USS Gherardi

USS Gherardi in minesweeper configuration
History
United States
Name	Gherardi
Namesake	Bancroft Gherardi
Builder	Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Laid down	16 September 1941
Launched	12 February 1942
Commissioned	15 September 1942
Identification	DD-637
Reclassified	DMS-30, 15 November 1944
Decommissioned	17 December 1955
Stricken	1 June 1971
Fate	Sunk as target off Puerto Rico, 3 June 1973
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	50,000 shp (37,000 kW); 4 boilers; 2 propellers
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 × DP guns 4 × 40 mm (1.6 in) guns 4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) AA guns, 5 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (1x5; 5 Mark 15 torpedoes) 6 × depth charge projectors , 2 × depth charge tracks

USS Gherardi (DD-637/DMS-30), a

.

Gherardi was

on 15 September 1942.

Service history

Atlantic and Mediterranean service

In December 1942 Gherardi suffered fatalities in a storm. After

, she helped defeat many bombing attacks and was credited with shooting down one plane, suffering 11 near misses.

Gherardi saw her first surface action when late in July and early August she participated in several offensive sweeps along the northern coast of

.

Gherardi returned to New York 22 August 1943 and commenced a series of fast convoy escort voyages to Northern Ireland and England, touching at

, England, to replenish.

Returning to Utah Beach, Gherardi was assigned screening duty. This lasted until 25 June when she joined Admiral Morton Deyo's bombardment Task Force 129 in the support of the First Army assault on Cherbourg, France.

Departing the Normandy area 18 July 1944 Gherardi steamed to

.

Pacific service

On 15 November 1944 Gherardi classification changed to DMS-30. After many tests and calibrations she joined Mine Division 60 and steamed to the Pacific, touching at

. After the initial assault she screened the heavier surface fire support units and rendered assistance as needed. For three months of continuous screening duty she fought off many suicide planes. Near the end of the battle for Okinawa the versatile Gherardi participated in day shore bombardment and night illumination of the southern coast of the island, contributing to the advance of the troops.

Early in July Gherardi became

, Kyūshū en route to San Diego where she arrived 23 December.

1946–1955

Three days later Gherardi departed San Diego via the Panama Canal for Norfolk, Virginia, arriving 9 January 1946. She now became a unit of Mine Division 6, Atlantic Fleet and based at Norfolk until June when her home port changed to

, returning to Charleston 29 November. Gherardi spent the remainder of the year at Charleston. In 1948 Gherardi continued to base out of Charleston, keeping busy with minesweeping exercises and steaming to Newfoundland again in November for cold weather training.

On 3 January 1949 Gherardi departed Charleston for her first tour with the

Onslow Beach, North Carolina

for amphibious exercises.

On 8 January 1952 Gherardi got underway from Charleston for her second tour with Sixth Fleet returning to the States 26 June. Two months later, she steamed out of Charleston again, this time to take part in

Operation Mainbrace

in the North Atlantic. With the exception of duty with the Sixth Fleet, Gherardi conducted type training and held exercises out of Charleston and along the eastern seaboard for the next two years.

In January and February 1955 Gherardi took part in

Atlantic Reserve Fleet

there.

Gherardi was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 June 1971, and sunk as target off Puerto Rico on 3 June 1973.

Gherardi received five

for World War II service.

References

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• navsource.org: USS Gherardi
• hazegray.org: USS Gherardi
• 2007 report regarding the USS Gherardi from USS Gherardi Association