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USS Braine (DD-630)
Encyclopedia
USS Braine (DD-630), a Fletcher-class
destroyer
, was a ship of the United States Navy
named for Rear Admiral
Daniel L. Braine
(1829–1898), who served in the Civil War
and explored the Arctic
.
Braine was launched
7 March 1943 by Bath Iron Works
Corp., Bath, Maine
; sponsored by Mrs. Daniel L. Braine, wife of a grandson of Rear Admiral Braine, and commissioned
11 May 1943, Commander
J. F. Newman, Jr., in command.
as an escort for troop transports. She then proceeded directly to Wake Island
where she participated in its bombing and bombardment (5–6 October 1943). Between 1 and 3 November, Braine took part in the initial landings in Empress Augusta Bay
, Bougainville
. During the following two months, she escorted resupply echelons to the Bougainville beachhead.
Harbor under enemy fire for night shore bombardment of enemy installations (24–25 February). On 20 March, she supported landings on Emirau Island
, Bismarck Archipelago
. Braine spent the ensuing months in escort work and training for the Marianas invasion
.
On 14 June, she took part in the bombardment of Tinian Island
, and received minor damage from a small caliber shell but continued operations in the Mariana
s until 23 June. After spending almost a month in the United States, she sailed for the Philippines
, via Pearl Harbor. Braine rendered fire support during the Leyte landings
(20 October), and repelled an enemy air attack on 18 November.
to support landings on the Bataan
Peninsula and Corregidor
(14–28 February 1945). She served as a radar picket and support ship for the landing forces at Zamboanga
and subsequently at Pollack Harbor, Mindanao
(17 March–23 April). She took part in the Okinawa operations
as a radar picket ship (16–25 May). On 27 May, the destroyer was hit in quick succession by two suicide plane
s. The first hit forward seriously damaged the bridge, and the second hit amidships blew number two funnel overboard and demolished the amidships superstructure. Braine retired to Kerama Retto
, Ryukyu Islands
, for emergency repairs; departed 19 June; and arrived in the United States 19 July 1945.
On 21 July, Braine steamed to Boston
for repairs and then proceeded to Charleston Navy Yard for inactivation. She was placed out of commission in reserve 26 July 1946 at Charleston.
and Caribbean
and in the spring of 1952 sailed to the Mediterranean
for duty with the 6th Fleet. In October, she returned to duty in coastal waters. She joined the 6th Fleet again in May 1953, and remained until October. Between October 1953 and 2 November 1954, she underwent a yard period, conducted refresher training in the Caribbean, and local operations in the vicinity of Newport
. On 30 November 1954, she departed for the Pacific
and became a unit of Cruisers-Destroyers Pacific Fleet, in mid-December 1954.
Early in January 1955, she proceeded to Yokosuka, Japan
, and joined Task Force 77. Braine participated in the evacuation of the Tachen Islands in February and later operated on the Formosa
patrol. She returned to the west coast 19 June 1955.
Braines next departure from the west coast was on 13 February 1956, to conduct another Western Pacific cruise. She returned to California
22 July 1956 and operated in the San Diego and San Francisco areas.
In 1964, Braine took part in the movie In Harm's Way
.
On 17 August 1971, Braine was decommissioned, stricken from the US Navy List
, and transferred to Argentina
.
took possession of Braine on 17 August 1971 and renamed her ARA Almirante Domecq Garcia (D23)
after Admiral Manuel Domecq Garcia. She was sunk as a target on 7 October 1983 at 39°57′S 057°57′W.
Fletcher class destroyer
The Fletcher class were a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. The class was designed in 1939 as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
, was a ship of the United States Navy
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...
named for Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Daniel L. Braine
Daniel L. Braine
Daniel Lawrence Braine was an admiral of the United States Navy in the 19th century.-Biography:Born in New York City on 18 May 1829, Braine was appointed Midshipman in 1846. He served on the and the during the Mexican-American War...
(1829–1898), who served in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and explored the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
.
Braine was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
7 March 1943 by Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
Corp., Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
; sponsored by Mrs. Daniel L. Braine, wife of a grandson of Rear Admiral Braine, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
11 May 1943, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
J. F. Newman, Jr., in command.
World War II
Departing the United States east coast in the summer of 1943, Braine sailed via San Francisco to Pearl HarborPearl 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...
as an escort for troop transports. She then proceeded directly to Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
where she participated in its bombing and bombardment (5–6 October 1943). Between 1 and 3 November, Braine took part in the initial landings in Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay is a major bay on the western side of the island of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea, at . It is a major subsistence fishing area for the people of Bougainville. It is named after Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein, wife of German Emperor William II.In November 1943, the...
, Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
. During the following two months, she escorted resupply echelons to the Bougainville beachhead.
1944
On 15 February 1944, Braine participated in the Green Island landing. She steamed into RabaulRabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
Harbor under enemy fire for night shore bombardment of enemy installations (24–25 February). On 20 March, she supported landings on Emirau Island
Landing on Emirau
The Landing on Emirau was the last of the series of operations that made up Operation Cartwheel, General Douglas MacArthur's strategy for the encirclement of the major Japanese base at Rabaul. A force of nearly 4,000 United States Marines landed on the island of Emirau on 20 March 1944. The island...
, Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
. Braine spent the ensuing months in escort work and training for the Marianas invasion
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign
The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was an offensive launched by United States forces against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November, 1944 during the Pacific War...
.
On 14 June, she took part in the bombardment of Tinian Island
Battle of Tinian
The Battle of Tinian was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands from 24 July 1944 to 1 August 1944.-Background:...
, and received minor damage from a small caliber shell but continued operations in the Mariana
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
s until 23 June. After spending almost a month in the United States, she sailed for the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, via Pearl Harbor. Braine rendered fire support during the Leyte landings
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
(20 October), and repelled an enemy air attack on 18 November.
1945
From 4 to 15 January 1945, she participated in the Lingayen Gulf landings. Braine then proceeded to Manila BayManila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
to support landings on the Bataan
Bataan
Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...
Peninsula and Corregidor
Corregidor
Corregidor Island, locally called Isla ng Corregidor, is a lofty island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor was fortified with several coastal artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of...
(14–28 February 1945). She served as a radar picket and support ship for the landing forces at Zamboanga
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
and subsequently at Pollack Harbor, Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
(17 March–23 April). She took part in the Okinawa operations
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
as a radar picket ship (16–25 May). On 27 May, the destroyer was hit in quick succession by two suicide plane
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
s. The first hit forward seriously damaged the bridge, and the second hit amidships blew number two funnel overboard and demolished the amidships superstructure. Braine retired to Kerama Retto
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
, Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
, for emergency repairs; departed 19 June; and arrived in the United States 19 July 1945.
On 21 July, Braine steamed to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
for repairs and then proceeded to Charleston Navy Yard for inactivation. She was placed out of commission in reserve 26 July 1946 at Charleston.
1951 – 1971
Recommissioned 6 April 1951, Braine conducted training in the AtlanticAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and Caribbean
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
and in the spring of 1952 sailed to the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
for duty with the 6th Fleet. In October, she returned to duty in coastal waters. She joined the 6th Fleet again in May 1953, and remained until October. Between October 1953 and 2 November 1954, she underwent a yard period, conducted refresher training in the Caribbean, and local operations in the vicinity of Newport
Naval Station Newport
The Naval Station Newport is a United States Navy base located in the towns of Newport and Middletown, Rhode Island. Naval Station Newport is home to the Naval War College and the Naval Justice School...
. On 30 November 1954, she departed for the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and became a unit of Cruisers-Destroyers Pacific Fleet, in mid-December 1954.
Early in January 1955, she proceeded to Yokosuka, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and joined Task Force 77. Braine participated in the evacuation of the Tachen Islands in February and later operated on the Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
patrol. She returned to the west coast 19 June 1955.
Braines next departure from the west coast was on 13 February 1956, to conduct another Western Pacific cruise. She returned to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
22 July 1956 and operated in the San Diego and San Francisco areas.
In 1964, Braine took part in the movie In Harm's Way
In Harm's Way
In Harm's Way is a 1965 American epic war film produced and directed by Otto Preminger and starring John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Tom Tryon, Paula Prentiss, Stanley Holloway, Burgess Meredith, Brandon De Wilde, Jill Haworth, Dana Andrews, and Henry Fonda.It was the last black-and-white...
.
On 17 August 1971, Braine was decommissioned, stricken from the US Navy List
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
, and transferred to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
ARA Almirante Domecq Garcia (D23)
The Argentine NavyArgentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
took possession of Braine on 17 August 1971 and renamed her ARA Almirante Domecq Garcia (D23)
ARA Almirante Domecq Garcia (D23)
The ARA Almirante Domecq Garcia was a Fletcher class destroyer which served with the Argentine Navy from 1971 to 1983.The Garcia was acquired from the United States Navy, with which she had served as the USS Braine since her commissioning on 11 May 1943...
after Admiral Manuel Domecq Garcia. She was sunk as a target on 7 October 1983 at 39°57′S 057°57′W.