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USS Chevalier (DD-805)
Encyclopedia
USS Chevalier (DD/DDR-805) was a Gearing-class
destroyer
of the United States Navy
, the second Navy ship named for Lieutenant Commander Godfrey DeC. Chevalier (1889–1922), a pioneer of naval aviation.
Chevalier was launched
29 October 1944 by Bath Iron Works
, Bath, Maine
; sponsored by Mrs. G. DeC. Chevalier; and commissioned
9 January 1945, Commander F. Wolsieffer in command.
18 June 1945, and reached Pearl Harbor
9 July. On the 24th, she sailed to join in the bombardment of Wake
on 1 August, arriving at Eniwetok next day. She joined Task Force 38 (TF 38) off Honshū
18 August, and with her force entered Tokyo Bay
26 August. After patrol and escort assignments supporting occupation activities in the Marianas and Philippines
, Chevalier sailed from Saipan
25 March 1946 for San Diego
, arriving 11 April.
Before the Korean War
, Chevalier completed tours of duty in the western Pacific
in 1946–7, and 1948–9, and maintained her readiness through local operations from San Diego. On 18 March 1949, she was reclassified DDR-805, a radar picket
destroyer, and during the summer and fall of 1949 operated in the Hawaiian Islands
. During the Korean War, she served actively in the Far East
between 6 July 1950 and 25 March 1951; 15 October 1951 and 31 May 1952: and 2 January 1953 and 22 August 1953. Her duty during the major portion of each tour was to join the protective screen of TF 77, the carrier force which launched almost continuous raids on North Korea
. She also sailed on protective patrol in the Taiwan Straits.
Chevaliers post-war operating schedule has alternated tours of duty with the guardian 7th Fleet with necessary overhaul and training activities along the west coast
. In 1954, 1955, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958-59, and 1960, she sailed for the visits to Far East
ern and Australia
n ports, patrol duty in the Taiwan Straits, and exercises off Japan
, Okinawa, and in the Philippines which are a part of Far Eastern deployment.
Chevaliers classification reverted to DD-805 13 July 1962.
on 5 July 1972. She served in the Republic of Korea Navy
as ROKS Chung Buk.
She was sold for scrap and dismantled in December 2000.
service, and nine for Korean War
service.
Gearing class destroyer
The Gearing class was a group of 98 destroyers built for the US Navy during and shortly after World War II. The Gearing design was a minor modification of the immediately preceding Allen M. Sumner class...
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...
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...
, the second Navy ship named for Lieutenant Commander Godfrey DeC. Chevalier (1889–1922), a pioneer of naval aviation.
Chevalier 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...
29 October 1944 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...
, 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. G. DeC. Chevalier; 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...
9 January 1945, Commander F. Wolsieffer in command.
History
Chevalier cleared Guantanamo BayGuantanamo 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...
18 June 1945, and reached 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...
9 July. On the 24th, she sailed to join in the bombardment of Wake
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...
on 1 August, arriving at Eniwetok next day. She joined Task Force 38 (TF 38) off Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
18 August, and with her force entered Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
26 August. After patrol and escort assignments supporting occupation activities in the Marianas and 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...
, Chevalier sailed from Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
25 March 1946 for 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...
, arriving 11 April.
Before the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Chevalier completed tours of duty in the western 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...
in 1946–7, and 1948–9, and maintained her readiness through local operations from San Diego. On 18 March 1949, she was reclassified DDR-805, a radar picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
destroyer, and during the summer and fall of 1949 operated in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. During the Korean War, she served actively in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
between 6 July 1950 and 25 March 1951; 15 October 1951 and 31 May 1952: and 2 January 1953 and 22 August 1953. Her duty during the major portion of each tour was to join the protective screen of TF 77, the carrier force which launched almost continuous raids on North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. She also sailed on protective patrol in the Taiwan Straits.
Chevaliers post-war operating schedule has alternated tours of duty with the guardian 7th Fleet with necessary overhaul and training activities along the west coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. In 1954, 1955, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958-59, and 1960, she sailed for the visits to Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
ern and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n ports, patrol duty in the Taiwan Straits, and exercises off 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...
, Okinawa, and in the Philippines which are a part of Far Eastern deployment.
Chevaliers classification reverted to DD-805 13 July 1962.
- [1962–1972]
ROKS Chung Buk
Chevalier was transferred to South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
on 5 July 1972. She served in the Republic of Korea Navy
Republic of Korea Navy
The Republic of Korea Navy or the ROK Navy is the branch of the South Korean armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which is a quasi-autonomous organization...
as ROKS Chung Buk.
She was sold for scrap and dismantled in December 2000.
Awards
Chevalier received one battle star for World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service, and nine for Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
service.