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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

Ship's patches courtesy of Mike Smolinski

USS Downes (DE 1070)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - M - F - A
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Joint Meritorious Unit Award w/ oak leaf cluster
Second Row: Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ 1 star - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2) - Navy Expeditionary Medal w/ 1 star
Third Row: National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 star - Humanitarian Service Ribbon - Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
Specifications:
Class: Knox
Type: SCB No. 199C / 1964
Number in Class: 46
Displacement: 3020 tons (std), 4065 tons (full)
Length: 415' (wl), 438' (oa)
Beam: 46' 9" (extreme)
Draft: 24' 9" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 2 Combustion Engineering 1200psi boilers; 1 Westinghouse geared turbine; 35,000 shp; 1 shaft
Speed: 27 kts
Range: 4,500 nm @ 20 knots
Complement: 16 / 211
Missiles: 1 8-tube Mk25 Sea Sparrow BPDMS in DE 1052-1069, 1071-1083, 1 8-tube Mk29 NATO Sea Sparrow IPDMS in DE 1070, Harpoon missiles from modified ASROC launcher
Guns: 1 x 5"/54 cal. DP Mk 42 (600 rds)
ASW Weapons: 1 Mk16 ASROC launcher (16 missiles), 4-12.75" (324mm) Mk 32 (4x1 fixed) tubes / Mk 46 torpedos (6)
Radars: AN/SPS-10 (surface), AN/SPS-40 (air), AN/SPS-58 threat warning in some ships
Sonars: AN/SQS-26CX, AN/SQS-35 IVDS in FF-1052, 1056, 1063-1071, 1073-1076, 1078-1097
Fire Control Systems: Mk68 Mod. 11/13/14 Gun FCS, Mk114 Mod 14/16 ASW FCS
Helicopter: 1 - SH-2 LAMPS Helicopter
Downes (DE 1070) Building and Operational Data:
  • 22 July 1964: Building contract awarded to Todd Shipyards Corp.
  • 5 September 1968: Keel laid by the Todd Shipyard Corp., Seattle, Wash.
  • 13 December 1969: Launched
  • 28 August 1971: Commissioned, Cmdr. Edmund B. Bossart, Jr. in command
  • 30 June 1975: Reclassified Frigate (FF 1070)
  • 5 June 1992: Decommissioned after 20.8 years of service
  • 11 January 1995: Stricken from the NVR
  • 15 August 2003: sunk as a target off the West Coast by Harpoon missiles launched from P-3 aircraft

    * Transfer to Taiwan was considered, but Taiwan was no longer interested in obtaining any more vessels of this class.
    (Ex-Aylwin, and Valdez were purchased outright and the remaining 6 vessels already in service, Robert E. Peary, Joseph Hewes, Cook, Brewton, Kirk and Barbey will be purchased at the end of their 5 year lease.)
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    Downes 64k circa 1971 Robert Hurst
    Downes 40k undated, good view of the forward 5" gun mount (Photo © Barry Acton) Barry Acton
    Downes 78k 1 June 1983: Naval Station Subic Bay, P.I. - Lcdr. Tom Anderson, aboard the frigate USS Bronstein (FF 1037) (in foreground), waves to Cdr. George Coshow II standing aboard the frigate USS Downes (FF 1070). Coshow’s standing in front of the Downes‘ Mark 42 5-inch/54-cal. gun mount. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-84-01475 from the Defense Visual Information Center) Navsource
    Downes 102k 1 June 1983: Naval Station Subic Bay - A starboard bow view of the frigates Downes and USS Bronstein (FF 1037) leaving U.S. Naval Facility Subic Bay. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-84-01472 from the DVIC)
    Downes 87k 1 June 1983: Naval Station Subic Bay - A starboard bow view of the frigates Downes and USS Bronstein (FF 1037) leaving US Naval Facility Subic Bay. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-84-01473 from the DVIC)
    Downes 79k 1 June 1983: Naval Station Subic Bay - A starboard quarter view of Downes leaving US Naval Facility Subic Bay. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-84-01474 from the DVIC)
    Downes 117k 5 October 1983: Seattle, Wash. - A starboard view of the frigate Downes undergoing an overhaul at the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-84-01897 by Richard Anderson from the DVIC) (Note: This photo of Downes was taken at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle. Downes was berthed on old pier 7 with the bow facing north. The telltale sign that it was from Seattle Todds, is the large whirley crane in the background to the right of Downes' bridge. This crane is still in use at Todd on pier #5. There is an FFG on old #2 dry dock on the port side of Downes. This can be seen by the mast staging in the photo. / Retired Todd SY Carpenter Foreman, Dale Riccetti)
    Downes 127k 1 January 1985: At sea - Aerial starboard beam view of Downes underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-86-01865 by PH2 Dan O’Sullivan from the DVIC)
    Downes 128k 23 June 1985: At sea - An elevated starboard beam view of Downes underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-85-12733 by PH2 Dan O’Sullivan from the DVIC)
    Downes 236k 25 November 1985: At sea - A starboard beam view of Downes underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-92-04026 from the DVIC)
    Downes 292k 25 November 1985: At sea - A port beam view of Downes underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-92-04025 from the DVIC)
    Downes 258k 25 November 1985: At sea - A port quarter view of Downes underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-92-04024 from the DVIC)
    Downes 115k date / location unknown Walter Bengtson
    Downes 220k 18 November 1985: At sea - A port bow view of Downes underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-90-01932 by PH2 Hart from the DVIC) Navsource
    Downes 124k 18 November 1985: At sea - Aerial port beam view of Downes underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-86-01716 by PH2 Hart from the DVIC)
    Downes 167k 18 November 1985: At sea - Aerial starboard quarter view of Downes underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-86-01717 by PH2 Hart from the DVIC)
    Downes 83k 19 June 1989: At sea - A close-up view of a Mark 7 16-inch/50-caliber guns aboard the battleship USS Missouri (BB 63) as Downes passes the battleship during a seapower demonstration for the Navy League being held off the coast of southern California. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-93-04066 by PH3 Thomas P. Milne from the DVIC)
    Downes 128k 19 June 1989: At sea - A port view of Downes as it passes the battleship USS Missouri (BB 63) during a seapower demonstration for the Navy League being held off the coast of southern California. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-93-04065 by PH3 Thomas P. Milne from the DVIC)
    Downes 133k 30 August 1989: At sea - Port side view of Downes underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-04-10814 by PH2 Norquist from the DVIC)
    Downes 41k 3 July 2002: Mare Island NSY, San Francisco, Cal. - Remains of Downes after arrival at Mare Island, her hulk scheduled for a Sinkex. Kirk Rattenne
    Downes 123k August 2003: San Francisco Bay, Cal. - Downes being towed under the Golden Gate Bridge on her final voyage. (Photo © Kurt Greiner / SeaPhoto) Kurt Greiner
    The USS Downes (DE 1070) DANFS history entry
    located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site is not available.
    Downes' Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves
    28 Aug 1971 - 06 Apr 1973      Cmdr. Edmund Belfour Bossart Jr.
    06 Apr 1973 - 30 Sep 1975   Cmdr. Harold Patrick Sexton Jr.
    30 Sep 1975 - 16 Jul 1977   Cmdr. Joseph Jack D'Amato
    16 Jul 1977 - 27 Oct 1979   Cmdr. Charles O. Johnson
    27 Oct 1979 - 14 Nov 1981   Cmdr. Richard B. McKenna
    14 Nov 1981 - 22 Jan 1984   Cmdr. George Horace Coshow II
    22 Jan 1984 - 10 Aug 1986   Cmdr. William S. Clark
    10 Aug 1986 - 28 Aug 1988   Cmdr. Donald Franklin Russell
    28 Aug 1988 - 16 Mar 1990   Cmdr. John T. O. Martin
    16 Mar 1990 - 05 Jun 1992   Cmdr. John S. Pine
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    None
    Note About Contacts

    Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has been
    made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list only
    a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists or rosters available. Please see the Frequently Asked
    Questions section on Navsource's Main Page for that information.

    Additional Resources
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
    The Destroyer History Foundation
    Tin Can Sailors Shipmate Registry - USS Downes
    USS Downes Page on Destroyers Online
    USS Downes Page on Military.Com
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    This Page Created And Maintained by Mike Smolinski
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    by Paul R. Yarnall, All Rights Reserved.
    Page Last Updated 10 April 2011