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USS Carmick (DD-493)
Encyclopedia
USS Carmick (DD-493/DMS-33), a Gleaves-class
destroyer
, was the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Major
Daniel Carmick
(1772–1816), an officer in the United States Marine Corps
who served during the Quasi-War
with France
and during the War of 1812
.
Carmick was launched 8 March 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Co., Seattle, Washington
; sponsored by Mrs. H. L. Merrill; and commissioned 28 December 1942, Commander
W. S. Whiteside in command. Later in the ship's career, she would be designated destroyer minesweeper
DMS-33. After the ship decommissioned, her designation would be reverted back to DD-493.
, 19 February 1943 for Norfolk, Virginia
, arriving 10 March. Her varied and active career as an escort in the Atlantic began in April 1943 when she guarded a convoy
to NS Argentia
, Newfoundland
, from which she returned to New York City
to join the escort of a convoy
bound for Casablanca
. On 8 May she had her first enemy contact, delivering three depth charge
attacks until being forced to break off the attack in order to rejoin the convoy. Returning to New York 1 June, Carmick stood north for training in Casco Bay. While running in a fog on 16 June, she struck a submerged object, which sent her back to Boston
for four months of repairs.
Back in action 5 November 1943, Carmick crossed the Atlantic guarding a convoy to Derry
, Northern Ireland
in November, escorted to Aruba
in December, and in January 1944 protected during the aircraft carrier
's shakedown
training off Bermuda
. In February, she tested equipment for the Bureau of Ships
and escorted to Trinidad
. This phase of Carmicks contribution to the growing might of the Navy ended when the destroyer was assigned to hunter-killer operations with Destroyer Squadron 18 (DesRon 18) from 29 March.
On 2 April 1944, Carmick made two depth charge attacks with inconclusive results on an enemy submarine
detected by sound contact. Later the same day, she successfully dodged a torpedo
. On 18 April, Carmick cleared Boston for Plymouth, England, arriving 28 April to prepare for her role in the mighty naval force mounting the invasion of Europe. On 6 June (D-Day
), she took station guarding the flanks of the leading ships off Omaha Beach
, acting as antisubmarine and anti-E-boat
screen. As the infantrymen began to move ashore, Carmick provided pin-point gunfire support, knocking out enemy strongpoints. She remained off the beachhead
through 17 June, firing against enemy air attacks and guarding the great numbers of ships moving into the area to support forces ashore. On 10 June, she splashed a Heinkel
bomber.
Screening duty in the English Channel
preceded Carmicks departure for the Mediterranean on 18 July 1944. Convoy duty in connection with the buildup for the invasion of southern France
continued until 15 August, day of the preliminary attacks on the coast between Toulon
and Cannes
. Once more Carmick was in the van of the invasion fleet, with duties similar to those she had at Normandy
. Her constant vigilance was rewarded 18 August, when she destroyed an enemy E-boat. She supported the consolidation of the beachhead by convoy escort duty in the western Mediterranean until 23 September, when she cleared for New York City.
After overhaul and training, Carmick made three convoy escort voyages to Casablanca and Oran
, guarding men and supplies for the European campaign. On 10 June 1945, she entered Philadelphia Navy Yard for conversion to a high speed minesweeper, and on 23 June 1945, she was reclassified DMS-33.
-sweeping operations in the Yellow Sea
. She remained in the Far East to support the occupation until returning to San Francisco
on 20 April 1946. With San Diego
as her home port, Carmick made one tour to the western Pacific in the summer and fall of 1947, and conducted local operations until the outbreak of the Korean War
. She cleared San Diego 4 October 1950 for duty in United Nations
' efforts in Korean waters. Operating with TF 95 out of Yokosuka
, Japan
, she patrolled off both coasts of Korea
, providing fire-support and minesweeping operations. From 29 October to 3 December, she penetrated the dangerous harbor at Chinnampo to sweep mines, and carried out this difficult assignment so well as to earn the Navy Unit Commendation
. She returned to San Diego 21 November 1951 for overhaul and training.
Carmick cleared San Diego 7 May 1952 for her second Korean tour, during which she patrolled off Yang Do Island, bombarded the rail center at Songjin, and provided gunfire support for minesweepers through February 1953. She returned to Long Beach, California
, for overhaul 14 March, and in June resumed a schedule of exercises and services to the Fleet Sonar School at San Diego. After preinactivation overhaul at San Francisco, Carmick was placed out of commission in reserve 13 February 1954. She was reclassified DD-493 on 15 July 1955.
Gleaves class destroyer
The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
, was the only ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Daniel Carmick
Daniel Carmick
Daniel Carmick, born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1772, was appointed a lieutenant of Marines on USS Ganges on May 5, 1798, and entered the newly formed United States Marine Corps as a captain on July 11, 1798...
(1772–1816), an officer in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
who served during the Quasi-War
Quasi-War
The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought mostly at sea between the United States and French Republic from 1798 to 1800. In the United States, the conflict was sometimes also referred to as the Franco-American War, the Pirate Wars, or the Half-War.-Background:The Kingdom of France had been a...
with 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...
and during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Carmick was launched 8 March 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Co., Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
; sponsored by Mrs. H. L. Merrill; and commissioned 28 December 1942, 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...
W. S. Whiteside in command. Later in the ship's career, she would be designated destroyer minesweeper
Destroyer minesweeper
Destroyer minesweeper was a designation given by the United States Navy to a series of destroyers that were converted into high-speed ocean-going minesweepers for service during World War II. The hull number for such a ship began "DMS"...
DMS-33. After the ship decommissioned, her designation would be reverted back to DD-493.
Atlantic and Mediterranean
Carmick cleared San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, 19 February 1943 for 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....
, arriving 10 March. Her varied and active career as an escort in the Atlantic began in April 1943 when she guarded a convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
to NS Argentia
Naval Station Argentia
Naval Station Argentia is a former base of the United States Navy that operated from 1941-1994. It was established in the community of Argentia in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland, which later became the tenth Canadian province .-Construction:Established under the British-U.S...
, Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
, from which she returned to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to join the escort of a convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
bound for 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...
. On 8 May she had her first enemy contact, delivering three depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
attacks until being forced to break off the attack in order to rejoin the convoy. Returning to New York 1 June, Carmick stood north for training in Casco Bay. While running in a fog on 16 June, she struck a submerged object, which sent her back to Boston
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
for four months of repairs.
Back in action 5 November 1943, Carmick crossed the Atlantic guarding a convoy to 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...
in November, escorted to Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
in December, and in January 1944 protected during the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
's shakedown
Shakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
training 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...
. In February, she tested equipment for the Bureau of Ships
Bureau of Ships
The United States Navy's Bureau of Ships was established by Congress on June 20, 1940, by a law which consolidated the functions of the Bureau of Construction and Repair and the Bureau of Engineering. The new Bureau was to be headed by a Chief and Deputy-Chief, one selected from the engineering...
and escorted to Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
. This phase of Carmicks contribution to the growing might of the Navy ended when the destroyer was assigned to hunter-killer operations with Destroyer Squadron 18 (DesRon 18) from 29 March.
On 2 April 1944, Carmick made two depth charge attacks with inconclusive results on an enemy 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...
detected by sound contact. Later the same day, she successfully dodged a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
. On 18 April, Carmick cleared Boston for Plymouth, England, arriving 28 April to prepare for her role in the mighty naval force mounting the invasion of Europe. On 6 June (D-Day
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
), she took station guarding the flanks of the leading ships off Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
, acting as antisubmarine and anti-E-boat
E-boat
E-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
screen. As the infantrymen began to move ashore, Carmick provided pin-point gunfire support, knocking out enemy strongpoints. She remained off the beachhead
Beachhead
Beachhead is a military term used to describe the line created when a unit reaches a beach, and begins to defend that area of beach, while other reinforcements help out, until a unit large enough to begin advancing has arrived. It is sometimes used interchangeably with Bridgehead and Lodgement...
through 17 June, firing against enemy air attacks and guarding the great numbers of ships moving into the area to support forces ashore. On 10 June, she splashed a Heinkel
Heinkel
Heinkel Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by and named after Ernst Heinkel. It is noted for producing bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe in World War II and for important contributions to high-speed flight.-History:...
bomber.
Screening duty in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
preceded Carmicks departure for the Mediterranean on 18 July 1944. Convoy duty in connection with the buildup for the invasion of southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
continued until 15 August, day of the preliminary attacks on the coast between Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
and Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
. Once more Carmick was in the van of the invasion fleet, with duties similar to those she had at Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. Her constant vigilance was rewarded 18 August, when she destroyed an enemy E-boat. She supported the consolidation of the beachhead by convoy escort duty in the western Mediterranean until 23 September, when she cleared for New York City.
After overhaul and training, Carmick made three convoy escort voyages to Casablanca and Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, guarding men and supplies for the European campaign. On 10 June 1945, she entered Philadelphia Navy Yard for conversion to a high speed minesweeper, and on 23 June 1945, she was reclassified DMS-33.
Post war
On 27 August 1945, Carmick cleared Norfolk, Virginia, for the Pacific, arriving at Okinawa 15 October for mineNaval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
-sweeping operations in the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
. She remained in the Far East to support the occupation until returning to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
on 20 April 1946. With 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...
as her home port, Carmick made one tour to the western Pacific in the summer and fall of 1947, and conducted local operations until the outbreak of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. She cleared San Diego 4 October 1950 for duty in United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
' efforts in Korean waters. Operating with TF 95 out of Yokosuka
United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka
U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, or Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka is a United States Navy base, in Yokosuka, Japan. Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. 7th Fleet 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 patrolled off both coasts of 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...
, providing fire-support and minesweeping operations. From 29 October to 3 December, she penetrated the dangerous harbor at Chinnampo to sweep mines, and carried out this difficult assignment so well as to earn the Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
. She returned to San Diego 21 November 1951 for overhaul and training.
Carmick cleared San Diego 7 May 1952 for her second Korean tour, during which she patrolled off Yang Do Island, bombarded the rail center at Songjin, and provided gunfire support for minesweepers through February 1953. She returned to Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, for overhaul 14 March, and in June resumed a schedule of exercises and services to the Fleet Sonar School at San Diego. After preinactivation overhaul at San Francisco, Carmick was placed out of commission in reserve 13 February 1954. She was reclassified DD-493 on 15 July 1955.