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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS McFarland (AVD-14) (1940 - 1943)
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 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
  • Redesignated AVD-14, 2 August 1940
  • Placed in full commission as USS McFarland (AVD-14), 5 October 1940
  • 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
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 29 October 1946, to North American Smelting Co., Philadelphia, PA.
  • USS McFarland earned two battle stars for World War II service
    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
    McFarland952k USS McFarland (AVD-14) at anchor, 15 April 1939 in Narragansett Bay.
    Photo Caption reads;
    "WAR BIRDS GATHER
    TWO NAVY PATROL BOMBERS, PART OF THE FORCES WHICH WILL "DEFEND" THE INDUSTRIAL EAST AGAINST A THEORETICAL ATTACK IN WAR GAMES TO START NEXT WEEK, LAND ON THE WATERS OF NARRAGANSETT BAY OFF THE RHODE ISLAND COAST APRIL 15. THE DESTROYER CHILDS (BACKGROUND) WILL ACT AS AN AIRCRAFT GUARD DURING MANEUVERS."
    ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
    4-15-39 9:15PES LKM JO
    Note the photo caption has misidentified the ship USS Childs vs. USS McFarland.    		 From the Michael Strout collection of AP photos, courtesy Jonathan Eno
    McFarland 61k USS McFarland (AVD-14) underway, date and location unknown.  
    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
    USS McFarland (DD-237 / AVD-14)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Kane, Joseph Lester (Paddy) :RADM1941 - October 1942
    02LCDR. Alderman, John ClementOctober 1941 - January 1943
    03LCDR. Gardner Jr., Earl GraceJanuary 1943 - April 1944
    04LCDR. Calvin, H. S.April 1944 - ?
    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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 29 July 2011