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USS Thomas J. Gary (DE-326)
Encyclopedia
USS Thomas J. Gary (DE-326) was an . The ship was named for Seaman
2nd Class Thomas Jones Gary. The ship was renamed Thomas J. Gary on 1 January 1945 to free the name for planned light cruiser
.
Gary (DE-326) was laid down on 15 June 1943 at Orange, TX by the Consolidated Steel Corporation; launched on 21 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Wille Mae Gary, mother of Seaman 2nd Class Gary and commissioned on 27 November 1943, Lieutenant Commander
William H. Harrison, USNR, in command.
and post-shakedown overhaul at Charleston
, Gary reported to the Commander Caribbean Sea Frontier at Guantanamo Bay
for temporary duty on 5 February 1944. She was detached from that command on 9 March and set her course for the Straits of Gibraltar, escorting the first of many transatlantic convoys. Until May 1945, Thomas J. Gary operated as an escort vessel in the Atlantic, safely screening eleven convoys from the East Coast to ports in the Mediterranean and the United Kingdom
and back to the United States. Here is a list of the ETO convoys:
Casablanca
Algiers
(twice)
Tunisia
Naples
Taranto
, Italy
Southampton
(twice)
Plymouth
Portsmouth
Liverpool
While on the east coast between patrols, Gary trained off the coast of Maine
and out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
, and conducted antisubmarine warfare exercises out of New London
. During June 1944, she was assigned to the Navy Fleet Sound School.
In December 1944, she detached from the homebound convoy she was escorting from British ports to aid which had collided with a merchantman. On the 9th, she took on board more than 100 Coast Guardsmen from the badly damaged patrol escort vessel and then screened her as she was towed to Bermuda.
on 7 May and spent the remainder of the month preparing for service in the Pacific. Following refresher training in the Caribbean
, she departed waters of the coast of Haiti
on 22 June; steamed - via the Panama Canal
- to the west coast; and departed San Diego on 12 July with the convoy bound for Hawaii
. She arrived at Pearl Harbor
on 20 July to begin repairs and training.
On 1 August, she departed Oahu
with Escort Division 57 and steamed for Saipan
. After a brief stop at Eniwetok, she was rerouted to Guam
and arrived at Apra Harbor
on the 13th. The same day, she again got underway; this time with Carrier Division 27. As the force steamed toward the Philippines
, word of Japan's surrender reached the ship. Following her arrival at San Pedro Bay
on 17 August, Thomas J. Gary remained in port until the 29th when she departed Leyte
to screen the aircraft carriers of Task Group (TG) 77.1 during their passage to Korea
.
. This task force was commanded by Admiral Kincaid and we were underway for the first invasion of the Japanese mainland. Now get this, we were running escort for the battleship on which Seaman Gary lost his life at Pearl Harbor. Still gives me goose bumps. We knew something was up. We had left Okinawa for the invasion.
Since we were only about 300 miles from the Japanese coast we had no idea why it was taking so long. Of course when we started dropping the big bombs we understood. I still would have liked for the big boys who were sunk at Pearl to have had a chance to lob those 16 inchers ashore and say "hey, Japs, look who's here." especially the California."
En route, the task group was diverted to Formosa
. With Commander Escort Division 57 embarked, Thomas J. Gary was designated to liberate Allied prisoners of war who had been held on that island. On 3 September, she embarked 19 marines from charged with arranging the details of the evacuation of the POW's. Her division commander was also responsible for making the preliminary arrangements for the occupation of Formosa.
Bob Redmon says "After the surrender is when we were diverted to Formosa to rescue POWs. The first thing the prisoner's said was "where have you guys been." Some had been involved in the Bataan Death March".
Before dawn of 5 September off the coast of Formosa, Thomas J. Gary and were detached from the escort carrier task group. The destroyer escorts were without navigational guides to indicate the location of mines in water surrounding the island. Despite the signing of the peace some days before, resistance from die-hard Japanese was a distinct possibility.
At 0718, as the two ships approached the waters most apt to be mined, every precaution was taken to minimize damage and casualties, should the ships strike a mine. The American sailors maintained a state of readiness to repel possible attack, as Thomas J. Gary, with her sister ship 500 yards astern, threaded her way at nine knots through the unknown and dangerous waters. Four Combat Air Patrol planes provided cover, and two anti-mine sweep planes from the carriers relayed word of the sightings of possible mines as the destroyer escorts picked their way through the hazardous approaches to Kiirun, making frequent changes of course to avoid sonar contacts which exhibited a suspicious similarity to those made by mines. One mile north of Kiirun Island, she rendezvoused with a small Japanese tug which led the way into Kiirun Harbor
, where a Japanese harbor pilot pointed out the dock to be used.
The ships maintained a condition of modified general quarters and stationed armed guards on shore. A detail headed by Thomas J. Garys communications officer took over the local Japanese radio station to insure reliable communications between the task group and Japanese authorities in Kiirun for the duration of the evacuation operation. Finally, at 1630, a train arrived bearing Allied prisoners of war who were quickly transferred to the waiting destroyer escorts.
At 1800, provided now with a Japanese pilot and Japanese charts of the minefields in the vicinity of Kiirun, Thomas J. Gary got underway. Her commanding officer later dryly reported: "Our outbound route did not coincide with the one used inbound since we discovered that our inbound track crossed several minefields." That night, she rendezvoused with the carriers and transferred the newly freed POW's to the larger ships.
On the 6th, Thomas J. Gary, joined by other DE's, returned to Kiirun to transport additional POW's. After transferring most other passengers to Block Island, she got underway for Manila
; and, on the 9th, she arrived at Manila to discharge the last 50 of her POW's.
She next operated in the Philippines into the new year with calls at Hong Kong
and Okinawa. She parted Singapore
on 8 April 1946 and set her course via the Suez Canal
for the Mediterranean where she spent much of May visiting European ports. On 29 May, she arrived at Charleston
to commence dry-docking and preservation procedures. ON 25 September, tug Nancy Moran towed the destroyer escort from Charleston and headed for Green Cove Springs, Florida
. She was decommissioned
there on 7 March 1947 and placed in reserve.
for conversion to radar picket escort ship; and, on 1 November 1956, she was designated DER-326.
She was re-commissioned on 2 August 1957 and spent the remainder of the year in training exercises out of Newport, Rhode Island
, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On 30 December, she departed Newport and began duties on the Atlantic Barrier, a part of the North American Defense Command. Operating out of Newport, she completed 12 radar picket assignments in the 18 months, breaking the routine duty with a visit to Belgium
and the United Kingdom in August 1958.
In July 1959, Thomas J. Gary entered the Boston Navy Yard for overhaul. She remained there until 30 October when she got underway for refresher training in waters off the coast of Cuba. On 20 December, she resumed her former duties in the Atlantic alternating North Atlantic Barrier and Contiguous Radar Coverage System assignments.
Early in 1961, she varied radar picket duties with participation in Operation "Springboard"; and, in May, she steamed off Bermuda
participating in Operation "Lantbex". In August, she completed a DEW Line assignment in the northeast Atlantic with a visit to Scotland
and finished out the year in overhaul at Boston
.
Thomas J. Gary next set her course of Guantanamo Bay for refresher training; then, on 10 July 1962, she steamed from Newport for now familiar North Atlantic picket deployment. Between picket assignments, she put in at Greenock
and at Wilhelmshaven
for well-earned recreation for all hands. Shortly after her return to Newport on 22 October, she was called upon to conduct patrols in support of the Cuban Quarantine. Relieved of her patrol station off Key West
on 29 November, she returned to Newport for availability and a welcome holiday in homeport.
She filled the opening months of 1963 with radar picket duty out of Key West as Southern Tip Picket, and two tours as Sonar School Ship at Key West. In April, a period of tender availability was cut short for Thomas J. Gary when she was called upon to take part in the unproductive search for the submarine lost off the Atlantic coast. She resumed Southern Tip Picket duties in July, and she returned to Newport late in August. On 24 September, she arrived at Boston for the overhaul and trials, which occupied the remainder of the year.
She opened 1964 with operations in the Caribbean including refresher training and participation in Operation "Springboard". She spent March undergoing availability at Newport and, during April and May, patrolled on picket station off Florida
, with time out in May for a good will visit to Fall River, Mass., on Armed Forces Day
. She continued picket duties for the rest of the year breaking her routine with gunnery exercises off the Virginia Capes and a visit to the Naval Academy in October.
. In March 1966, she departed New Zealand
and steamed, via the Suez Canal, to the Mediterranean. Her ports of call in that ancient sea and in the eastern Atlantic included Barcelona
, Bremen
, Copenhagen
, and Edinburgh
. She returned to Newport on 21 May 1966.
Thomas J. Gary again got underway from Newport on 24 August and set her course, via the Panama Canal and Pago Pago to Dunedin
, New Zealand, her replenishment port during her participation in Operation ""Deep Freeze". Manning her station midway between McMurdo Sound and New Zealand, Thomas J. Gary acted as logistics headquarters for Operation "Deepfreeze" and stood ready to provide search and rescue for downed fliers. She remained in southern waters through the end of 1966.
In March, she called at Perth
, Australia
; then she set her course on the 23rd for the Suez Canal. She called at European ports and returned to Newport on 24 May. On 1 July, her home port was officially changed to Key West. After her arrival there on 9 July, she helped to test experimental equipment during Operation "Combat Keel" late in the year. On 12 December, she returned to Key West for a period of upkeep.
In 1968, she operated out of Key West; conducted refresher training out of Guantanamo Bay; and, in August, participated in support operation for the practice firing of Polaris missiles by nuclear submarine Daniel Webster (SSBN-626). Later in the year, she conducted special operations in the Bahamas and acted as school ship for the Fleet Sonar School at Key West.
She continued operations in the Caribbean and off Florida into 1969. In July, she began a special four-month deployment during which she conducted intelligence support activities for antisubmarine forces in the Atlantic and earned a Navy Unit Commendation. She visited the Canary Islands and Malta before returning to Key West late in October.
After participating in Operation "Springboard" off Puerto Rico early in 1970, she got underway on 1 April and steamed across the Atlantic for operations which took her to Spain
, Denmark
, Germany
, and the British Isles. On this deployment, she helped to develop new techniques and tactics in antisubmarine warfare in such an exemplary manner that she was awarded another Navy Unit Commendation. She returned to Key West on 7 September and operated out of that port into 1972 providing surveillance in support of the Atlantic Fleet. Departing Key West on 14 January 1972, she visited Wilhemshaven; then returned via Senegal
to the United States. Back in Key West in March, she resumed local operations out of that port which she continued well into 1973.
n government. That month, 33 members of a Tunisian turnover team came on board for training. On 12 October, she got underway from Charleston and crossed the Atlantic, stopping briefly at Ponta Delgada
and Palma de Mallorca
before arriving at Bizerte
on 21 October. The next day, Thomas J. Gary was decommissioned in ceremonies at the Quai d'Honneur, Bizerte; and moments later, the ship was commissioned by the Tunisian Navy as the President Bourgiba. Her name was struck from the Navy list that same day.
She suffered a major fire on 16 April 1992 and is no longer operational.
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
2nd Class Thomas Jones Gary. The ship was renamed Thomas J. Gary on 1 January 1945 to free the name for planned light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
.
Gary (DE-326) was laid down on 15 June 1943 at Orange, TX by the Consolidated Steel Corporation; launched on 21 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Wille Mae Gary, mother of Seaman 2nd Class Gary and commissioned on 27 November 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...
William H. Harrison, USNR, in command.
Service history
Following shakedown exercises out of BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
and post-shakedown overhaul at Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, Gary reported to the Commander Caribbean Sea Frontier at 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...
for temporary duty on 5 February 1944. She was detached from that command on 9 March and set her course for the Straits of Gibraltar, escorting the first of many transatlantic convoys. Until May 1945, Thomas J. Gary operated as an escort vessel in the Atlantic, safely screening eleven convoys from the East Coast to ports in the Mediterranean and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and back to the United States. Here is a list of the ETO convoys:
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...
Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
(twice)
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...
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...
Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
, 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...
Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
(twice)
Plymouth
Plymouth
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...
Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
While on the east coast between patrols, Gary trained off the coast of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and out of Guantanamo Bay, 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...
, and conducted antisubmarine warfare exercises out of New London
New London
-Places:In the United States:*New London, Connecticut, largest place with this name**New London County, Connecticut*New London, Indiana*New London, Iowa*New London, Maryland*New London, Minnesota*New London, Missouri*New London, New Hampshire...
. During June 1944, she was assigned to the Navy Fleet Sound School.
In December 1944, she detached from the homebound convoy she was escorting from British ports to aid which had collided with a merchantman. On the 9th, she took on board more than 100 Coast Guardsmen from the badly damaged patrol escort vessel and then screened her as she was towed to Bermuda.
Pacific Duty
While the ship was moored at Boston on 1 January 1945, her name was expanded to Thomas J. Gary. She completed her last Atlantic convoy upon her arrival at New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 7 May and spent the remainder of the month preparing for service in the Pacific. Following refresher training 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...
, she departed waters of the coast of Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
on 22 June; steamed - via 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...
- to the west coast; and departed San Diego on 12 July with the convoy bound for Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. She arrived 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 20 July to begin repairs and training.
On 1 August, she departed Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
with Escort Division 57 and steamed for 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...
. After a brief stop at Eniwetok, she was rerouted to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and arrived at Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor is a deep-water port on the western side of Guam in the Mariana Islands. The harbor is formed by Orote Peninsula in the south and Cabras Island in the north. To the south, the harbor narrows and then widens again to form an inner harbor. The southern end of the harbor is the location...
on the 13th. The same day, she again got underway; this time with Carrier Division 27. As the force steamed toward 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...
, word of Japan's surrender reached the ship. Following her arrival at San Pedro Bay
San Pedro Bay
San Pedro Bay may refer to:* San Pedro Bay , a small bay on Leyte* San Pedro Bay , an inlet on the Pacific coast of the United States* San Pedro Bay , a swamp and wildlife management area in north central Florida...
on 17 August, Thomas J. Gary remained in port until the 29th when she departed Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
to screen the aircraft carriers of Task Group (TG) 77.1 during their passage 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...
.
Voyage to Japan
Bob Redmon says "Toward the end of the war we were part of a task force that was probably larger than the one on D-DayD-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...
. This task force was commanded by Admiral Kincaid and we were underway for the first invasion of the Japanese mainland. Now get this, we were running escort for the battleship on which Seaman Gary lost his life at Pearl Harbor. Still gives me goose bumps. We knew something was up. We had left Okinawa for the invasion.
Since we were only about 300 miles from the Japanese coast we had no idea why it was taking so long. Of course when we started dropping the big bombs we understood. I still would have liked for the big boys who were sunk at Pearl to have had a chance to lob those 16 inchers ashore and say "hey, Japs, look who's here." especially the California."
En route, the task group was diverted to Formosa
Formosa
Formosa or Ilha Formosa is a Portuguese historical name for Taiwan , literally meaning, "Beautiful Island". The term may also refer to:-Places:* Formosa Strait, another name for the Taiwan Strait...
. With Commander Escort Division 57 embarked, Thomas J. Gary was designated to liberate Allied prisoners of war who had been held on that island. On 3 September, she embarked 19 marines from charged with arranging the details of the evacuation of the POW's. Her division commander was also responsible for making the preliminary arrangements for the occupation of Formosa.
Bob Redmon says "After the surrender is when we were diverted to Formosa to rescue POWs. The first thing the prisoner's said was "where have you guys been." Some had been involved in the Bataan Death March".
Before dawn of 5 September off the coast of Formosa, Thomas J. Gary and were detached from the escort carrier task group. The destroyer escorts were without navigational guides to indicate the location of mines in water surrounding the island. Despite the signing of the peace some days before, resistance from die-hard Japanese was a distinct possibility.
At 0718, as the two ships approached the waters most apt to be mined, every precaution was taken to minimize damage and casualties, should the ships strike a mine. The American sailors maintained a state of readiness to repel possible attack, as Thomas J. Gary, with her sister ship 500 yards astern, threaded her way at nine knots through the unknown and dangerous waters. Four Combat Air Patrol planes provided cover, and two anti-mine sweep planes from the carriers relayed word of the sightings of possible mines as the destroyer escorts picked their way through the hazardous approaches to Kiirun, making frequent changes of course to avoid sonar contacts which exhibited a suspicious similarity to those made by mines. One mile north of Kiirun Island, she rendezvoused with a small Japanese tug which led the way into Kiirun Harbor
Harbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
, where a Japanese harbor pilot pointed out the dock to be used.
The ships maintained a condition of modified general quarters and stationed armed guards on shore. A detail headed by Thomas J. Garys communications officer took over the local Japanese radio station to insure reliable communications between the task group and Japanese authorities in Kiirun for the duration of the evacuation operation. Finally, at 1630, a train arrived bearing Allied prisoners of war who were quickly transferred to the waiting destroyer escorts.
At 1800, provided now with a Japanese pilot and Japanese charts of the minefields in the vicinity of Kiirun, Thomas J. Gary got underway. Her commanding officer later dryly reported: "Our outbound route did not coincide with the one used inbound since we discovered that our inbound track crossed several minefields." That night, she rendezvoused with the carriers and transferred the newly freed POW's to the larger ships.
On the 6th, Thomas J. Gary, joined by other DE's, returned to Kiirun to transport additional POW's. After transferring most other passengers to Block Island, she got underway for Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
; and, on the 9th, she arrived at Manila to discharge the last 50 of her POW's.
Duties in the Far East and Europe
Later in the month, she steamed on to the Ryukyus with the escort carrier group: and she operated out of Okinawa into October, conducting exercises in the East China Sea. On 19 October, while at sea with the escort carrier group, she struck a submerged log, which caused considerable damage to her starboard propeller. Slowed to 13 knots, she was forced to leave the formation and put in at Saipan on 23 November for repairs.She next operated in the Philippines into the new year with calls 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...
and Okinawa. She parted Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on 8 April 1946 and set her course via 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...
for the Mediterranean where she spent much of May visiting European ports. On 29 May, she arrived at Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
to commence dry-docking and preservation procedures. ON 25 September, tug Nancy Moran towed the destroyer escort from Charleston and headed for Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County....
. She was decommissioned
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
there on 7 March 1947 and placed in reserve.
DER-326
On 24 July 1956, she was delivered to the Philadelphia Naval ShipyardPhiladelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
for conversion to radar picket escort ship; and, on 1 November 1956, she was designated DER-326.
She was re-commissioned on 2 August 1957 and spent the remainder of the year in training exercises out of Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On 30 December, she departed Newport and began duties on the Atlantic Barrier, a part of the North American Defense Command. Operating out of Newport, she completed 12 radar picket assignments in the 18 months, breaking the routine duty with a visit to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and the United Kingdom in August 1958.
In July 1959, Thomas J. Gary entered the Boston Navy Yard for overhaul. She remained there until 30 October when she got underway for refresher training in waters off the coast of Cuba. On 20 December, she resumed her former duties in the Atlantic alternating North Atlantic Barrier and Contiguous Radar Coverage System assignments.
Early in 1961, she varied radar picket duties with participation in Operation "Springboard"; and, in May, she steamed off Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
participating in Operation "Lantbex". In August, she completed a DEW Line assignment in the northeast Atlantic with a visit to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and finished out the year in overhaul at 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...
.
Thomas J. Gary next set her course of Guantanamo Bay for refresher training; then, on 10 July 1962, she steamed from Newport for now familiar North Atlantic picket deployment. Between picket assignments, she put in at Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
and at Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
for well-earned recreation for all hands. Shortly after her return to Newport on 22 October, she was called upon to conduct patrols in support of the Cuban Quarantine. Relieved of her patrol station off Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
on 29 November, she returned to Newport for availability and a welcome holiday in homeport.
She filled the opening months of 1963 with radar picket duty out of Key West as Southern Tip Picket, and two tours as Sonar School Ship at Key West. In April, a period of tender availability was cut short for Thomas J. Gary when she was called upon to take part in the unproductive search for the submarine lost off the Atlantic coast. She resumed Southern Tip Picket duties in July, and she returned to Newport late in August. On 24 September, she arrived at Boston for the overhaul and trials, which occupied the remainder of the year.
She opened 1964 with operations in the Caribbean including refresher training and participation in Operation "Springboard". She spent March undergoing availability at Newport and, during April and May, patrolled on picket station off Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, with time out in May for a good will visit to Fall River, Mass., on Armed Forces Day
Armed Forces Day
Several nations of the world hold an annual Armed Forces Day in honor of their military forces. - Armenia :Բանակի օր is celebrated on 28 January to commemorate the formation of the armed forces of the newly independent Republic of Armenia in 1992....
. She continued picket duties for the rest of the year breaking her routine with gunnery exercises off the Virginia Capes and a visit to the Naval Academy in October.
Trip to New Zealand, and Return to the Meiterranean
After participating in the annual exercise Operation "Springboard" again in 1965, she resumed picket duties and, on 30 June, phased out the Southern Tip Picket Station where she had spent so much of her post-World War II career. On 13 September, she departed Newport for a nine-month deployment in the Pacific which took her through the Panama Canal later that month and included support for Operation "Deep Freeze," a scientific expedition to the AntarcticAntarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
. In March 1966, she departed New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and steamed, via the Suez Canal, to the Mediterranean. Her ports of call in that ancient sea and in the eastern Atlantic included Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. She returned to Newport on 21 May 1966.
Thomas J. Gary again got underway from Newport on 24 August and set her course, via the Panama Canal and Pago Pago to Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, New Zealand, her replenishment port during her participation in Operation ""Deep Freeze". Manning her station midway between McMurdo Sound and New Zealand, Thomas J. Gary acted as logistics headquarters for Operation "Deepfreeze" and stood ready to provide search and rescue for downed fliers. She remained in southern waters through the end of 1966.
In March, she called at Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, 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...
; then she set her course on the 23rd for the Suez Canal. She called at European ports and returned to Newport on 24 May. On 1 July, her home port was officially changed to Key West. After her arrival there on 9 July, she helped to test experimental equipment during Operation "Combat Keel" late in the year. On 12 December, she returned to Key West for a period of upkeep.
In 1968, she operated out of Key West; conducted refresher training out of Guantanamo Bay; and, in August, participated in support operation for the practice firing of Polaris missiles by nuclear submarine Daniel Webster (SSBN-626). Later in the year, she conducted special operations in the Bahamas and acted as school ship for the Fleet Sonar School at Key West.
She continued operations in the Caribbean and off Florida into 1969. In July, she began a special four-month deployment during which she conducted intelligence support activities for antisubmarine forces in the Atlantic and earned a Navy Unit Commendation. She visited the Canary Islands and Malta before returning to Key West late in October.
After participating in Operation "Springboard" off Puerto Rico early in 1970, she got underway on 1 April and steamed across the Atlantic for operations which took her to Spain
Spain
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...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and the British Isles. On this deployment, she helped to develop new techniques and tactics in antisubmarine warfare in such an exemplary manner that she was awarded another Navy Unit Commendation. She returned to Key West on 7 September and operated out of that port into 1972 providing surveillance in support of the Atlantic Fleet. Departing Key West on 14 January 1972, she visited Wilhemshaven; then returned via Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
to the United States. Back in Key West in March, she resumed local operations out of that port which she continued well into 1973.
Transfer to Tunisia
In September 1973, she began preparations for transfer to the TunisiaTunisia
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...
n government. That month, 33 members of a Tunisian turnover team came on board for training. On 12 October, she got underway from Charleston and crossed the Atlantic, stopping briefly at Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada is a city and municipality on the island of São Miguel in the archipelago of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. It includes 44,403 residents in the urban area, and approximately 20,113 inhabitants in the three central parishes that comprise the historical city: São Pedro,...
and Palma de Mallorca
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
before arriving at 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:...
on 21 October. The next day, Thomas J. Gary was decommissioned in ceremonies at the Quai d'Honneur, Bizerte; and moments later, the ship was commissioned by the Tunisian Navy as the President Bourgiba. Her name was struck from the Navy list that same day.
She suffered a major fire on 16 April 1992 and is no longer operational.
External links
- More information, and photographs, of USS Thomas J Gary DER-326 are available at http://www.aspen-ridge.net or http://www.ussthomasjgary.org
- NAVsource page