USS Gillespie

History
United States
Name	USS Gillespie (DD-609)
Namesake	Archibald H. Gillespie
Builder	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California
Launched	8 May 1942
Commissioned	18 September 1942
Decommissioned	17 April 1946
Stricken	1 July 1971
Fate	Sunk as a target in 1973
General characteristics
Class and type	Benson-class destroyer
Displacement	1,620 tons
Length	348 ft 4 in (106.17 m)
Beam	36 ft 1 in (11.00 m)
Draught	11 ft 9 in (3.58 m)
Speed	35 knots (64.8 km/h)
Complement	261
Armament	4 x 21 inch (533 mm) tt., 6 dcp.

USS Gillespie (DD-609) was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Major Archibald H. Gillespie.

Construction and commissioning

Gillespie was launched 1 November 1942 by the

; and commissioned 18 September 1942.

1942 and 1943

After shakedown, the destroyer sailed from San Francisco 28 December 1942 for the fog-shrouded

failed to sink the gutted ship, but she finally slid under at 0126 20 February in 53-05 N, 171-22 E.

After further patrolling, Gillespie returned to San Francisco 4 March for overhaul and subsequently sailed via

theater.

1944

On 2 January 1944, she departed Norfolk, Virginia for the Pacific, reaching Funafuti atoll 20 days later, and escorting troop ships thence to Milne Bay, New Guinea, where she put in 7 February. As part of the 7th Fleet the destroyer supported the consolidation of Saidor in late February and escorted LSTs from Cape Sudest, New Guinea, to Cape Gloucester, New Britain, and Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands. On 6 March, the LSTs made landings in Hayne Bay, Los Negros, while Gillespie patrolled from five to fifteen miles off the northeast coast. While acting as a call fire ship for Army forces in Seeadler Harbor, Manus Island, she bombarded the eastern tip of Pityilu Island on 14 March and until the 16th continued to support the Manus assault by bombarding installations and gun emplacements on Manus. On 24–25 March, Gillespie bombarded targets on Pityilu, Manus, and Rambutyo Islands, returning to Oro Bay, New Guinea, 26 March.

Training exercises and patrolling occupied her until 27 May, when she lent fire support for the initial landings on

to speed the advance of the 6th Army toward the Namber Drone area, and 20 July her 5-inchers attacked Insomeken Point and Arimi Island on the east coast of Noemfoor following the initial landings.

Through the summer of 1944, the destroyer continued patrolling and training exercises off New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and was on hand from 15 September to 14 October for screening activities during the amphibious assault on Peleliu in the Palau Islands. Gillespie sailed 14 October 1944 for overhaul at Bremerton, Washington, mooring there 5 November, and after refresher training, sailed from San Diego 3 January 1945. She conducted training exercises at Pearl Harbor and closed Ulithi 8 February, and subsequently as part of the Logistic Support Forces she escorted supply ships and units of the 5th Fleet during the seizure of Iwo Jima.

1945, end of World War II and fate

From 13 March to 28 May 1945, Gillespie participated in the landings and occupation of

11 December.

Following overhaul there, she reached Charleston, South Carolina, 14 January 1946 and she decommissioned at that port 17 April 1946. In reserve, she was assigned to the Texas Group, U.S. Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Orange, Texas. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 July 1971 and sunk as a target in 1973.

Awards

Gillespie earned nine

during World War II.

References

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