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USS RICH (DD-820)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NAYI

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign (circa 1968) - BARLEYCORN

CLASS - GEARING As Built.
Displacement 3460 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 390' 6"(oa) x 40' 10" x 14' 4" (Max)
Armament 6 x 5"/38AA (3x2), 12 x 40mm AA, 11 x 20mm AA, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; Westinghouse Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 36.8 Knots, Range 4500 NM@ 20 Knots, Crew 336.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Consolidated Steel,Orange Texas May 16 1945.
Launched October 5 1945 and commissioned July 3 1946.
Completed FRAM upgrade November 1963.
Decommissioned and Stricken December 15 1977.
Fate Sold December 17 1979 to Union Minerals & Alloys NY, broken up for scrap at Kearny, NJ.

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Rich 48kPhoto #: NH 99078. Ensign Ralph M. Rich, USNR image cropped out of a group photograph (Photo # 80-G-464482) of the pilots of Fighting Squadron Six (VF-6), taken on board USS Enterprise (CV-6) in January 1942, prior to the Marshall Islands raid. The propeller hub of a Grumman F4F-3 "Wildcat" fighter is directly behind him. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 69kUndated, location unknown.Marshall DuBois
Rich 33kUndated, location unknown.-
Rich 66kUndated, location unknown.Don Bunch, USS Rich crew member during the Korean War
Rich 44kUndated, USS Rich (DD-820), USS Holder (DD-819) and USS New (DD-818) of DesRon 36.Edward H. Cleary
Rich 66kUndated postcard Copyright © Marine Photos, San Diego, CA.Mike Smolinski
Rich 234kUndated, location unknown.Charles Lamm
Rich 129kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Rich 158kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Rich 131kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Rich 150kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Rich 65kPhoto #: NH 86112. USS Rich (DD-820) off Orange, Texas, on 10 July 1946, one week after completion. Note that she was completed as a standard general purpose Gearing class destroyer with three twin 5"/38 mounts. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 160kJuly 10 1946 at Consolidated Steel, Orange, Texas.Ed Zajkowski
Rich 111kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Rich 85k1946 port visit to Venice, ItalyRobert J. Hoeppner RM3C
Rich 40k1946 port visit to Venice, ItalyRobert J. Hoeppner RM3C
Rich 225k1946 port visit to Venice, ItalyRobert J. Hoeppner RM3C
Rich 64kPhoto #: NH 86114. USS Rich (DD-820) off the New York Naval Shipyard on 17 September 1947 after initial converson to a specialized ASW destroyer. The modifications included removal of number two 5"/38 gun mount and addition of a small mainmast and a new integrated sonar. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 63kPhoto #: NH 86113. USS Rich (DD-820) off the New York Naval Shipyard on 17 September 1947 after initial converson to a specialized ASW destroyer. The modifications included removal of number two 5"/38 gun mount and addition of a small mainmast and a new integrated sonar. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 53kPhoto #: NH 99736. USS Rich (DD-820) off the New York Naval Shipyard on 17 September 1947 after initial converson to a specialized ASW destroyer. The modifications included removal of number two 5"/38 gun mount. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 46kPhoto #: NH 99737. USS Rich (DD-820) off the New York Naval Shipyard on 17 September 1947 after initial converson to a specialized ASW destroyer. The modifications included the addition of a small mainmast. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 90kPhoto #: NH 99738. USS Rich (DD-820) off the New York Naval Shipyard on 17 September 1947 after initial converson to a specialized ASW destroyer. The modifications included removal of number two 5"/38 gun mount. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Tony Cowart
Rich 91kPhoto #: NH 86115. USS Rich (DD-820) off the New York Naval Shipyard on 17 September 1947 after initial converson to a specialized ASW destroyer. The position of the former number two 5"/38 gun mount was covered with a plate that included a smaller mounting ring for a trainable hedgehog, not yet fitted. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 115kUSS Rich (DD-820) off the New York Naval Shipyard on 17 September 1947 with a sister ship after initial conversion to a specialised ASW destroyer. The modifications included removal of number two 5"/38 gun mount. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Centre. Photo # NH 99869.Robert Hurst
Rich 118kUSS Rich off the New York Naval Shipyard on 17 September 1947. Rest of text as above. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Centre. Photo # NH 99870.Robert Hurst
Rich 88kUSS Robert K. Huntington (DD-781) at anchor with the USS Harold J. Ellison (DD-864) and USS Rich (DDE-820) during the the 1950s, probably in a Mediterranean port (Photo No NH 99873).Robert Hurst
Rich 102kPhoto #: NH 92296. USS Rich (DDE-820) off the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 19 May 1951 configured as an anti-submarine escort destroyer (DDE). Note the tripod foremast with upgraded radars. Courtesy of Frank Jankowski, 1981. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Tony Cowart
Rich 87kPhoto #: NH 99766. USS Rich (DDE-820) off the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Pennsylvania, on 15 August 1951, while serving as an anti-submarine escort destroyer (DDE). She now carries a trainable hedgehog forward of the bridge and has a tripod foremast with upgraded radars, but retains her original quintuple 21" torpedo tube mount and 40mm anti-aircraft battery. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 107kUSS Rich (DDE-820, ex-DD) off the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Pennsylvania, on 15 August 1951, while serving as a anti-submarine escort destroyer (DDE). She now carries a trainable Hedgehog forward of the bridge and has a tripod foremast with upgraded radars, but retains her original quintuple 21" torpedo tube mount and 40 mm anti-aircraft battery. Official U.S. Navy photograph, from the collections of the U.S. Naval Historical Centre. Photo # NH 99767.Robert Hurst
Rich 70kPhoto #: NH 99874. USS Rich (DDE-820) view of the bridge and the tripod foremast, with the underway watch set, during the 1950s. A portion of the ship's trainable hedgehog is visible at the bottom left. Note radar antennas and signal flags. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Tony Cowart
Rich 356kPhoto #: NH 99871, USS Yellowstone (AD-27) with destroyers and submarines alongside circa 1950s. The destroyers are USS Rich (DD-820), Damato (DD-871), and William M. Wood (DD-715). One of the early Guppy conversion submarines is alongside to starboard. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Tony Cowart
Rich 86kPhoto #: NH 99872, USS Yellowstone (AD-27) with destroyers and submarines alongside circa 1950s. The destroyers are USS Rich (DD-820), Damato (DD-871), and William M. Wood (DD-715). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Tony Cowart
Rich 92k1952 in Algiers, (L-R) USS Damato (DD-871), USS Holder (DD-819), USS Rich (DD-820), USS Basilone (DD-824) and USS Robert L. Wilson (DD-847).Richard Miller, BMCS, USNR (Ret.)
Rich 140kAt Barcelona, Spain circa 1958-1961. Photo probably taken by Galilea.Jaume Cifre Sanchez
Rich 98kCirca 1960's, USS New (DD-818), USS Holder (DD-819) and USS RICH (DD-820) in Ponta Delgada, Azores.Carlos Manuel Estrela
Rich 82kPhoto #: NH 99768, USS Rich (DDE-820) digging into a wave while steadying up alongside USS Wasp (CVS-18) for underway replenishment on 28 February 1961. Photographed by USS Wasp. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 86kPhoto #: NH 99769, USS Rich (DDE-820) rising out of a wave while steadying up alongside USS Wasp (CVS-18) for underway replenishment on 28 February 1961. The ship, near the end of her service as an escort destroyer (DDE), has lost her quintuple 21" torpedo tube mount and possibly her 40mm anti-aircraft battery. Photographed by USS Wasp. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 113kPhoto #: NH 99770, USS Rich (DDE-820) alongside USS Wasp (CVS-18) commencing underway replenishment on 28 February 1961. Messenger lines have just been passed between the two ships; fueling and highline rigs and phone distance lines will follow. Photographed by USS Wasp. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 123kPhoto #: NH 99771. USS Rich (DDE-820) alongside USS Wasp (CVS-18) on 2 March 1961, possibly preparing to refuel. Note the Wasp's refueling gear rigged out for use. Photographed by USS Wasp. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 161kUSS Wasp (CVS-18) in formation with destroyers and aircraft of Anti-submarine Task Group Bravo, in the Mediterranean Sea, 19 August 1961. All escorts are Gearing-class DDEs. The planes overhead from Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 52 (CVSG-52) include ten Grumman S2F-1 Trackers and two Douglas AD-5W Skyraiders. Two Sikorsky HSS-1 Seabat helicopters are flying just above the ships. The destroyer on the far left is USS New (DDE-818), then USS Rich (DDE-820), in front is USS Robert A. Owens (DDE-827). Official U.S. Navy Photograph. Photo #: USN 1057640 now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.488.053.001.Robert Hurst
Rich 111kPhoto #: NH 99802. USS Rich (DD-820) photographed on 15 September 1963 during an inclining experiment at the New York Naval Shipyard. She was nearing the end of her modernization to a FRAM I type destroyer. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 119kPhoto #: NH 99803. USS Rich (DD-820) photographed on 15 September 1963 during an inclining experiment at the New York Naval Shipyard. She was nearing the end of her modernization to a FRAM I type destroyer. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 98kPhoto #: NH 99804. USS Rich (DD-820) photographed on 15 September 1963 during an inclining experiment at the New York Naval Shipyard. She was nearing the end of her modernization to a FRAM I type destroyer. The stern of USS Chukawan (AO-100) is visible to the right. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 97kNorfolk, August 1964© Richard Leonhardt
Rich 79kWestern Mediterranean 1964. Photo by Marius BAR Photographs of Toulon, France.Marc Piché
Rich 90kPhoto #: NH 99805. USS Rich (DD-820) photographed in the Adriatic Sea on 29 August 1964, about a year after her modernization to a FRAM I type destroyer. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 125kPhoto #: NH 99806. USS Rich (DD-820) photographed underway circa 1964, soon after her modernization to a FRAM I type destroyer. This was used as the ship's publicity photo in 1965-66. Courtesy of Captain Stephen S. Roberts, USNR (Ret.), 2004. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Tony Cowart
Rich 63kPhoto #: NH 87852-KN. USS Rich (DD-820) anchored outside the harbor of Mogadiscio (Mogadishu), Somalia, during a 13-15 February 1966 port call. Courtesy of Lieutenant Commander Stephen S. Roberts, USNR, 1977. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Tony Cowart
Rich 64kPhoto #: NH 99933. USS Rich (DD-820) underway in Chesapeake Bay on 17 April 1967 with a DASH drone anti-submarine helicopter on deck. Photographed by PH2 C. Komperda, of the Photographic Laboratory, Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia. Courtesy of Captain Stephen S. Roberts, USNR (Retired), 2005. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 69kPhoto #: NH 99934. USS Rich (DD-820) underway in Chesapeake Bay on 17 April 1967 with a DASH drone anti-submarine helicopter on deck. Photographed by PH2 C. Komperda, of the Photographic Laboratory, Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia. Courtesy of Captain Stephen S. Roberts, USNR (Retired), 2005. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 73kPhoto #: NH 99937. USS Rich (DD-820) underway in Chesapeake Bay on 17 April 1967 with a DASH drone anti-submarine helicopter on her deck. Photographed by PH2 C. Komperda, of the Photographic Laboratory, Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia. Courtesy of Captain Stephen S. Roberts, USNR (Retired), 2005. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 112kUSS Rich (DD-820, ex-DDE) underway in Chesapeake Bay on 17 April 1967. Photographed by PH2 C. Komperda, of the Photographic Laboratory, Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia. Courtesy of Captain Stephen S. Roberts, USNR (Retired), 2005. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the U.S. Naval Historical Centre. Photo # NH 99336.Robert Hurst
Rich 152kMarch 21 1968 photo by PH2 R. Neckel, NPC 1132952.Ed Zajkowski
Rich 77kPhoto #: NH 99850. USS Rich (DD-820) conducting an underway astern refueling from the merchant tanker SS Erna Elizabeth in February 1972. During this evolution, conducted during an exercise, warships of various types and nationalities refueled from a single hose trailed astern of the tanker. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Tony Cowart
Rich 108kPhoto #: NH 99851. USS Rich (DD-820) underway probably during the 1970s. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Tony Cowart
Rich 56kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Rich 40kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Rich 80kShip's patch.Tom Gamstetter
Rich 105kPhoto #: NH 75796-KN. USS Rich (DDE-820) plaque of ship's insignia received in 1964. This design was probably used during the later 1950s. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Tony Cowart

USS RICH DD-820 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


CDR Robert Cecil Houston    Jul 3 1946 - Dec 1947

CDR Harold Edward Baker    Dec 1947 - Sep 1949

LCDR Eugene Howard Simpson    Sep 1949 - Jan 1951

CDR Francis O'Connor Fletcher Jr.    Jan 1951 - Jan 1951

CDR Edward Lynn Huie    Jan 1951 - Aug 1952

CDR Charles Williamson Jenkins    Aug 1952 - Sep 1954

CDR Richard Walton Arey    Sep 1954 - Mar 21 1956

CDR John August Lindbeck    Mar 21 1956 - Dec 19 1957

CDR Cecil Clark    Dec 19 1957 - Apr 8 1959

CDR William Duncan Taylor    Apr 8 1959 - Oct 29 1960

CDR Charles Francis Harding Jr.    Oct 29 1960 - Jan 1963

LCDR Emil Francis Wasniewski    Jan 1963 - 1963

CDR Hugh Corwin Mason    1963 - Jul 1963

CDR John Richard Riediger    Jul 1963 - 14 Nov 1964

CDR Francis Alphonse Carrier    14 Nov 1964 - Nov 1965

CAPT Leslie Knapp Fenlon Jr.    Nov 1965 - Jul 27 1967

CDR Edward Charles Whelan Jr.    Jul 27 1967 - Jul 6 1969

CDR John Harold Scott Jr.    Jul 6 1969 - Nov 25 1970

CDR Marvin Frank Hanigan    Nov 25 1970 - Jun 16 1972

CDR Richard Anthony Mozier    Jun 16 1972 - Oct 1973

CDR Hollis Eugene Robertson    Oct 1973 - Nov 23 1974

LCDR Joseph Clarence Henderson    Nov 23 1974 - 1975

CDR George Stefencavage    1975 - Dec 15 1977


Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Jim Chester
Address:
Phone: (937)672-8568
E-mail: reunion2019@ussrich.org
Next Reunion: May 6th-9th, 2019 Clearwater, Florida

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
USS Rich Website
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
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 16 September 2018