Frank Oberfield Strauss

CHIEF GUNNER'S MATE FRANK OBERFIELD STRAUSS was from Camden NJ. He died while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. He was survived by his mother, Mrs. Julia Strauss of 814 North 8th Street in Camden NJ, and siblings.

USS Isherwood DD-520

(DD 520: dp. 2,050; 1. 376'6"; b. 39'8"; dr. 17'9", s. 37 k.;
 cpl. 273, a. 5 5", 10 40mm., 7 20mm., 10 21" tt., 6 dcp.2 dct.; cl. Fletcher)

The second Isherwood (DD-520) was launched by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co., Staten Island, N.Y., 24 November 1942; sponsored by Mrs. A. J. Kerwin, granddaughter of Rear Admiral Isherwood, and commissioned 12 April 1943 at New York Navy Yard, Comdr. R. E. Gadrow in command.

The new destroyer conducted her shakedown training in Casco Bay, Maine, and off Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, through April and May. During the next 2 months she operated with a patrol and escort group out of Argentia Newfoundland, and on 5 August 1943 departed for England with troop ship Queen Mary. Isherwood arrived Scapa Flow 19 August to carry out combined operations with the British Home Fleet, including a search toward Spitzbergen for German battleship Tirpitz. Sailing 14 September, the destroyer returned to Boston with a convoy 29 September 1943.

Isherwood was subsequently reassigned to the Pacific sailing from Boston 14 November for San Francisco. From there she steamed to Pearl Harbor and sailed 11 December to join Task Force 94 in the Aleutians. For the next eight months, Isherwood carried out antisubmarine sweeps of the cold Alaskan waters. In June she took part in bombardments of the Kurile Islands, finally arriving San Francisco for repairs 15 August 1944.

Isherwood sailed for Pearl Harbor 26 August 1944 to take part in the long awaited invasion of the Philippines. scheduled for October. She arrived Manus 4 October and steamed into Leyte Gulf with the assault force 20 October. carrying out escort and patrol duties during the first days of the operation. She also provided gunfire support and night illumination fire. Isherwood remained in the assault area during the giant four-part Battle for Leyte Gulf 23-26 October, in which the Japanese surface fleet was all but annihilated. During November the ship escorted convoys from advance bases to the Philippines in support of the buildup there.

The next major invasion of the Philippines campaign was to be at Lingayen Gulf. Isherwood joined Vice Admiral Wilkinson's Lingayen Attack Force at Manus, sailing 27 December. During the voyage through the islands from Leyte to Lingayen, the transport groups and carrier task groups were attacked incessantly by kamikazes, but even these desperate attacks could not stop the invasion. Isherwood shot down at least one suicide plane and assisted in splashing others before arriving the assault area 9 January 1945. She screened a landing craft group during the landing, sailing for Leyte with a returning group 11 January. During the last days of the month, specifically 29 and 30 January, the ship returned to Luzon to support the unopposed landings at San Antonio and Subic Bay, as ground units moved on Manila. Isherwood remained in the Philippines providing antisubmarine protection and patrolling until mid-March.

The veteran ship sailed for the Okinawa operation 21 March 1945- and, after her arrival 5 days later, took part in the landings on Kerama Retto preparatory to the main Okinawa assault. Troops from the main task force stormed ashore 1 April in the biggest amphibious operation of the Pacific war, and 2 days later Isherwood moved to a position off the beaches for fire support missions. This continued until 16 April, when the ship was sent to aid stricken destroyers Pringle and Laffey off Ie Shima. That afternoon she took over Laffey's duties as fighter director ship on picket station.

The days that followed found Isherwood in numerous heavy air raids, as the Japanese made a desperate attempt to drive off the invasion fleet with suicide planes. While on station 22 April a kamikaze made a dusk attack on the destroyer and crashed No. 3 gun mount. Many fires were started, but all were quickly extinguished except the one in the depth charge rack aft. After 25 minutes of dangerous fire-fighting, the charge exploded, causing great damage in the after engine room. The gallant ship arrived Kerama Retto with over 80 men killed, wounded, or missing.