did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic?

In those days there was no bridge to bridge radio. The KIDDs first voyage was one of some notoriety. Also in early 1942, Secretary cutters began running a convoy shuttle as part of U.S. Navy Task Force 24. She returned to bombardment duty and rescuing downed pilots. Enter the Fletcher Class. It was an entirely different Navy! By the time it reached the submarine, she was quickly sinking and boarding her was too dangerous. U-175 was 65 feet deep when the explosions cracked and twisted her pressure hull. During this time, she served as a training ship for Naval Reservists, cruising up and down the East Coast. In April, the British and Canadians assumed full responsibility for escorting the North Atlantic convoys, while the U.S. Navy took control of the transatlantic route between the United States and the Mediterranean. Simultaneously, Armed Guard gunners on merchant vessels in the rear columns of the convoy also opened fire. Pilots were only used when absolutely necessary in a strange port and most maneuvers were accomplished without tug assistance. Under the command of Cdr. Fred M. Bush assumed command of KIDD and, temporary repairs completed, she returned to San Francisco and Hunters Point Naval Shipyard for repairs. The Fletcher design permitted significant increases over preceding classes in hull, armament, machinery, ammunition, stores and fuel bunkerage. The big drawback to mooring to a buoy was that we had to keep one boiler and generator on the line in order to supply ships power. At the time scheduled in the plan of the day, the boatswains pipe would whistle and the word would be passed Now set the Special Sea and Anchor Detail. In an emergency program to expand capacity, some shipyards were upgraded and other new ones were brought on line. Several films are told from the point of view of the German U-boat crews. This action won her skipper at the time, Cdr. While I did not serve in a Fletcher class destroyer, I did serve in a FRAM II destroyer, the USS ROWAN DD-782. Most COs rarely took the conn themselves but acted more as a teacher and overall safety observer. . Normally all four ships in the division would be moored to the same buoy. Downtown Baton Rouges Fletcher-class destroyer USS KIDD (DD-661) and the Louisiana Veterans Museum. In May 1942, before the first Fletcher was even commissioned, it approved a six-gun ship in which the Fletchers five 5-inch single mounts were replaced with three 5-inch twinsthe 2,200-ton Allen M. Sumner class, with 20 per cent more firepower on a Fletcher hull widened by 14 inches. Thirty-two were transferred to the navies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey. The Fletcher class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Fred Edwards, Destroyer Type Desk, Bureau of Ships, 1942, quoted in Holland, Rear Admiral W. J., Jr., USN (Ret), ed. The first ship to moor had to place a boat in the water which carried the mooring party. In fact, U-606 had torpedoed three of the convoy's ships, but the Polish destroyer Berza counterattacked with depth charges, driving her down to dangerous depths, more than 750 feet, and causing extensive external and internal damage. Losing the supply lines was a constant worry for the Allies. The winter of 1942-43 would be the Battle of the Atlantic's most bitterly fought season. With the active sonar switch on, Sasso again picked up the U-boat: "It was beautiful, a metallic sound, real clear." RoR tickets are $75ea in the online store. DD 522 : Diary of a destroyer Surels, Ron Books dealing with this subject include: 200,000 Miles Aboard the Destroyer Cotten, Robinson, C. Snelling, 1999 But with the advent of suicide tactics by the Japanese, destroyers on escort duty faced an even greater peril than before. I am a retired Navy Chief. (read it here). From the 1958 Halsey Powell cruise book. A second 36 searchlight was obtained from a private estate in 1985. It is instead based on author C. S. Forester's 1955 novel The Good Shepherd. Both pilots were recovered and three enemy planes were shot down, with one more kill probable and hits scored on several of the remaining aircraft. Some went on to serve during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War. USS The Sullivans served with . Destroyer Squadron 51 Construction (top) and disposition following World War II (bottom). Parts of her radar array were scavenged for use aboard CASSIN YOUNG (DD-793) which had also survived a suicide attack and was preparing to go back out on the line. One of the enemy planes descended to near water level, levelled out, and commenced a run on BLACK which was 1,500 yards off KIDDs starboard beam. The Alexander Hamilton was one of the first cutters actively engaged in convoy escort duty. KIDD was chosen, in part, due to her condition after years of sitting idle: she had escaped the cannibalization common to ships of the inactive fleet. Named after secretaries of the Treasury, the ships were roomy but relatively slow (19.5 knots maximum speed). By VJ Day, 67 Sumners55 destroyers and 12 destroyer-minelayer conversionsplus 45 ships of a lengthened production variant, initially referred to as the 2,200-ton long hull class and later as the Gearing class. My dad (Richmond Thomas (RT) Ezzell) was on the TAYLOR DD468 during WWII .Saw at the foot of his grave today another marker with his name, ship, and I suppose rating FC. She was placed in the Philadelphia Shipyard to await her final fate, one that befell so many of her sister ships: the cutting torch. My first 11 years in the Navy were spent in Japan. X-RAY provides the least protection. The pre-war classes of destroyer had been constrained by the London Naval Treaty of 1930 and by the country's reluctance to invest in a stronger Navy, but they did advance destroyer design in a number of ways. In August of 1943, she transited the Panama Canal along with three other destroyers providing escort for USS ALABAMA (BB-60) and SOUTH DAKOTA (BB-57) and proceeded to Pearl Harbor. While the U-boats did occasionally eavesdrop after stumbling upon the transmitting frequency of the escort ships, as far as we know, they were never able to transmit on that frequency, nor were they able to hack into and broadcast over the convoy's inter-ship communication system. Over the next 3?? She was my first, and my favorite ship. Allan B. Roby, the Silver Star for gallantry. Assigned to DESDIV 152, she joined Carrier Task Force 77 at Wonsan, Korea, with division mates UHLMANN (DD-687), HOPEWELL (DD-681), and WEDDERBURN (DD-684). The venerable destroyer had earned twelve battle stars during her career: eight for service in World War II and four for service in Korea. 4. In spite of being injured himself, Executive Officer Lt. B.H. Allan Roby was reassigned at this time, with Cdr. While all of this was going on, the crew of the HAMUL cast a brass plaque with the names of KIDDs thirty-eight fallen crewmen. The Allies had yet to set up a convoy system, and according to the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, between January and July 1942, 86 ships sank off the coast of North Carolina, claiming the lives of more than 1,100 merchant seamen. The night was overcast with the seas running six to eight feet as the Campbell went to general quarters. The preparations for getting underway have been simplified a great deal as it is not necessary to start the engines until sea detail has been set. Naval Documents of the American Revolution, - Naval Documents of the American Revolution, Manning Fletcher Class Destroyers | Naval Historical Foundation, Fletcher Class Destroyer Operations - Part II | Naval Historical Foundation, The George Stewart I Knew | Naval Historical Foundation, A History of the Naval Historical Foundation. The movie's fictional incident is based on an event that unfolds in The Good Shepherd book from which the film was adapted. The conning officer would then use an appropriate combination of rudder, engines, and lines to get the ship underway. Yes. The freighters bow sliced nearly halfway through the destroyers hull at the deck line, leaving a 15-ft. v-shaped hole that extended three feet below the waterline and flooding the sonar compartment. During the attack on Rabaul, KIDD stopped to pick up the crew of a downed plane from the ESSEX, falling behind the main force of the fleet, and came under attack from a group of eight Japanese dive bombers. It was early on at this point in her career when she picked up the nickname that would become her trademark. The nine ships came from three yards as follows: While her sonar crews were attempting to verify the contact, lookouts spotted 15 low-flying enemy torpedo bombers which were headed toward the large troopships carrying thousands of Marines who would soon be storming the beaches. . The KIDD would become the only vessel in the history of the United States Navy to ever have such leave granted to fly the flag of piracy. did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? When Congressman W. Henson Moore and the citizens of Louisiana began looking for a suitable vessel to serve as a memorial to the states veterans, KIDD was ready to serve once again. A second 36 searchlight was obtained from a private estate in 1985. As well as other tasks, most of the ships served on weather station patrols, monitoring conditions in specific areas of the Atlantic. To emphasize the importance of the battle, Winston Churchill coined the name "Battle of the Atlantic," intentionally alluding to the Battle of Britain. Fletcher -class destroyers boasted ten torpedo tubes, depth charge projectors, and five radar-guided 5" dual-purpose guns allowing them to ably combat aircraft, submarines and surface. 7. did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? Rescuing downed pilots, fighting off suicidal attacks, destroying floating mines, and giving early warning to the fleet of approaching enemy aircraft, KIDD participated in a naval siege which would see the greatest losses ever suffered by the United States Navy. For six days the ships battled heavy seas. During a simulated torpedo attack in September of that year, KIDD was struck by two star-shells fired from the NORTH CAROLINA (BB-55). The Fletcher class destroyers had a wartime complement of 329 personnel. The Fletcher class including The Sullivans are regarded as the backbone of the navy and know to be the best destroyer in the world. Restored to her August, 1945 configuration, KIDD is one of the most authentic and accurate restorations in the Historic Fleet. The other ships in the division would then come alongside and tie up using regular mooring lines. Not long afterward, the Navy determined to set aside three Fletcher-class ships for use as possible memorials. Thirty-eight men were killed; fifty-five were wounded. As well as other tasks, most of the ships served on weather station patrols, monitoring conditions in specific areas of the Atlantic. A 36 searchlight and platform, a Mk-12/22 fire-control radar antenna, four more K-guns, and several smaller items were salvaged from USS TOLMAN (DD-740/DM-28) prior to her disposal by the Navy as a target ship. This is how I met my wife. The Fletcher-class destroyer, the dominant destroyer of WW II, was named for him. These conditions are established by closing the appropriate fittings such as valves, hatches, and watertight doors. As the first big ships to appear and because there were so many of them, however, the Fletchers are remembered as the signature US Navy destroyer class of the Pacific war. The real-life clash that may have inspired the duel in the book happened on November 1, 1943 between the USS Borie and U-boat U-405. She and the other ships of her squadron were among the first to encounter the Japanese planes which came out to meet the great armada threatening Japans shores. Since his retirement from active naval service in 1986 he has been employed in the ship design industry where he has specialized in the development of concept designs of propulsion and powering systems, some of which have entered active service. The plant has to be started up from the Central Control Station below decks, but once it is ready for operation throttle control can be transferred to the bridge. Anne Randle was the first member of the WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service) to be assigned to the Office of Shipbuilding in New York City. , after over twenty years of service. Another unique distinction about KIDDs first voyage was the make-up of her crew. The U.S. destroyer was trying to ram the U-boat when a wave cause its bow to come down on top of the U-boat, trapping both in a deadly dance. This article describes destroyer operations as I remember them during the late 1950s. The U-boat was too close for the destroyer's guns, so the crew members opened fire with rifles, submachine guns, and machine guns. . Authorized for fiscal year 1941, construction of the first ships was already under way when the United States entered the war. During World War II, the Atlantic Coast destroyers would probably be at battle stations with Material Condition Zebra set by the time that they cleared the submarine net. A sister ship of the Fletcher-class, USS CAPERTON (DD-650), provided the quintuple Mk-14 21-inch torpedo tubes that were missing, as well as a Mk-27 torpedo director, two Mk-63 gun directors, and her boat boom. An explanation of Material Conditions is in order. The Steering Gear room (After Steering) would be manned. Meanwhile, medium-size Coast Guard cutters and U.S. Navy destroyers covered waters closer inshore. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau argued that turning over just the ships would result in logistical and administrative chaos. The mid-ocean U.S. escort groups were built around either the Campbell or Spencer, supported by a few U.S. Navy destroyers and corvettes from the Canadian, Free Polish, and/or Free French navies. The first 25 ships were ordered 28 June and 1 July 1940 (the first day of the 1941 fiscal year), with DD 445 actually belonging to the 1 July group. The U.S. By December, at least six convoys were simultaneously in the North Atlantic, and the available escort ships were not enough to stop the U-boats' slaughter. Shortly after the U-boat surfaced, the Campbell's radar found her. She screened the amphibious operations, serving as a fire-support ship during the landings on Leyte. Actually this provided for a good deal of camaraderie between ships in the division as we all got to know each other and trade experiences. She provided escort for the carrier task force which launched air raids on Wake Island in October of 1943 and then again, in November, for the carriers ESSEX (CV-9), BUNKER HILL (CV-17), and INDEPENDENCE (CV-22) in strikes against Rabaul and Bougainville. While this rarely happened, such destroyer-vs-submarine duels did take place on one or two real-life occasions. Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, subscribe to the History vs. Hollywood YouTube Channel. During that same period, Germany lost 783 of its 1,100 U-boats. Her keel was laid on Oct . Mrs. Inez Kidd, widow of RADM Kidd, served as the ships sponsor, christening her and presenting her crew with a handsome wardroom guest book in which she wrote: May the destiny of the USS KIDD be glorious! A large portion of the movie was shot aboard the USS Kidd (DD-661), a Fletcher-class Navy destroyer named after Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who lost his life on the bridge of the USS Arizona during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Logistically, moving approximately 40 ships as a cohesive unit was anything but easy. Then use an appropriate combination of rudder, engines, and my favorite ship a private estate in.! Were only used when absolutely necessary in a FRAM II destroyer, I did not serve in Fletcher... Result in logistical and administrative chaos of view of the first ship to moor had to a! Maximum speed ) as I remember them during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War argued that over! Of WW II, was named for him the German U-boat did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? for the Allies her career she! Was overcast with the seas running six to eight feet as the Campbell 's radar found her its! Campbell went to general quarters most bitterly fought season films are told the... Rescuing downed pilots rarely took the conn themselves but acted more as a fire-support ship the! 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