USS Radford (DD-446)

USS "Radford" (DD-446), named for Rear Admiral William Radford, was a "Fletcher"-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

"Radford" was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company at Kearny, New Jersey on 2 October 1941, launched on 3 May 1942 by Mrs. Francois E. Matthes and commissioned on 22 July 1942.

History

"Radford" participated in the Battle of Kolombangara and the Battle of Kula Gulf. She engaged in an offensive sweep against the Tokyo Express, and received Presidential Unit Citation for the rescue of 468 survivors from USS|Helena|CL-50. She attacked and sank the Japanese submarine "I-19"cite book | url = http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-Chron/| title = The official chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II | chapter = Chapter V: 1943 | chapterurl = http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-Chron/USN-Chron-1943.html | first = Robert | last = Cressman | location = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher = Naval Institute Press | year = 2000 | isbn = 9781557501493 | oclc = 41977179 | accessdate = 2007-11-25 ] on 25 November 1943, Received damage from a Japanese mine supporting the liberation of Luzon in December, 1944 and received a Presidential Unit Citation from Philippines Government, was decommissioned on 17 January 1946 and placed in reserve at San Francisco.

"Radford" went through a Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM I) and recommissioned on 17 October 1949, operated with the United States Seventh Fleet in support of United Nations Forces during the Korean War, alternated operations along the west coast and in Hawaiian waters with annual deployments to the western Pacific with the Seventh Fleet, underwent an extensive FRAM II overhaul at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard in 1960.

On 3 March 1965, "Radford", in company with other units of Destroyer Division 252, departed Pearl Harbor on short notice to augment destroyer forces for the rapidly expanding naval commitments in the South China Sea. In October and December Renshaw served as an alternate recovery ship in Project Gemini and participated in Sea Dragon and Market Time operations, patrolled on search and rescue duties and carried out Naval Gunfire Support missions during the conflict in Vietnam from 1965 through 1969.

Her 11th WestPac tour began 5 July 1966. During this period, she participated in anti-submarine operations, escorted attack carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin, had 2 tours of duty on NGFS, a turn on Taiwan patrol, served as forward picket for the Seventh Fleet units operating in the South China Sea and escorted President Johnson's support units to Malaysia during his tour of southeast Asia. DesDiv 252 returned to Pearl Harbor on December 16, 1966.

"Radford" was decommissioned at San Francisco and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 10 November 1969, and sold for scrap in October 1970, but not before she fought one last battle on her own, broke away from the tug that was towing her from Valejo to the Portland scrap yard, and took them on a 34 mile, all day chase toward the Oregon coast.

"Radford" received 12 battle stars for World War II service, 5 battle stars for the Korean War, 4 for the Vietnam War, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

References

External links

* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/446.htm navsource.org: USS "Radford"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd446txt.htm hazegray.org: USS "Radford"]
* [http://www.ussradford446.org/ USS Radford National Naval Museum located in Newcomerstown, Ohio]
* [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/ussradford/index.html USS "Radford" website] at [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/index.html Destroyer History Foundation]