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USS Davison (DD-618)
Encyclopedia
USS Davison (DD-618/DMS-37), a Gleaves-class
destroyer
, was named for Lieutenant Commander
Gregory C. Davison
(1871–1935), who specialized in torpedo boat
operations.
Davison was launched 19 July 1942 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey
; sponsored by Mrs. G. C. Davison; and commissioned 11 September 1942, with Lieutenant Commander W. C. Winn in command.
She cleared New York
on 13 November 1942, screening transports carrying reinforcement troops and supplies to Safi
, French Morocco
between 8 December and 18 December. She returned to New York 10 January 1943. After two more voyages to North Africa
as a convoy
escort between 8 February and 28 April, she sailed from Norfolk
on 6 June for Oran
, arriving 22 June.
On 4 July she sortied with Task Force 85 (TF 85) for the invasion of Sicily
on 10 July, acting as convoy escort and patrol vessel off the transport area until returning to Oran on 22 July. Six days later, she was en route to New York, arriving 8 August, and sailing 21 August for another convoy voyage to Bizerte
, then sailed again on 7 October to screen a convoy by way of Belfast
, Northern Ireland
, to Palermo
, Sicily
. Davison's group came under heavy air attack from German
planes based in southern France
on 6 November, while off Algiers
. Her crew shot down at least one enemy plane, and aided survivors of the torpedo
ed Beatty
(DD-640), and two merchantmen. She returned by way of Belfast to New York on 24 January 1944. She made two escort voyages to Northern Ireland and Scotland
between 11 February and 21 April escorting convoys from Norfolk and New York to Naples
, Marseilles, and Oran until 7 June 1945.
On 8 June 1945, Davison reported to Charleston, South Carolina
, for conversion to a high-speed minesweeper. She was reclassified DMS-37, 23 June, and her crew was trained in mine
-sweeping exercises in Chesapeake Bay
until 27 August. She then sailed from Norfolk for the western Pacific, arriving at Okinawa on 15 October. She swept mines in the Yellow Sea
, remaining in the Far East on occupation duty until 11 March 1946 when she left Yokosuka for San Francisco
, arriving the last day of the month.
Davison served in the western Pacific again from 12 September 1946 to 29 March 1947, calling at Pearl Harbor
, Eniwetok, Guam
, various Chinese
and Korea
n ports, and Kwajalein
. On 10 March 1948, she sailed west again, with a team from the Naval Research Laboratory for balloon tests in the Marshall Islands
, returning to San Diego
on 4 June. Davison was placed out of commission in reserve at San Diego on 24 June 1949.
On 15 July 1955, she was reclassified DD-618.
Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on 15 January 1972, Davison was sold on 27 August 1973 and broken up for scrap.
Davison received three battle stars for World War II
service.
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 named for 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...
Gregory C. Davison
Gregory C. Davison
Gregory Caldwell Davison was born 12 August 1871 in Jefferson City, Missouri. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy on 27 May 1892. He served in many ships, specializing in torpedo boat operations. An excellent scientist as well as an efficient naval officer, Lieutenant Commander...
(1871–1935), who specialized in torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
operations.
Davison was launched 19 July 1942 by Federal Shipbuilding and 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....
; sponsored by Mrs. G. C. Davison; and commissioned 11 September 1942, with Lieutenant Commander W. C. Winn in command.
She cleared New York
New 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 13 November 1942, screening transports carrying reinforcement troops and supplies to Safi
Safi, Morocco
Safi is a city in western Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of the Doukkala-Abda Region, it has a population of 282,227 , but is also the centre of an agglomeration which has an estimated 793,000 inhabitants ....
, French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
between 8 December and 18 December. She returned to New York 10 January 1943. After two more voyages to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
as 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...
escort between 8 February and 28 April, she sailed from Norfolk
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 6 June for 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...
, arriving 22 June.
On 4 July she sortied with Task Force 85 (TF 85) for the invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
on 10 July, acting as convoy escort and patrol vessel off the transport area until returning to Oran on 22 July. Six days later, she was en route to New York, arriving 8 August, and sailing 21 August for another convoy voyage to 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:...
, then sailed again on 7 October to screen a convoy by way of Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, 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...
, to Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. Davison's group came under heavy air attack from German
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
planes based in southern France
Southern France
Southern France , colloquially known as le Midi is defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Gironde, Spain, the Mediterranean, and Italy...
on 6 November, while off 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...
. Her crew shot down at least one enemy plane, and aided survivors of the 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...
ed Beatty
USS Beatty (DD-640)
USS Beatty , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Frank E. Beatty.Beatty was laid down as Mullany on 1 May 1941 at the Charleston Navy Yard....
(DD-640), and two merchantmen. She returned by way of Belfast to New York on 24 January 1944. She made two escort voyages to Northern Ireland and 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...
between 11 February and 21 April escorting convoys from Norfolk and New York to 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...
, Marseilles, and Oran until 7 June 1945.
On 8 June 1945, Davison reported to Charleston, South Carolina
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...
, for conversion to a high-speed minesweeper. She was reclassified DMS-37, 23 June, and her crew was trained in mine
Naval 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 exercises in Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
until 27 August. She then sailed from Norfolk for the western Pacific, arriving at Okinawa on 15 October. She swept mines 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...
, remaining in the Far East on occupation duty until 11 March 1946 when she left Yokosuka for 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...
, arriving the last day of the month.
Davison served in the western Pacific again from 12 September 1946 to 29 March 1947, calling 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...
, Eniwetok, 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...
, various Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and 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...
n ports, and Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
. On 10 March 1948, she sailed west again, with a team from the Naval Research Laboratory for balloon tests in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, returning to San Diego
San 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...
on 4 June. Davison was placed out of commission in reserve at San Diego on 24 June 1949.
On 15 July 1955, she was reclassified DD-618.
Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 15 January 1972, Davison was sold on 27 August 1973 and broken up for scrap.
Davison received three battle stars for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service.