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USS John W. Weeks (DD-701)
Encyclopedia
USS John W. Weeks (DD-701), an Allen M. Sumner-class
destroyer
, was named for John Wingate Weeks, who attained the rank of Rear Admiral
. Weeks was elected to the United States House of Representatives
where he served until entering the United States Senate
in 1913. He became Secretary of War
on 4 March 1921.
The John W. Weeks was laid down 17 January 1944 by Federal Ship Building & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey
; launched 21 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. John W. Davidge, daughter of Secretary Weeks; and commissioned 21 July 1944, Commander
Robert A. Theobald. Jr., in command.
and touched San Francisco, Pearl Harbor
, and Eniwetok before joining the 3d fleet at Ulithi
27 December.
Early in January 1945, John W. Weeks sortied from that busy lagoon with Vice Admiral
John S. McCain
's Fast Carrier Task Force
TF 38 and headed toward the Philippines in the screen of Rear Admiral Gerald F. Bogan
's task group. Meanwhile, the mighty Luzon Attack Force assembled in Leyte Gulf on New Year's Day, passed through Surigao Strait
, and set course for Lingayen Gulf
. On the 9th, as General
Douglas MacArthur
's troops stormed ashore on the beaches at Lingayen, planes from McCain's carriers hit Japanese airstrips on Formosa
and the Pescadores
to neutralize air opposition to the Luzon invasion. That night McCain's ships slipped through Luzon Strait into the South China Sea
where they could be on call to support the Allied beachheads while striking strategic enemy positions along the southeastern coast of Asia and searching for the Imperial Fleet. In the next 10 days, they lashed out at Hong Kong
, Hainan
, and the Indochinese coast causing much damage ashore and sinking 44 ships totaling 132,700 tons. At the end of this sweep into enemy waters Admiral William Halsey reported, "the outer defenses of the Japanese Empire no longer include Burma and the Netherlands East Indies; those countries are now isolated outposts, and their products are no longer available to the Japanese war machine..." Weeks, proud of her role in this daring incursion into the South China Sea, returned with her carriers to Ulithi on the 28th.
The destroyer again sailed with the carriers on 11 February, and conducted strikes on Tokyo on 16–17 February, in preinvasion support of the Allied attack on Iwo Jima
. After inflicting considerable damage to Japanese air power, Weeks steamed toward Iwo Jima
to give direct support to marines fighting for the island. Later that month, the carriers renewed their attacks on the enemy's home islands. Heavy raids during March continued to cripple the enemy's power, and the destroyer received credit for two assists as five enemy planes were splashed while attempting a raid on the Task Force.
When D-day for the Okinawa invasion neared, Weeks in company with other units shelled the shores in preinvasion bombardment. The assault forces landed on 1 April, and the destroyer stood by to offer support. On 7 April, a Japanese surface force was located, and strikes were launched to intercept the enemy, resulting in the sinking of . During these operations, was hit by a kamikaze
and the destroyer rescued 23 survivors in a heroic rescue mission.
For the remainder of the war, Weeks participated in the final assault on the Empire Islands, engaging in radar picket duty, shore bombardment, rescue missions and the antishipping sweep off Tokyo Bay. Following the cessation of hostilities, she steamed into Tokyo Bay on 8 September to begin escort operations with the occupation forces. She continued escort duty until 30 December, when she sailed for home, arriving San Francisco on 20 January 1946. The destroyer arrived Norfolk 19 February and following repairs she was inactivated on 26 April.
One year later, on 17 May 1947, she sailed once again and commenced Naval Reserve training cruises until mid 1949. On 6 September of that year, she sailed for Europe, returning on 8 February 1950. Weeks decommissioned on 31 May 1950.
, President Truman ordered American forces into action to take up the challenge. John W. Weeks recommissioned on 24 October 1950 and commenced training cruises in the Atlantic and Caribbean. During her European Cruise in January 1952, she participated in the attempt to save ill-fated Flying Enterprise
, which foundered and sank in a 90-mile gale on 10 January 1952. The destroyer returned to Norfolk on 6 February to engage in coastal operations and a midshipmen European cruise.
Weeks sailed on an around the world cruise on 3 November 1953, and while in the Far East she operated with units of the 7th Fleet
off the coast of Korea. She completed the cruise when she returned via the Mediterranean arriving Norfolk on 4 June 1954. From 1954 to 1963 the destroyer operated with the Atlantic Fleet and during this period made five Mediterranean cruises and two NATO exercises.
Weeks was operating with the 6th Fleet during 1956 when the Suez crisis
erupted over the canal. One year later, on another Near Eastern deployment, Weeks and other units stood by to prevent subversion of Jordan. The Mediterranean cruise of 1958 included patrol duty and exercises with navies of Bagdad-Pact countries. The destroyer was also active in U.S. waters, busy with midshipmen at-sea training and antisubmarine exercises. During 1959 she participated in Operation "Inland Seas" during the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Weeks was the first Navy destroyer to enter each of the Great Lakes. During this cruise she escorted , with the Queen of England aboard, from Chicago to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
; and the two became the first U.S. warships to enter the Black Sea
since 1945. On the same cruise she rendezvoused with at the end of the nuclear-powered submarine
's cruise round the world.
After returning to Norfolk, the destroyer visited the Caribbean and the New England Coast on midshipman training at sea. In the fall she deployed to the Mediterranean and returned to Norfolk, Virginia
on 3 March 1962. Midshipman
training in the summer and exercise out of Norfolk kept the ship in fighting trim and ready for action.
In October, the presence of Soviet offensive missiles in Cuba prompted President Kennedy to order a quarantine of the island (See Cuban Missile Crisis
). Weeks escorted replenishment ships to the quarantine area. When this display of national strength and determination forced the Kremlin to withdraw the missiles, Weeks returned via San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Norfolk.
Early in 1963, while preparing for another Mediterranean deployment from February–April, the destroyer received the Battle Efficiency "E" for outstanding service. She headed for the Mediterranean on 29 November. The end of the year found her patrolling off troubled Cyprus, standing by ready to evacuate, if necessary, Americans from that strife-torn island. On New Year's Day
, en route to the Red Sea to join that U.S. Middle East Force, she was the first ship to transit the Suez Canal
during 1964. She visited Jidda, Saudi Arabia; Berbera, Somali Republic, Aden, Aden Protectorate; Djibouti, French Somaliland; Massawa,- Ethiopia; and Karachi, Pakistan. She headed west from Karachic on 6 February; refueled at Aden; then turned south for patrol along the Zanzibar coast during the revolution there
, and off Kenya and Tanganyika during unrest in those countries. She departed Mombasa, Kenya on 24 February and transited the Suez Canal on 6 March. After patrolling the Mediterranean, Weeks departed Pollenca Bay, Majorca, for home on 12 May and reached Norfolk on the 23rd.
After overhaul in Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the destroyer departed Hampton Roads on 9 November for Guantanamo Bay and refresher training. She returned to Norfolk early in January 1965 to prepare for another Mediterranean cruise. She got underway 13 February and arrived Valencia, Spain on 5 March. She stopped at Naples
for a fortnight en route to the Suez Canal and 2 months of duty in the Red Sea. Back in the Mediterranean 2 June, the destroyer headed for home 30 June and returned to Norfolk 12 July.
Late in the summer, the destroyer was on the Gemini 5
recovery team. For the remainder of the year, she operated out of Norfolk in the Caribbean
and along the Atlantic Coast. She continued ASW exercises in the Caribbean until returning to Norfolk on 3 February 1966. After serving as sonar school ship at Key West during March and April, the veteran destroyer departed Norfolk 16 May for European waters.
Steaming with DesRon 2, Weeks spent the next 3 months cruising the western coast of Europe
from Norway
to France
. She took part in anti-submarine warfare
(ASW) exercises, and during Operation "Straight Laced," a simulated invasion of the Norwegian coast, she operated with British and West German ships. While carrying out ASW duty during this exercise, she made the only simulated submarine kill in the operation on 19 August. Departing Derry
, Northern Ireland
on 24 August, she returned to Norfolk on 2 September. During the remainder of the year she served as school ship at Key West and joined in ASW exercises along the Atlantic Coast and in the Caribbean.
Weeks continued this duty until early in July 1967 when she departed Norfolk for deployment in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean
s. Steaming via San Juan, Puerto Rico
, and Recife, Brazil, she touched at African ports on the east and west coasts of that continent and ranged Africa
from the Gulf of Guinea
to the Red.
Weeks departed from Norfolk, Virginia in January 1969 for WestPac duty off the coast of Vietnam. She operated with four aircraft carriers while there. She returned home in September 1969.
She was finally decommissioned and stricken on 12 August 1970, and finished her service as a gunnery target. She was sunk on 19 November 1970. Her final resting place is 1300 fathoms down, at 37°10.9'N, 73°45.6'W.
Allen M. Sumner class destroyer
The Allen M. Sumner class was a group of 58 destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Another twelve ships were completed as destroyer minelayers...
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 named for John Wingate Weeks, who attained the rank of 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"...
. Weeks was elected to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
where he served until entering the United States Senate
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...
in 1913. He became Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
on 4 March 1921.
The John W. Weeks was laid down 17 January 1944 by Federal Ship Building & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
; launched 21 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. John W. Davidge, daughter of Secretary Weeks; and commissioned 21 July 1944, 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...
Robert A. Theobald. Jr., in command.
1940s
After shakedown out of Bermuda and tests en route to Argentina, the new destroyer departed New York on 10 November 1944, escorting , , , and to the Pacific. She transited the Panama CanalPanama 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...
and touched San Francisco, 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...
, and Eniwetok before joining the 3d fleet at Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
27 December.
Early in January 1945, John W. Weeks sortied from that busy lagoon with Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
John S. McCain
John S. McCain, Sr.
John Sidney "Slew" McCain Sr. was a U.S. Navy admiral. He held several command assignments during the Pacific campaign of World War II....
's Fast Carrier Task Force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
TF 38 and headed toward the Philippines in the screen of Rear Admiral Gerald F. Bogan
Gerald F. Bogan
Gerald Francis Bogan was a United States Navy Admiral.Bogan authored a confidential memorandum that was leaked by Captain John G. Crommelin during the Revolt of the Admirals in September 1949. His memo described the situation in the Navy as follows, "The morale of the Navy is lower today than at...
's task group. Meanwhile, the mighty Luzon Attack Force assembled in Leyte Gulf on New Year's Day, passed through Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait is a body of water in the Philippines located between the islands of Mindanao and Leyte. This strait connects the Bohol Sea with Leyte Gulf and is regularly crossed by ferries that transport goods and people between Visayas and Mindanao...
, and set course for Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
. On the 9th, as General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
's troops stormed ashore on the beaches at Lingayen, planes from McCain's carriers hit Japanese airstrips on 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...
and the Pescadores
Pescadores
The Penghu Islands, also known as Pescadores are an archipelago off the western coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait consisting of 90 small islands and islets covering an area of 141 square kilometers....
to neutralize air opposition to the Luzon invasion. That night McCain's ships slipped through Luzon Strait into the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
where they could be on call to support the Allied beachheads while striking strategic enemy positions along the southeastern coast of Asia and searching for the Imperial Fleet. In the next 10 days, they lashed out at Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
, and the Indochinese coast causing much damage ashore and sinking 44 ships totaling 132,700 tons. At the end of this sweep into enemy waters Admiral William Halsey reported, "the outer defenses of the Japanese Empire no longer include Burma and the Netherlands East Indies; those countries are now isolated outposts, and their products are no longer available to the Japanese war machine..." Weeks, proud of her role in this daring incursion into the South China Sea, returned with her carriers to Ulithi on the 28th.
The destroyer again sailed with the carriers on 11 February, and conducted strikes on Tokyo on 16–17 February, in preinvasion support of the Allied attack on Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
. After inflicting considerable damage to Japanese air power, Weeks steamed toward Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
to give direct support to marines fighting for the island. Later that month, the carriers renewed their attacks on the enemy's home islands. Heavy raids during March continued to cripple the enemy's power, and the destroyer received credit for two assists as five enemy planes were splashed while attempting a raid on the Task Force.
When D-day for the Okinawa invasion neared, Weeks in company with other units shelled the shores in preinvasion bombardment. The assault forces landed on 1 April, and the destroyer stood by to offer support. On 7 April, a Japanese surface force was located, and strikes were launched to intercept the enemy, resulting in the sinking of . During these operations, was hit by a kamikaze
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....
and the destroyer rescued 23 survivors in a heroic rescue mission.
For the remainder of the war, Weeks participated in the final assault on the Empire Islands, engaging in radar picket duty, shore bombardment, rescue missions and the antishipping sweep off Tokyo Bay. Following the cessation of hostilities, she steamed into Tokyo Bay on 8 September to begin escort operations with the occupation forces. She continued escort duty until 30 December, when she sailed for home, arriving San Francisco on 20 January 1946. The destroyer arrived Norfolk 19 February and following repairs she was inactivated on 26 April.
One year later, on 17 May 1947, she sailed once again and commenced Naval Reserve training cruises until mid 1949. On 6 September of that year, she sailed for Europe, returning on 8 February 1950. Weeks decommissioned on 31 May 1950.
1950s
At the beginning 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...
, President Truman ordered American forces into action to take up the challenge. John W. Weeks recommissioned on 24 October 1950 and commenced training cruises in the Atlantic and Caribbean. During her European Cruise in January 1952, she participated in the attempt to save ill-fated Flying Enterprise
Flying Enterprise
SS Flying Enterprise was a 6,711 ton Type C1-B ship which sank in 1952. She was built in 1944 as SS Cape Kumukaki for the United States Maritime Commission for use in World War II...
, which foundered and sank in a 90-mile gale on 10 January 1952. The destroyer returned to Norfolk on 6 February to engage in coastal operations and a midshipmen European cruise.
Weeks sailed on an around the world cruise on 3 November 1953, and while in the Far East she operated with units of the 7th Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
off the coast of Korea. She completed the cruise when she returned via the Mediterranean arriving Norfolk on 4 June 1954. From 1954 to 1963 the destroyer operated with the Atlantic Fleet and during this period made five Mediterranean cruises and two NATO exercises.
Weeks was operating with the 6th Fleet during 1956 when the Suez crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
erupted over the canal. One year later, on another Near Eastern deployment, Weeks and other units stood by to prevent subversion of Jordan. The Mediterranean cruise of 1958 included patrol duty and exercises with navies of Bagdad-Pact countries. The destroyer was also active in U.S. waters, busy with midshipmen at-sea training and antisubmarine exercises. During 1959 she participated in Operation "Inland Seas" during the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Weeks was the first Navy destroyer to enter each of the Great Lakes. During this cruise she escorted , with the Queen of England aboard, from Chicago to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
1960s
On 9 March 1960, John W Weeks, in company with , transited the BosporusBosporus
The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
; and the two became the first U.S. warships to enter the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
since 1945. On the same cruise she rendezvoused with at the end of the nuclear-powered submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
's cruise round the world.
After returning to Norfolk, the destroyer visited the Caribbean and the New England Coast on midshipman training at sea. In the fall she deployed to the Mediterranean and returned to 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 3 March 1962. Midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
training in the summer and exercise out of Norfolk kept the ship in fighting trim and ready for action.
In October, the presence of Soviet offensive missiles in Cuba prompted President Kennedy to order a quarantine of the island (See Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
). Weeks escorted replenishment ships to the quarantine area. When this display of national strength and determination forced the Kremlin to withdraw the missiles, Weeks returned via San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Norfolk.
Early in 1963, while preparing for another Mediterranean deployment from February–April, the destroyer received the Battle Efficiency "E" for outstanding service. She headed for the Mediterranean on 29 November. The end of the year found her patrolling off troubled Cyprus, standing by ready to evacuate, if necessary, Americans from that strife-torn island. On New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
, en route to the Red Sea to join that U.S. Middle East Force, she was the first ship to transit the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
during 1964. She visited Jidda, Saudi Arabia; Berbera, Somali Republic, Aden, Aden Protectorate; Djibouti, French Somaliland; Massawa,- Ethiopia; and Karachi, Pakistan. She headed west from Karachic on 6 February; refueled at Aden; then turned south for patrol along the Zanzibar coast during the revolution there
Zanzibar Revolution
The Zanzibar Revolution by local African revolutionaries in 1964 overthrew the Sultan of Zanzibar and his mainly Arab government. An ethnically diverse state consisting of a number of islands off the east coast of Tanganyika, Zanzibar had been granted independence by Britain in 1963...
, and off Kenya and Tanganyika during unrest in those countries. She departed Mombasa, Kenya on 24 February and transited the Suez Canal on 6 March. After patrolling the Mediterranean, Weeks departed Pollenca Bay, Majorca, for home on 12 May and reached Norfolk on the 23rd.
After overhaul in Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the destroyer departed Hampton Roads on 9 November for Guantanamo Bay and refresher training. She returned to Norfolk early in January 1965 to prepare for another Mediterranean cruise. She got underway 13 February and arrived Valencia, Spain on 5 March. She stopped at 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...
for a fortnight en route to the Suez Canal and 2 months of duty in the Red Sea. Back in the Mediterranean 2 June, the destroyer headed for home 30 June and returned to Norfolk 12 July.
Late in the summer, the destroyer was on the Gemini 5
Gemini 5
Gemini 5 was a 1965 manned spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the third manned Gemini flight, the 11th manned American flight and the 19th spaceflight of all time...
recovery team. For the remainder of the year, she operated out of Norfolk in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and along the Atlantic Coast. She continued ASW exercises in the Caribbean until returning to Norfolk on 3 February 1966. After serving as sonar school ship at Key West during March and April, the veteran destroyer departed Norfolk 16 May for European waters.
Steaming with DesRon 2, Weeks spent the next 3 months cruising the western coast of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to France
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...
. She took part in anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
(ASW) exercises, and during Operation "Straight Laced," a simulated invasion of the Norwegian coast, she operated with British and West German ships. While carrying out ASW duty during this exercise, she made the only simulated submarine kill in the operation on 19 August. Departing Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
on 24 August, she returned to Norfolk on 2 September. During the remainder of the year she served as school ship at Key West and joined in ASW exercises along the Atlantic Coast and in the Caribbean.
Weeks continued this duty until early in July 1967 when she departed Norfolk for deployment in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
s. Steaming via San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, and Recife, Brazil, she touched at African ports on the east and west coasts of that continent and ranged Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
from the Gulf of Guinea
Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean between Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian is in the gulf....
to the Red.
Weeks departed from Norfolk, Virginia in January 1969 for WestPac duty off the coast of Vietnam. She operated with four aircraft carriers while there. She returned home in September 1969.
She was finally decommissioned and stricken on 12 August 1970, and finished her service as a gunnery target. She was sunk on 19 November 1970. Her final resting place is 1300 fathoms down, at 37°10.9'N, 73°45.6'W.