While there are books that will go into more detail, these articles are a great introduction to the systems and crewing of a WWII fighting ship that did not have the luxury of avoiding going into harms way. Some went on to serve during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War, named for . Was on DD650 for 4 years right out of boot camp I am now ret USN MSC you in 76 there is not a day that goes by that I dont think of the best year s of my life I am now 77and I wish I could do it all again when the good Lord takes me I hope he will put me on the USS C APERTON DD650, Pingback: The George Stewart I Knew | Naval Historical Foundation. The USS KIDD (DD-661) is a Fletcher-class destroyer, the six hundred sixty-first destroyer built by the United States Navy. It was always stressed that the XO should also be kept informed on operational issues. Disbursing Clerk (DK) Assisted the Supply Officer in performing his paymaster functions. A lot more information is available on the bridge from GPS, Electronic Chart Displays (ECDIS), etc. [6], Fletchers were also much less top-heavy than previous classes, allowing them to take on additional equipment and weapons without major redesign. Laid down beginning in 1941, all 175 Fletchers were completed between June 1942 and February 1945, launched an average of 212 days after keel laying and commissioned after an average of 152 days more or 364 days totalnearly 10 per cent faster than the repeat Bensons and Gleaves that preceded them. My father, Jack Marlowe, was a Torpedoman 2nd class on the USS Terry, DD513. Pacific deployment, USS Halsey Powell, taken from the 1958 cruise book. Hopefully, it will provide some insight as to the duties performed by individual crew members during the war. 624-628. But by 1956 that responsibility had been transferred to the Chief Engineer. The CS rating who was responsible for the dry provisions and refrigerated storerooms was referred to as the Jack of the Dust. Gunnery Officer Or Gun Boss was responsible for operation and maintenance of all of the ships armament plus all matters relating to deck seamanship. I was that close to walking by him and into the store, but decided to ask him to if he had toured the ship (and gotten the shirt in the gift shop). The United States Navy commissioned 175 Fletcher-class destroyers between 1942 and 1944, more . 2 Friedman, Norman, U.S. Destroyers, an illustrated design history, page 111, 1982, United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, MD. Communications would be established with all vital stations, steering gear, alarms, whistle and engine order telegraph tested, radar, sonar, and fathometer in operation, and compasses checked. The last step was to test out the main engines with steam. We had a great twenty minute conversation. Destroyers have been called upon to perform a wide variety of duties. This duty normally fell to the most junior three Ensigns in the wardroom. This is the third in a series of articles by Captain Stewart detailing the technical specifications, manning, and operations of the U.S. Navys Fletcher class destroyers. The Fletcher class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. But on destroyers and smaller vessels the Executive Officer often doubles as the navigator. Department heads reported to XO for all administrative matters related to their departments. Is this Fire Controlman? ARCHIVIST and would very much be interested in reading any articles/blogs about the USS EATON. During this era, no other class of destroyer had more ships built. Early Fletcher-class ships had a closed round bridge, which was later changed to the square bridge type to give better visibility. As such, the questions were of how many guns, torpedoes, and depth charges were seen as desirable. Some went on to serve during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War.[3]. Authorized for fiscal year 1941, construction of the first ships was already under way when the United States entered the war. The United States Navy commissioned 175 Fletcher-class destroyers between 1942 and 1944, more than any other destroyer class, and the design was generally regarded as highly successful. As with other previous U.S. flush deck destroyer designs, seagoing performance suffered to a degree. YOKE is an intermediate level of protection that is set when the ship is under normal underway cruise conditions. On some ships a junior officer is assigned as navigator. [11][12][13], In 2018, Kidd was used as the filming location for the fictional USS Keeling DD-548 (codenamed Greyhound), from C.S. It was a very diverse division that was comprised of several ratings. 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. Destroyers, dubbed "tin cans" because of their lack of armor . I am a retired Navy Chief. In those days they were nearly all Filipinos. This made it necessary to fill the Gunnery and Engineering Officer Billets with on board fleet-ups, usually in the grade of Lieutenant (jg). 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. This is the second in a series of articles by Captain Stewart detailing the technical specifications, manning, and operations of the U.S. Navys Fletcher class destroyers. [1], Learn how and when to remove this template message, Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Fletcher-class_destroyers&oldid=1117203315, Sold to Peru as parts donor, 26 July 1974 scrapped, Transferred to West German Navy, 14 July 1959, Transferred to Peru 26 July 1974 for spare parts, Transferred to West Germany, 17 January 1958, Transferred to West Germany, 6 October 1959, Used as target hulk November 1973, scrapped. All watertight doors and hatches are closed to provide maximum subdivision. This alteration was not a success in service and was not repeated. Heres how to join! The XO is often the resident bad guy in the wardroom because many COs like to play the Good Cop/Bad Cop game. Maneuvers conducted in January 1915 made it clear that the US Atlantic Fleet lacked the fast cruisers necessary to provide information on the enemy's position, deny the enemy information of the fleet's own position, and screen friendly forces. The ship had to approach very carefully directly into the current and hold itself in position during this process. Here we see the Fletcher-class destroyer USS Cony (DD/DDE-508) off Norfolk in October 1963 as seen from the USS Keppler (DD-765).Though she earned 11 battle stars for World War II service, two for Korean War service and spent five months off Vietnam, it was a little-acknowledged day in 1962 that Cony witnessed what could have been the start of World War III. Main gun armament was five dual-purpose 5-inch/38 caliber (127mm) guns in single Mk 30 turrets, guided by a Mark 37 Gun Fire Control System, including a Mk 12 fire control radar and a Mk 22 height-finder (replaced by the circular Mk 25 radar postwar) linked by a Mark 1A Fire Control Computer and stabilized by a Mk 6 8500 rpm gyroscope. Following naval tradition, a class of identical ships is named after the first ship of the series Fletcher, was launched in May 1942.Fletcher-class destroyers became one of the most successful weapon systems deployed in World War II, with 175 built and a few still in service around the world well after 1990. Displacement: 2600 tons. This is how I met my wife. Comissaryman (CS) These were the ships cooks. Great series of articles!. In the interest of reduced manning levels, did the Radiomen copy fleet broadcast via teletype instead of morse? Without question, the most famous destroyer-class to serve in World War II was the Fletcher. They had the fortune of catching American production at the right moment becoming "the" destroyer design, and only Fletcher-class derivatives, the Sumner and Gearing classes, would follow it. It was fascinating to see the gear reduction transmission (?) But they still have a ways to go to catch up to their Merchant Marine contemporaries. The Aulick was hit by a kamikaze in Leyte Gulf in November, 1944, but fortunately was one of the few ships not damaged or sunk off Okinawa in 1945. Here in Charlestown, this navy yard built . Fox Division This division was headed by either the Fire Control Officer or Anti-Submarine Officer, whoever was senior. The Commanding Officer (CO) of a destroyer under peacetime conditions is normally a Commander with 15 to 18 years of commissioned service. 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. This officer stood no underway watches. There were 6 depth charges for each K-gun. Composite by Coffee or Die Magazine. Under these conditions, a commissioned CIC Watch Officer (CICWO) was assigned. The next order would be to Take in the Brow. The lowest numbered Fletcher was the USS FLETCHER (DD445), although the USS NICHOLAS (DD449) was the first ship commissioned on June 4, 1942. One my ships was USS OBannon DD-450 , the most decorated destroyer of WWII. On Nov. 13, 1942, the USS Juneau light cruiser was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine. [10] No design can be perfect and the Fletchers were no exception. There was always a stop at Pearl Harbor on the way to and from the deployment for INCOP and OUTCHOP (Change of Operational Command) briefings at CINCPACFLEET. Meanwhile, medium-size Coast Guard cutters and U.S. Navy destroyers covered waters closer inshore. Radio direction finders were eventually replaced by Loran A. While it is known that only 3 Fletcher class destroyers received the "official programmed" FRAM II overhaul, it must be noted that the Fletcher class destroyer, USS HAZELWOOD (DD 531-seen left) which did not receive FRAM, but which was a DASH Ship, was the prototype DASH ship for DASH trials in 1958 while maintaining her DD status and therefore . Boilers had to be lit approximately 2 hours before the scheduled underway time and about an hour would be required in each engine room to prepare the engines for operation. All Destroyer classes. Friedman, Norman "US Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (Revised Edition)", Naval Institute Press, Annapolis:2004, p.111-112. Areas under his cognizance included food service, laundry, ships store, disbursing, consumables, and spare parts. [7] The answer that came back was that five 5in (127mm) dual-purpose guns, twelve torpedoes, and twenty-eight depth charges would be ideal, while a return to the 1,500-ton designs of the past was seen as undesirable. Bennett (DD 473) lays stack and chemical smoke in the Shortland Islands, 1944. off Korea in the 1950s and some even off Vietnam in the 60s, she was condemned in 2010 as a derelict and hazard to navigation and scrapped in 20102011. 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. The U.S. . The Aulick served in the Pacific from 1943 through the end of the war and was also on radar picket off Okinawa May through July, 1945. The last Fletcher in service, BAM Cuitlahuac (ex-John Rodgers), left the Mexican navy in 2001, meaning the total service life of the Fletchers stretched over almost six decades and into the 21st century.[12]. Some went on to serve during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War.. On a small ship, this is usually a collateral duty. Chief or First Class petty officers of this rating were normally assigned to Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW) duties in the Forward Engine Room where they were directly responsible for the operation of the engineering plant during their watch. If we were backing out of a slip you would hear a prolonged blast on the whistle. The long-range Fletcher-class ships would participate in battles in every aspect that could be asked of a destroyer, from anti-submarine warfare and anti-aircraft warfare to surface action. Although built with the Pacific in mind, the Fletchers also served in the Atlantic theatre. Meanwhile, the Navy continued looking ahead. They were also to carry no less than five 5in (127mm) guns and ten deck-mounted torpedo tubes on the centerline, allowing them to meet any foreign design on equal terms. Regardless of who it was, it was very important for him to announce I have the Conn so that all bridge personnel would know who to take their orders from. . The peacetime manning was 14 officers and 236 enlisted men. This was mitigated by deployment to the Pacific Ocean, which is relatively calm compared to the Atlantic.[9]. Thank you. At 2,050 tons standard displacement and approximately 2,900 tons fully loaded, the Fletchers were significantly larger than any preceding American destroyer classes. The class was designed in 1939, as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types of the Porter and Somers classes. He does not normally stand watch underway. I was a radioman aboard this ship. But he had a good deal of responsibility. Many memories aboard it. The First Lieutenant probably came under fire more than any other officer because everything his people did was readily observable and most COs and XOs were very concerned with topside appearance, sometimes overly so. Their flush deck construction added structural strength, although it did make them rather cramped. The USS The Sullivans (DD-537), a Fletcher -class destroyer, pictured here in 1962 was named in their honor. Communications had previously been a stand alone department and electronics repair had belonged to the Chief Engineer. Originally conceived as a failed design for a light fleet cruiser, the Tribals evolved into fast, powerful destroyers, with greater emphasis on guns over torpedoes than previous destroyers, in response to new designs by Japan . (read it here). In April 1914 he led the landing forces at Vera Cruz Mexico, receiving the Medal of . [4] The Allen M. Sumner and Gearing classes were Fletcher derivatives. I have been interested in the Fletcher class ships for several years now and your articles are fascinating. Throughout the course of World War II, the number of anti-aircraft weapons increased resulting in five twin-40mm Bofors guns plus seven 20mm weapons by 1945. 175 of these were . Despite talk of returning her to the United States as a museum ship, she was condemned in 2010 as a derelict and hazard to navigation and scrapped in 20102011. 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. Technical information. Obviously they were the people who were most likely to take heat from the other crew members for their efforts, or lack thereof. If memory serves me, I think we moved from station 2 to 1 right behind Luce. From the 1958 Halsey Powell cruise book. You mentioned the Radiomen being responsible for teletype and old fashioned morse code key. The Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA) actually oversaw two divisions, B and M. Ratings assigned to these divisions were as Follows: M Division, USS Halsey Powell, from 1959-1960 Cruise Book. Sailors in this division were responsible for operation and maintenance of all of the ships armament and stowage of ammunition except for torpedoes and anti-submarine weaponry. With the introduction of radar, another useful method became available when the ship was within radar range of shore. Because the ship had eight gun mounts and only about a dozen Gunners Mates, most of the personnel manning the gun crews and magazines were actually deck seamen. I had a great time with the locals in Vancouver and also remember the near collision. . As soon as the last line was taken in, the boatswains pipe would sound and the announcement would be made Underway, Shift Colors. [3] The Allen M. Sumner and Gearing classes were Fletcher derivatives. If you Google Imperial Submarine I-8, you can read through the article for an account of our sinking of that sub. The fictional titular warship is shown as one of the American Fletcher class destroyers, the most common destroyer class in history, with 175 built. The class was designed in 1939, as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types of the Porter and Somers classes. Pilots were only used when absolutely necessary in a strange port and most maneuvers were accomplished without tug assistance. Next. This officer was responsible for forms of exterior communications, both radio and visual. The U.S. It was still a great ship .. Miss it .. I made 2 deployments, home ported out of Pearl Harbor. All USN ships are worthy of their tails of history while securing the waters they sail and for protecting all of freedoms we so take for granted every day. 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