USS Black
USS Black (DD-666), Steaming at sea, c. 1968.
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History | |
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United States | |
Namesake | Hugh David Black |
Builder | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey |
Laid down | 14 November 1942 |
Launched | 28 March 1943 |
Commissioned | 21 May 1943 |
Decommissioned | 26 September 1969 |
Stricken | 26 September 1969 |
Fate | Sold for scrap, 17 February 1971 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Fletcher-class destroyer |
Displacement | 2,050 tons |
Length | 376 ft 6 in (114.7 m) |
Beam | 39 ft 8 in (12.1 m) |
Draft | 17 ft 9 in (5.4 m) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
Range | 6500 nm at 15 kn (12,000 km at 28 km/h) |
Complement | 329 |
Armament |
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USS Black (DD-666) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy.
Namesake
Hugh David Black was born on 29 June 1903 in
Lieutenant Black had duty with the Navy's Bureau of Navigation, in Washington, D.C., in 1938 and attended Harvard University for two years, beginning mid-1938. He was executive officer of the new destroyer USS Benson in 1940 into 1941. In March 1941, he took command of the destroyer USS Jacob Jones. Lieutenant Commander Black was killed when Jacob Jones was sunk by the German submarine U-578 on 28 February 1942.
Construction and commissioning
Black was
Service history
World War II
Black proceeded to
After seeing her first combat during the invasion of Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands (29 January–8 February 1944), Black rendered fine service in
- the Aitape and Hollandia, New Guinea, landings (22 April – 7 May);
- Saipan invasion (11 June – 4 July);
- capture of Guam (21 July – 10 August);
- and Leyte operation (20–21 October and 13–14 November).
The destroyer then returned to
Repairs completed, she sailed to Ulithi where, upon arrival on 13 March, she reported to the Fast Carrier Task Force (then TF 58) for duty. Between 17 March and 30 May Black participated in the 5th and 3rd Fleet raids in support of the Okinawa operation. After a period of rest and upkeep at Leyte Gulf, Black took part in the 3rd Fleet operations against Japan (10 July – 15 August 1945) and, on 15 August, the day Japan agreed to surrender, was present during one of the Pacific War's final kamikaze attacks.
After the cessation of hostilities Black remained off
1951-1969
Black was recommissioned on 18 July 1951 and reported to the
On 9 June, Black departed for Norfolk, via the Suez Canal, arriving on the east coast 6 August. Until January 1955, she conducted type training, fleet operations, and plane guard duties along the east coast and in the Caribbean. In January 1955 Black transferred to the Pacific Fleet arriving at Long Beach 26 January.
Over the next decade and a half, Black regularly crossed the great ocean to take her place as a unit of the
Black's last overseas cruise ended in July 1969. She was decommissioned in late September of that year and sold for scrapping in February 1971.
Awards
Black received six
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.