- USS Charles J. Badger (DD-657)
USS "Charles J. Badger" (DD-657) was a "Fletcher"-class
destroyer of theUnited States Navy , named for Rear AdmiralCharles J. Badger (1853–1932)."Charles J. Badger" was launched
3 April 1943 byBethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N.Y., sponsored by Miss I. E. Badger; and commissioned23 July 1943, Commander W. G. Cooper in command.World War II
"Charles J. Badger" arrived at San Francisco, Calif.
30 November for Pacific duty, and on17 December 1943 reported atAdak, Alaska for almost continuous patrol and escort duty in the fog and storm-riddenAleutians until August 1944. During this time she helped keep the Japanese off balance and unaware of the United States' strategic intentions involving the western Aleutians by joining in the heavy bombardments in theKurils in February and June. On8 August she got underway for warmer waters and warmer action, calling at San Francisco andPearl Harbor en routeManus Island . Here she joined an assaultconvoy and sailed14 October for the return to the Philippines.Entering Philippine waters she protected transports in the assault landings at
Dulag , Leyte, on20 October 1944 , firing to drive off Japanese air attacks as the unloading proceeded. On the eve of the epicBattle for Leyte Gulf , "Charles J. Badger" guarded the retirement of empty transports toNew Guinea , but returned to Leyte convoying reinforcements in mid-November. In December, she reported inHuon Gulf , New Guinea, for rehearsals of the Lingayen landings, for which she sailed27 December . On8 January 1945 , as she enteredLingayen Gulf , her force was attacked by Japanesekamikaze s, one of whose desperate number crashed the escort carrier "Kitkun Bay" (CVE-71). Unloading of transports began9 January , while "Charles J. Badger"'s accurate AA fire helped protect the unloading during frequent enemy air attacks. Two days later, she escorted "Kitkun Bay" to San Pedro Bay, where she herself took up patrol duties. On29 January , she guarded the landing of troops on theZambales coast north ofBataan .After a period at
Ulithi , "Charles J. Badger" returned to Leyte to rehearse for the landings on theKerama Retto , a key preliminary to the assault onOkinawa . "Charles J. Badger" arrived off the Retto26 March 1945 to guard the landings, which took the Japanese completely by surprise. This did not prevent them, however, from quickly mounting suicide air attacks, during one of which "Charles J. Badger" aided in splashing a kamikaze short of its target. Once the landings on Okinawa began, the destroyer took position to guard the southern flank of the landings. On7 April she joined a force moving north to meet the last Japanese naval force, the mightybattleship "Yamato" and her accompanyingcruiser "Yahagi" and eight destroyers. However, the accurate attack of carrier aircraft sank "Yamato", "Yahagi", and all but four of the destroyers before American surface forces could engage."Charles J. Badger" continued to offer fire support on call to aid the troops ashore. In the halflight of early morning on
9 April , as she lay to on her fire support station, an 18-foot Japanese suicide boat suddenly sped out of the gloom, dropped adepth charge close aboard, and raced away. The explosion knocked out "Charles J. Badger"'s engines and caused heavy flooding. Quick work controlled the flooding, and a tug brought the stricken destroyer into the Kerama Retto roadstead. After temporary repairs, she proceeded for overhaul to Bremerton, Wash., where she arrived1 August . On21 May 1946 she was placed out of commission in reserve at Long Beach, Calif.1951 – 1957
"Charles J. Badger" was recommissioned
10 September 1951 , and in February1952 arrived at her newhome port , Newport, R.I. From this base, she operated along the east coast and in theCaribbean , maintaining and providing services for the training of other types. Her firstAtlantic crossing came from9 June to23 July 1953 , when she sailed to visitPortsmouth ,England , in company with twoaircraft carrier s and another destroyer. On7 December she cleared Newport on the first leg of a round the world cruise, which found her operating for 2 months on patrol off theKorea n coast and in theTaiwan Straits . She escorted transports bringing prisoners of war who had elected to join theChinese Nationalists fromInchon toTaiwan , and took part in training operations offJapan until22 May 1954 , when she continued on around the world. Visits atHong Kong ,Singapore ,Colombo ,Aden ,Port Said ,Naples ,Villefranche-sur-Mer , andLisbon marked her progress to theSuez Canal and through theMediterranean to Newport, where she arrived17 July ."Charles J. Badger" completed two tours of duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean in early
1956 and in late 1956–early1957 , during the second of which she patrolled watchfully during theSuez Crisis . "Charles J. Badger" was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Boston, Mass.20 December 1957 .The ship was stricken from the
Naval Vessel Register 1 February 1974 . She was sold10 May 1974 toChile and cannibalized for spare parts for other ships.Awards
"Charles J. Badger" received five
battle star s forWorld War II service.ee also
*
USS Badger References
*DANFS|http://history.navy.mil/danfs/c6/charles_j_badger.htm
*NVR|http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/DD657.htmExternal links
* [http://history.navy.mil/danfs/c6/charles_j_badger.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Charles J. Badger"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/657.htm navsource.org: USS "Charles J. Badger"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd657txt.htm hazegray.org: USS "Charles J. Badger"]
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