USS Hale (DD-642)

History
United States
Namesake	Eugene Hale
Builder	Bath Iron Works
Laid down	23 November 1942
Launched	4 April 1943
Commissioned	15 June 1943
Decommissioned	30 July 1960
Stricken	2 June 1975
Fate	Transferred to Colombia 23 January 1961
History
Colombia
Name	Antioquia
Acquired	23 January 1961
Stricken	20 December 1973
Fate	Scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type	Fletcher-class destroyer
Displacement	2,050 tons
Length	376 ft 6 in (114.7 m)
Beam	39 ft 8 in (12.1 m)
Draft	17 ft 9 in (5.4 m); 13.8 ft (4.2 m);
Propulsion	60,000 shp (45 MW);; 2 propellers;
Speed	35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range	6500 nmi. (12,000 km); at 15 kt;
Complement	329
Armament	5 × 5 in (130 mm),; 4 × 40 mm AA guns,; 4 × 20 mm AA guns,; 10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes,; 6 × depth charge projectors,; 2 × depth charge tracks;

USS Hale (DD-642), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Maine Senator Eugene Hale (1836–1918).

Operational history

1943

Hale was

launched 4 April 1943 by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; sponsored by Mrs. G. H. Chase, granddaughter of Senator Hale; and commissioned at Boston

15 June 1943.

Hale conducted shakedown training in the

Halifax for the Pacific combat zone 21 September. She arrived Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal

9 October 1943.

Hale departed 8 November 1943 for the

Tarawa 18–20 November, took part in the bombardment of Betio Island 19 November, and supported the landings by Marines next day. During the air attacks that followed, Hale's gunners accounted for several aircraft. After covering the retirement of damaged carrier Independence (CVL-22) for 2 days she rejoined the carrier striking force for attacks against the Marshall Islands

, next target of the Pacific amphibious forces.

1944

Hale to Pearl Harbor 8 December to train the next assault and sailed 21 December for the

Kwajalein 11 March, she sailed to Guadalcanal to perform anti-submarine patrol during the loading operations, and departed 27 March escorting reinforcements to Cape Torokina, Bougainville

.

After acting as antisubmarine screen and screening ship for

Eniwetok

14 July, to support the Guam landings 21 July.

Hale returned to Eniwetok 4 August 1944, and departed 6 days later for assault and support operations in

Clifton A. F. Sprague's escort carriers 25 October after their valiant fight in the battle off Samar

.

The destroyer next joined escort screening units for troop reinforcements at

Leyte

, 14 November. After another such voyage from Hollandia to Leyte in November, aiding the buildup in the Philippines, Hale sailed 24 November via New Guinea, the Marshalls, and Pearl Harbor arriving San Francisco 22 December 1944.

1945

Hale returned to the Pacific war in early 1945, arriving Pearl Harbor 25 February. Sailing to

3d Fleet

at Leyte Gulf 21 June.

Hale departed as a unit of Admiral

Hamamatsu

29 July.

As the war against Japan ended 15 August, Hale tool up duties as air-sea rescue ship offshore during the landing of occupation forces. She entered

Seattle 19 October 1945 and was placed in commission in reserve at San Diego

until decommissioning 15 January 1947.

1951 – 1960

With the outbreak of the

Mediterranean waters in support of American diplomacy in this vital and troubled region. After stopping at 16 ports in the course of her operations, Hale returned to Newport 23 October 1952. For the next 1½ years the destroyer performed a variety of tasks: antisubmarine training and development exercises off the Atlantic coast, plane guard duty or carrier operations in the Gulf of Mexico, and a training cruise for midshipmen of the Naval Academy

.

After a modernization overhaul at

Philadelphia Navy Yard, September 1953 to January 1954, Hale departed 1 June 1954 for a world cruise. Transiting the Panama Canal and entering the Pacific she proceeded to the Far East. She formed a part of America's ever-present naval strength lending stability to the area. Transiting the Suez Canal

17 November 1954, she visited many ports in 6th Fleet waters before returning to Newport 18 December 1954.

Hale continued her vital pattern of readiness exercises including serving as the Destroyer Force Gunnery School Ship at Newport, until 6 November 1956. Getting underway for the Mediterranean once more, she rendezvoused with 6th Fleet ships and stood by in the eastern Mediterranean during the

Suez crisis

, helping to avert a larger conflict and protecting American interests. She returned to Newport 20 February 1957.

In June Hale participated in one of the greatest international naval reviews in history, joining some 60 U.S. ships and vessels of 17 other nations in the 350th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. A second Midshipman cruise and NATO exercises in the North Atlantic closed out 1957. She began her second world cruise 23 July 1958, sailing to Naples, through the Suez Canal to India and Japan, and back to San Diego after operations with the 7th Fleet off Taiwan. She returned to Newport port via the Panama Canal 24 November 1958.

In the Mediterranean from August 1959 – February 1960 Hale continued a peace-keeping and goodwill role. She returned to Newport 26 February 1959. After a period of important experimental work in

antisubmarine warfare with nuclear submarines

, Hale decommissioned at Boston 30 July 1960.

Hale received six

battle stars for World War II

service.

ARC Antioquia (DD-01)

Hale was transferred to Colombia 23 January 1961 under the Military Assistance Program and served as ARC Antioquia (DD-01). Antioquia was stricken 20 December 1973 and broken up for scrap.

References

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