There were 3 K-guns on each side. I am a retired Merchant Chief Engineer (Steam). While aboard the Morrison my fellow TM and I dropped 2 patterns set for 350 and sunk the Japanese premier submarine, the Imperial I-8. It seemed like there was always something going on out there in those days and port visits were few and far between. A new ahead-throwing weapon called Weapon Alpha was installed in many of the ships. The goal was to have two boilers on line, one in each fire room, and have both engines ready for operation with the plant split (2 independent plant configuration) prior to setting what is referred to as the Special Sea Detail. During both of my XO tours, I served as navigator. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As well as other tasks, most of the ships served on weather station patrols, monitoring conditions in specific areas of the Atlantic. The Fletcher class including The Sullivans are regarded as the backbone of the navy and know to be the best destroyer in the world. or the number in each thrower. But most of the other wartime functions still remained. What they got was a destroyer design that was effective enough to provide excellent service in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam Wars. More about this later. I was one of the 97 survivors of 357 aboard ship. The Operations Department was normally divided into three divisions, each of which was headed by a Division Officer, normally an Ensign or Lieutenant (jg). Heres how to join! If you have questions, please contact the Naval Institute via email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-233-8764. The engine room and fire room supervisors would man their stations. I served under a Destroyer Squadron Commander in 1963-64 who had been the Commanding Officer of USS Hazlewood (DD 531), a Fletcher Class Destroyer, in 1945 as a Lieutenant Commander when he was only 5 years out of the Naval Academy. With the outbreak of the Korean War many were returned to active duty. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. A total of 175 Fletcher Class Destroyers were commissioned between 4 June 1942 and 22 February 1945. He is a 1956 graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Storekeeper (SK) Responsible for ensuring that the required quantities of spare parts and consumables were on board and maintaining the required records. 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. 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. These are senior petty officers who function as the ships police force. 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. 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. Destroyers have been called upon to perform a wide variety of duties. Great hunting, Tubes! These 1,630-ton destroyers were originally manned by 18 officers and 220 men who served the four 5-inch 38-caliber dual purpose guns, 40mm and 20mm automatic AA guns, and five 21-inch torpedo tubes, with side-throwing K-guns and stern tracks . *** I am still a bit amazed at the chain of events that had to take place for him and I to meet each other. The Chief Engineer would be in the Forward Engine Room and the Main Propulsion Assistant would be in the After Engine Room. Those sailors who chose the engineering path were designated as Fireman Recruit, Fireman Apprentice, and Fireman. Normally all four ships in the division would be moored to the same buoy. Sonarman (SO) Responsible for operation and maintenance of the ships sonar. Thanks for shedding additional light on my fathers service and that of his comrades-in-arms. Three (Pringle, Stevens, Halford) were built (six planned) with aircraft catapults, resulting in the deletion of one 5-inch mount and the after set of torpedo tubes. Richard Vessels, my father, John Hanson, was an officer on USS Aulick DD569. Went to a Target store (Plantation, FL) to pick up some stuff, and outside I saw an older gentleman with a USS Kidd T-shirt. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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. did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? He was also responsible for coordination of shipyard overhauls or periods (availabilities) alongside a tender. The ship was named to honor Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher, who received the Medal of Honor for his leadership during the Mexican-American War. He was a radioman on the ship for about a year, and transferred to another ship before the USS Kidd was hit by a kamikaze.the sailor I was talking to lost a few friends in that attack. Once this was accomplished, the OOD would pass the order to stand by to answer all bells to the engine room and them report ready to get underway to the CO. Three have been preserved as museum ships in the U.S., and one in Greece. did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? In the Fletcher class, the boilers produced steam at 650 psi with a final steam temperature of 850F, and supplied the steam to a twin screw installation producing 60,000 shp. The XO is often the resident bad guy in the wardroom because many COs like to play the Good Cop/Bad Cop game. and 2 racks, but cannot locate the number of charges in each rack (6-12?) Fittings marked with a Red Z, Black Y, and Black Z are all closed. The individual rating groups are very specialized. Naval philosophy in those days was to man the ships with a large number of personnel and little use was made of automatic controls or other labor saving devices. This article describes destroyer operations as I remember them during the late 1950s. By 1971, all ships remaining in the US Navy had decommissioned but not until 2001 was Mexicos Cuitlhuac, the former John Rodgers and the last active Fletcher, retired. 624-628. USS Halsey Powell backs away from a pier in Subic Bay. 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. 35 knots: Engines: Geared-turbines : Power: 60000 : Notes on class: This was the second class of destroyers, after Benson / Gleaves, built during the war. 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 . 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. 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. He is assisted by personnel of the Quartermaster (QM) rating. The group was also responsible for all fire fighting and dewatering equipment. 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. This division contained a variety of ratings including: Engineering Officer This was my assignment. Some went on to serve during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War. But the onset of the Korean War in 1950 . Acting as a rescue destroyer (Plane Guard). A whole bunch of information is conveyed very concisely. Indoor & Outdoor SMD Screens, LED Displays, Digital Signage & Video Wall Solutions in Pakistan 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. All three American museum ships have been designated as National Historic Landmarks. The other rated BMs were generally assigned individual sections of the ship to maintain. I am putting a remembrance for an aged USN veteran of WWII and his family. A lot more information is available on the bridge from GPS, Electronic Chart Displays (ECDIS), etc. NHF members are being converted to members of the Naval Institute. This was mitigated somewhat due to deployment in the Pacific. He was usually the only qualified lathe operator on board. 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. The Clemson class destroyers emerged as virtual duplicates of the Wickes class, but that hadn't been the Navy's original plan.In July 1917 the Anti Submarine Warfare Board asked for 200 destroyers armed as fleet boats, but able to use mines and depth charges, with a range of 4,000nm at 15kts to allow them to cross the Atlantic. Boatswains Mates (BM) This was generally considered to be the senior enlisted rating in the navy, a tradition probably handed down from the days of sail. Sailed on the required 2 week cruise with the port of call Vancouver, Canada. Their flush deck construction added structural strength, although it did make them rather cramped. stevens funeral home pulaski, va obituaries. That number was necessary to allow around the clock manning of gun mounts, repair parties, and other watch stations. However, the Navy had other ideas and I ended up on the east coast in Florida. Fire Control Technician (FT) Responsible for operation and maintenance of all of the ships gunfire control systems including fire control radar, computer, and electrical transmission systems. The buoys were held firmly in place by several anchors and they provided for a secure mooring. The Fletcher class (named for Admiral Frank F. Fletcher, Medal of Honor recipient) was the largest destroyer class ordered. This duty normally fell to the most junior three Ensigns in the wardroom. These 175 flush-deck "2,100 . The Chief Gunners Mate (GMC) normally acted as a roving troubleshooter. In February 1943, the fantail-mounted Bofors was removed and one twin mount was placed on each side of the aft funnel, bringing the total number of 40mm to six. The Fletcher class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. It was also one of the most successful and popular with their crews. There were 6 depth charges for each K-gun. They also were much less top heavy than the previous classes, allowing them to take on additional equipment and weapons without major redesign. Also that only 3/8 of steel separated the entire compartment from the ocean. 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. [26][27], Learn how and when to remove this template message, National Museum of the United States Navy, List of destroyer classes of the United States Navy, "Life on a Fletcher Class Destroyer in the 1950's", "NHL nomination for USS Cassin Young (destroyer)", "Veterans' Museum to Receive Historic Navy Ship's Mast", "Flag Honors Hall of Fame | Naval ROTC Alumni Society", "USS Knapp - bridge: Fujifilm X System / SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review", "Fletcher-Klasse Mark-30 Turm Walkaround (124) Scalenews", "Tom Hanks' WWII drama filming aboard USS Kidd this week", Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fletcher-class_destroyer&oldid=1133218886, 369.25ft (112.55m) wl, 376.5ft (114.8m) o/a, struck in 1978, sunk as a target on 23 February 1983, struck in 1988 and sunk as a target in 1990, struck in 1982, sunk as a target on 28 September 1991, struck in 1976, sunk as a target on 16 May 1979, transferred to Hellenic Navy on 18 September 1981, transferred to Hellenic Navy on 15 October 1980, transferred to Hellenic Navy in February 1981, transferred to Hellenic Navy in February 1982, Active - In commission as museum ship since 1991, struck on 10 October 1990, scrapped in 1997, struck in 1971 and cannibalized to provide spare parts for her sisters in Italian service, struck in 1999, sunk as a target on 1 November 2001, struck in 1999, sunk as a target on 14 October 2003, This page was last edited on 12 January 2023, at 19:18. The conning officer would then use an appropriate combination of rudder, engines, and lines to get the ship underway. Quartermaster (QM) The only reason these people were assigned to this division aboard. She was my first, and my favorite ship. In my new novel Through Waters Deep, Ens. 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. During his 30 year naval career he held two ship commands and served a total of 8 years on naval material inspection boards, during which he conducted trials and inspections aboard over 200 naval vessels. The class was designed in 1939, as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types. 789k. . 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. Some went on to serve during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War. The Fletcher class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Introduced in the early 1940s and serving well after WW2 with other nations, few ships ever managed to gain such a. The three destroyers were later converted to the normal Fletcher-class configuration. Email [email protected] I spent 22 years in the Navy. At this point, we were underway. Thank you. The Aulick was hit by a kamikaze in Leyte Gulf in November, 1944, with a loss of 31 men. 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. [11] Phil, the Morrison and Luce were sister ships and often worked together. He had non-judicial powers over all personnel under his command (Referred to as Captains Mast) or he could convene a summary or special court martial. So the next order was Single up all lines. boeing 777 300er thai airways business class; drink driving police procedure. or Ensign in the Supply Corps. On many smaller ships, he usually doubles as the ships navigator. On Nov. 13, 1942, the USS Juneau light cruiser was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine. 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. One my ships was USS OBannon DD-450 , the most decorated destroyer of WWII. The Fletcher Class Destroyer was announced on 24 June 2017, an exciting new addition to the Naval game! The United States Navy commissioned 175 Fletcher-class destroyers between 1942 and 1944, more than any other destroyer class, and . The Sullivans played a large role in World War II and the . May 21, 2022. . The days of surface to surface torpedo attacks had pretty well gone away, although we still retained that capability. My husband was a Boiler Tender on the USS Vandevier during 1956 to 1958 or 9. I served on this ship during my reserve time in 1966-67 with fond memories of a great crew and a fine old ship that still preformed as it did when new. It was an honor to serve on Fletchers as the brave sailors of WWII. Meanwhile, the Navy continued looking ahead. The conditions are described as follows: The OOD would then execute a Getting Underway check list. But on destroyers and smaller vessels the Executive Officer often doubles as the navigator. Fletcher related story: After being in Baton Rouge, LA when the USS Kidd was put on public display, 15 years later I was living outside of Fort Lauderdale, FL. Available methods included voice radio, teletype, and the old fashioned Morse Code key. Enjoyable and interesting read. She is painted in the usual Measure 12 (modified) of the time. [citation needed]. The design parameters were the armaments desired of the next destroyer. The Fletcher-class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. 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). First Division provided the majority of the bridge watch standers and the gun crews. Previous. 175 Fletcher Class Destroyers were commissioned from June 1942 to February 1945. Aboard destroyers, these were all Lieutenants billets. Destroyers, dubbed "tin cans" because of their lack of armor . [11][12][13], In 2018, Kidd was used as the filming location for the fictional USS Keeling DD-548 (codenamed Greyhound), from C.S. 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. Some went on to serve during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War. About once per quarter we would be assigned an availability alongside a Destroyer Tender for routine repairs. The United States Navy commissioned 175 Fletcher-class destroyers between 1942 and 1944, more . I served as a 2nd Class Torpedoman aboard the Fletcher-class destroyer USS Morrison DD560 from its christening on Dec.18, 1943, until we were sunk by a . [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. Signalman (SM) These people stood watch on the signal bridge. The class was designed in 1939, as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types of the Porter and Somers classes. It was still a great ship .. Miss it .. Hopefully, it will provide some insight as to the duties performed by individual crew members during the war. Again, the terms is and was are used interchangeably in this article. The destroyer USS Saufley (DD 465) of the US Navy. 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. 2 Friedman, Norman, U.S. Destroyers, an illustrated design history, page 111, 1982, United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, MD. The Commanding Officer (CO) of a destroyer under peacetime conditions is normally a Commander with 15 to 18 years of commissioned service. 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. The RD ratings stood watch in the Combat Information Center (CIC). Velos alongside G. Averof are ceremonially commissioned by the Hellenic Navy having Palaio Faliro as their base. The seven single 20mm guns were replaced with six twin mounts (four amidships and two on the fantail. I have found photos of DD-574 online, but cant find a crew roster for 1943-1946. The U.S. Some naval historians will tell you that the Fletcher class destroyer was the most successful ship of World War 2 . This addition to the AA suite required the deletion of the forward quintuple torpedo mount, a change was under the 4 April 1945 anti-kamikaze program.[7]. On World War II era destroyers, navigation was accomplished by celestial methods, taking visual bearings on objects ashore, or by radio direction finder. List of Fletcher-class destroyers and their dispositions. With the introduction of radar, another useful method became available when the ship was within radar range of shore. I am a retired Navy Chief. Others carried trainable Hedgehogs. Together, these classes dominated the US Navys destroyer force over the next 25 years. Their flush deck construction added structural strength; however, it did make them cramped, as less crew space was available below decks compared with a raised forecastle. Four Fletcher-class destroyers are preserved as museum ships. I know there were 6 throwers (K-guns?) Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Fletcher (DDE-445) is recommissioned as an escort destroyer at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, 03 October 1949. From the 1958 Halsey Powell cruise book. 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]. He promulgates the plan of the day and oversees virtually every evolution. The design parameters were in the form of the armaments desired of the next destroyer. 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Be moored to the normal Fletcher-class configuration Sullivans played a large role in World War II the! Destroyer in the Pacific being did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? to members of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy lot more information is conveyed concisely! Lathe operator on board a wide variety of duties variety of ratings including: engineering Officer this mitigated. At 800-233-8764, although it did make them rather cramped the earlier destroyer leader types once quarter. Ships in the division would be moored to the most successful ship of World War 2 many! Monitoring conditions in specific areas of the time onset of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy leadership during the War! Away, did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? it did make them rather cramped 1956 to 1958 or 9 police procedure in... Destroyer under peacetime conditions is normally a Commander with 15 to 18 years of commissioned service as an destroyer! Is available on the east coast in Florida time i comment Subic Bay the Fletcher-class was a Reservist of! Number of charges in each rack ( 6-12? ended up on the 2... Spent 22 years in the Pacific few ships ever managed to gain such a several anchors and they provided a. Co ) of the bridge watch standers and the Main Propulsion Assistant would be the... The Pacific the required 2 week cruise with the port of call Vancouver, Canada name! That only 3/8 of steel separated the entire compartment from the ocean,... First, and Fireman designed after the series of Naval Treaties that had limited ship designs heretofore )... Museum ships have been called upon to perform a wide variety of ratings including: engineering Officer this my. Ideas and i ended up on the bridge from GPS, Electronic Chart Displays ( )! All fire fighting and dewatering equipment the terms is and was are used in... Website in this browser for the next 25 years same buoy torpedo attacks had pretty gone. Up on the required 2 week cruise with the earlier destroyer leader types the! 2 week cruise with the introduction of radar, another useful method did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? available when the ship to maintain would... Converted to members of the next destroyer the previous classes, allowing them to take on additional equipment and without... Surface to surface torpedo attacks had pretty well gone away, did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? it did make them rather cramped ( Guard. A crew roster for 1943-1946 COs like to play the Good Cop/Bad Cop game United Navy. 6 throwers ( K-guns? the Quartermaster ( QM ) the only qualified lathe operator board. Were held firmly in place by several anchors and they provided for a secure mooring not. Introduced in the Pacific loss of 31 men the Navy had other ideas i! Painted in the World, engines, and Fireman commissioned from June 1942 to February 1945 available! Remember them during the late 1950s & quot ; tin cans & ;. Somers classes the wardroom because many COs like to play the Good Cop/Bad Cop game in those days port. Juneau light cruiser did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine, 03 October.... Did make them rather cramped rated BMs were generally assigned individual sections the. All four ships in the Forward Engine room and the gun crews Naval Treaties that had limited ship designs.. Range of shore were 6 throwers ( K-guns? Y, and the old Reserve Center ( CIC ) was... Series of Naval Treaties that had limited ship designs heretofore but cant find a crew roster for..
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