USS Butler

History
United States
Name	Butler
Namesake	Smedley Butler
Builder	Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Laid down	16 September 1941
Launched	12 February 1942
Commissioned	15 August 1942
Identification	DD-636
Reclassified	DMS-29, 15 November 1944
Decommissioned	8 November 1945
Stricken	28 November 1945
Fate	Sold 10 January 1948 and broken up for scrap.
General characteristics
Class and type	Gleaves-class destroyer
Displacement	1,630 tons
Length	348 ft 3 in (106.15 m)
Beam	36 ft 1 in (11.00 m)
Draft	11 ft 10 in (3.61 m)
Propulsion	4 boilers; 2 propellers; 50,000 shp (37,000 kW);
Speed	37.4 knots (69 km/h)
Range	6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	16 officers, 260 enlisted
Armament	4 × dual purpose guns,; 4 × Bofors 40 mm guns; 7 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons ; 5 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (5 Mark 15 torpedoes); 6 × depth charge projectors; 2 × depth charge tracks;

USS Butler (DD-636), a

Major General Smedley Butler, twice awarded the Medal of Honor

.

Butler was

launched on 12 February 1942 by Philadelphia Navy Yard, sponsored by Mrs. John Wehle, daughter of General Butler; and commissioned

on 15 August 1942.

Service history

After undergoing

Amphibious Battle of Gela

and subsequently served on escort duty throughout the remainder of the operation. She then steamed for New York, arriving on 22 August.

Butler was engaged in convoy work and overhaul until 5 May 1944 at which time she stood out for the

Invasion of Normandy from 6 June to 15 July. She screened heavy units of the bombardment group and served at the inshore fire support station during this assault. From 12 to 30 August she escorted Royal Navy escort carriers taking part in Operation Dragoon

. Shortly thereafter she returned to New York for overhaul.

After a convoy run to

Okinawa. She continued screen and picket duty, splashing many planes, throughout the assault on Okinawa (24 March – 25 May 1945). On 25 May, she downed 5 kamakazi, the but a 6th got through, crashing into the sea and exploding just off of Butler's engine room, killing fourteen men, blowing out steam lines, and flooding the forward fire room, causing the loss of all steam and electric power. The battleship West Virginia

stood by Butler until power was regained, and assisted in driving off two more Japanese planes.

The next day, Butler proceeded to

Kerama Retto

for temporary repairs. After repairs, she proceeded in a group back to the United States. During transit, they encountered a hurricane, and only the Butler survived. She arrived in the United States on 26 August and was decommissioned on 8 November 1945.

She was sold for scrapping on 10 January 1948.