USS Anthony (DD-515)
Mare Island Navy Yard , California, 8 December 1944
| |
History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | Anthony |
Namesake | William Anthony |
Builder | Bath Iron Works |
Laid down | 17 August 1942 |
Launched | 20 December 1942 |
Commissioned | 26 February 1943 |
Decommissioned | 17 April 1946 |
Stricken | 15 April 1972 |
Identification | DD-515 |
Fate | Transferred to West Germany, 17 January 1958 |
West Germany | |
Name | Zerstörer 1 |
Acquired | 17 January 1958 |
Stricken | 1976 |
Identification | D170 |
Fate | Sunk as a target, 16 May 1979 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | |
Displacement | 2,050 long tons (2,080 t) |
Length | 376 ft 6 in (114.76 m) |
Beam | 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m) |
Draft | 17 ft 9 in (5.41 m) |
Propulsion | 60,000 shp (45 MW) ; 2 propellers |
Speed | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
Range | 6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
Complement | 329 |
Armament |
|
USS Anthony (DD-515), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Marine Sergeant Major William Anthony (1853–1899).
Construction
Anthony was laid down on 17 August 1942, at Bath, Maine, by the Bath Iron Works Corp.; launched on 20 December 1942; sponsored by Miss Alice Anthony and Miss Frances Anthony, granddaughters of Sergeant Major William Anthony; and commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard, on 26 February 1943.
1943
The destroyer got underway on 26 March for a shakedown training out of
Two months of intensive training for the destroyer ensued. She left Hawaiian waters on 5 August in the screen of a convoy bound, via Pago Pago, Samoa, for Efate Island, New Hebrides. Anthony dropped anchor off Efate on 27 August.
Her next several weeks were devoted to more training exercises. Then, late in October, Anthony was among the destroyers escorting troop transports to the
1944
This routine was interrupted for the destroyer on 20 January 1944 by an order to proceed to Bougainville Strait. There, Anthony encountered several small Japanese ships and destroyed a gunboat and several barges before resuming her escort duties.
The ship got underway on 15 February to shepherd a group of
After a brief respite at Purvis Bay, the destroyer sailed on 23 February to take part in a bombardment of the enemy stronghold at Rabaul, New Britain Island. Then, during March, she covered the invasion of Emirau Island before serving as an escort on several supply runs between Guadalcanal and Emirau.
On 24 April, Anthony was assigned to duty with a battleship task force. The destroyer screened New Mexico, Idaho, and Pennsylvania to Australia. The warships arrived at Sydney; and, on the 29th after a week of liberty in that city, Anthony weighed anchor on 6 May to return to Purvis Bay.
After brief training, Anthony and a group of ships sailed on 2 June for the invasion of the
On 8 July, Anthony began providing harassing fire on Guam, and the bombardment continued for several days. When relieved, the destroyer proceeded to
On 10 August, Anthony was ordered to proceed to Hawaii. She made an intermediate stop at Eniwetok before arriving at Pearl Harbor on the 20th. There, the ship was briefly dry-docked for repairs and then took part in training exercises off Maui. Anthony sailed for Ulithi on 15 September and arrived safely in that lagoon on 3 October. Shortly thereafter, the destroyer got underway to return to the west coast of the United States.
Soon after her reaching San Francisco, Calif. on 25 October, Anthony entered the
1945
There, she began preparations for the upcoming operations at Iwo Jima. Anthony and other ships of the invasion force got underway on 27 January 1945 and stopped en route at Eniwetok and Guam. The destroyer was assigned to the screen of transports carrying reserve forces. She conducted shore bombardment and night harassing fire off Iwo Jima until 6 March, when she got underway for the Philippines.
Anthony anchored in
Anthony had another close call on 7 June. While on
On 13 July, Anthony got underway for an anti-shipping sweep off the China coast between
Anthony sailed on 7 September for duty supporting the occupation of Japan. She carried out
Preservation work began shortly after her arrival in Charleston to ready the ship for inactivation. Anthony was placed out of commission, in reserve, on 17 April 1946.
Anthony earned seven
Zerstörer 1 (D170), 1958–1972
On 17 January 1958, the destroyer was loaned to the
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.