Lang (DD-399), Benham class destroyer
USS Lexington (CV-16), Essex class aircraft carrier
USS Massachusetts (BB-59), South Dakota class battleship
USS Mobile (CL-63), Cleveland class light cruiser
USS Monterey (CVL-26), Independence class aircraft carrier
USS Murray (DD-576), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Platte (AO-24), Cimarron class oiler
USS Salt Lake City (CA-25), Pensacola class heavy cruiser
USS Seadragon (SS-194), Sargo class submarine
USS St. Louis (CL-49), St. Louis class light cruiser
USS Tambor (SS-198), Tambor class submarine
USS Trigger (SS-237), Gato class submarine
USS Trout (SS-202), Tambor class submarine
USS Yorktown (CV-10), Essex class aircraft carrier

10 battle stars
USS Anderson (DD-411), Sims class destroyer
USS Boston (CA-69), Baltimore class heavy cruiser
USS Caliente (AO-53), Cimarron class oiler
USS Caperton (DD-650), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Cimarron (AO-22), Cimarron class oiler
USS Columbia (CL-56), Cleveland class light cruiser
USS Ellet (DD-398), Benham class destroyer
USS England (DE-635), Buckley class destroyer escort
USS Grouper (SS-214), Gato class submarine
USS Hull (DD-350), Farragut class destroyer
USS Indianapolis (CA-35), Portland class heavy cruiser
USS Lardner (DD-487), Gleaves class destroyer
USS McCalla (DD-488), Gleaves class destroyer
USS McDermut (DD-677), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Nashville (CL-43), Brooklyn class light cruiser
USS Permit (SS-178), Porpoise class submarine
USS Pringle (DD-477), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Stephen Potter (DD-538), Fletcher class destroyer
USS Tennessee (BB-43), Tennessee class battleship

[TinCanMan]

Hey MA you can make yourself a USS Pringle who earned 10 Stars just see Modeling 101.Check out the easy mod an get the card from Vornargith.

[mikoyan]

You should also see if you can find Presidential Unit Citations. Those were pretty prestigious too.