- USS Stevenson (DD-645)
USS "Stevenson" (DD-645), a "Gleaves"-class
destroyer , was the second ship of theUnited States Navy to be assigned that name. The first vessel, "Stevenson" (DD-503), was cancelled during construction and never completed. Both ships are named forJohn H. Stevenson ."Stevenson" was laid down on
23 July 1942 by theFederal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. ,Kearny, New Jersey , launched on11 November 1942 , sponsored by Miss Mary Stevenson, daughter of Pay Inspector Stevenson, and commissioned on15 December 1942 ,Lieutenant Commander Thomas C. Greene in command."Stevenson" commenced shakedown in late December immediately after commissioning, but, on
4 February 1943 , she collided with SS "Berwind Vale" offNewport, Rhode Island , losing part of her bow. After repairs at theBrooklyn Navy Yard , she escorted five merchantconvoy s between the U.S. east coast andNorth Africa n ports. During that period, March through December 1943, she made several attacks on suspectedsubmarine contacts, but none resulted in a confirmed kill.On
23 January 1944 , "Stevenson" left Norfolk to join theU.S. 7th Fleet in the Southwest Pacific. Shortly after arriving, she saw her first action, providing gunfire support for the landings onLos Negros Island in theAdmiralties on29 February 1944 . For the next five months she took part in the leap-frogging assaults along theNew Guinea coast, participating in the landings in Humboldt Bay in April, at Wakde in May, and at Sansapor and Noemfoor in July. On20 August , "Stevenson" departed New Guinea to join the Palau Islands invasion force. She was employed during the landings as a unit of the transport screen, both en route and at the objective. Upon completion of thePalau operations, she sailed on14 October forSeattle, Washington , for overhaul.Refresher training lasted until
27 January 1945 , when she leftPearl Harbor forUlithi . From February to August 1945, "Stevenson" escorted the replenishment units of the Logistics Support Group, which supported the fast carrier forces during theIwo Jima andOkinawa operations and the air strikes on the Japanese homeland. On5 June , she weathered atyphoon ; by the end of the war, she was operating within 200 miles (370 km) of the Japanese coast to supportAdmiral William F. Halsey's carriers. After brief occupation duty, during which she rode outTyphoon Louise in Japan between 9–11 October , the destroyer sailed for home viaSingapore andCape Town . She arrived inCharleston, South Carolina , on20 January 1946 , where she was decommissioned on27 April 1946 and placed in reserve. She was struck from the Navy list on1 June 1968 ."Stevenson" earned seven
battle star s for herWorld War II service.References
External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s18/stevenson-i.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Stevenson"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/645.htm navsource.org: USS "Stevenson"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd645txt.htm hazegray.org: USS "Stevenson"]
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