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USS BLACK (DD-666)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NKAV

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign (circa 1968) - LUMBER KING

CLASS - FLETCHER As Built.
Displacement 2924 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 376' 5"(oa) x 39' 7" x 13' 9" (Max)
Armament 5 x 5"/38AA, 6 x 40mm, 10/11 x 20mm AA, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; General Electric Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 38 Knots, Range 6500 NM@ 15 Knots, Crew 273.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny NJ. November 14 1942.
Launched March 28 1943 and commissioned May 21 1943.
Decommissioned August 5 1946 and recommissioned July 18 1951.
Decommissioned September 21 1969.
Stricken September 26 1969.
Fate Sold to Chou's Iron & Steel, Kaohsiung for $101,595 February 17 1971 and broken up for scrap.

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Size Image Description Contributed
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Namesake
Black 74kHugh David Black was born in Oradell, New Jersey, on 29 June 1903. He was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1922, graduated in 1926, and served on board USS Richmond, mainly in the Far East, between 1926 and 1928. During the next few years, he was an officer on board the battleship New York, the gunboat Asheville, and the destroyers Parrott, Rizal and Montgomery. Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Black was assigned to the Naval Training Station, San Diego, California, in 1933-1934, then served on board the destroyer Upshur and during 1935-38 commanded the minesweeper Lark. Lieutenant Black had duty with the Bureau of Navigation, in Washington, D.C., in 1938 and attended Harvard University for two years, beginning mid-1938. He was Executive Officer of the new destroyer Benson in 1940-1941. In March 1941, he took command of the destroyer Jacob Jones. Lieutenant Commander Hugh D. Black lost his life when Jacob Jones was sunk by a German submarine on 28 Feburary 1942. Photo #: NH 82696. Lieutenant Commander Hugh D. Black, USN (1903-1942), photographed circa the early 1940s. The original photograph was presented to USS Black by Mrs. Hugh D. Black, Ship's Sponsor, on 21 May 1943, the day the ship went into commission. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Bill Gonyo
USS Black (DD-666)
Black 64kUndated, location unknown.-
Black 48kUndated, location unknown.Wally Brockway
Black 83kUndated, location unknown.Wally Brockway
Black 132kA series of 5 images of the USS Franklin D Roosevelt (CVA-42), USS Black (DD-666) and USS Tolovana (AO-64) during an UNREP.Michael O. Smith
Black 113kAs above.Michael O. Smith
Black 163kAs above.Michael O. Smith
Black 132kAs above.Michael O. Smith
Black 125kAs above.Michael O. Smith
Black 127kUndated, location unknown. USS Black (DD-666), USS Chauncey (DD-667) and USS McCord (DD-534). From the collection of Ronald Roy, SMC, USN (Ret.).Scott Nelson
Black 101kAs above from a different angle.Scott Nelson
Black 102kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET
Black 197kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET
Black 68kUndated, USS Fletcher (DD-445) with USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37), USS Black (DD-666) and USS Cogswell (DD-651) in background, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Black 167kUndated, USS Wilkinson (DL-5), USS Black (DD-666) and USS Trathen (DD-530).Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Black
0566644
177kUnderway in Pacific, date unknown. Official Navy PAO photo.Mike Smolinski
Black 120kAitape, New Guinea, Operation, April 1944. Part of Task Force 77 en route for the Aitape invasion, 21 April 1944. The landings took place on the following day. Photographed from USS Manila Bay (CVE-61). USS Black (DD-666) is at right. A large force of amphibious shipping and warships is visible on the horizon. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.Fred Weiss
Black 153kFebruary 10 1945 in San Francisco.Ed Zajkowski
Black 130kUSS Black (DD-666) Underway in a Pacific harbor, May 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the Collections of the Naval Historical Center.Fred Weiss
Black 124kUSS Black (DD-666) underway during the early 1950's, probably soon after she was recommissioned in July 1951. The ship is still essentially in her late WW II configuration (USN Photo No NH 98066).Robert Hurst
Black 125kUSS Black (DD-666) At sea, following her mid-1950s modernization, in which she lost one 5"/38 gun mount and received three 3"/50 twin mounts. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Fred Weiss
Black 44kCirca 1960, USS Black (DD-666) and USS Boyd (DD-544) alongside the USS Prairie (AD-15).Richard Miller, BMCS, USNR (Ret.)
Black 89kIn drydock at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in the early 1960's.Bill Gonyo
Black 155kUSS Black (DD-666) Refueling at sea from USS Eldorado (AGC-11), 14 November 1960. Note boat cradles on Eldorado's deck, and life jackets worn by her crewmen. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the Collections of the Naval Historical Center.Fred Weiss
Black 91kUSS Black at sea in January 1962. Photographed by Woody (USN Photo No NH 98067). Robert Hurst
Black 55kCirca late 1962.Jack W. Flowers
Black 122kUSS Ajax (AR-6) Flagship of Commander Service Squadron THREE, with five Seventh Fleet destroyers alongside, circa 1962. The destroyers are (from left to right): USS Ernest G. Small (DDR-838); USS Rupertus (DD-851); USS Trathen (DD-530); USS Cowell (DD-547); and USS Black (DD-666). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the Collections of the Naval Historical Center.Fred Weiss
Black 72kPort broadside of the USS Black (DD-666) underway circa 1965. Called a ‘later Fletcher Class’ destroyer, she differed from early units equipped with a flat face bridge and lower fire controls. Modernized in mid-1950s, she lost one 5"/38 gun mount and received three 3"/50 twin mounts. United States Navy Official; 1967-68 Jane’s Fighting Ships.Mike Green/Robert Hurst
Black 110kTaken from USS Kitty Hawk circa 1965 in the Tonkin Gulf.ETC Lawrence E. Brown
Black 169kPhotos taken from the deck of the USS Caliente AO-53 between '66 and '69 off the coast of Vietnam.Bill Dougherty
Black 191kAs above.Bill Dougherty
Black 205kAs Above.Bill Dougherty
Black 44kCirca 1966, location unknown.Robert Hurst
Black 625kUnderway in the Tonkin Gulf during 1966, while escorting Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42), as seen from the carrier's flight deck.Steven W. Morse, Sr.
Black 91kTaken from the deck of the USS Intrepid (CVA-11) in the Tonkin Gulf, 1966 or 1967.Bill Messer
Black 101kAs above.Bill Messer
Black 111kAs above.Bill Messer
Black 146kUSS Black (DD-666) Steaming at sea, circa 1968. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the Collections of the Naval Historical Center.Fred Weiss
Black 137kUSS Black (DD-666) Crewmen working over the ship's side chipping paint, while she was at the Naval Station, San Diego, California, in November 1968. Note ratguard on the mooring line at left. Photographed by PHCS Herman Schroeder, USN. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the Collections of the Naval Historical Center.Fred Weiss
Black 43kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Black 53kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Black 213kShip's patch.Tom Gamstetter
Black 100k-120kUniform Ship's name shoulder patch.Al Grazevich
Black 46kShip's Zippo.Tommy Trampp

USS BLACK DD-666 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The hazegray Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)

Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves


LCDR Jack Maginnis    May 21 1943 - Mar 18 1944

CDR Edward Reuben King Jr.    Mar 18 1944 - Oct 22 1945 (Later RADM)

LCDR Eugene Howard Simpson    Oct 22 1945 - Aug 5 1946

(Decommissioned Aug 5 1946 - Jul  18 1951)

CDR John Reginald Beardall Jr.    Jul 18 1951 - Jan 3 1952

CDR Sigmund Albert Bobczynski    Jan 3 1952 - Jul 3 1954

CDR Richard Arthur Sexton    Jul 3 1954 - Jan 3 1955

CDR William Oliver Hill    Jan 3 1955 - Jun 8 1956

CDR Alan Robert Bruggemann    Jun 8 1956 - May 30 1958

CDR Arthur Hutchison Murray Jr.    May 30 1958 - Jun 24 1960

CDR Charles Eugene Stastny    Jun 24 1960 - Jan 24 1962

CDR Robert Earl Bondy Jr.    Jan 24 1962 - Dec 14 1963

CDR James Patrick McMahon    Dec 14 1963 - Jul 17 1965

CDR Brooks Walker Setzer Jr.    Jul 17 1965 - Aug 19 1966

CDR Kenneth Clay Reynolds    Aug 19 1966 - Jun 1 1968

CDR Albert Zebulon Myatt Jr.    Jun 1 1968 - Sep 21 1969


Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Osborne York
Address: 28 15th NE, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73401
Phone: (580) 226-3993
E-mail: ussblack@sbcglobal.net


Note About Contacts.

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.


Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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This page was created by Fred Willishaw (ex ARG-4, AS-11 & DD-692) and is maintained by David L. Wright
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Last Updated 28 October 2022