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USS Jarvis (DD-799)
Encyclopedia
USS Jarvis (DD-799) was a Fletcher-class
destroyer
of the United States Navy
, the third Navy ship named for Midshipman James C. Jarvis
(1787–1800), who was killed at the age of 13 during the historic engagement between the famed frigate
Constellation
and the French
frigate La Vengeance.
Jarvis was laid down by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle, Wash.; 7 June 1943; launched
14 February 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Harold Burkit, daughter of Rufus C. Holman
, U.S. Senator
from Oregon
; and commissioned
3 June 1944, Commander E. B. Ellsworth in command.
coast, Jarvis departed Seattle 25 August for Pearl Harbor
as escort for South Dakota
(BB-57). Arriving 31 August, she proceeded independently 3 September to Adak
, Alaska
, to join the North Pacific Force, engaged in operations against the Kurile Islands. Operating out of Adak and Attu
, Jarvis battled stormy seas and prolonged bad weather to conduct eight raids on shipping and shore installations from Paramushiru to Matsuwa. After returning to Adak 15 August 1945 from her last raid, she steamed to Aomori
, Honshū
, to support occupation operations. Arriving Aomori 8 September, she plied the Sea of Japan
, assisting occupation landings and destroying military installations on Honshū and Hokkaidō
. Jarvis departed Yokosuka, Honshū, 19 November for the United States. Arriving Pearl Harbor 29 November, she joined the "Magic Carpet" fleet and sailed 1 December for the East Coast via San Diego
and the Panama Canal
, returning veterans of the Pacific War
. She reached Charleston, S.C., 22 December; deactivated as a unit of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet 11 April 1946; and decommissioned 29 June.
, Jarvis recommissioned 8 February 1951, Comdr. E. F. Rye in command. She operated in the Atlantic out of Charleston and Norfolk, Va.
for more than a year before departing Norfolk 15 May 1952 for deployment to Korea
. Steaming via Panama
, the West Coast, and Japan
, she arrived off Korea's eastern coast 23 June and began blockade and interdiction patrols. Under her skipper, Comdr. C. D. McCall, she ranged the coast from Songjin to Chongjin
, conducting operations with the 7th Fleet until returning to Yokosuka, Japan, 18 August. Following operations in Japanese waters, she joined the Formosa
Patrol from 26 September to 10 October. After completing this important duty, she proceeded to the Philippine Islands; and on the 18th she departed Subic Bay
for the United States via Ceylon
, Suez
, and Gibraltar
, arriving Norfolk 12 December.
Jarvis resumed operations with the Atlantic Fleet
and on 4 May 1954 deployed to the Mediterranean, arriving Naples
, Italy
, 18 May. Before returning to Norfolk 9 July, she operated with the mighty 6th Fleet, America's deterrent to Communist aggression in the Middle East
.
Clearing Norfolk 5 January 1955, Jarvis sailed to the West Coast, arriving Long Beach 26 January. After training off the California Coast, she departed 21 April on the first of five post-Korean War deployments to the Far East
. As a unit of the powerful and versatile 7th Fleet, she ranged the Western Pacific
from Japan to the Philippines, ever alert to insure peace in the unsettled Far East. While on her 1955 deployment to the Far East, she supported the evacuation of thousands of refugees from North
to South Vietnam
during Operation Passage to Freedom
. During all her deployments she conducted patrols in the Formosa Strait
to help stabilize the Nationalist-Communist struggle and prevent the invasion of Formosa from the mainland. In 1958 she provided valuable assistance for the Chinese Nationalist
s during the threatened Communist invasion
of Quemoy and Matsu
.
Jarvis returned to Long Beach from her fifth deployment 4 March 1960 and resumed coastal operations until 24 September when she sailed for the East Coast. Arriving Philadelphia 16 October, Jarvis decommissioned 24 October and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
on a 5-year renewable loan under terms of the Military Assistance Program. She served the Spanish Navy
as SPS Alcalá Galiano, at first with hull number 44, then designated D 24.
Alcalá Galiano was stricken 15 December 1988 and broken up for scrap.
service and one battle star for Korean War
service.
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...
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 third Navy ship named for Midshipman James C. Jarvis
James C. Jarvis
James C. Jarvis was a midshipman in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France.Jarvis was appointed midshipman from the state of New York in 1799. Midshipman Jarvis was killed at the age of 13 during the historic engagement between the famed frigate Constellation and the French...
(1787–1800), who was killed at the age of 13 during the historic engagement between the famed frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
Constellation
USS Constellation (1797)
USS Constellation was a 38-gun frigate, one of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. She was distinguished as the first U.S. Navy vessel to put to sea and the first U.S. Navy vessel to engage and defeat an enemy vessel...
and the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
frigate La Vengeance.
Jarvis was laid down by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle, Wash.; 7 June 1943; 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...
14 February 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Harold Burkit, daughter of Rufus C. Holman
Rufus C. Holman
Rufus Cecil Holman was an American politician and businessman in the state of Oregon. A Republican and native Oregonian, he served as United States Senator for a single term during World War II...
, U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
; 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...
3 June 1944, Commander E. B. Ellsworth in command.
World War II
After shakedown off the CaliforniaCalifornia
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...
coast, Jarvis departed Seattle 25 August for 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...
as escort for South Dakota
USS South Dakota (BB-57)
USS South Dakota was a battleship in the United States Navy from 1942 until 1947. The lead ship of her class, South Dakota was the third ship of the US Navy to be named in honor of the 40th state. During World War II, she first served in a fifteen-month tour in the Pacific theater, where she saw...
(BB-57). Arriving 31 August, she proceeded independently 3 September to Adak
Adak, Alaska
Adak , formerly Adak Station, is a city in the Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 326. It is the westernmost municipality in the United States and the southernmost city in Alaska. The city is the former location of the Adak Army Base and Adak...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, to join the North Pacific Force, engaged in operations against the Kurile Islands. Operating out of Adak and Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
, Jarvis battled stormy seas and prolonged bad weather to conduct eight raids on shipping and shore installations from Paramushiru to Matsuwa. After returning to Adak 15 August 1945 from her last raid, she steamed to Aomori
Aomori, Aomori
is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 302,068 and a density of 366 persons per km². Its total area was 824.52 km².- History :...
, 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...
, to support occupation operations. Arriving Aomori 8 September, she plied the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
, assisting occupation landings and destroying military installations on Honshū and Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
. Jarvis departed Yokosuka, Honshū, 19 November for the United States. Arriving Pearl Harbor 29 November, she joined the "Magic Carpet" fleet and sailed 1 December for the East Coast via 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...
and the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, returning veterans of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. She reached Charleston, S.C., 22 December; deactivated as a unit of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet 11 April 1946; and decommissioned 29 June.
1951 – 1960
With the development and enlargement of the Korean WarKorean 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...
, Jarvis recommissioned 8 February 1951, Comdr. E. F. Rye in command. She operated in the Atlantic out of Charleston and Norfolk, Va.
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
for more than a year before departing Norfolk 15 May 1952 for deployment to 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...
. Steaming via Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, the West Coast, and 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...
, she arrived off Korea's eastern coast 23 June and began blockade and interdiction patrols. Under her skipper, Comdr. C. D. McCall, she ranged the coast from Songjin to Chongjin
Chongjin
Ch'ŏngjin is the capital of North Korea's North Hamgyŏng Province and the country's third largest city. From 1960 to 1967 and again from 1977 to 1985, Ch'ŏngjin was administered separately from North Hamgyŏng as a Directly Governed City...
, conducting operations with the 7th Fleet until returning to Yokosuka, Japan, 18 August. Following operations in Japanese waters, she joined 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 from 26 September to 10 October. After completing this important duty, she proceeded to the Philippine Islands; and on the 18th she departed Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
for the United States via Ceylon
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
, and Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, arriving Norfolk 12 December.
Jarvis resumed operations with the Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
and on 4 May 1954 deployed to the Mediterranean, arriving 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
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 18 May. Before returning to Norfolk 9 July, she operated with the mighty 6th Fleet, America's deterrent to Communist aggression in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Clearing Norfolk 5 January 1955, Jarvis sailed to the West Coast, arriving Long Beach 26 January. After training off the California Coast, she departed 21 April on the first of five post-Korean War deployments to 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,...
. As a unit of the powerful and versatile 7th Fleet, she ranged 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...
from Japan to the Philippines, ever alert to insure peace in the unsettled Far East. While on her 1955 deployment to the Far East, she supported the evacuation of thousands of refugees from North
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
to South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
during Operation Passage to Freedom
Operation Passage to Freedom
Operation Passage to Freedom was the term used by the United States Navy to describe its transportation in 1954–55 of 310,000 Vietnamese civilians, soldiers and non-Vietnamese members of the French Army from communist North Vietnam to South Vietnam...
. During all her deployments she conducted patrols in the Formosa Strait
Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait, formerly known as the Black Ditch, is a 180-km-wide strait separating Mainland China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast...
to help stabilize the Nationalist-Communist struggle and prevent the invasion of Formosa from the mainland. In 1958 she provided valuable assistance for the Chinese Nationalist
Chinese nationalist
Chinese nationalist can refer to:* Chinese nationalism* Kuomintang - Chinese Nationalist Party in Taiwan....
s during the threatened Communist invasion
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was a conflict that took place between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China governments in which the PRC shelled the islands of Matsu and Quemoy in the Taiwan Strait in an attempt to seize them from...
of Quemoy and Matsu
Matsu Islands
The Matsu Islands are a minor archipelago of 19 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait administered as Lienchiang County , Fujian Province of the Republic of China . Only a small area of what is historically Lienchiang County is under the control of the ROC...
.
Jarvis returned to Long Beach from her fifth deployment 4 March 1960 and resumed coastal operations until 24 September when she sailed for the East Coast. Arriving Philadelphia 16 October, Jarvis decommissioned 24 October and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
SPS Alcalá Galiano
On 3 November 1960 the ship was turned over to SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
on a 5-year renewable loan under terms of the Military Assistance Program. She served the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
as SPS Alcalá Galiano, at first with hull number 44, then designated D 24.
Alcalá Galiano was stricken 15 December 1988 and broken up for scrap.
Awards
Jarvis 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 one battle star 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.