She was my first, and my favorite ship. Fletcher-Class Destroyer. Fittings marked with a Red Z, Black Y, and Black Z are all closed. Next. On some ships a junior officer is assigned as navigator. Fairwinds and calm seas Uncle Andrew. Transferred to Argentina, 14 August 1961. Great hunting, Tubes! He currently holds the title of Chief Marine Engineer at Marine Design Dynamics. Thank you for writing here. The actual hookup was made by detaching one of the anchor chains from its anchor and passing it down to the mooring crew on the buoy, who would then connect it to a shackle. During World War II this rating was called Pharmacists Mate. It was still a great ship .. Miss it .. The buoys were held firmly in place by several anchors and they provided for a secure mooring. 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?. I spent 22 years in the Navy. During their service life, many . During this era, no other class of destroyer had more ships built. I know there were 6 throwers (K-guns?) Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Friedman, Norman "US Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (Revised Edition)", Naval Institute Press, Annapolis:2004, p.111-112. Some that we were called upon to perform included: There are probably some others that I have forgotten about. [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. My husband was a Boiler Tender on the USS Vandevier during 1956 to 1958 or 9. Wikimedia Commons photos. He currently holds the title of Chief Marine Engineer at Marine Design Dynamics. Normally half of the sailors in this division would be assigned to each space. . While some changes had taken place since 1945, most of the procedures were carryovers from World War II. Christened USS Fletcher, she carried over several design features from the earlier classes, such as a rounded pilot house. Normally he was a non-watchstander and he was usually provided with at least one full time assistant. 35 knots: Engines: Geared-turbines : Power: 60000 : Notes on class: This was the second class of destroyers, after Benson / Gleaves, built during the war. I was lucky enough to tour the USS Kidd shortly after she was docked for display in Baton Rouge, LA. The US Navy Destroyers represented the formidable industrial effort consented by the United States to win the war on two oceans. Thanks for the experience. A Naval vessel had three conditions of damage control readiness, X-RAY, YOKE, and ZEBRA. There was a big hole in one of the ships. Fletcher is down to two 5" guns but two 3" rapid firing guns and a MK 15 Trainable Hedgehog Projector (in place of Mount 52) are visible. About once per quarter we would be assigned an availability alongside a Destroyer Tender for routine repairs. In the interest of reduced manning levels, did the Radiomen copy fleet broadcast via teletype instead of morse? Signalman (SM) These people stood watch on the signal bridge. Also, since my primary experience was in engineering, it served as excellent preparation for command. The Fletcher class (named for Admiral Frank F. Fletcher) was the largest class of destroyer ordered, and was also one of the most successful and popular with the destroyer men themselves. Meanwhile, medium-size Coast Guard cutters and U.S. Navy destroyers covered waters closer inshore. The class was designed in 1939, as a result of dissatisfaction w. Admiral's flag is flying from the yardarm. USS Fletcher: note the open hatch with Black ZEBRA marking. Ross's book also acknowledges Raven's book as a source. I was in the ROC program, but trained as a Radioman. One reason for this was that it kept me involved in the operational picture. 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). A fleet destroyer will normally have all three major department head billets filled by a Lieutenant Commander or fairly senior Lieutenant. Abbot was a Fletcher-class destroyer built in 1943. Pingback: Manning Fletcher Class Destroyers | Naval Historical Foundation, Pingback: Fletcher Class Destroyer Operations - Part II | Naval Historical Foundation. At least one GM was assigned to each mount as the Mount Captain and another would be in charge of loading operations. There, the earliest ones saw action in the nighttime surface battles in the Solomon Islands, many fought at Leyte and all completed in time for fleet screening and shore bombardment assignments and the notorious anti-kamikaze radar picket duty at Okinawa. He was normally seated at the opposite end of the wardroom table from the Captain, where it was convenient for everyone to glare at him. . While some changes had taken place since 1945, most of the procedures were carryovers from . That number was necessary to allow around the clock manning of gun mounts, repair parties, and other watch stations. Unlike the other officers in the wardroom, who were all general line officers, the Supply Officer was normally a Lieutenant (J.G.) Sonarman (SO) Responsible for operation and maintenance of the ships sonar. It was an honor to serve on Fletchers as the brave sailors of WWII. But on destroyers and smaller vessels the Executive Officer often doubles as the navigator. 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. The Fletcher class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Enjoyable and interesting read. Introduced in 1942, the 2,100-ton Fletcher -class destroyers formed the core of the US Navy's destroyer force from 1943. Disbursing Clerk (DK) Assisted the Supply Officer in performing his paymaster functions. But he had a good deal of responsibility. All sailors initially attended Boot Camp where they held the rating of Seaman Recruit (SR). More about this later. 25 . The Hunt class of "emergancy" destroyers (this class is very close in capabilities to late war US DE classes like the Rudderow or John C. Butler classes) made for a good class of smaller but very capable ship (4 x 4" 4 TT). The iconic silhouette of a Fletcher is well known to any students of World War II naval history. NHF members are being converted to members of the Naval Institute. The ship was named to honor Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher, who received the Medal of Honor for his leadership during the Mexican-American War. Anti-aircraft armament initially was light, with a quadruple 1.1"/75 caliber gun located in an elevated tub between the number three and four 5-inch gun mounts and six Oerlikon 20 mm cannons (two in front of and below the bridge and four amidships). Thanks for shedding additional light on my fathers service and that of his comrades-in-arms. Nineteen Fletchers were lost during World War II. Radio direction finders were eventually replaced by Loran A. Navy ships never use this method any more, as sufficient pier space is provided in all of the navys home ports and all necessary services are provided from shore. 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. Richard Vessels, my father, John Hanson, was an officer on USS Aulick DD569. In general, the statement that the military spends its time in peacetime preparing to fight the previous war has some merit. 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.[1]. USS Halsey Powell backs away from a pier in Subic Bay. 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. Hopefully, it will provide some insight as to the duties performed by individual crew members during the war. "German Navy Fletcher-Class, USS DD-515 Anthony. 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. did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? He was also responsible for coordination of shipyard overhauls or periods (availabilities) alongside a tender. Velos alongside G. Averof are ceremonially commissioned by the Hellenic Navy having Palaio Faliro as their base. Indoor & Outdoor SMD Screens, LED Displays, Digital Signage & Video Wall Solutions in Pakistan The Navy started my lifes work e.g. Transferred to Hellenic Navy, 27 September 1962, Transferred to Hellenic Navy, 21 August 1959, Transferred to West Germany, 12 April 1960, Transferred to West Germany, 16 December 1959, Transferred to West Germany, 17 February 1960, Transferred to Hellenic Navy, 16 June 1959, Transferred to Hellenic Navy, 15 September 1959, Transferred to Hellenic Navy, 9 February 1960, Transferred to South Korea, 15 November 1968, Transferred to the Republic of Korea, 27 April 1968, Museum ship at the former Boston Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts, This page was last edited on 20 October 2022, at 13:05. Compared to earlier classes built for the United States Navy, the Fletchers carried a significant increase in lethal firepower, including anti-aircraft (AA) weapons and increased armor plating; this contributed to greater displacement and overall weight and height increase. Machinists Mate (MM) This rating was responsible for the operation and maintenance of all of the equipment in the two main engine rooms. 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. 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. or phone 8156753603. The class featured enclosed air-case boilers and 80kW of power available by emergency diesel generators. This duty normally fell to the most junior three Ensigns in the wardroom. 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. 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. 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. He died back in 1986. Essentially what this meant was for the first team to take their assigned stations for getting underway. between the turbine and the shaft it appeared that there was a temperature gauge built into every section. Naval officers are required to pay for their own meals. Fletcher-class destroyer - Wikipedia. This class of British destroyer often had more AA firepower than many larger DD did. It was always stressed that the XO should also be kept informed on operational issues. 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. Composite by Coffee or Die Magazine. Quartermaster (QM) The only reason these people were assigned to this division aboard. Civilian vessels have always had much smaller crews and made far greater use of automation and labor saving devices. As Senior Watch Officer, he had the responsibility for the training and assignment of junior officers, and in some cases CPOs to underway and in port watch stations. NHF has decommissioned and is no longer accepting new members or donations. [5][failed verification] In a massive effort, the Fletchers were built by shipyards across the United States, and, after World War II ended, 11 were sold to countries that they had been built to fight against: Italy, Germany, and Japan, as well as other countries, where they had even longer, distinguished careers. [8] 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. I am putting a remembrance for an aged USN veteran of WWII and his family. 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. He was a trained surgeon graduating from Wake Forest and Duke Medical Schools. 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. Displacement: 2600 tons. He was always on call when the ship was underway. 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. The other rated BMs were generally assigned individual sections of the ship to maintain. 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. He is a 1956 graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. 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 the return trip we had to avoid the collision between the Oil Tanker and a Philippine Merchant ship . The seven single 20mm guns were replaced with six twin mounts (four amidships and two on the fantail. Normally the crew stood duty on one day out of every three. He is assisted by personnel of the Quartermaster (QM) rating. The Fletcher-class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II.
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