USSMaddox(DD-622)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Maddox |
| Namesake | William Maddox |
| Builder | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company |
| Laid down | 7 May 1942 |
| Launched | 15 September 1942 |
| Commissioned | 31 October 1942 |
| Fate | Sunk by Axis air attack, 10 July 1943 |
| Stricken | 19 August 1943 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Gleaves-classdestroyer |
| Displacement | 1,630 tons |
| Length | 348 ft 3 in (106.15 m) |
| Beam | 36 ft 1 in (11.00 m) |
| Draft | 11 ft 10 in (3.61 m) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 37.4 knots (69 km/h) |
| Range | 6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Complement | 16 officers, 260 enlisted |
| Armament |
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USSMaddox(DD-622),aGleaves-classdestroyer,was the second ship of theUnited States Navyto be named afterUnited States Marine CorpsCaptainWilliam A. T. Maddox,who served in theMexican–American War.
Maddoxwaslaid downon 7 May 1942 by theFederal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company,Kearny, New Jerseyandlaunchedon 15 September 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Ellen-Venita Browning Wilhoit Gay, great granddaughter of Captain Maddox. The ship wascommissionedon 31 October 1942,Lieutenant CommanderEugene S. Sarsfieldin command.
Service history
[edit]After shakedown,MaddoxdepartedNew Yorkon 2 January 1943 forNorfolk, Virginiawhere she commenced escort duties. Following her first twoconvoymissions, safeguardingfleet oilersplying between Norfolk and the petroleum centers ofGalveston, TexasandAruba,Maddoxbegan a series of trans-Atlantic voyages escorting convoys from New York and Norfolk toNorth Africa.
On 8 June 1943,Maddoxdeparted Norfolk forOran,Algeria,where she became a unit of Task Force 81 (TF 81), the assault force for theSicilian invasion.As the assault troops opened theamphibious Battle of Gelaon 10 July,Maddoxwas on antisubmarine patrol about 16 miles offshore. Steaming alone, the destroyer was attacked by a GermanJunkers Ju 88bomber ofKG 54,and a squadron ItalianJu 87of the Regia Aeronautica.[1]One of the bombs explodedMaddox's aftmagazine,causing the ship to roll over and sink within two minutes.[2]Lieutenant Commander Sarsfield was posthumously awarded theNavy Crossfor heroism displayed in supervising abandon ship. His action was responsible for saving the lives of 74 of the crew of 284.
Maddoxwas struck from theNavy list19 August 1943. She received twobattle starsfor World War II service.
References
[edit]- ^"History Of The Sinking Of Dd".Ussmaddox.org.Retrieved2016-02-21.
- ^Holland, James (2020).Sicily '43: The First Assault on Fortress Europe(Hardback). London: Bantam Press. p. 211.ISBN978-1-7876-3293-6.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.The entry can be foundhere.
External links
[edit]36°52′N13°56′E/ 36.867°N 13.933°E
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