USS Herbert J. Thomas

23°05′29″N 120°32′08″E / 23.0912713°N 120.5354969°E / 23.0912713; 120.5354969

USS Herbert J. Thomas underway on 13 June 1957
History
United States
Name	Herbert J. Thomas
Namesake	Herbert Joseph Thomas
Builder	Bath Iron Works
Laid down	30 October 1944
Launched	25 March 1945
Sponsored by	Mrs. Audrey Irene Thomas
Commissioned	29 May 1945
Reclassified	DDR-833, 18 March 1949 DD-833, 1 April 1964
Identification	Callsign: NBBC Hull number: DD-833
Decommissioned	4 December 1970
Stricken	1 February 1974
Honors and awards	See Awards
Fate	Transferred to Republic of China , 1 June 1974
History
Taiwan
Name	Han Yang (汉阳)
Namesake	Han Yang
Acquired	1 June 1974
Commissioned	17 March 1975
Reclassified	DDG-915, 1980s
Identification	Hull number: DD-915
Decommissioned	16 August 1999
Fate	Sunk as artificial reef
General characteristics
Class and type	Gearing-class destroyer
Displacement	3,460 long tons (3,516 t) full
Length	390 ft 6 in (119.02 m)
Beam	40 ft 10 in (12.45 m)
Draft	14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)
Propulsion	Geared turbines, 2 shafts, 60,000 shp (45 MW)
Speed	36.8 knots (68.2 km/h; 42.3 mph)
Range	4,500 nmi (8,300 km) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	336
Armament	6 × 5-inch/38-caliber guns (3×2) 12 × 40 mm AA guns 11 × 20 mm AA guns 10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2×5) 6 × depth charge projectors 2 × depth charge tracks

USS Herbert J. Thomas (DD-833) was a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy.

Named for Sergeant Herbert Joseph Thomas Jr., USMC, she was laid down on 30 October 1944 by Bath Iron Works Corporation, Bath, Maine; launched on 25 March 1945; sponsored by Miss Audrey Irene Thomas, sister of Sergeant Thomas; and commissioned on 29 May 1945.

After shakedown along the East Coast and in the Caribbean, Herbert J. Thomas transited the Panama Canal and joined the Western Pacific Forces supporting the occupation of Japan and Korea at war's end.

After operations with the

indoctrinations. Herbert J. Thomas was reclassified DDR-833 on 18 March 1949.

Herbert J. Thomas had just returned from the Mediterranean and was in

tunnel.

At 1329 on the afternoon of 4 September, Herbert J. Thomas was on picket duty about 60 miles north of Admiral Ewen's main force when she made radar contact on unidentified aircraft and reported this to aircraft from

nosed down, increased speed and began evasive action, but turned toward Korea rather than westward toward China. The division leader flew over him in an attempt to identify and reported a twin-engined bomber with red star markings. The intruder opened fire and was subsequently shot down. Herbert J. Thomas proceeded to the spot where the aircraft crashed and, according to a crew member on the Herbert J. Thomas at the time, recovered the dead body of an oriental aviator, and was immediately transferred to the USS Valley Forge.

For the next three months she was assigned patrol duty and operations with Task Force 77. Departing 24 January 1951 Herbert J. Thomas arrived San Diego on 12 February and spent the remainder of the year operating in that area. Returning to Korea on 25 January 1952 she joined Task Force 77 for a month and spent two weeks on the bombline performing vital gunfire support and screening duties. In late February, Herbert J. Thomas took up patrol duty in the Formosa Straits and in April was assigned duty in the Songjin area. In this she coordinated the operations of several ships in the Songjin-Chongjin area.

After a brief period with the 7th Fleet Striking Force she joined the Blockading and Escort Force off the east coast of Korea. On 11 May she dueled with shore batteries in Wonsan Harbor where she received one hit with no casualties and slight damage. Quick to retaliate, Herbert J. Thomas dealt severely with the enemy, inflicting much damage. The remainder of the month was spent on patrol, bombarding and furnishing fire support for mine-sweeping operations in the Serisan, Songjin, and Chongjin areas.

Retiring to Yokosuka, Herbert J. Thomas sailed on 8 June for San Diego, arriving on the 26th. Assigned the new home-port of Long Beach, California she operated in that area until departing on 2 February 1953 for duty with the Far Eastern Naval Forces. Arriving Yokosuka on 27 February, Herbert J. Thomas joined the 7th Fleet Striking Force and screened the carriers launching strikes on North Korea. From 4 April to 19 May she was assigned electronics countermeasure duties in addition to call fire missions on gun emplacements and radar stations, effectively checking the enemy.

Herbert J. Thomas joined Task Force 72 on 12 June and operated out of

Patrol, helping to stabilize the Chinese situation and protect vital American interests.

On 25 October 1958 Herbert J. Thomas deployed again with other units of the 7th Fleet to the Far East, serving with pride as a good-will ambassador for the United States. She trained with Japanese destroyers in antisubmarine exercises and operated again with fast carrier groups. On 4 July 1959 the Herbert J. Thomas represented the United States Navy by firing a twenty-one-gun salute at the Alaska statehood ceremony in Sitka. Upon entry to the harbor, the Thomas dropped anchor in waters at least one fathom greater than the length of its anchor chain. And, due to a hang-fire, the ship actually gave Alaska a twenty-two-gun salute. The ship deployed regularly to the Far East until 9 July 1963 when she entered Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California and remained in commission in reserve for a 12½-month modernization overhaul. During the FRAM I conversion, the destroyer received an entirely new superstructure – designed to protect the ship against biological and chemical agents as well as radioactive fallout – and the Antisubmarine Rocket (RUR-5 ASROC) system.

Returning to full commission on 31 July 1965, Herbert J. Thomas completed her

.

Following a short period of carrier escort duty on "Yankee Station" in mid-January, Herbert J. Thomas sailed for home on 5 February 1967 arriving in San Diego via Yokosuka on the 24th. After leave and upkeep, the warship conducted refresher training and local operations through the summer and fall.

The destroyer departed California for a Far East cruise on 28 December. On 19 January, after stopping for fuel, the Thomas departed Pearl Harbor en route to Yokosuka, Japan.  However, plans were soon changed.  On 23 January, North Korean forces seized the USS Pueblo in the Sea of Japan and took the ship into Wonsan Harbor.  The Thomas was ordered to divert from Yokosuka and to join up with the US forces, including the carriers Enterprise, Yorktown, and Ticonderoga, which were assembling in the Sea of Japan.  On 1 February, the Thomas entered the Sea of Japan via the Korean Strait and began operating with the carrier USS Yorktown.  The Thomas had to go to Sasebo, Japan, from 8 to 12 February to repair the fresh water evaporator, but quickly returned to the Sea of Japan and remained on station there until 1 March when she departed and headed for Subic Bay.

Arriving at "Yankee Station" via Japan and the Philippines on 14 March 1968. The warship conducted shore bombardment missions off II and III Corps areas of responsibility in April and May as part of the Vietnamese counter-offensive after

on 5 July. Herbert J. Thomas spent the last three months of the year in overhaul at Long Beach.

After completing refresher training that spring, the destroyer departed San Diego for her next Western Pacific deployment on 4 June 1969. Arriving in the

, and Pearl Harbor on 23 November.

In the summer of 1970, Herbert J. Thomas served as a school and training ship for

NROTC

midshipmen. In late August, the warship failed a final service inspection and was immediately tapped for inactivation. Herbert J. Thomas was decommissioned at San Diego on 4 December 1970.

She was struck from the

Republic of China

through the Security Assistance Program (SAP) on 1 June 1974.

Service in the Republic of China Navy

The destroyer served in the Republic of China Navy as ROCS Han Yang (DD-915) on 17 March 1975.

In the 1980s, she underwent the Wu-Chin II modernization program and reclassified as DDG-915.

She was retired on 16 August 1999 and sunk as an artificial reef.

Her mast is on display at the Yuanzhiluxiuxian Park, Tainan.^[1]

• Herbert J. Thomas received six Battle Stars for Korean War service and three Battle Stars for Vietnam service.

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• "DD-833 / DDR-833 USS Herbert J. Thomas". Destroyer Photo Archive. Retrieved 26 June 2006.