Photographic History of the United States Navy
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NavSource Naval History Photographic History of the United States Navy |
DESTROYER ARCHIVE |
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Size | Image Description | Contributed By |
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77k | Joseph B. Smith, born in Belfast, Maine, in 1826, was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1841. After graduating with the Class of 1847, he served at the Washington Navy Yard, in USS Mississippi and with the U.S. Coast Survey. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1855, and soon afterwards was assigned to the steam frigate Merrimack, his station until 1857. Smith next had ordnance duty at the Washington Navy Yard, D.C. Lieutenant Smith joined USS Congress in about 1859. As her Executive Officer, he was in charge of the ship during the Commanding Officer's absence when she was attacked and destroyed by CSS Virginia on 8 March 1862. Joseph B. Smith was killed in action during this battle. Photo #: NH 44970. Lieutenant Joseph B. Smith, USN, photographed by Black, 173 Washington St., Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1861. Lieutenant Smith was killed in action while serving as acting commander of USS Congress during her 8 March 1862 battle with CSS Virginia. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Bill Gonyo | |
| 63k | Undated, location unknown. | Robert M. Cieri | |
| 134k | USS Smith (DD-378) left and the USS Preston (DD-379) under construction at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 1 July 1935 (USN Photo No 19-N-17722). | Robert Hurst | |
| 246k | View of the stern of USS Smith (DD 378) on the ways at Mare Island on February 19 1936. | Darryl Baker | |
| 160k | USS Smith (DD 378) with YMT 9 along side immediately after her launch at Mare Island on February 20 1936. | Darryl Baker | |
| 144k | USS Smith (DD 378) on her way to her outfitting berth with the assistance of Navigator (YT 39) aft and YMT 9 forward, February 20 1936. | Darryl Baker | |
| 95k | USS Smith (DD-378) at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, September 21 1936, two days after she went into commission. The destroyer astern of Smith is Preston (DD-379), which was still fitting out. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. | Fred Weiss | |
| 166k | USS Smith (DD 378) in the Mare Island channel on December 18 1936. | Darryl Baker | |
| 158k | USS Smith (DD 378) in San Pablo Bay west of Mare Island on January 14 1937. | Darryl Baker | |
| 199k | Broadside view of USS Smith (DD 378) off Mare Island in San Pablo Bay on January 14 1937. Photo from the collection of Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum. | Darryl Baker | |
| 141k | USS Cushing (DD-376) at sea on 26 October 1937, followed by USS Smith (DD-378). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss | |
| 128k | USS Smith (DD-378) Underway on 8 February 1938. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss | |
| 194k | USS Smith (DD-378) In San Diego Harbor, California, 11 April 1938. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss | |
| 45k | Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, on 15 January 1942. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. | Fred Weiss | |
| 77k | Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 28 July 1942. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. | Fred Weiss | |
| 93k | Photo #: 80-G-33333: Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, October 1942. USS Smith (DD-378) is hit by a crashing Japanese torpedo plane, during an attack on USS Enterprise (CV-6), 26 October 1942. Photographed from USS South Dakota (BB-57). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. | Scott Dyben | |
| 110k | Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, October 1942. USS Smith (DD-378) burning after she was hit by a crashing Japanese torpedo plane during an attack on USS Enterprise (CV-6), 26 October 1942. Photographed from USS San Juan (CL-54). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. | Fred Weiss | |
| 99k | USS Smith (DD-378) after the Battle of Santa Cruz showing the damage to the forward 5"/38 gun mounts and forecastle done by a Japanese suicide plane. With the forecastle and bridge an inferno, the Smith's captain, conning from aft, pushed her nose into the foaming wake of the battleship South Dakota. The foam and spray cooled the flames, and allowed firefighters to finish the job. Photo and text taken from United States Destroyer Operations in World War II, by Theodore Roscoe. | Robert Hurst | |
| 109k | Uncropped version of above photo, refueling from USS South Dakota (BB-57) on 28 October 1942. Her two forward 5"/38 guns and much of her forward superstructure are burned out and otherwise damaged, the result of a Japanese torpedo plane that crashed into her two days earlier, during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. | Fred Weiss | |
| 76k | Additional photo of the damage. | - | |
| 100k | Navy Photo 2102-44, boardside view of the USS Smith (DD 378) at Mare Island on 3 April 1944. Photo shows collision damage to her stern. Ths USS Flusser (DD 368) is inboard of Smith. | Darryl Baker | |
| 112k | Navy Photo 2103-44, close-up view of the stern of USS Smith (DD 378) at Mare Island on 3 April 1944 showing collision damage to her stern. | Darryl Baker | |
| 121k | Navy Photo 2380-44, close-up view of the stern of USS Smith (DD 378) under repair in dry dock #4 at Mare Island on 17 April 1944. USS Flusser (DD 368) is to the left. | Darryl Baker | |
| 128k | Mare Island photo 3545-44 taken on June 12 1944. The bridge aft of her is the Carquinez Bridge. | Darryl Baker | |
| 154k | Broadside view of USS Smith (DD 378) off Mare Island in San Pablo Bay on June 12, 1944. Photo from the collection of Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum. | Darryl Baker | |
| 95k | Navy Photo 3538-44, stern view of USS Smith (DD 378) off Mare Island on 12 June 1944. She was in overhaul at Mare Island from 1 April until 19 June 1944. | Darryl Baker | |
| 87k | Navy Photo 3540-44, broadside view of USS Smith (DD 378) off Mare Island on 12 June 1944. She was in overhaul at Mare Island from 1 April until 19 June 1944. The ship is painted in camouflage Measure 31, Design 23d. | Darryl Baker | |
| 85k | Navy Photo 3543-44, bow on view of USS Smith (DD 378) off Mare Island on 12 June 1944. She was in overhaul at Mare Island from 1 April until 19 June 1944. | Darryl Baker | |
| 58k | USS Smith (DD-378) Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 12 June 1944. Her camouflage is Measure 31, Design 23d. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. | Fred Weiss | |
| 73k | USS Smith (DD-378) Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 12 June 1944. She is painted in camouflage Measure 31, Design 23d. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. | Fred Weiss | |
| 101k | Navy Photo 3610-44, amidships looking aft plan view of USS Smith (DD 378) at Mare Island on 16 June 1944. | Darryl Baker | |
| 107k | Navy Photo 3611-44, amidships looking forward plan view of USS Smith (DD 378) at Mare Island on 16 June 1944. | Darryl Baker | |
| 96k | In Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, 30 March 1946. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. | Fred Weiss | |
| THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WASHINGTONThe President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to the UNITED STATES SHIP USS SMITH (DD-378) for service as set forth in the following CITATION: "For outstanding performance during action against enemy Japanese forces off Santa Cruz Islands, October 26, 1942. Although a hostile torpedo plane crashed on her forecastle and exploded at the height of the battle, the SMITH, with her forward topside abandoned and aflame, gallantly held to her screening position on an aircraft carrier and fought off attacking planes until the fire could be extinguished. Her survival is a distinctive tribute to the invincible fighting spirit of her officers and men." For the President, Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy | Bill Gonyo | |||
CDR Homer Louis Grosskopf Sep 19 1936 - May 1938 (Later RADM) LCDR George McFadden O'Rear Jun 11 1938 - May 1940 CDR Francis Xavier McInerney May 1940 - ? (Later VADM) LCDR Robert Alfred Theobald Jr. ? 1942 - ? LCDR Hunter Wood Jr. ? 1942 - ? (Later RADM) CDR Frank Voris List ? 1944 - ? CDR Emery Harrison Huff Dec 1945 - Jun 28 1946
The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.
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