USS Bennett (DD-473)

USS "Bennett" (DD-473), a "Fletcher"-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for naval aviator Floyd Bennett (1890–1928), who flew to the North Pole with Richard E. Byrd in 1926.

"Bennett" (DD-473) was launched 16 April 1942 by Boston Navy Yard, sponsored by Mrs. Floyd Bennett, widow of Aviation Machinist Bennett; and commissioned 9 February 1943, Commander E. B. Taylor in command.

History

"Bennett" arrived at Pearl Harbor 31 May and spent the next two months patrolling in the Hawaiian Islands. After escorting a convoy to Efate, New Hebrides, she acted as a plane guard and patrolled out of Efate (27 August – 28 October). Moving to the Solomon Islands 4 November, she patrolled and escorted convoys until 5 April 1944. Included in her Solomons service was support of the Cape Torokina, Bougainville (1 November 1943) and Green Island (15 February 1944) landings, and bombardments of Kavieng, New Ireland (18 February 1944) and Rabaul, New Britain (29 February). "Bennett" then moved north to take part in the invasions of Saipan (14 June – 1 July) and of Guam (2–16 August). Returning to the South Pacific later in the month she supported the invasion of the Palaus (6–25 September) and then returned to San Francisco for repairs, arriving 25 October 1944.

"Bennett" returned to Pearl Harbor 24 December and remained in Hawaiian waters for the next month. Then she steamed west to take part in the Iwo Jima landings (19 February – 5 March 1945), where she was slightly damaged by a dud bomb (1 March). On 1 April she was a unit of the forces taking part in the invasion of Okinawa. At 08:50, 7 April, firing every gun, she was hit by a Japanese suicide plane, killing three men, wounding 18, damaging the forward engine room, and knocking out all electrical power. "Bennett" was able to make Kerama Retto under her own power and on the following day departed for Saipan under tow of "Yuma" (ATF-94). After emergency repairs, she steamed to Puget Sound Navy Yard where she underwent further repairs (May–August 1945). In August she reported to Adak, Aleutian Islands, and made one run to Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, with weather personnel (28 August – 26 September). Returning to San Diego, Calif., she was placed in commission in reserve 21 December 1945 and out of commission in reserve 18 April 1946.

"Paraíba"

Stricken August 1 1973."Bennett" was transferred to Brazil 15 December 1959, where she was renamed "Paraíba".

The ship was stricken by the Brazilian Navy and scrapped in 1978.

Honors

"Bennett" received nine battle stars and a Navy Unit Commendation for her service in World War II.

ee also

*MV Capt Steven L. Bennett (T-AK-4296) has a similar name

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/b5/bennett-i.htm

External links

* [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/ussbennett/index.html USS "Bennett" home page] at [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/index.html Destroyer History Foundation]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/473.htm navsource.org: USS "Bennett"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd473txt.htm hazegray.org: USS "Bennett"]