Photographic History of the United States Navy
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NavSource Naval History Photographic History of the United States Navy |
DESTROYER ARCHIVE |
To Argentina August 14 1961, renamed Almirante Brown.| Click On Image For Full Size Image |
Size | Image Description | Contributed By |
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| 85k | Lewis Heermann, born in Kassel, Germany, 3 August 1779 was commissioned Surgeon's Mate in the United States Navy 8 February 1802. On 16 February 1804, during the War with the Barbary States, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur left Heermann in command of the bomb ketch Intrepid while he and a fearless band of American seamen boarded the captured frigate Philadelphia in Tripoli Harbor, swept her Barbary captors' crew overboard, and set the frigate ablaze.When hostilities with the Barbary States closed in 1805, Heermann returned to the United States but soon took leave of absence to study in Europe until 1808 when he returned to active duty in Norfolk, Virginia. Largely due to his pleas for better medical care for the men of the Navy, Congress passed a bill authorizing the construction of hospitals at several naval stations, but the first official U.S. Naval Hospitals were not actually built until after Dr. Heermann's death. He was transferred to New Orleans, Louisiana in August 1811; and, with the exception of a year in the North for his health and an assignment in 1830 in the Mediterranean where he served for an unknown time as Fleet Surgeon of the Mediterranean Squadron, he remained there until he died in May 1833. | Bill Gonyo | |
| THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WASHINGTON The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to the U.S.S. HEERMANN, U.S.S. SAMUEL B. ROBERTS, U.S.S. RAYMOND, U.S.S. DENNIS and U.S.S. JOHN C. BUTLER for service as set forth in the following CITATION: "For extraordinary heroism in action against powerful units of the Japanese Fleet during the Battle off Samar, Philippines, October 25, 1944. Silhouetted against the dawn as the Central Japanese Force steamed through San Bernardino Strait towards Leyte Gulf, Task Unit 77.4.3 was suddenly taken under attack by hostile cruisers on its port hand, destroyers on the starboard and battleships from the rear. Quickly laying down a heavy smoke screen, the gallant ships of the Task Unit waged battle fiercely against the superior speed and fire power of the advancing enemy, swiftly launching and rearming aircraft and violently zigzagging in protection of vessels stricken by hostile armor-piercing shells, anti-personnel projectiles and suicide bombers. With one carrier of the group sunk, others badly damaged and squadron aircraft courageously coordinating in the attacks by making dry runs over the enemy Fleet as the Japanese relentlessly closed in for the kill, two of the Unit’s valiant destroyers and one destroyer escort charged the battleships point-blank and, expending their last torpedoes in desperate defense of the entire group, went down under the enemy’s heavy shells as a climax to two and one half hours of sustained and furious combat. The courageous determination and the superb teamwork of the officers and men who fought the embarked planes and who manned the ships of Task Unit 77.4.3 were instrumental in effecting the retirement of a hostile force threatening our Leyte invasion operations and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.” For the President, James Forrestal Secretary of the Navy | ||||
| 82k | Artist's conception of the Heermann as she appeared after original construction by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource. | Navy Yard Associates | |
| 10k | Undated, location unknown. | - | |
| 17k | Undated, location unknown. | - | |
| 105k | USN Photo, Undated war time image, Good overhead of the general layout of the Fletcher class. | - | |
| 114k | Undated, location unknown. | Richard A. Danca | |
| 213k | 1944 at Eniwetok. | Ed Zajkowski | |
| 57k | Leyte Gulf October 25 1944. The ship is painted in camouflage Measure 32, Design 24d. | - | |
| 24k | October 25 1944 while laying a smokescreen during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. | - | |
| 85k | Navy Photo 297-45, broadside view of USS Heermann (DD 532) off Mare Island on 9 Jan 1945. She was in overhaul at Mare Island form 26 Nov 1944 until 14 Jan 1945. | Darryl Baker | |
| 102k | Navy Photo 301-45, bow on view of USS Heermann (DD 532) off Mare Island on 9 Jan 1945. | Darryl Baker | |
| 96k | Navy Photo 306-45, stern view of USS Heermann (DD 532) off Mare Island on 9 Jan 1945. | Darryl Baker | |
| 236k | LCDR William King Yarnell, skipper of the Heermann, with crewmembers in from of the Director in Vancouver, Washington on October 25, 1945 the day she received her Presidential Unit Citation. Note her "scoreboard" painted on the side of the Director. | Robert Well | |
| 145k | LCDR William King Yarnell, skipper of the Heermann, with crewmembers onboard and on the pier at Vancouver, Washington in October 1945. | Robert Well | |
| 206k | Sometime in the 1950's after her armament change to 3"/50 AA and reduction to 4-5"/38 mounts. | David Buell | |
| 27k | USS Stockham DD 683, USS Charles J. Badger DD 657, USS Hazelwood DD 531 and USS Heermann DD 532 Spring 1954. | Josh Tickle | |
| 162k | From the collection of CDR M. E. Meahl USN who was Captain of the Heermann in 1956 when he was the U.S. Representative at Grace Kellys wedding in Monaco. Photo taken as the Heermann was entering Monaco harbor. | Daniel Meahl | |
| 94k | Newport, RI 1957. | Marc Piché | |
| 80k | In storage at South Boston Naval Annex, May 1958. Stockham DD-683 Aft. | © Richard Leonhardt | |
| 52k | Boston Naval Shipyard, September 1961. DD-670 Dortch And Heermann Preparing For Foreign Transfer. | © Richard Leonhardt | |
| 57k | The USS Laub (DD-613), USS Woolsey (DD-437) and the USS Heermann (DD-532) at South Boston Naval Annex. | © Richard Leonhardt | |
| 32k | Ships patch. | Mike Smolinski | |
| On Argentinian Service |
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| 60k | Circa 1965, location unknown. | Robert Hurst | |
CDR Dwight Merle Agnew Jul 6 1943 - 1944 (Later RADM) CDR Amos Townsend Hathaway 1944 - Sep 1945 LCDR William King Yarnell Sep 1945 - Jun 12 1946 (Decommissioned Jun 12 1946 - Sep 12 1951) CDR Edward C. Spencer Sep 12 1951 - 1953 CDR George W. French 1953 - Jan 1956 CDR M. E. Meahl Jan 1956 - 1957 CDR George McNemer Schwartze 1957 - Dec 20 1957
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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