_underway_at_sea%2c_circa_in_1968_(NH_98068).jpg) USSBlack (DD-666), Steaming at sea, c. 1968. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Namesake | Hugh David Black |
| Builder | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company,Kearny, New Jersey |
| Laid down | 14 November 1942 |
| Launched | 28 March 1943 |
| Commissioned | 21 May 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 26 September 1969 |
| Stricken | 26 September 1969 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 17 February 1971 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Fletcher-classdestroyer |
| Displacement | 2,050 tons |
| Length | 376 ft 6 in (114.7 m) |
| Beam | 39 ft 8 in (12.1 m) |
| Draft | 17 ft 9 in (5.4 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 35knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
| Range | 6500nm at 15 kn (12,000 km at 28 km/h) |
| Complement | 329 |
| Armament |
|
USSBlack (DD-666) was aFletcher-classdestroyer of theUnited States Navy.
Hugh David Black was born on 29 June 1903 inOradell, New Jersey. He was appointed to theUnited States Naval Academy in 1922, graduated in 1926, and served on boardUSS Richmond, mainly in the Far East, between 1926 and 1928. During the next few years, he was an officer on board thebattleshipUSS New York, thegunboatUSS Asheville and thedestroyersUSS Parrott,USS Rizal andUSS Montgomery.Lieutenant (junior grade) Black was assigned to theNaval Training Station, San Diego,California, in 1933 then served on board the destroyerUSS Upshur and from 1935 to 1938 commanded theminesweeperUSS Lark.
Lieutenant Black had duty with the Navy'sBureau of Navigation, inWashington, D.C., in 1938 and attendedHarvard University for two years, beginning mid-1938. He was executive officer of the new destroyerUSS Benson in 1940 into 1941. In March 1941, he took command of the destroyerUSS Jacob Jones.Lieutenant Commander Black was killed whenJacob Jones was sunk by theGermansubmarineU-578 on 28 February 1942.
Black waslaunched 28 March 1943 byFederal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.,Kearny, N.J.; sponsored by Frances Marie Black, née Frykholm, widow of Lieutenant Commander Black; andcommissioned 21 May 1943.
Black proceeded toPearl Harbor, viaSan Diego, Calif., and reported for duty on 15 November 1943. Shortly thereafter, she steamed toTarawa and was assigned screening duty off Tarawa Lagoon entrance. She continued this duty until 22 January 1944, with occasional diversion as escort for transports to the 180th meridian. On 15 January 1944 she rescued 22 survivors of two downed patrol aircraft 50 miles (95 km) south ofJaluit.
After seeing her first combat during the invasion ofMajuro Atoll,Marshall Islands (29 January–8 February 1944),Black rendered fine service in
The destroyer then returned toSan Francisco, Calif. for repairs which lasted until February 1945.
Repairs completed, she sailed toUlithi where, upon arrival on 13 March, she reported to theFast Carrier Task Force (then TF 58) for duty. Between 17 March and 30 MayBlack participated in the5th and3rd Fleet raids in support of theOkinawa operation. After a period of rest and upkeep atLeyte Gulf,Black took part in the 3rd Fleet operations against Japan (10 July – 15 August 1945) and, on 15 August, the day Japan agreed to surrender, was present during one of thePacific War's finalkamikaze attacks.
After the cessation of hostilitiesBlack remained offJapan assisting in the occupation until 1 September when, as a unit of TF 72, she departed with the occupation forces forInchon,Korea. She served in theFar East on occupation duty until 10 November 1945, when she leftTsingtao, China, for the United States. Upon arrival,Black reported for inactivation and was placed out of commission in reserve on 5 August 1946 atLong Beach, Calif.
Black was recommissioned on 18 July 1951 and reported to theAtlantic Fleet. She participated in type and fleet operations along the eastern seaboard and in theCaribbean until 10 January 1953 when she departedNorfolk, Va. for thePacific, via thePanama Canal, on a round-the-world cruise. She arrived off the coast ofKorea on 4 March and two days later commenced harassing fire on the beach.Black continued her Korean operations until 4 June 1953.
On 9 June,Black departed for Norfolk, via theSuez Canal, arriving on the east coast 6 August. Until January 1955, she conducted type training, fleet operations, and plane guard duties along the east coast and in the Caribbean. In January 1955Black transferred to thePacific Fleet arriving at Long Beach 26 January.
Over the next decade and a half,Black regularly crossed the great ocean to take her place as a unit of the7th Fleet, serving as anaircraft carrier escort, taking part inantisubmarine warfare exercises, patrolling in theTaiwan Strait and visiting ports throughout theFar East. Her tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth post-World War IIWestern Pacific deployments, beginning in early 1965, includedVietnam War service. Among her duties during this time were early participation inOperation Market Time coastal patrol and interdiction operations, providing naval gunfire support for forces ashore and screening carriers as they took the war to theNorth Vietnamese enemy.
Black's last overseas cruise ended in July 1969. She was decommissioned in late September of that year and sold for scrapping in February 1971.
Black (DD-666) earned six battle stars for World War II service, two battle stars during the Korean conflict, and three battle stars for Vietnam service for a total of 11 battle stars.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere. This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBlack (DD-666) at theNaval Vessel Register.
