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Posted by Chuck Tribolet on December 18, 2009 at 06:09:33:
In Reply to: Re: WWII Era Destroyer found off San Clemente posted by Chuck Tribolet on December 17, 2009 at 13:50:36:
An afternoon of Googling came up with a LITTLE bit more. I personally think you are going to have to find the hull number
on the bow to confirm identity. If there's a unit organization,
they will appreciate hearing about their old boat. I know from
my work with CS2R that the old crews are much happier to to have
their old boat go as a target than to have it scrapped. BUT: Check out the configuration of the mainmast. The Fletchers
were originally built with a pole mailmast. Most (maybe not all)
of the ones that returned to service for Korea and Viet Nam got
a tripod mainmast to support bigger badder RADARs. AND: Check out the configuration of the bridge area. Early
Fletchers had one configuration, later boats had a different
bridge. Here's what I found. DD 507 USS Conway Intentionally sunk as target 1970-6-26
last duty on the US east coast
DD 539 USS Tingey Intentionally Sunk 1966-5-1
last duty on the US west coast
reported sunk as target of San Francisco http://www.destroyersonline.com/usndd/dd539/
DD 578 USS Wikes Intentionally sunk as target 1974-4-8
last duty on the US west coast
DD 585 USS Haraden Intentionally sunk as target 1973-11-1
last duty on the US west coast
DD 587 USS Bell Intentionally sunk as target 1975-5-11
last duty on the US west coast
DD 588 USS Burns Intentionally sunk as target 1974-6-20
last duty on the US west coast
DD 592 USS Howorth Intentionally sunk off San Diego 1962-3-8
last duty on the US west coast
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Howorth_%28DD-592%29 has photos of the sinking,
torpedo hit, midships, port side.
DD 652 USS Ingersoll Intentionally sunk as target 1974-5-19
last duty on the US west coast
http://uss_ingersoll_vets.tripod.com/dd652.htm gives position of sinking as
118 34' 7"W, 33 34' 8" N which I read as north of Catalina and WAAAY too deep
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ingersoll_%28DD-652%29 has the same numbers.
DD 658 USS Colahan Intentionally sunk off California 1966-12-18
last duty on the US west coast
DD 665 USS Bryant Intentionally sunk at target off California 1969-8-24
last duty on the US west coast
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Bryant_%28DD-665%29 says she was scrapped, not sunk.
DD 681 USS Hopewell Intentionally sunk off California 1972-2-11
last duty on the US west coast
http://www.destroyersonline.com/usndd/dd681/ doesn't say anything about where it was
sunk, but as a Navy brat with a great respect for Chief Petty Offices, it's good chuckle.
DD 682 USS Porterfield Intentionally sunk as target 1976-1-1
last duty on the US west coast
DD 685 USS Picking Intentionally sunk as target 1976-6-1
last duty on the US west coast
http://www.uss-picking.org/history.htm Read the CO's orders to the crew for her shakedown
cruise,
Interestingly, probably the last of the Fletcher class to be sunk as a target (1997).
DD 802 USS Gregory Intentionally Sunk 1971-3-4 Grounded and used as target on San Clemente Island, California
http://www.ussgregory.com/USSGregorytoday.htm says it's in shallow water.
Chuck
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