Fletcher-class destroyer
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Aerial_view_of_USS_Heermann_%28DD-532%29%2C_circa_in_1943.jpg/300px-Aerial_view_of_USS_Heermann_%28DD-532%29%2C_circa_in_1943.jpg) USS
Heermann
in an undated wartime photo.
|
History
|
United States
|
Name
| USS
Heermann
|
Namesake
| Lewis Heermann
|
Builder
| Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
, San Francisco, California
|
Laid down
| 8 May 1942
|
Launched
| 5 December 1942
|
Sponsored by
| Mrs. Edward B. Briggs
|
Commissioned
| 6 July 1943 to 12 June 1946
|
Recommissioned
| 12 September 1951
|
Decommissioned
| 20 December 1957
|
Stricken
| 1 September 1975
|
Identification
| DD-532
|
Fate
| Transferred to
Argentina
, 14 August 1961.
|
Argentina
|
Name
| Almirante Brown
|
Acquired
| 14 August 1961
|
Decommissioned
| 1982
|
Stricken
| 1982
|
Identification
| D 20
|
Fate
| Scrapped 1982
|
General characteristics as built
|
Class and type
| Fletcher
-class
destroyer
|
Displacement
|
- 2,325 long tons (2,362 t) standard
- 2,942 long tons (2,989 t) full load
|
Length
|
- 376 ft 5 in (114.7 m)
oa
- 369 ft 1 in (112.5 m)
wl
|
Beam
| 39 ft 7 in (12.1 m)
|
Draft
| 13 ft 9 in (4.19 m) full load
|
Propulsion
| |
Speed
| 38
knots
(70 km/h; 44 mph)
|
Range
| 6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
|
Complement
| 273
|
Armament
| |
Armor
|
- Side: 0.75 in (1.9 cm)
- Deck
: 0.5 in (1.3 cm)
|
Service record
|
Part of:
|
United States Pacific Fleet
|
Operations:
|
Operation Galvanic
,
Landing on Emirau
,
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign
,
Philippines campaign
,
Battle off Samar
,
Okinawa campaign
,
Battle of Iwo Jima
|
Awards:
|
|
USS
Heermann
(DD-532)
was a
World War II
-era
Fletcher
-class
destroyer
in the service of the
United States Navy
. The ship entered service in 1943 and took part in several battles during
World War II
in the
Pacific theatre of operations
, including the
Philippines campaign
,
Battle off Samar
and the
Battle of Iwo Jima
among others.
Heermann
gained fame during the "last stand of the
Tin Can Sailors
" in which she and several other destroyers of Task Unit 77.4.3 ("Taffy 3") engaged a far superior Japanese task force during the
Battle off Samar
in October 1944.
Heermann
was the only American destroyer of "Taffy 3" to survive the engagement. Following the end of the war in 1945, the ship was placed in
reserve
from 1946 to 1951, when the destroyer was reactivated.
Heermann
remained in active service until 1957, when the ship was returned to the reserve. In 1961,
Heerman
was loaned to Argentina and was renamed
ARA
Almirante Brown
(D-20)
while in service with the
Argentinian Navy
.
Almirante Brown
remained in Argentinian service until 1982, when the ship was
decommissioned
.
Namesake
[
edit
]
Lewis Heermann was born on 3 August 1779 in
Kassel
,
Germany
. He was commissioned as a Surgeon's Mate in the
United States Navy
on 8 February 1802. On 16 February 1804, during the
First Barbary War
,
Lieutenant
Stephen Decatur
left Heermann in command of the
bomb ketch
USS
Intrepid
while he led a group of American seamen to board the captured
frigate
USS
Philadelphia
in
Tripoli
Harbor and set the frigate ablaze.
When hostilities with the
Barbary States
closed in 1805, Heermann returned to the United States but soon took leave of absence to study in Europe until 1808 when he returned to active duty in
Norfolk, Virginia
. Largely due to his pleas for better medical care for the men of the Navy,
Congress
passed a bill authorizing the construction of hospitals at several naval stations, but the first official U.S. Naval Hospitals were not actually built until after Dr. Heermann's death.
He was transferred to
New Orleans, Louisiana
in August 1811; and, with the exception of a year in the North for his health and an assignment in 1830 in the
Mediterranean
where he served for an unknown time as Fleet Surgeon of the
Mediterranean Squadron
, he remained there until he died in May 1833.
Description and design
[
edit
]
The
Fletcher
-class design departed from US destroyer design, having a larger
displacement
than previous classes and more extensive armament. The flush
deck
added to the strength, but the number of systems aboard the ship led to a cramped design.
Heermann
was among the
Fletcher
-class ships that got a new
bridge
design. The standard
Fletcher
-class ship had a standard displacement of 2,325 long tons (2,362 t) and was 2,942 long tons (2,989 t) at full load. The destroyers were 376 ft 5 in (114.7 m)
long overall
and 369 ft 1 in (112.5 m)
long at the waterline
with a
beam
of 39 ft 7 in (12.1 m) and a
draft
of 13 ft 9 in (4.19 m) at full load.
The
Fletcher
class were powered by steam from four
Babcock & Wilcox
boilers driving two
General Electric
turbines turning two
shafts
rated at 60,000
shaft horsepower
(45,000 kW). The destroyers carried 492 long tons (500 t) of
fuel oil
. The ships had a maximum speed of 38
knots
(70 km/h; 44 mph) and a range of 6,500
nautical miles
(12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The ships had a
complement
of 273 officers and
enlisted
personnel.
The class were initially armed with five
5-inch (127 mm)/38 caliber guns
in Mk30 dual-purpose turrets for anti-aircraft and surface warfare, aligned along the centreline. Ten 21-inch (533 mm)
torpedo tubes
were also equipped. Four single-mounted 1.1-inch (27.9 mm) guns and four
20 mm cannon
were equipped for
anti-aircraft
(AA) defense. For
anti-submarine
defense, six
depth charge
throwers and two depth charge racks were installed. Later, three twin-mounted
40 mm guns
and the number of 20 mm cannon increased to eleven on
Heermann
. This would later change again to five twin 40 mm gun mounts and seven 20 mm cannon. The destroyers also had some armor, with 0.75-inch (19 mm) side armor and 0.5-inch (13 mm) armor on the decks over the machinery.
Service history
[
edit
]
Heermann
was
launched
on 5 December 1942 by the
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co
. of
San Francisco, California
and
sponsored
by Mrs. Edward B. Briggs, wife of
Lieutenant
E. B. Briggs, USCGR, great grandson of the namesake. The destroyer was
commissioned
on 6 July 1943.
After shakedown training out of
San Diego, California
,
Heermann
joined the
5th Fleet
on 21 October 1943 for
Operation Galvanic
, the assault on the
Gilbert Islands
. She arrived off
Tarawa
in
Rear Admiral
Harry W. Hill
's Southern Attack Force on 20 November. Her guns sank a small enemy craft inside the lagoon and the next two days assisted troops ashore with
close-in fire support
. With the island secured, she returned to
Pearl Harbor
for repairs and training which ended on 23 January when she sailed in the screen of an attack transport reserve force. After the American assault on
Kwajalein
on 31 January
Heermann
spent two weeks patrolling off the island and operated in the screen of
escort carriers
which were launching strikes in support of troops ashore, followed up by a visit to
Eniwetok Atoll
and then
bombardment duties of Japan
and
Parry Island
. Following the invasion, the destroyer performed fire support and patrol operations off the atoll during mop-up operations.
Heermann
was then assigned to the
Third Fleet
and Task Force 39 on 18 March 1944 after stopping at
Majuro Lagoon
and then
Port Purvis
on
Florida Island
, in the
Solomons
. For the next month the destroyer escorted
convoys
which were
occupying Emirau Island
and seeking out enemy supply
barges
along the coast of
New Hanover
. Following a stop at Purvis on 3 June,
Heermann
took part in the bombardment of a tank farm on
Fangelawa Bay
,
New Ireland
on 11 June, and then performed ASW patrols from the Solomons towards the
Admiralty
,
Caroline
, and
Marshall
islands until 26 June. In mid-1944,
Heermann
escorted merchant shipping from
Espiritu Santo
,
New Hebrides
and
Noumea
,
New Caledonia
. The destroyer returned to Port Purvis and departed on 6 September 1944 with Rear Admiral
William Sample
's escort carrier force, providing escort during the invasion of the
Palau
Islands. Following this, the destroyer was detached for operations in the
Philippine Islands
.
Battle off Samar: October 1944
[
edit
]
Heermann
screened transports and landing ships to the beaches of
Leyte
under the command of recently promoted Commander Amos T. Hathaway, then joined Rear Admiral
Thomas L. Sprague
's Escort Carrier Group (Task Group 77.4) which was made up of three escort carrier task units, known as the "Three Taffies" because of their voice calls: "Taffy 1", "Taffy 2", and "Taffy 3". Destroyers
Hoel
and
Johnston
joined her in screening Rear Admiral
Clifton Sprague
's unit, "Taffy 3" which also included his
flagship
Fanshaw Bay
and five other escort carriers.
On 25 October 1944 found the task group east of
Samar
steaming north as the Northern Air Support Group. At 06:45 lookouts observed anti-aircraft fire to the north and within three minutes, were under heavy fire from Japanese Admiral
Takeo Kurita
's Center Force of four
battleships
, six
heavy cruisers
, two
light cruisers
, and 11 destroyers. In an effort to withdraw away to the south from Kurita's force, the escorts began to make
smoke screens
to mask the movement of the larger ships.
Heermann
, on the opposite side of the carriers from the Japanese force at the opening of the battle, steamed into the action at flank speed through the escort carriers which, after launching their planes, formed a rough circle as they made for Leyte Gulf. Smoke and intermittent rain squalls reduced visibility to less than 100 yards (91 m) which led to near collisions, with
Heermann
forced to avoid the
destroyer escort
Samuel B. Roberts
and destroyer
Hoel
.
As the escorts began torpedo runs at the Japanese force,
Heermann
began firing her 5-inch guns at one heavy cruiser,
Chikuma
, while directing torpedoes at
Haguro
.
Heermann
then changed course to engage a column of four battleships whose shells began falling around the destroyer.
Heermann
targeted
Kong?
, the column's leader, at which the destroyer launched three torpedoes. Then
Heermann
switched targets to
Haruna
, and fired three torpedoes, which were launched from only 4,400 yards (4,000 m). The destroyer retreated after believing one of the torpedoes had struck a target. Japanese records claim that the battleship successfully evaded all of the torpedoes from
Heermann
, but they were slowed in their pursuit of the American carriers. The battleship
Yamato
was forced out of the action altogether after reversing course when caught between two spreads.
Heermann
laid another smoke screen along the starboard quarter of the carrier formation and then returned to engage the Japanese force of four heavy cruisers. Here the destroyer dueled with
Chikuma
. A series of 8-inch (203 mm) hits stuck the forward section of the destroyer, flooding it and pulling the
bow
down so far that the anchors were dragging in the water. One of the 5-inch guns was put out of action but in conjunction with strikes from the carrier aircraft forced
Chikuma
to withdraw, and the Japanese cruiser sank during her retreat.
Chikuma
'
s sister ship
Tone
took up her sister's battle and engaged
Heermann
until the destroyer withdrew to lay more smoke. At this point, support from "Taffy 2" arrived to aid the escorts and aircraft attacked
Tone
forcing the cruiser to withdraw. As more support arrived, the Japanese withdrew.
For his skillful maneuvering and leadership
Heermann
'
s Commanding Officer, Commander Amos Hathaway, was awarded the Navy Cross.
Repairs and return to service
[
edit
]
Heermann
sailed to
Kossol Passage
for temporary repairs before making for
Mare Island
and
overhaul
, which was completed on 15 January 1945. The destroyer was then assigned to fast carrier task forces in the western Pacific. During the
Battle of Iwo Jima
,
Heermann
performed
radar
and anti-submarine picket duty. On 20 March 1945 the destroyer sank a small surface vessel and rescued seven Japanese crew. Seven days later she took part in the night bombardment of
Minami Daito Jima
. During the
Okinawa campaign
she took several enemy planes under fire as she guarded carriers. On 18 April in collaboration with destroyers
Mertz
,
McCord
,
Collett
, and
Uhlmann
and planes from aircraft carrier
Bataan
,
Heermann
sank
I-56
, a carrier of the
kaiten
s
?human-guided torpedoes. She continued to support carrier operations off
Okinawa
until sailing to Leyte Gulf for replenishment and repairs in late June. On 1 July she helped to screen the fast carrier force that devoted the ensuing five weeks to almost continuous air strikes and bombardment.
On 15 August 1945
Heermann
was on radar picket station some 200 miles (320 km) southeast of
Tokyo
when, several hours after the announcement of the end of hostilities, a
kamikaze
emerged from a cloud bank and began to dive in
Heermann
'
s direction?only to be splashed by the destroyer's gunners in one of the final naval actions of World War II. In the following weeks
Heermann
operated in the screen of the fast carrier task force providing air cover and air-sea rescue service. The destroyer entered
Tokyo Bay
on 16 September 1945 and remained in the area to support the occupation forces until 7 October when she sailed for the United States.
Heermann
was
decommissioned
at San Diego on 12 June 1946.
1951?1957
[
edit
]
Heermann
remained in
reserve
at San Diego until re-commissioning on 12 September 1951. After training in local waters off California, she departed San Diego on 4 January 1952 for her new base,
NS Newport, Rhode Island
, where she arrived on 23 January. She spent 1952 training along the eastern coast from
New England
to the
Virginia Capes
, followed by ASW and
fleet problems
during winter months in the
Caribbean
. The destroyer returned to Newport for operations along the Northeastern seaboard. After a voyage to
Plymouth
, England, in June and July 1953, she participated in antisubmarine maneuvers between Newport and the Virginia Capes.
Heermann
departed on a world cruise 3 December 1953. First she sailed for
Yokosuka
, Japan, by way of the
Panama Canal
, San Diego, and the
Hawaiian Islands
. After a two-day replenishment in Yokosuka, she set course for Okinawa where she acted as part of the escort for 3d Marine Division amphibious warfare landings and conducted barrier patrol in support of the exercise. After more maneuvers took her to
Korea
,
Iwo Jima
, and the South Coast of Japan, she returned to Yokosuka which she cleared 22 May 1954 to resume her world cruise, calling at
Hong Kong
and
Singapore
on her way to the
Suez Canal
. In the
Mediterranean
she visited
Port Said
,
Naples
,
Villefranche
, and
Barcelona
before returning to Newport 17 July 1954.
For the next year and a half
Heermann
participated in training exercises along the Atlantic coast. On 1 February she sailed to join the
6th Fleet
in exercises along the coast of
Lebanon
,
Israel
, and
Egypt
. In April she was invited by
Prince Rainier
to be in port for his wedding to Miss
Grace Kelly
from 19?24 April 1956.
Heermann
furnished a 40-man honor guard for the occasion. From
Monaco
she joined the 6th Fleet off
Greece
, and then departed for
Fall River, Massachusetts
, where she arrived 28 May 1956.
Heermann
operated out of Newport until 6 November, when she sailed for the Mediterranean where she proved to be a first-rate antisubmarine ship in joint exercises with the
Italian Navy
.
After revisiting Monaco at the invitation of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, she returned to Fall River 20 February 1957. She served as gunnery school-ship out of Newport until 30 June when she joined
Charles J. Badger
in the screen of antisubmarine warfare carrier
Leyte
for two weeks of air operations for the training of
Naval Academy
midshipmen. She decommissioned at
Boston
20 December 1957 and was assigned to the Boston Group of the U.S.
Atlantic Reserve Fleet
.
Argentine service
[
edit
]
On 10 August 1961, the ship was commissioned into the
Argentine Navy
.
On 14 August 1961
Heermann
was formally transferred on a loan basis to the government of
Argentina
under terms of the Military Assistance Program. She served in the Argentine Navy under the name
Brown
(D-20).
The ship was decommissioned in 1982.
Awards
[
edit
]
In addition to the United States
Presidential Unit Citation
,
Heermann
received the Philippine
Presidential Unit Citation
and nine
battle stars
for World War II service.
Notes
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
This article incorporates text from the
public domain
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
. The entries can be found
here
and
here
.
- Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980).
Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922?1946
. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press.
ISBN
0-85177-146-7
.
- Foster, Jeremiah D. (30 September 2019).
"Heermann (DD-532)"
.
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
.
Navy Department
,
Naval History and Heritage Command
. Retrieved
7 November
2020
.
- Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen & Budzbon, Przemysław, eds. (1995).
Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947?1995
. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
ISBN
1-55750-132-7
.
- Hornfischer, James D.
(February 2004).
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors
: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour
. Bantam.
ISBN
0-553-80257-7
.
External links
[
edit
]