USS Chauncey (DD-667)
USS Chauncey in New York Harbor with Statue of Liberty on 13 August 1943.
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | Chauncey |
Namesake | Isaac Chauncey |
Builder | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey |
Laid down | 14 November 1942 |
Launched | 28 March 1943 |
Commissioned | 31 May 1943 |
Decommissioned | 14 May 1954 |
Stricken | 1 October 1972 |
Fate | Sold 2 January 1974 for scrapping |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Fletcher-class destroyer |
Displacement | 2,050 tons |
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 |
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Speed | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
Range | 6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
Complement | 319 |
Armament |
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USS Chauncey (DD-667) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, the third Navy ship named for Commodore Isaac Chauncey (1779–1840).
Chauncey was
Service history
World War II
Clearing Norfolk, Virginia, 28 August 1943, Chauncey reached Pearl Harbor 19 September. She was assigned to the screen of a fast carrier task force for a punishing series of air strikes on Wake Island 5 and 6 October 1943. While screening the carriers, Chauncey rescued three downed aviators from the water. After a brief return to Pearl Harbor, Chauncey sailed with another carrier task force for Espiritu Santo, arriving 6 November 1943.
The destroyer sailed 3 days later for the air raids on
With the
Chauncey sailed on 22 January 1944 to screen escort carriers north to Majuro, assaulted on 30 January. The destroyer screened and patrolled at Majuro and Kwajalein during the assault and occupation of the atolls, and in mid-March returned to the South Pacific. After 10 days early in April on watchful patrol off newly occupied Emirau Island, Chauncey screened escort carriers into position to cover the Aitape landings 22 April, and guarded them as they provided close air support, sailed north to replenish at Manus on 28 April, and returned to their covering strikes off New Guinea until 12 May.
Now Chauncey was assigned to guard the escort carriers assembling and rehearsing for the
Chauncey continued to screen carriers covering operations on Guam through July, aside from an escort voyage to Eniwetok with unladen transports, and on 10 August, left Guam astern bound for Eniwetok and repairs at Pearl Harbor. She returned to Manus to prepare for the massive
After overhaul and training off the west coast until late February 1945, the destroyer returned to Pearl Harbor. Here she was joined by a carrier, whom she escorted to
Her force launched prelanding strikes at Okinawa and nearby islands, and after the landings on 1 April 1945, supported the ground forces and protected the transports. Chauncey continued her screening, and from 6 April, when the first great kamikaze attacks were hurled at American shipping off Okinawa, fired often to drive the would-be suicides off. She also served in shore bombardment and radar picket duty until 29 May, when she sailed for repairs and replenishment in San Pedro Bay, Philippine Islands. She then joined Task Force 38 for the final smashing air raids on Japan.
Following the war, Chauncey remained in the Far East on occupation duty until 11 November, when she cleared Tsingtao, China for the west coast. She was placed out of commission in reserve at San Diego 19 December 1945.
Korean War
Upon the outbreak of the
Chauncey resumed her east coast and Caribbean operations until 14 May 1954, when she was again decommissioned and placed in reserve.
Awards
Chauncey received seven
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.