USS Evans (DD-552)
_in_the_Gulf_of_Mexico_1943.jpg) USS Evans in December 1943
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Evans (DD-552) |
| Namesake | Robley D. Evans (1846–1912), U.S. Navy rear admiral |
| Nickname(s) | "The Fighting Bob"[1] |
| Builder | Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation, Chickasaw, Alabama |
| Laid down | 21 July 1941 |
| Launched | 4 October 1942 |
| Commissioned | 11 December 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 7 November 1945 |
| Stricken | 28 November 1945 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap 11 February 1947 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Fletcher-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 2,050 tons |
| Length | approx. 376 ft 4 in (114.71 m) |
| Beam | 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m) |
| Draft | 17 ft 9 in (5.41 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| 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 | 273 |
| Armament |
|
USS Evans (DD-552), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans (1846–1912).
Construction and commissioning
Evans was
on 11 December 1943.Pacific service
Marianas
Evans reached
Eniwetok
to replenish from time to time.
Palau and Ulithi
On 26 August 1944, Evans sailed from Eniwetok to screen the fueling and aircraft replacement group for the assault and occupation of the
escort carriers
until 8 March, when she sailed to Ulithi.
_at_the_Mare_Island_Naval_Shipyard,_California_(USA),_on_28_July_1945.jpg)
Okinawa
Evans cleared Ulithi on 21 March 1945 to screen escort carriers in pre-invasion air strikes on
Kerama Retto. Eight days later, she got underway with Hugh W. Hadley for a radar picket station northwest of Okinawa. During the first night on station, 10–11 May, enemy planes were constantly in evidence; more than a hundred attacked the two destroyers and the two LCSs with them. Evans fought determinedly against this overwhelming assault, shooting down many of them, but in quick succession, four kamikazes struck her. After engineering spaces flooded, and she lost power, Evans' crew strove to save her, using portable fire extinguishers and bucket brigades. They succeeded, though 32 were killed and 27 wounded, and the ship was towed into Kerama Retto on 14 May for repairs. She was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation
for high gallantry and achievement.
Decommissioned and scrapped
After emergency repairs at Kerama Retto, Evans was towed to San Francisco, where she was decommissioned on 7 November, and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 November 1945. She was sold for scrap on 11 February 1947.
Honors
In addition to the Presidential Unit Citation, Evans received five
battle stars for her World War II
service.
References
- ^ Staton, cover and frontispiece.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- Staton, Michael. The Fighting Bob: A Wartime History of the USS ROBLEY D. EVANS (DD-552). Bennington, Vermont: Merriam Press, 2012. ISBN 978-1470023102.
External links
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in May 1945 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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