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USS Baldwin (DD-624)
Encyclopedia
The USS Baldwin (DD-624), was a United States Navy
, in service from 1943 to 1946. She was the only ship of the U.S. Navy to be named for Charles H. Baldwin
, an 1864 Medal of Honor
recipient.
Baldwin was laid down on 19 July 1941 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Co., Seattle, Washington
; launched on 14 June 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Ida E. Crawford, daughter of Acting Master's Mate
Baldwin; commissioned on 30 April 1943, Lieutenant Commander
George Knuepfer in command, and reported to the United States Atlantic Fleet.
training along the West Coast, the destroyer put to sea from San Francisco, California
, on 1 July, bound for the East Coast. The flagship
of Destroyer Division 36 (DesDiv 36), Baldwin led her division into Norfolk, Virginia
, on 19 July and operated along the east coast until getting underway from New York
on 13 August in the screen of a convoy
bound for Casablanca
, Morocco
. Similar arrangements occupied her time until late January 1944, when she resumed duty along the Atlantic seaboard of the United States.
, England, on 28 April and began a routine that combined patrols in British waters with preparations for the invasion of Normandy.
On 5 June, she departed the Isle of Portland
in company with other units of the Western Naval Task Force. As a unit of the gunfire support group during the assault, Baldwin assisted the troops ashore with naval gunfire. In return, she suffered two hits from a light-caliber shore battery on D-Day
, but sustained only slight damage. On the 9th, Baldwin joined in repulsing an attack by German
E-boat
s and received credit for destroying one of them. She operated off the coast of France until 15 July when she returned to England.
Three days later, the destroyer departed Plymouth in the screen of a 50-ship convoy bound for North Africa and arrived in Bizerte
, Tunisia
, on 28 July. She operated in the western Mediterranean mostly between Oran
, Algeria
, and Naples
, Italy before arriving off Saint-Tropez
on 15 August, D-Day for the invasion of southern France
. Baldwin served there as an element of the Antisubmarine and Convoy Control Group, Task Group 80.6 (TG 80.6) which screened follow up convoys between Oran and southern France
. On 23 September, she concluded her part in that operation and departed Oran in company with her division mates bound for the United States.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
on the first leg of the trip to the "Big Three" conference
at Yalta
. She returned to New York on 27 February and began four months of operations in American waters. During that time, Baldwin escorted to the Panama Canal Zone
and operated off the east coast in the antisubmarine screens of and .
On 24 June, the destroyer sailed from New York on her way to the Pacific. Steaming in company with , she visited Guantanamo Bay
in Cuba
; Balboa
in the Canal Zone and San Diego
before arriving at Pearl Harbor
on 12 August. A month later, the warship joined Task Force 55 (TF 55) at Okinawa to prepare for the occupation of Sasebo
, Japan, and participated in that operation between 20 September and 2 October. By 7 October, Baldwin was at Pusan, Korea
, supporting forces sweeping mines
along the Chinese
and Korean coasts, a task at which she labored for the remainder of 1945.
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. Later ordered moved to Philadelphia, Baldwin ran aground about two miles (3.7 km) southwest of Montauk Point, Long Island
, in the early afternoon of 16 April 1961 when the towline parted during the passage to Philadelphia. successfully pulled her free, though one of Windlass crew was killed in an accident.
Baldwin was considered not worth repairing. Her name was struck from the Navy List
on 1 June 1961, and she was scuttled on 6 June 1961, not far from where she went aground.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, in service from 1943 to 1946. She was the only ship of the U.S. Navy to be named for Charles H. Baldwin
Charles H. Baldwin (Medal of Honor recipient)
Charles H. Baldwin was an enlisted man in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He served aboard the and received the Medal of Honor for his participation in a plan to destroy the rebel ram in Roanoke River, May 25, 1864. Fellow crewmen Alexander Crawford, John Lafferty,...
, an 1864 Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient.
Baldwin was laid down on 19 July 1941 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Co., Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
; launched on 14 June 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Ida E. Crawford, daughter of Acting Master's Mate
Master's mate
Master's mate is an obsolete rating which was used by the Royal Navy, United States Navy and merchant services in both countries for a senior petty officer who assisted the master...
Baldwin; commissioned on 30 April 1943, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
George Knuepfer in command, and reported to the United States Atlantic Fleet.
1943
After shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
training along the West Coast, the destroyer put to sea from San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, on 1 July, bound for the East Coast. The flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Destroyer Division 36 (DesDiv 36), Baldwin led her division into Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, on 19 July and operated along the east coast until getting underway from New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on 13 August in the screen of a convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
bound for Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. Similar arrangements occupied her time until late January 1944, when she resumed duty along the Atlantic seaboard of the United States.
1944
Some three months later, on 17 April 1944, Baldwin headed for Europe in the screen for , , and . The destroyer arrived at PlymouthPlymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, England, on 28 April and began a routine that combined patrols in British waters with preparations for the invasion of Normandy.
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
in company with other units of the Western Naval Task Force. As a unit of the gunfire support group during the assault, Baldwin assisted the troops ashore with naval gunfire. In return, she suffered two hits from a light-caliber shore battery on D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, but sustained only slight damage. On the 9th, Baldwin joined in repulsing an attack by German
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
E-boat
E-boat
E-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
s and received credit for destroying one of them. She operated off the coast of France until 15 July when she returned to England.
Three days later, the destroyer departed Plymouth in the screen of a 50-ship convoy bound for North Africa and arrived in Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, on 28 July. She operated in the western Mediterranean mostly between Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, and Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy before arriving off Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez is a town, 104 km to the east of Marseille, in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. It is also the principal town in the canton of Saint-Tropez....
on 15 August, D-Day for the invasion of southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
. Baldwin served there as an element of the Antisubmarine and Convoy Control Group, Task Group 80.6 (TG 80.6) which screened follow up convoys between Oran and southern France
Southern France
Southern France , colloquially known as le Midi is defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Gironde, Spain, the Mediterranean, and Italy...
. On 23 September, she concluded her part in that operation and departed Oran in company with her division mates bound for the United States.
1945
Upon her arrival at New York on 3 October, the destroyer resumed operations in American coastal waters. On 21 January 1945, Baldwin put to sea from Norfolk to rendezvous with which carried PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
on the first leg of the trip to the "Big Three" conference
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference, sometimes called the Crimea Conference and codenamed the Argonaut Conference, held February 4–11, 1945, was the wartime meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, represented by President Franklin D...
at Yalta
Yalta
Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea.The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black...
. She returned to New York on 27 February and began four months of operations in American waters. During that time, Baldwin escorted to the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
and operated off the east coast in the antisubmarine screens of and .
On 24 June, the destroyer sailed from New York on her way to the Pacific. Steaming in company with , she visited Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
; Balboa
Balboa, Panama
Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.- History :The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish conquistador credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean...
in the Canal Zone and San Diego
Naval Station San Diego
Naval Base San Diego is the largest base of the United States Navy on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of 54 ships and over 120 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched...
before arriving at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 12 August. A month later, the warship joined Task Force 55 (TF 55) at Okinawa to prepare for the occupation of Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, Japan, and participated in that operation between 20 September and 2 October. By 7 October, Baldwin was at Pusan, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, supporting forces sweeping mines
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
along the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Korean coasts, a task at which she labored for the remainder of 1945.
1946-1961
The ship returned to the United States in January 1946 and operated along the east coast through the spring of that year. She was placed out of commission at Charleston, South Carolina, on 20 June 1946 and remained in reserve there until January 1961 when she was transferred to BostonBoston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
. Later ordered moved to Philadelphia, Baldwin ran aground about two miles (3.7 km) southwest of Montauk Point, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, in the early afternoon of 16 April 1961 when the towline parted during the passage to Philadelphia. successfully pulled her free, though one of Windlass crew was killed in an accident.
Baldwin was considered not worth repairing. Her name was struck from the Navy List
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 1 June 1961, and she was scuttled on 6 June 1961, not far from where she went aground.