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 . 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]. 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. I served on 2 Fletchers as BT during Vietnam. 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. All Rules of the Road situations were handled by whistle signals. Went active in 1969. Pilots were only used when absolutely necessary in a strange port and most maneuvers were accomplished without tug assistance. This was mitigated somewhat due to deployment in the Pacific. Department heads reported to XO for all administrative matters related to their departments. My uncle was also a TM2 aboard the USS Terry. Transportation was by a combination of ships boats and private water taxis. The Chief Engineer would be in the Forward Engine Room and the Main Propulsion Assistant would be in the After Engine Room. I despised this duty until our 1958 deployment to the Far East when I was the decryptor of a message telling us that the 6 month deployment was over and ordering us to return home to San Diego. Petroleum/Chemical plant operations dept.. A good profession. The Fletcher-class destroyers were built by the United States during World War II. 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). Composite by Coffee or Die Magazine. He currently holds the title of Chief Marine Engineer at Marine Design Dynamics. The class was designed in 1939, as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types of the Porter and Somers classes. 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. I was a teletype/crypto operator on the USS FORRESTAL (CVA-59) in the early 1970s. One my ships was USS OBannon DD-450 , the most decorated destroyer of WWII. Nineteen Fletchers were lost during World War II. I hope youre still here. The Fletcher class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Very helpful article to sort out naval manning. The first ship to moor had to place a boat in the water which carried the mooring party. Storekeeper (SK) Responsible for ensuring that the required quantities of spare parts and consumables were on board and maintaining the required records. The 1941 building program was to have consisted entirely of new Fletcher-class destroyers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Naval Historical Foundation 1306 Dahlgren Avenue, SE Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374 1-202-678-4333 info@navyhistory.org. 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. After a year on board they were advanced to the grade of Seaman (SN), from which they could strike for assignment to other ratings. The engine room and fire room supervisors would man their stations. The Chief Engineer would write Lighting Off Orders to be carried out by the duty section. Regardless of rank, the Commanding Officer was always referred to as Captain. He bears total responsibility for the ship and had commensurate authority over everyone on board. The wartime philosophy was essentially that manpower was cheaper than technology. Abbot was a Fletcher-class destroyer built in 1943. 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. Ross's book also acknowledges Raven's book as a source. 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. ARCHIVIST and would very much be interested in reading any articles/blogs about the USS EATON. From there we were ready to go. Once clear of the harbor, the navigator would announce that we were entering International Waters, where different Rules of the Road apply. Since 1975 all new destroyer, cruiser, and frigate types have been powered by aircraft derivative gas turbine engines. 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. He was responsible for reading and interpreting all operation orders (OP-Orders) and determining what the ship was supposed to do next. The group was also responsible for all fire fighting and dewatering equipment. Electronics Technician (ET) These sailors were responsible for maintenance of all exterior communication, navigation, and radar equipment. The class was designed in 1939, as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types of the Porter and Somers classes. 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 . Once the first burner was lit, subsequent burners could be lit from the adjacent burner. There was a big hole in one of the ships. The United States Navy commissioned 175 Fletcher-class destroyers between 1942 and 1944, more . The cycle would start at the end of a shipyard overhaul, in our case at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. Named after a swashbuckling Union Civil War captain, the Porter was one of 175 Fletcher-class destroyers built during World War II. All sailors initially attended Boot Camp where they held the rating of Seaman Recruit (SR). Jim Avery serves on a fictional Gleaves-class destroyer, the USS . Fred Edwards, Destroyer Type Desk, Bureau of Ships, 1942, quoted in Holland, Rear Admiral W. J., Jr., USN (Ret), ed. The only ports we got to visit during my deployments were Yokosuka and Sasebo in Japan, Hong Kong, Kaoshung Taiwan, and Subic Bay in the Philippines. This discussion is centered on the ships organization as I remember it between 1956 and 1959. The duties of conning officer were rotated around. 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. The ship was the first of the Fletcher-class destroyers that were built during World War II. 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. We were forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan as part of DESRON 15. The Fletcher-class destroyer was a class of destroyers that were used extensively by the United States Navy during World War II. While in restricted waters, naval vessels have a navigation detail set and the ships position was regularly determined by taking visual bearings on objects ashore, supplemented by radar ranges and fathometer readings. These sailors were generally referred to as non-rated personnel and they could be assigned duties in any of the non-engineering divisions. did fletcher class destroyers serve in the atlantic? I am a retired Navy Chief. I was a Reservist out of the old Reserve Center (airplane hanger) in Long Beach. This group was responsible for all general hull fittings such as watertight doors and hatches, ventilation system closures, general plumbing, etc. 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. As with other previous U.S. flush deck destroyer designs, seagoing performance suffered to a degree. The *Fletcher class* was a class of destroyersbuilt by the United States during World War II. Signalman (SM) These people stood watch on the signal bridge. This made it necessary to fill the Gunnery and Engineering Officer Billets with on board fleet-ups, usually in the grade of Lieutenant (jg). The Fletcher class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. There were also fueling stops at Midway and sometimes Guam. East Coast deployments tended to be much better because ports in the Mediterranean are much closer together than in the Far East and there never were as many potential shooting situations over there that demanded that we be underway for prolonged periods. Great series of articles!. George W. Stewart is a retired US Navy Captain. He has passed on and I need information for a claim with the VA. The destroyer USS Saufley (DD 465) of the US Navy. Gunnery Officer Or Gun Boss was responsible for operation and maintenance of all of the ships armament plus all matters relating to deck seamanship. 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. In the interest of reduced manning levels, did the Radiomen copy fleet broadcast via teletype instead of morse? Indoor & Outdoor SMD Screens, LED Displays, Digital Signage & Video Wall Solutions in Pakistan 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. 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. More about this later. [citation needed]. Phil, the Morrison and Luce were sister ships and often worked together. 35 knots: Engines: Geared-turbines : Power: 60000 : Notes on class: This was the second class of destroyers, after Benson / Gleaves, built during the war. But on destroyers and smaller vessels the Executive Officer often doubles as the navigator. Nineteen were lost during World War II; six more were damaged and not repaired. The USS KIDD (DD-661) is a Fletcher-class destroyer, the six hundred sixty-first destroyer built by the United States Navy. 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. [11] 789k. Their crew are active Officers of Hellenic Navy. 175 Fletcher Class Destroyers were commissioned from June 1942 to February 1945. Previously the USS Anthony (DD-515), Ringold (DD-500), Waldsworth (DD-515), Claxton (DD-571), Dyson (DD-572), and Charles Ausburne (DD-570). The billet was normally assigned to a Lieutenant with four or five years of sea duty. 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