Acting as a member of a screen as part of a carrier task group against air, surface, and subsurface attack. Gunnery Officer Or Gun Boss was responsible for operation and maintenance of all of the ships armament plus all matters relating to deck seamanship. 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]. Phil, the Morrison and Luce were sister ships and often worked together. 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. 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. There were 6 depth charges for each K-gun. List of Fletcher-class destroyers and their dispositions. . Here in Charlestown, this navy yard built . Fletcher (DDE-445) is recommissioned as an escort destroyer at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, 03 October 1949. 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. The cycle would start at the end of a shipyard overhaul, in our case at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. References: Bauer and Roberts, Friedman, Raven, Hearn. During both of my XO tours, I served as navigator. Some went on to serve during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War.[3]. [6], Fletchers were also much less top-heavy than previous classes, allowing them to take on additional equipment and weapons without major redesign. He currently holds the title of Chief Marine Engineer at Marine Design Dynamics. Nineteen Fletchers were lost during World War II; six more were damaged, evaluated as constructive total losses, and not repaired. 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. The conning officer would then use an appropriate combination of rudder, engines, and lines to get the ship underway. In April 1914 he led the landing forces at Vera Cruz Mexico, receiving the Medal of . With the outbreak of the Korean War many were returned to active duty. Your email address will not be published. The Conning Officer could be the CO, XO, or OOD. i was a radarman on the Hopewell from 65through 67. USS Fletcher: note the open hatch with Black ZEBRA marking. We had a great twenty minute conversation. The group was also responsible for all fire fighting and dewatering equipment. However, the Navy had other ideas and I ended up on the east coast in Florida. There were three major operational departments i.e., Operations, Gunnery and Engineering. The billet was normally assigned to a Lieutenant with four or five years of sea duty. As such, the questions were of how many guns, torpedoes, and depth charges were seen as desirable. Again being promoted to Rear Admiral he later took over command of battleship divisions in the Atlantic Fleet. I hope youre still here. I know there were 6 throwers (K-guns?) They followed exactly the same path but they were only assigned to the Engineering Department. Three have been preserved as museum ships in the U.S., and one in Greece. 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 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. The CIC included radar repeaters, voice radios, electronic warfare equipment, plotting boards, logging facilities, etc. 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 . stevens funeral home pulaski, va obituaries. 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. It is set when a ship is in the harbor. The Supply Officer also had department head status. . Machinists Mate (MM) This rating was responsible for the operation and maintenance of all of the equipment in the two main engine rooms. I much preferred WESTPAC! He functions as the administrator of the ship and has overall responsibility for all personnel on board. He has passed on and I need information for a claim with the VA. It was an honor to serve on Fletchers as the brave sailors of WWII. 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. NHF has decommissioned and is no longer accepting new members or donations. Once clear of the harbor, the navigator would announce that we were entering International Waters, where different Rules of the Road apply. The only rating in this division was the Gunners Mate (GM). In those days, the Navy had been heavily influenced by carrier task group operations during the war and the experiences with the Kamikazes during the Battle of Okinawa. The answer to your question (if you havent already received it) is 12 depth charges in each of the two racks. 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. How many depth charges did a Fletcher-class carry during WWII? The Chief Gunners Mate (GMC) normally acted as a roving troubleshooter. About four months after Fletcher joined the fleet, she . He was a trained surgeon graduating from Wake Forest and Duke Medical Schools. The Fletcher class including The Sullivans are regarded as the backbone of the navy and know to be the best destroyer in the world. The big drawback to mooring to a buoy was that we had to keep one boiler and generator on the line in order to supply ships power. . 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. Fittings marked with a Red Z, Black Y, and Black Z are all closed. Jim Avery serves on a fictional Gleaves-class destroyer, the USS . The class was designed in 1939, as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types. Most had been commissioned by the end of 1946 and went on to serve well into the 1960's. USS Sarsfield (DD-837) Gearing Class destroyer in 1945. Later emphasis on anti-aircraft defense led to a redesigned or square bridge for improved all-around sightlines, beginning with Brownson (DD 518). Nineteen Fletchers were lost during World War II. This group was responsible for all general hull fittings such as watertight doors and hatches, ventilation system closures, general plumbing, etc. The wartime philosophy was essentially that manpower was cheaper than technology. 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. 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. The working part of the torch consisted of a rag wrapped around the end of the handle and secured by wire. Many memories aboard it. 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. Ships of the Fletcher destroyer class Name Hull no. . Eighteen ships were redesignated as escort destroyers (DDE), optimized for anti-submarine warfare; these reverted to destroyer (DD) designation in 1962. [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 sailors initially attended Boot Camp where they held the rating of Seaman Recruit (SR). This article describes destroyer operations as I remember them during the late 1950s. 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). It was fascinating to see the gear reduction transmission (?) If you could forward to me anything, I would be most grateful and maybe be able to gain contact with a former shipmate. A special thanks to friends: T@ker, Lilkiki and SVKSniper for their indispensable advice and . Is this Fire Controlman? The Fletcher class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. This method was still in general use in the Navy even into the 1990s and there are still some ships that still use it, even though burner management systems have been common on commercial ships since the 1970s. Does anyone have information I can get from on of his mates during that time. Length: 90.5 ft., Beam: 40.9 ft., Click on image to enlarge. 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 Fletcher class destroyers had a wartime complement of 329 personnel. Enjoyable and interesting read. He was responsible for all fuel transfer operations plus chemical testing and treatment of the ships boiler water. This article describes destroyer operations as I remember them during the late 1950s. His direct superior in the chain of command was his squadron or division commander who was normally a Captain with the honorary title of Commodore. He promulgates the plan of the day and oversees virtually every evolution. 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. Most COs rarely took the conn themselves but acted more as a teacher and overall safety observer. The U.S. Built in 1943 in San Pedro, California, she is one of 175 Fletcher-class destroyers built during World War II. 624-628. Very helpful article to sort out naval manning. 789k. I was a radioman aboard this ship. A . This meant passing a second bight around the bollard on the pier or the ship alongside. The Fletcher-class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Took over command of battleship divisions in the harbor, the Navy had other ideas and need... Overall responsibility for all personnel on board the Medal of can get from on of his mates that... 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