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USS CHARLES P. CECIL (DD-835 / DDR-835)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NBBG

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign (circa 1968) - LIMBO

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; General Electric Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 36.8 Knots, Range 4500 NM@ 20 Knots, Crew 336.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath ME December 2 1944.
Launched April 22 1945 and commissioned June 29 1945.
Reclassified DDR-835 March 18 1949, reverted to DD-835 July 30 1963.
Completed FRAM upgrade May 1964.
Decommissioned and Stricken October 1 1979.
To Greece August 2 1980, renamed Apostolis.
Stricken in 1993.
Fate Decommissioned in 1993 and laid up at Suda Bay until March 4, 2003 then sold for scrap.

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Size Image Description Contributed
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Cecil 36kRear Admiral Cecil was born in Louisville, Kentucky, September 4, 1893. He was appointed to the Naval Academy from the Fifth Kentucky District in 1912, and was graduated and commissioned Ensign in June 1916. After graduation he served aboard USS Maine, USS Ballard, USS Rochester, USS Upshur, USS Pittsburg, and USS Texas through 1927. The next ten years saw Admiral Cecil serving on Battleship Staffs and ashore at the Bureau of Navigation as well as the Naval Academy. During the late thirty's he commanded the destroyers Green and Cummings followed by an assignment as Executive Officer, Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois. In 1941, at the beginning of World War II he assumed command of Pacific Destroyer Division Eleven followed by command of Destroyer Squadron Five. He was awarded the Navy Cross for Action with Destroyer Squadron Five against superior Japanese Forces at the battle of Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October 1942. In November of 1942, Admiral Cecil assumed command of the USS HELENA. On 6July 1943 he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal and a Gold Star in lieu of a second Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism in action against Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands. Following several days of shore bombardment against numerous counter-battery fire, and the laying of a mine field in restricted waters in reduced visibility, the Helena participated in a running engagement with numerically superior Japanese Naval Forces. She sank or damaged all hostile fire vessels before-she was mortally hit by enemy torpedo fire. Subsequent to the sinking of the Helena, Admiral Cecil reported for duty as Commander Service Force, Pacific Fleet. He was killed in an airplane crash in the Pacific area on 31 July 1944.Bill Gonyo/Robert M. Cieri
Cecil 92kArtist's conception of the Cecil by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource.Navy Yard Associates
Cecil 75kUndated, location unknown.-
Cecil 122kUndated, location unknown.Alan Neuren
Cecil 106kUndated, World War II image.Captain Jerry Mason USN
Cecil 164kUndated, New York Harbor.John W. Klar
Cecil 159kUndated, New York Harbor. Configured as a DDR.John W. Klar
Cecil 138kUndated, location unknown. Signed by the Captain.John W. Klar
Cecil 160kUndated, location unknown.John W. Klar
Cecil 119kCirca 1945, location unknown.John W. Klar
Cecil 218kUSS Charles P. Cecil (DD 835) off Mare Island on June 27, 1947. Photo from the collection of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.Darryl Baker
Cecil 188kJuly 25 1955, location unknown.Ed Zajkowski
Cecil 113kUSS Charles P. Cecil (DD-835), USS Wiliam C. Lawe (DD-763) and USS Stickell (DD-888) in Livorno, Italy 1962.Marc Piché
Cecil 100kUSS Charles P. Cecil (DD-835), USS Wiliam C. Lawe (DD-763) and USS Stickell (DD-888) in Livorno, Italy 1962.Marc Piché
Cecil 119kA U.S. Navy Martin P5M-2 Marlin (BuNo 135513) from Patrol Squadron VP-45 overflies a Soviet Foxtrot-class submarine (No. 911) during the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962. The destroyer USS Charles P. Cecil (DDR-835) is visible in the background. Official U.S. Navy photograph.Robert Hurst
Cecil 234kCirca 1963 photo by crewman Greg DeSaro BT3.Dave Cupples
Cecil 127kFebruary 1963, location unknown.Wolfgang Hechler
Cecil 155kMediterranean Sea, October 5 1965, USS Truckee (AO-147) refueling USS Forrestal (CVA 59) and USS Charles P. Cecil (DD 835), during an underway replenishment off the coast of Genoa, Italy. Official Navy Photo. Thanks to Ken Killmeyer, USS Forrestal Association historian, who helped with the date and location of this picture.Robert M. Cieri
Cecil 148kNewport, RI 1966, USS Myles C. Fox (DD-829), USS Charles P. Cecil (DD-835), USS Hartley (DE-1029) and USS Compton (DD-705).© Richard Leonhardt
Cecil 120kAs seen from the USS Myles C. Fox (DD-829) in the Indian Ocean, 1969.Paul E Wieloszynski
Cecil 211kOfficial USN Photo, USS Cecil in Narragansett Bay, RI, October 10 1971Mike Smolinski
Cecil   Cecil   Cecil   Cecil   Cecil
Cecil   Cecil   Cecil   Cecil   Cecil
Decommissioning pamphlet - October 1 1979
Wolfgang Hechler
Cecil 62kShip's patchMike Smolinski
Cecil 58kShip's patchMike Smolinski
Cecil 100k-120kUniform Ship's name shoulder patch.Al Grazevich
On Greek Service
Cecil 31kCHARLES P. CECIL DD-835 as APOSTOLIS D-216 in Greek waters, 1980's.Marc Piché
Cecil 104kHNS APOSTOLIS, D 216, ex-USS CHARLES CECIL, DD 835, during an exercise in the 80's.Anthony J. Vrailas
Cecil   Cecil   Cecil   Cecil
ex-USS Charles P. Cecil (DD 835) as the Greek DD Apostolis (D-216), and ex-USS Robert A. Owens (DD 827) as the Turkish Alcitepe (D-347), September 18 1983, during a NATO NAVOCFORMED port call to Barcelona. Ships in the background in the second photo were the British frigate HMS Arethusa (F38) and the Italian frigate Alpino (F580).
Fabio Peña

USS CHARLES P. CECIL DD-835 / DDR-835 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 William Outerson    Jun 29 1945 - May 4 1948
CDR John Joseph Kircher Jr.    May 4 1948 - Aug 15 1950
CDR Archie Taylor Wright Jr.    Aug 15 1950 - Aug 17 1951
CDR Richard Hardy McElligott    Aug 17 1951 - Sep 10 1952
CDR Richard Francis Barry Jr.    Sep 10 1952 - Aug 13 1954
CDR James Arthur Kenniff     Aug 13 1954 - Apr 4 1956
CDR Benjamin Hill Stough Jr.    Apr 4 1956 - Aug 17 1957
LCDR John Nelson Horrocks Jr.    Aug 17 1957 - Jan 20 1959
CDR David Hepburn Green    Jan 20 1959 - Jun 21 1960
CDR George Willis Kingston    Jun 21 1960 - Oct 9 1961
CDR Charles Preston Rozier    Oct 9 1961 - Jul 1 1963
CDR Rene Luke Briand    Jul 1 1963 - Dec 28 1965
CDR Winston Dean Briggs    Dec 28 1965 - Mar 31 1968
CDR Kenneth Leland Meek    Mar 31 1968 - Oct 24 1969
CDR Matthew William Faessel    Oct 24 1969 - Aug 27 1971
CDR Philip Carney Donovan    Aug 27 1971 - Feb 22 1973
CDR Webster Web Grewe    Feb 22 1973 - Jan 21 1974
CDR Robert Joseph Lamoureux    Jan 21 1974 - Feb 22 1976
CDR Charles William Monaghan    Feb 22 1976 - Mar 3 1978
CDR James Donald Firnbach    Mar 3 1978 - Oct 1 1979

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Greg Wells
Address: 6034 NW Expressway APT A, Oklahoma City, OK 73132
Phone: (405)265-1926
E-mail: glw513@yahoo.com
Next Reunion: Charleston, South Carolina Sep 18 2016 to Sep 24 2016

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 Charles P. Cecil website
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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