Fletcher-class destroyer
|
| History |
|---|
 United States |
|---|
| Name | USS McDermut |
| Namesake | David McDermut |
| Builder | |
| Laid down | 14 June 1943 |
| Launched | 17 October 1943 |
| Commissioned | 19 November 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 16 December 1963 |
| Stricken | 1 April 1965 |
| Identification | DD-677 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 4 January 1966 |
| General characteristics |
|---|
| Class and type | Fletcher-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 2,050 tons |
| Length | 376 ft 6 in (114.76 m) |
| Beam | 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m) |
| Draft | 17 ft 9 in (5.41 m) |
| Propulsion |
- 60,000 shp (45,000 kW);
- geared turbines;
- 2 propellers
|
| Speed | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
| Range | 6,500 nautical miles (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 319 |
| Armament | |
USS McDermut (DD-677) was a
David A. McDermut
.
McDermut was laid down 14 June 1943 by the
19 November 1943.
World War II
McDermut, departed
Kwajalein 4 March, remained until 20 March and then crossed to
Majuro where she joined the
Fast Carrier Task Force (then
5th Fleet's TF 58, later
3rd Fleet's TF 38). She sortied with Task Group 58.2 (TG 58.2), 22 March, and before returning to Majuro, 6 April, participated in strikes on
Palau,
Yap,
Ulithi, and
Woleai. Next assigned to cargo and escort work, she steamed back to
Pearl Harbor, returning to Kwajalein 31 May.
On 10 June McDermut got underway with TG 52.17 for
Tinian
area for further fire support duties during mopping up operations on the latter island.
McDermut, detached from her second duty with TG 52.17, 4 August, sailed to
AAW
patrol duty during the occupation of Ulithi Atoll.
Assigned next to the
torpedo-boat screen in
Surigao Strait. Later, as reports of Japanese fleet movements were added to the seemingly constant air attacks on shipping in Leyte Gulf, two more ships of Destroyer Squadron 54 (DesRon 54),
Remey and
Monssen, joined the screen.
On the night of 24 October Rear Admiral
Battle of Surigao Strait. ComDesRon 54 divided his ships into eastern and western Attack Groups to launch offensive
torpedo attacks as the Japanese steamed up the strait.
McDermut was assigned to the Western Group with
Monssen and positioned close to the Leyte shore. Soon after midnight the enemy was reported entering the strait. Between 03:00 and 03:01 the Eastern Group commenced launching torpedoes, firing 27 "fish" in less than 2 minutes. At 03:10
McDermut and
Monssen launched their attack. At 03:20 explosions flashed,
McDermut's torpedoes hitting three destroyers.
Yamagumo sank immediately, while
Michishio and
Asagumo were disabled and drifting, the latter having lost her bow.
After launching their torpedoes, the destroyers retired north as planned, hugging the coastlines of
to avoid fire from the ships of DesRons 24 and 56 and those of the battleline. The squadron's total score with its 47 torpedoes, was five hits and three enemy ships sunk, more than earning Admiral Oldendorf's praise of a "brilliantly conceived and well executed" torpedo attack.
The following evening McDermut departed for
Hollandia, arriving 30 October. During November she screened convoys to Leyte and in December headed for the
Sulu Sea to support the initial attack on Mindoro on 15 November. By 26 November she was back in Leyte Gulf to take up patrol at the entrance to
San Pedro Bay. On 11 January 1945
McDermut steamed into
Lingayen Gulf for shore bombardment duty with the reinforcement echelon for
Luzon operations. She departed on 15 January, and 8 days later arrived at Ulithi for a 2-month overhaul.
McDernut joined the fast carriers again, 3 April, as they provided air support for the
Kuriles
.
The destroyer was detached from the carrier force 12 August with orders to proceed, via
San Francisco, Calif.
Arriving in November, she remained in operation on the west coast until decommissioning and going into reserve 15 January 1947.
1950 – 1963
In 1950, as hostilities again flared in the Western Pacific, McDermut was brought out of mothballs and recommissioned at
Okinawa
. She rejoined TF 77 3 November for another month of Korean combat duty before departing for the United States 7 December.
On 12 August 1952, McDermut once again joined U.N. naval forces off the Korean coast, reporting to the bombardment group in the Wonsan-
Songjin-
Yang-do area on the 13 August. In mid-September she steamed to Japan for escort and plane guard duty with carriers conducting training exercises, followed by duty with the
Taiwan patrol. By 26 December she was back off the east coast of Korea for flight operations screening duty with TF 77. On 29 January 1953 she departed for San Diego, arriving 16 February.
For the next 10 years, McDermut maintained an annual schedule of 6 months of west coast operations alternated with western Pacific deployments. The latter, in 1954–55, involved her in the efforts of the 7th Fleet to preclude the possibility of the occupation of the
.
During 1963 the destroyer remained on the west coast conducting local operations until decommissioned at San Diego on 16 December. She was berthed at San Diego as a part of the
Los Angeles, California
, and was towed away for scrapping in February 1966.
McDermut received 10
service.
References
External links
_underway_at_sea_off_Quonset_Point,_Rhode_Island_(USA),_circa_the_mid-1950s_(NH_107191).jpg)
United States
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
