- USS Livermore (DD-429)
USS "Livermore" (DD-429), a "Gleaves"-class
destroyer , was the 1st ship of theUnited States Navy to be named for Samuel Livermore, the first navalchaplain to be honored with a ship in his name.Originally planned as "Grayson", DD-429 was renamed "Livermore"
23 December 1938 ; laid down6 March 1939 byBath Iron Works ,Bath, Maine ; launched3 August 1940 ; sponsored by Mrs. Everard M. Upjohn, a descendant of Chaplain Livermore; and commissioned7 October 1940 ,Lieutenant Commander Vernon Huber in command.Launched in the aftermath of the fall of
France , "Livermore", after a brief training period, was assigned29 April 1941 to the neutrality patrol. With ships like aircraft carrier "Wasp" (CV-7) and sister destroyers, she escorted as far asIceland convoy s bound for England. There ensued a shadowy undeclared war with Naziwolfpack s. She was on convoy duty with "Kearny" (DD-432) when the latter was torpedoed17 October . The hazards of this duty for Livermore also included a temporary grounding24 November during a storm and having a friendly battery on Iceland fire across the ship.The
attack on Pearl Harbor and full U.S. participation in World War II enlarged the scope of her actions. On7 April 1942 "Livermore" departed New York for the first of many transatlantic escort missions. Completing her second voyage toGreenock ,Scotland ,27 June , she began coastal patrol and convoy duty southward into theCaribbean ."Livermore" arrived off
Mehdia ,French Morocco ,9 November for the north African invasion and was assigned antisubmarine, antiaircraft, and fire support duties. Five days later, the invasion force successfully established ashore, she sailed for Norfolk, arriving26 November .The year 1943 began with patrol duty off
Recife ,Brazil , and concluded with a series of five voyages from14 April to17 January 1943 between New York andCasablanca , French Morocco. Her departure fromHampton Roads on24 January foreshadowed a prolonged stay in the Mediterranean Sea. Two days earlier Allied forces had landed at Anzio,Italy . "Livermore" arrived off this embattled beachhead5 March . She provided both antiaircraft protection and shore bombardment support. After rotation to the convoy run betweenOran ,Algeria , andNaples , Italy, she participated in the initial landing in southern France on16 August . While supporting minesweepers onCavallaire Bay with gunfire, "Livermore" was hit by a shore battery. The damage was slight, and her guns silenced the enemy guns. "Livermore" continued on duty in the western Mediterranean until26 October when she steamed out of Oran for overhaul inNew York Navy Yard .The war ended in Europe while "Livermore" was on the third of a new series of escort crossings between the east coast and Oran. Completing her last transatlantic voyage
29 May , she prepared for duty in the Pacific.Though she departed New York
22 June ,V-J Day found her still training atPearl Harbor . She reachedJapan on27 September escorting transports carrying soldiers of the Army's 98th Division for occupation duty. Her stay in the Orient was relatively brief; for, after several voyages betweenSaipan , thePhilippines , andWakayama , Japan, "Livermore" sailed3 November for theAleutians . At Dutch Harbor andAttu Island ,Alaska , she embarked dischargees for passage to Seattle and San Francisco. Completing this duty22 December 1945 , she proceeded to the east coast, arrivingCharleston, S.C. ,18 January 1946 .Designated for use in the Naval Reserve Training Program, she was placed in commission, in reserve
1 May 1946 . "Livermore" then decommissioned and was placed "in service"24 January 1947 , and was assigned to Naval Reserve training in the 6th Naval District. She was reassigned to the1st Naval District on15 March 1949 . While making one of her training cruises. she ran aground off southernCape Cod on30 July 1949 . Refloated the next day she proceeded to Boston and was placed out of service15 May 1950 and inactivated. She was struck from theNaval Vessel Register on19 July 1956 . From 1956 to late 1958, her hull was used for spare parts and experimental purposes. During this time, she was anchored offIndianhead, Maryland . Upon conclusion of the experiments "Livermore" was sold3 March 1961 to Potomac Shipwrecking Co.,Pope's Creek, Maryland . She was towed away for scrapping17 April 1961 ."Livermore" received three
battle stars for World War II service.References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l7/livermore-i.htm
External links
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/429.htm navsource.org: USS "Livermore"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd429txt.htm hazegray.org: USS "Livermore"]
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