Two of the three destroyers were sunk, but not until they had inflicted serious damage on their opponents. The nine ships came from three yards as follows: Capps (DD 550), David W. Taylor (DD 551), Evans (DD 552) and John D. Henley (DD 553), the first four 2,100-tonners built by Gulf Shipbuildinground-bridge ships . Nineteen Fletchers were lost during World War II. Some went on to serve during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War. The lowest . I know there were 6 throwers (K-guns?) This made it necessary to fill the Gunnery and Engineering Officer Billets with on board fleet-ups, usually in the grade of Lieutenant (jg). . She was laid down on 28 August 1941 at Bath, Maine, by the Bath Iron Works Corp.; launched on 7 June 1942, sponsored by Mrs. H. A. Baldridge; and commissioned on 28 August 1942 at the Charlestown Navy Yard near Boston, Mass., Lieutenant Commander . Named after a swashbuckling Union Civil War captain, the Porter was one of 175 Fletcher-class destroyers built during World War II. Velos alongside G. Averof are ceremonially commissioned by the Hellenic Navy having Palaio Faliro as their base. 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 torch was kept in a small pot filled with diesel oil. This was a very prestigious assignment and these Petty Officers generally lorded it over the junior non-rated sailors in the division. These conditions refer to degrees of closure to minimize the effects of potential damage. He was a member of the original crew and served as the Medical Officer. How many depth charges did a Fletcher-class carry during WWII? About four months after Fletcher joined the fleet, she . The last step was to test out the main engines with steam. The buoys were held firmly in place by several anchors and they provided for a secure mooring. The class was designed in 1939, as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types of the Porter and Somers classes. On some ships a junior officer is assigned as navigator. Naval Institute is maintaining and preserving the former Naval Historical Foundation website so readers and former NHF members can still access past issues of Pull Together and other content. This was to have a great impact upon my own career in the navy. They did not stand regular watches but they were the people you called when something failed to operate properly. After two deployments, it was back to the shipyard again. This practice no longer exists today. 175 of these were . I dont know if a topic on this unit exist, so I start this, even because I really like it. The Fletcher class (named for Admiral Frank F. Fletcher) was the largest class of destroyer ordered and was also one . They also were much less top heavy than the previous classes, allowing them to take on additional equipment and weapons without major redesign. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. During routine steaming operations, CIC was responsible for radar navigation and tracking of routine surface contacts and making appropriate recommendations to the Officer of the Deck. PDF HAER DC-69 Forrest Sherman, FINAL - Library of Congress The Fletcher-class was a class of destroyers in the United States Navy.The ships were built from 1941 and served in the Navy from 1942. Fletcher-Class Destroyer. 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. NHF members are being converted to members of the Naval Institute. To achieve 38 knots with a 500-ton increase in displacement, power was increased from 50,000shp (37,000kW) to 60,000shp (45,000kW) compared to the previous Benson and Gleaves classes. Built for speed and capability, USS Cassin Young engaged in seven Pacific battles in World War II, survived two Kamikaze hits, and served another full decade beyond her expected lifetime. Previous. Underway operations will be described in the next section. He died back in 1986. But it must be recognized that a naval vessel must remain at sea for extended periods and it has to function as a small self supporting community. [10] Typically, Babcock & Wilcox boilers and General Electric geared steam turbines were equipped, although other designs and manufacturers were probably used to maximize the rate of production. Ten 21in (530mm) torpedo tubes were fitted in two quintuple mounts amidships, firing the 21-inch Mark 15 torpedo. Destroyers have been called upon to perform a wide variety of duties. 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. This discussion is centered on the ships organization as I remember it between 1956 and 1959. 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. Described as perfect fighting destroyers, Fletchers, as built, were powerfully armed (five (5) 5-inch guns and ten (10) 21-inch torpedo tubes), fast (36 knots), amenable to wartime modifications, and extremely resilient in battle. Went active in 1969. The other rated BMs were generally assigned individual sections of the ship to maintain. The duties of conning officer were rotated around. The need for a separate department responsible for the collection, display, and dissemination of combat information and intelligence became apparent as further use was made of radar and the establishment of a Combat Information Center (CIC) as the central nerve center on the ship. Fletcher (DDE-445) is recommissioned as an escort destroyer at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, 03 October 1949. List of Fletcher-class destroyers and their dispositions. In my previous two articles (read Part 1 here, read Part 2 here) I gave technical and manning overviews of the U.S. Navys highly successful Fletcher class destroyer. My wifes first comment when I took her around the ship for the first time was You mean that you start all of this up with a match?. [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. The entire process of raising steam was started by making up a burner, igniting the torch with a match, inserting it into the furnace, and opening the fuel valve. Meanwhile, medium-size Coast Guard cutters and U.S. Navy destroyers covered waters closer inshore. They were also to carry no fewer than five 5in (127mm) guns and ten deck-mounted torpedo tubes on the centerline, allowing them to meet any foreign design on equal terms. Compared to earlier designs, the Fletchers were large, allowing them to adapt to evolving defensive priorities through the addition of two 40-millimetre (1.6in) Bofors quadruple mount AA guns as well as six 20mm (0.79in) Oerlikon dual AA gun positions. The pace of US destroyer construction accelerated with the wartime Fletcher class. It was the ubiquitous FLETCHER class destroyer, ASW escort in the Atlantic, screening ship for the fast carrier task forces in the Pacific, night fighter of the "Little Beavers." . The Tribal class, or Afridi class, were a class of destroyers built for the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Australian Navy that saw service in World War II. Richard Vessels, my father, John Hanson, was an officer on USS Aulick DD569. Radio direction finders were eventually replaced by Loran A. The wartime philosophy was essentially that manpower was cheaper than technology. The US Navy Destroyers represented the formidable industrial effort consented by the United States to win the war on two oceans. In World War II, US destroyers escorted convoys, hunted submarines, fought surface battles, bombarded shore positions, rescued downed airmen and stranded sailors, and served as radar pickets to detect and fight incoming kamikaze flights. Destroyer Squadron 51 in World War II was a squadron whose 2,100-ton Fletcher-class destroyers were deployed in thirteen diverse operations in both the Atlantic and Pacific. and 2 racks, but cannot locate the number of charges in each rack (6-12?) In those days there was no bridge to bridge radio. My first 11 years in the Navy were spent in Japan. Though built with the Pacific in mind, Fletchers also served in the Atlantic theater. The Fletcher-class destroyer was the first generation of destroyers to be designed after the series of Naval Treaties that had limited ship designs heretofore. found: Wikipedia, May 10 2010: under Fletcher class destroyer (the Fletcher class were a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II; some went on to serve during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War; the United States Navy commissioned 175 Fletcher class destroyers between 1942 and 1944; they were built by shipyards across the United States and many were sold to the . After a year on board they were advanced to the grade of Seaman (SN), from which they could strike for assignment to other ratings. After the yard period there would be a stint at the Fleet Training Group in San Diego (Guantanemo for East Coast Ships) for refresher training followed by a work up for deployment to the Far East (WESTPAC). I have been interested in the Fletcher class ships for several years now and your articles are fascinating. Naval Documents of the American Revolution, - Naval Documents of the American Revolution, Fletcher Class Destroyer Operations | Naval Historical Foundation, Life on a Fletcher Class Destroyer in the 1950's | Naval Historical Foundation, A History of the Naval Historical Foundation. Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned / Recommissioned Decommissioned Fate Fletcher DD-445 Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey: 2 October 1941 3 May 1942 30 June 1942 15 January 1947 Sold for scrap, 22 February 1972: 3 October 1949: 1 October 1969 Radford DD-446 They were responsible for visual communications between ships by flashing light, flaghoist, or semaphore. The individual rating groups are very specialized. . We had a great twenty minute conversation. Naval officers are required to pay for their own meals. In June and July 1943, two more twin Bofors mounts were added in place of the 20mm cannons in front of and below the bridge, giving a total of ten. Eighteen ships were redesignated as escort destroyers (DDE), optimized for anti-submarine warfare; these reverted to destroyer (DD) designation in 1962. Signalman (SM) These people stood watch on the signal bridge. On the return trip we had to avoid the collision between the Oil Tanker and a Philippine Merchant ship . Posted by ; On . The *Fletcher class* was a class of destroyersbuilt by the United States during World War II. [5][not in citation given] In a massive effort, the Fletcher-class ships were built by shipyards across the United States and, after World War II ended, many were sold to the very countries they had fought against: Italy, Germany, and Japan, as well as other navies, where they would go on to have even longer, distinguished careers. (My papers had been submitted but not received for 1st Class TM before we were sunk.) All three American museum ships have been designated as National Historic Landmarks. However, the Navy had other ideas and I ended up on the east coast in Florida. The Steering Gear room (After Steering) would be manned. Fittings marked with a Red Z, Black Y, and Black Z are all closed. This would be followed by Now Set Material Condition Yoke Throughout the Ship followed by The Officer of the Deck is Shifting his Watch from the Quarterdeck to the Bridge. Normally the crew stood duty on one day out of every three. USS Fletcher: note the open hatch with Black ZEBRA marking. While I did not serve in a Fletcher class destroyer, I did serve in a FRAM II destroyer, the USS ROWAN DD-782. Introduced in 1942, the 2,100-ton Fletcher -class destroyers formed the core of the US Navy's destroyer force from 1943. Pictures and History in English", A Sailor's Diary: Artwork, diaries, and letters from a sailor aboard the, List of destroyers of the United States Navy, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, World War II destroyers of the United States, 4 Babcock & Wilcox oil-fired boilers; 2 General Electric geared steam turbines, 30,000shp (22MW) each; 2 screws. 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. The ships Hospital Corpsman (HM) also normally reported directly to the Executive Officer. It was a very diverse division that was comprised of several ratings. Thanks for shedding additional light on my fathers service and that of his comrades-in-arms. There were also fueling stops at Midway and sometimes Guam. The first book is "Fletcher-Class Destroyers" by Alan Raven, c. 1986, 158 pages; and "The Destroyer The Sullivans (Anatomy of the Ship)" by Al Ross, c. 1988, 119 pages. Phil, the Morrison and Luce were sister ships and often worked together. In fact, they served almost exclusively in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II, during which they accounted for 29 Imperial Japanese Navy submarines sunk. The Commanding Officer (CO) of a destroyer under peacetime conditions is normally a Commander with 15 to 18 years of commissioned service. It was an honor to serve on Fletchers as the brave sailors of WWII. George W. Stewart is a retired US Navy Captain. May 21, 2022. . The class featured enclosed air-case boilers and 80kW of power available by emergency diesel generators. During this time 39 were refitted under project SCB 74A, reducing their overall main armament and the number of torpedo tubes to accommodate other weapons. Velos still retains its complete armament and equipment(as modernized in 1950s). Department heads reported to XO for all administrative matters related to their departments. The CS rating who was responsible for the dry provisions and refrigerated storerooms was referred to as the Jack of the Dust. The Chief Boatswains Mate (BMC) was expected to be the most capable seaman on board. Some SAs were sent through advanced schooling for a particular rating and came aboard as Designated Strikers such as GMSN, RMSN, etc. Members of the pre-beta test will be able to test this destroyer in one of the future tests, and results of this test will taken into account for the future development of our fleet. 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. Facilities were provided for collection, display, evaluation, and dissemination of information and making appropriate recommendations to the command (and in some cases Weapons Control). NHF has decommissioned and is no longer accepting new members or donations. town of marcellus ny tax collector; did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? The USS The Sullivans (DD-537), a Fletcher -class destroyer, pictured here in 1962 was named in their honor. Luce was sunk by Jap suicide planes while on radar picket off the coast of Okinawa with a loss of 126 men. The list is divided by navy, then ordered by commissioned date of each class (oldest first). Admiral's flag is flying from the yardarm. Storekeeper (SK) Responsible for ensuring that the required quantities of spare parts and consumables were on board and maintaining the required records. 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). This alteration was not a success in service and was not repeated. This alteration was not a success and was not repeated. Communications had previously been a stand alone department and electronics repair had belonged to the Chief Engineer. Thanks for sticking your neck out for us youngsters. Comissaryman (CS) These were the ships cooks. He does not normally stand watch underway. In what can only be described as one of the classic destroyer actions in naval history, the three Fletchers attacked the Japanese main fleet. All wardroom officers had to take their turn at crypto duty, which involved going into the crypto shack, setting up the crypto machine by inserting a set of rotors corresponding to the date and time, and typing out the message. It was a slow day, and a lot of the safety procedures were not formally set up yet, so me and another engineer friend were able to tour the forward engine room. My father, Jack Marlowe, was a Torpedoman 2nd class on the USS Terry, DD513. This meant passing a second bight around the bollard on the pier or the ship alongside. 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. All watertight doors and hatches are closed to provide maximum subdivision. 175 Fletcher Class Destroyers were commissioned from June 1942 to February 1945. I was one of the 97 survivors of 357 aboard ship. You are here: customer is always right in matters of taste; toronto snow storm april 1975; did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic?benji and joel madden young. There were 3 K-guns on each side. Not a member of the Naval Institute? Torpedoman (TM) Responsible for operation and maintenance of the ships torpedoes, depth charges, and Hegehogs. In those days they were nearly all Filipinos. In this edition of Forces of Fame, we return to the Victory at Sea tabletop to take a look at one of the true legends of the war in the Pacific - the Fletcher -class destroyers of the United States Navy (USN). Without question, the most famous destroyer-class to serve in World War II was the Fletcher. He is a 1956 graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Together, these classes dominated the US Navys destroyer force over the next 25 years. In 1941, the US Navy began building a fleet of large destroyers, its first design to rival the Japanese "special type" destroyers that had first entered service more than a decade before. With this modification, the Oerlikon cannons were rearranged and their number was standardized at seven; four amidships and three in a heart-shaped mount on the fantail. In 1942 and 1943, the number of Oerlikon cannons was steadily increased with ships modified before leaving the shipyard with a seventh 20mm mount in front of the bridge behind the number two 5" gun mount and anywhere from one to three mounts on the flying bridge depending upon the configuration of the ship. Normally all four ships in the division would be moored to the same buoy. Therefore the functions of the Communications Officer, CIC Officer, and Electronic Material Officer (EMO) were all brought under the Operations Officer. . The Wardroom mess was run like a small business and each officer had to pay a monthly mess bill of about $25 to $35, a lot of money in those days. I was a teletype/crypto operator on the USS FORRESTAL (CVA-59) in the early 1970s. At 2,050 tons standard displacement and approximately 2,900 tons fully loaded, the Fletchers were significantly larger than any preceding American destroyer classes. This is how I met my wife. About 12 of the enlisted men were Chief Petty Officers. I am putting a remembrance for an aged USN veteran of WWII and his family. Under these conditions, a commissioned CIC Watch Officer (CICWO) was assigned. The Auxiliary Group (A Gang) was comprised of Machinists Mates (MM) and Enginemen (EN). 624-628. Built to scout for a fleet of battleships, the Omaha class featured high speed (35 kn (65 km/h; 40 mph)) for cooperation with destroyers, and 6-inch . The next step depended on how we were moored. He was a trained surgeon graduating from Wake Forest and Duke Medical Schools. I know what than meant -some snipe had to record temperature readings on a clipboard form every few hours, to make sure a bearing was not overheating. Ratings assigned to the division included: Second Division, USS Halsey Powell, from 1959-1960 Cruise Book. Speed requirements varied from 35 to 38 knots (65 to 70km/h; 40 to 44mph), and shortcomings in the earlier Sims class, which were top-heavy and needed lead ballast to correct this fault, caused the Fletcher design to be widened by 18in (46cm) of beam. Some that we were called upon to perform included: There are probably some others that I have forgotten about. [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. In June 1942, the 1.1" gun was replaced by a twin Bofors 40 mm gun mount; in some ships, another twin mount may have been added on the fantail between the depth charge racks. The other ships in the division would then come alongside and tie up using regular mooring lines. USS Halsey Powell backs away from a pier in Subic Bay. The RD ratings stood watch in the Combat Information Center (CIC). During this era, no other class of destroyer had more ships built. The Fletcher class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. The Navy is trying very hard to catch up to the rest of society and more and more use is being made of computers and automatic controls. Acting as a rescue destroyer (Plane Guard). She was a rough riding ship with a crew of dedicated men. [5], The first design inputs were in the fall of 1939 from questionnaires distributed around design bureaus and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. . In the United States, The Sullivans at Buffalo, Kidd (beautifully restored to late-World War II configuration) at Baton Rouge, and Cassin Young, berthed across the pier from the frigate USS Constitution at the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts, are open to the public. 25 . Radioman (RM) Responsible for all electronic means of exterior communications. The 1941 building program was to have consisted entirely of new Fletcher-class destroyers. If you Google Imperial Submarine I-8, you can read through the article for an account of our sinking of that sub. Destroyers were normally tied up to a pier with six mooring lines, numbered consecutively from forward to aft. Both books have a table of . The Federal-built units were delivered to the Navy without a medium anti-aircraft gun atop the aft deckhouse position. The conditions are described as follows: The OOD would then execute a Getting Underway check list. US Navy - Fletcher Class Destroyer Beginning of June 1942 the first Fletcher class destroyer DD-445, was commissioned at the Boston Navy yard. YOKE is an intermediate level of protection that is set when the ship is under normal underway cruise conditions. Fairwinds and calm seas Uncle Andrew. Enjoyable and interesting read. [4] They could cover the vast distances required by fleet actions in the Pacific. For a secure moor, the lines were Doubled Up. Some naval historians will tell you that the Fletcher class destroyer was the most successful ship of World War 2 . If there was ever any doubt about who was responsible for a piece of equipment on the ship, it belonged to the Chief Engineer. He was directly accountable for all expenditures of government funds. All fittings with a black Y are closed and only opened for protection. or phone 8156753603. The CIC included radar repeaters, voice radios, electronic warfare equipment, plotting boards, logging facilities, etc. The Fletcher class destroyers had a wartime complement of 329 personnel. Abbot was a Fletcher-class destroyer built in 1943. The Aulick was at station 15 which was not far from stations 1 and 2. I made 2 deployments, home ported out of Pearl Harbor. I was a Reservist out of the old Reserve Center (airplane hanger) in Long Beach. Enginemen were diesel engine specialists who took care of boat engines and the emergency diesel generator. A fleet destroyer will normally have all three major department head billets filled by a Lieutenant Commander or fairly senior Lieutenant. Indoor & Outdoor SMD Screens, LED Displays, Digital Signage & Video Wall Solutions in Pakistan Normally half of the sailors in this division would be assigned to each space. 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. The Chief Engineer bears responsibility for operation of the ships engineering plant, electrical generation and distribution, auxiliary machinery, and interior communications. did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? i was a radarman on the Hopewell from 65through 67. This was mitigated somewhat due to deployment in the Pacific. Fifty-one were further modified beginning in 1945, replacing the forward torpedo tubes and midships 40mm twin Bofors with quad mounts for a total of 14 barrels, and the seven 20mm singles with six 20mm twins. The BT rating was considered to have the hottest and dirtiest jobs in the navy. Again being promoted to Rear Admiral he later took over command of battleship divisions in the Atlantic Fleet. Some 2,100-tonners served off Korea in the 1950s and some even off Vietnam in the 60s. The crew was extremely tight. Nineteen Fletchers were lost during World War II; six more were damaged, evaluated as constructive total losses, and not repaired. The Chief Gunners Mate (GMC) normally acted as a roving troubleshooter. The ships Master at Arms force reports directly to the Executive Officer. On Halsey Powell, our Ops Officer was also assigned as navigator, although that was not universal practice aboard destroyers. This organization sounds very complex to the outsider. *** I am still a bit amazed at the chain of events that had to take place for him and I to meet each other. Thank you! Machinery Repairman (MR) were in charge of the Machine Shop. The Fletcher class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II.The class was designed in 1939, as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types of the Porter and Somers classes. Deployments were six months in length followed by a six month period in the US, about half of which was spent underway in various fleet exercises off the West Coast. Copyright 2011-2022 Naval Historical Foundation. All wardroom provisions had to be purchased from the General Mess or other sources ashore. The Fletcher class destroyers had a wartime complement of 329 personnel. What impressed me was the clean layout, and the open space. However in 1956 there was an acute shortage of Lieutenants in the Navy and therefore each ship was only provided with one, who was invariably assigned as the Operations Officer and Senior Watch Officer. 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. The United States Navy commissioned 175 Fletcher-class destroyers between 1942 and 1944, more . 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. Many memories aboard it. Phil Becker, my father, John Hanson, was an officer on USS Aulick DD569. Not a member of the Naval Institute? These 175 flush-deck "2,100 . Some went on to serve during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
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