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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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110k | Richard Somers was born in 1778 or 1779 at Great Egg Harbor, N.J. and was appointed midshipman on 25 April 1797 and served in the West Indies during the Quasi War with France in frigate United States commanded by Captain John Barry. Promoted to lieutenant on 21 May 1799, Somers was detached from United States on 13 June 1801 and ordered to Boston on 30 July 1801. He served in the latter frigate in the Mediterranean. After Boston return to Washington, Somers was furloughed on 11 November 1802 to await orders. On 5 May 1803, Somers was ordered to Baltimore to man; fit out; and command Nautilus; and when that schooner was ready for sea, to sail her to the Mediterranean. Nautilus got underway on 30 June; reached Gibraltar on 27 July; and sailed four days later to Spain. He then returned to Gibraltar to meet Commodore Edward Preble, in Constitution, who was bringing a new squadron for action against the Barbary pirates. Nautilus sailed with Preble on 6 October to Tangier where the display of American naval strength induced the Europeans of Morocco to renew the treaty of 1786. Thereafter, Tripoli became the focus of Preble's attention. Somers' service as commanding officer of Nautilus during operations against Tripoli won him promotion to master commandant on 18 May 1804. In the summer, he commanded a division of gunboats during five attacks on Tripoli. On 4 September 1804, Somers assumed command of bomb ketch Intrepid which had been fitted out as a "floating volcano" to be sailed into Tripoli harbor and blown up in the midst of the corsair fleet close under the walls of the city. That night, she got underway into the harbor, but she exploded prematurely, killing Somers and his entire crew of volunteers. | Bill Gonyo | |
| 63k | Undated, location unknown. | - | |
| 49k | Undated, location unknown. | Joe Radigan | |
| 14k | Undated, location unknown. | Tony Cowart | |
| 93k | Undated, location unknown. Official US Navy photo taken from "An Illustrated History of Destroyers of the World" by Bernard Ireland. | Robert Hurst | |
| 121k | Undated, location unknown. | Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET. | |
| 224k | USS Somers (DD-381) showing details of her bridge work and a close-up view of her three quad 21-inch torpedo tubes while underway off the south coast of England, circa 1938. Photo courtesy of Wright & Logan, Southsea, England. Image from the 1943-44 Edition of Jane's Fighting Ships. | Robert Hurst | |
| 118k | February 15 1938, location unknown. | Ron Reeves | |
| 152k | April 1938, location unknown. From the collections of Ingersol-Rand. | Ron Titus | |
| 94k | At Washington on September 28 1938. | Jonathan Eno | |
| 198k | USS Somers (DD-381) 28 September 1938 at Washington DC. Courtesy of The Mariners Museum, Newport News, Va. Ted Stone collection Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 66340. | Mike Green | |
| 160k | Starboard bow view of USS Somers (DD-381) on 28 September 1938 at Washington DC. Courtesy of The Mariners Museum, Newport News, Va. Ted Stone collection. Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 66340. | Mike Green | |
| 74k | Portsmouth, England October 1938. | Marc Piché/Robert Hurst | |
| 143k | February 1942, location unknown. | Ed Zajkowski | |
| 62k | USS Somers (DD-381) At the Charleston Navy Yard, South Carolina, 16 February 1942. She is wearing Measure 12 (modified) camouflage. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. | Fred Weiss | |
| 136k | USS Somers (DD-381) Underway at sea, circa 1944, with several escort ships (DE) in the distance. Her camouflage is Measure 32, Design 3d. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. | Christopher Karwowski | |
CDR James Edward Maher Dec 1 1937 - 1938 (Later VADM) CDR Jeffery Caswell Metzel Dec 1 1941 - May 1 1942 LCDR Arthur Crosby Wood May 1 1942 - Feb 26 1943 CDR William Christopher Hughes Jr. Feb 26 1943 - Oct 25 1944 (Later RADM) LCDR Edward Michael Luby Oct 25 1944 - Oct 13 1945
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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