Namesake: Rear Admiral Albert Mertz
To appreciate the USS Mertz, one must first understand the man for whom she was named: Albert Mertz. Born on March 26, 1851, in Richmond, Wisconsin, Mertz embarked on a naval career that spanned four decades of change in the U.S. Navy – from wooden sailing ships to steel‑hulled vessels powered by steam.
Graduating from the United States Naval Academy in June 1872, Mertz was commissioned an ensign the following year. His early assignments included duty on several naval vessels and service with the Coast Survey – a unique blend of scientific and naval responsibilities that reflected the multifaceted nature of naval officers in the late 19th century. His career advanced steadily, and by 1902 he had attained the rank of commander, taking command of USS Newport. Over the subsequent years, he held increasingly significant posts, including commandant of naval stations in the Philippines and, ultimately, as Governor of the Naval Home in Philadelphia. In October 1910, he was appointed Rear Admiral, a rank that recognized both his leadership and the breadth of his service. He retired in 1913 and passed away in San Diego, California, on July 21, 1936.
By naming DD‑691 after Albert Mertz, the Navy honored not only a veteran officer but symbolized the continuity of naval tradition – linking the emergence of American naval power in the 19th century with the global conflict of the 20th.
Birth of a Destroyer: Design and Construction
The story of USS Mertz officially began on May 10, 1943, when her keel was laid down at the Bath Iron Works Corporation in Bath, Maine. She was one of the Fletcher‑class destroyers – a new generation of fast, heavily armed, and versatile warships designed to meet the enormous demands of global war.
Fletcher‑class destroyers were conceived with a combination of speed, firepower, and endurance that made them suitable for a range of tasks: fleet screening, convoy escort, anti‑aircraft defense, shore bombardment, and anti‑submarine warfare. Displacing just over 2,000 tons and measuring approximately 376 feet long, the Mertz was driven by powerful steam turbines generating about 60,000 shaft horsepower, enabling speeds over 35 knots. Her armament included five 5‑inch dual‑purpose guns, anti‑aircraft weapons, torpedo tubes, and depth charge projectors – a formidable array for her size.
Launched on September 11, 1943, she was sponsored by Mrs. Selma M. Allen, daughter of Rear Admiral Mertz, and commissioned on November 19, 1943, under the command of Lieutenant Commander William S. Estabrook, Jr. With her crew assembled and her systems tested, the Mertz was ready to sail into a world at war.
Trials by Fire: The Pacific Campaign
From Shakedown to Combat
After commissioning, the Mertz underwent a shakedown cruise off Bermuda — a standard but crucial period for a newly built warship to test equipment, train the crew, and ensure readiness. Following this phase, she departed Norfolk, Virginia, on January 26, 1944, for the Pacific via the Panama Canal and San Diego, arriving at Pearl Harbor on March 5, 1944.
Her arrival in the Pacific marked a dramatic shift — from home waters to an active war zone thousands of miles away. On March 9, the destroyer got underway for the Marshall Islands as a convoy escort. Six days later, at Majuro Atoll, she joined a task group and performed escort duties during critical early phases of the U.S. island‑hopping campaign. Aboard the Mertz, sailors learned the rhythms of war — long watches, routine maintenance, and the sudden, terrifying bursts of combat.
First Engagements and Escort Missions
While screening for carrier operations, the Mertz encountered her first enemy vessel on March 31, 1944, spotting a Japanese maru (merchant ship) in the glare of searchlights. At the break of dawn, the destroyer closed range and brought her 5‑inch guns to bear, ultimately sinking the target. It was a small engagement within the vast Pacific, yet it foreshadowed the lethal precision destroyer crews would bring to countless confrontations.
Over the following months, the Mertz alternated between escorting carriers, protecting convoys, and screening larger warships. In mid‑April 1944, she steamed for Espiritu Santo as part of a protective screen for escort carriers — fulfilling a vital but often overlooked role. Convoy escorts and screens were the unsung workhorses of the fleet, safeguarding transports and carriers that delivered troops, supplies, and aircraft to the frontlines. This duty took persistence and nerve; enemy submarines and aircraft frequently stalked these formations, eager to exploit any opening.
Marianas and Beyond: Expanding the War
In May 1944, the Mertz returned to Pearl Harbor to prepare for involvement in the Marianas campaign — a critical series of operations aimed at seizing key islands such as Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. These battles would prove decisive in gaining strategic airfields and isolating major Japanese strongholds. Though records of her precise actions during the Marianas are less detailed, her role as a destroyer was clear: provide protection, offer fire support, and maintain the fluid movement of the fleet.
After returning to San Pedro Bay in the Philippines in early 1945, the Mertz continued operations across the Pacific. On January 9, she supported the invasion of Luzon at Lingayen Gulf — one of the war’s most intense amphibious assaults. The destroyer provided gunfire support against Japanese positions and screened larger warships from air and surface attack. Such battles tested both equipment and morale; the threat of kamikaze attacks, shore batteries, and submarines was ever present.
Into Japan’s Waters: Strikes and Sweeps
In February 1945, as part of the Fast Carrier Task Force, USS Mertz operated in increasingly bold offensives directly against the Japanese homeland and strategic locations like Iwo Jima and Okinawa. These missions were marked by blistering airstrikes launched from carriers and backed by destroyers like the Mertz — agile, watchful, bristling with anti‑aircraft guns. On several occasions, the destroyer downed enemy aircraft, testament to the ferocity of these encounters and the skill of her crew.
Battle Honors and Hard Fights
Mertz’s combat record includes participating in the Tokyo area strikes on February 16, 1945, the invasion of Iwo Jima on February 19, and the raids on Okinawa beginning in March. In these operations, destroyers played dual roles: delivering gunfire in support of marine landings and defending the fleet against air and submarine threats. In March, while screening carriers off Kyūshū, the Mertz shot down two Japanese planes — not a minor feat given the desperation and ferocity of kamikaze tactics at this stage of the war.
The destroyer also participated in the sinking of an enemy submarine off Okinawa on April 18, 1945 — an achievement that illustrated the multi‑dimensional threat destroyers faced and their ability to respond decisively. Later, she bombarded Okino Daito Jima on June 9, a small but key target near Okinawa, before heading to Leyte Gulf. These kinds of missions blurred the line between fleet engagement and independent action — reflecting the versatility the Fletcher‑class was designed to provide.
Final Offensive and the End of the War
In July 1945, Mertz joined Admiral William F. Halsey’s Third Fleet off the southeast coast of Tokyo, taking part in raids on the Japanese home islands. These operations were part of the final push toward Japan’s capitulation, when carrier task forces struck deeper and more frequently than ever before. The Mertz, along with other destroyers, provided screening and support for carriers launching relentless air strikes that weakened Japan’s defensive capacity.
As the war neared its end, the Mertz participated in an anti‑shipping sweep in the Kuril Islands – further pressing toward Japan’s northern reaches. She arrived at Adak, Alaska on August 14, 1945 – the same day that Japan announced its surrender. World War II had finally reached its conclusion after nearly six years of global conflict.
After the Guns Fell Silent: Occupation and Transition
With hostilities over, USS Mertz transitioned from pure combat duties to supporting occupation efforts. On August 31, 1945, she departed Adak for northern Honshū, Japan, arriving at Ominato on September 8. There, she operated with the Third Fleet in waters near Honshū and Hokkaidō during the early occupation phase – a period marked by uncertainty and reconstruction. While the battle lines had disappeared, the presence of Allied naval forces helped stabilize regions long contested by war.
Soon afterwards, Mertz set a course for home, arriving in San Francisco on September 30, 1945. Such homecomings were emotional, bringing sailors back to families and a nation eager for peace. The destroyer steamed to San Diego and was officially decommissioned on April 23, 1946 – having served only a few short years but seen more turmoil than many ships experienced in a lifetime. She joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet, where her ties to active duty remained dormant but not forgotten.
Decommissioning and Final Fate
Though the war was over and her guns were silent, the story of USS Mertz was not quite complete. She remained in the Pacific Reserve Fleet for years – first as part of the group based at Long Beach, and later at Stockton, California. But as naval technology advanced and new classes of vessels replaced the wartime destroyers, the Mertz’s future dimmed. Finally, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on October 1, 1970 and sold for scrap on December 16, 1971.
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