Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS McFarland (AVD-14) (1940 - 1943)
ex
 USS McFarland (DD-237) (1920 - 1940, 1943 - 1945)
 USS McFarland (Destroyer # 237) (1920)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Tango - Bravo
 NETB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 16 October 1942) - Presidential Unit Citation - American Defense Service Medal
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
 Personnel Awards

Purple Heart (16 October 1942, 5-KIA, 6-MIA, 12-WIA)
Clemson Class Destroyer:
  • Laid down, 31 July 1918, as McFarland (Destroyer # 237) at New York Shipbuilding Corp, Camden, N.J.
  • Launched, 30 March 1920
  • Commissioned USS McFarland (Destroyer # 237), 30 September 1920, at Boston, LCDR. Preston B. Haines, in command
  • Reclassified DD-237 in the Navy's fleet-wide assignment of alphanumeric hull numbers, 17 July 1920
  • Decommissioned from 20 January 1931 to 13 June 1932
  • Recommissioned, 13 June 1932, LCDR. Edwin N. Fisher in command
  • Decommissioned from 10 May 1935 to 5 October 1940
  • Redesignated AVD-14, 2 August 1940
  • Recommissioned, 5 October 1940, LCDR. Joseph L. Kane in command
  • During World War II USS McFarland was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941 Capture and Defense of Guadalcanal, 18 October 1942

  • Redesignated Destroyer DD-237, 1 December 1943
  • Decommissioned, 8 November 1945, at Philadelphia, PA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 19 December 1945
  • USS McFarland earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 29 October 1946, to North American Smelting Co., Philadelphia, PA.
    Specifications:
    Displacement; 1,215 t.
    Length; 314' 5"
    Beam; 31' 8"
    Draft; 9' 10" (max)
    Speed; 35 kts.
    Complement; 114
    Armament
    four single 4"/50 gun mounts
    one single 3"/23 AA gun mount replaced with
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    five single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion;
    two Westinghouse turbo-electric engines
    two propellers, 26,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    McFarland 61k USS McFarland (AVD-14) under way, date and location unknown.  
    McFarland 1700k Bow of USS McFarland (AVD-14) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 14 November 1940. The ship outboard of MacFarland could be; USS Chandler (DMS-9), USS Southard (DMS-10), or USS Hopkins (DMS-13) per the shipyard journal of this date. The journal does not give exact berth positions in any giving berth.
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # MIMSY 8310-11-40 from the files of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum    		 Darryl Baker
    McFarland 218k USS McFarland (AVD-14) moored pierside at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard in May 1942.
    US Navy photo.    		 Bill Gonyo
    McFarland 188k USS McFarland (AVD-14) moored at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, 17 May 1942.
    US Navy photo.    		 Bill Gonyo
    McFarland
    09561407    		 345k USS McFarland (AVD-14) alongside USS Curtiss (AV-4) for a forward overhaul at Espiritu Santo, 3 to 15 Oct 1942.
    Photo by Ralph Morse, Life Magazine, who was covering activity of PB4Y squadron VP-51. Used for non-commercial and educational purpose.    		 John Chiquoine
    USS McFarland (DD-237 / AVD-14)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Haines, Preston Bennett30 September 1920 - 2 November 1921DD-237
    02CDR. Pence, Harry Langley2 November 1921 - 1923DD-237
    03LCDR. Mills, Schuyler1923DD-237
    04LCDR. Dunn, Lucius Claude27 July 1925 - ?DD-237
    05CDR. Crosby, Howard Hall1927DD-237
    06LCDR. Buckmaster, Elliott ;VADM21 June 1929 - June 1930DD-237
    07LCDR. Kirkpatrick, Robert DudleyJune 1930 - 20 January 1931DD-237
     Decommissioned20 January 1931 - 13 June 1932 
    08LCDR. Fisher, Edwin Newcombe13 June 1932 - ?DD-237
    09LCDR. Allen, Jerome LeeJune 1934 - 10 May 1935DD-237
     Decommissioned10 May 1935 - 5 October 1940 
    10LCDR. Kane, Joseph Lester (Paddy) :RADM5 October 1940 - October 1942AVD-14
    11LCDR. Alderman, John Clement (Dopey) USN :RADMOctober 1942 - January 1943AVD-14
    12LCDR. Gardner Jr., Earl GraceJanuary 1943 - April 1944AVD-14 / DD-237
    13LCDR. Calvin, H. S.April 1944 - 3 November 1945DD-237
    14LT. Saunders Jr., Clarence L.3 November 1945 - 8 November 1945DD-237
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To USS McFarland (DD-237) Page Back To The Seaplane Tender, Destroyer (AVD) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 21 August 2020