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_underway_off_Korea_on_17_November_1950_(80-G-423466).jpg) USSErnest G. Small underway on 17 November 1950 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Ernest G. Small |
| Namesake | Ernest G. Small |
| Builder | Bath Iron Works |
| Laid down | 30 January 1945 |
| Launched | 14 June 1945 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. E.G. Small |
| Commissioned | 21 August 1945 |
| Reclassified |
|
| Identification |
|
| Decommissioned | 15 November 1970 |
| Stricken | 15 November 1970 |
| Honors and awards | SeeAwards |
| Fate | Transferred toRepublic of China, 13 April 1971 |
| History | |
 Taiwan | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Fu Yang |
| Acquired | 13 April 1971 |
| Commissioned | 1 July 1971 |
| Reclassified | DDG-907, 1980s |
| Identification | Hull number: DD-907 |
| Decommissioned | 16 December 1999 |
| Fate | Sunk as target, 8 October 2003 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Gearing-classdestroyer |
| Displacement | 3,460 long tons (3,516 t) full |
| Length | 390 ft 6 in (119.02 m) |
| Beam | 40 ft 10 in (12.45 m) |
| Draft | 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m) |
| Propulsion | Geared turbines, 2 shafts, 60,000 shp (45 MW) |
| Speed | 35knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
| Range | 4,500 nmi (8,300 km) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Complement | 336 |
| Armament |
|
USSErnest G. Small (DD/DDR-838) was aGearing-classdestroyer of theUnited States Navy, named for Rear AdmiralErnest G. Small (1888–1944).
Ernest G. Small waslaunched on 14 June 1945 byBath Iron Works,Bath, Maine; sponsored by Mrs E. G. Small; andcommissioned on 21 August 1945.
After completing her shakedown cruise inGuantanamo Bay, she sailed in company withPower (DD-839) on 11 January 1946 en route toGibraltar whence she proceeded toNaples. She began a series of peacetimeMediterranean patrols in company withPower andProvidence (CL-82) until 7 March. She continued in this mission independently until 7 August when she returned to the States.
Following a period of yard availability she reported to Commander, SubmarinesAtlantic Fleet, and operated out ofNew London, Connecticut, until 14 December when she was laid up for repairs atBoston, Massachusetts. On 3 April 1947 while anchored offBlock Island she grounded in a violent wind and rain storm, but, refloated with aid from two tugs, she returned to Boston where repairs were made.
Ernest G. Small sailed on 12 June forNorfolk, Virginia, and engaged in type exercises in theVirginia Capes Operating Area. On 6 August she stood out for theCaribbean, calling at Guantanamo and Trinidad before rendezvousing with Task Force 84 (TF 84) which proceeded toRio de Janeiro where on 7 September theflagshipMissouri (BB-63) embarked PresidentHarry S. Truman and his family for the trip to the States.Ernest G. Small steamed on escort station during the voyage.
From 9 February to 10 April 1948 she cruised in the Caribbean and on 7 June began amidshipman cruise to the Mediterranean, calling atLisbon,Genoa,Casablanca, and returning to Norfolk on 21 July. Her third tour in the Mediterranean was made between 30 August 1948 and 23 January 1949. For the remainder of 1949 she operated in the Caribbean and along theAtlantic coast.
From January to May 1950 she cruised in the Mediterranean and around northernEurope. With the outbreak of war inKorea, she was sent to join the7th Fleet, and on 29 June she transited thePanama Canal en route to action. She sailed with carrier forces, fired shore bombardments, patrolled offTaiwan, and participated in thelandings at Inchon in September, and atWonsan in October. In December she helped evacuate theTenth Army Corps fromHŭngnam andInchon.
_underway_going_astern_in_October_1951%2c_while_en_route_to_Japan%2c_after_losing_her_bow_off_Korea_(80-G-708460).jpg)
Following a brief overhaul atSan Diego, California, in the first half of 1951, she began her second Korean tour as escort for theaircraft carrierRendova (CVE-114). She participated in the naval bombardment of Hungnam and was so occupied on 7 October when she struck amine which seriously damaged her bow, killed 9 and wounded 18. Four days later heavy seas broke the bow off. As the watertight bulkhead doors could not withstand the pressure of traveling forward she travelled backward (with the help of a fleet tug) at 6 knots for 300 miles to Japan, and she was fitted with a stubby replacement which enabled her to reachLong Beach, arriving on 18 December 1951. She was decommissioned on 15 January 1952 and the bow of the unfinishedSeymour D. Owens (DD-767) was grafted to her hull. She also underwent conversion to aradar picket ship at this time.
Ernest G. Small was reclassifiedDDR-838 on 18 July 1952, and recommissioned on 2 December 1952. She followed training exercises off theCalifornia coast with her first peacetime tour of theFar East which lasted from 11 July 1953 through 29 January 1954. Attached to Task Force 77, she was a unit of the blockade and escort force for the Taiwan area.
A period of overhaul ensued and on 10 August 1954 she departed with Destroyer Squadron 13 (DesRon 13) for theTaiwan Patrol and later assumed defensive position to control part of the 7th Fleet air coverage during theTachen Islands evacuation in February 1955. Early in March she returned to Long Beach whence she operated with Task Group 7.3 (TG 7.3) in "Operation Wigwam", the testing of an underwateratomic bomb off thewest coast (2–20 May). She deployed with the 7th Fleet for the remainder of the year.
From 1 November 1956 through 28 April 1957 she again toured thePacific, and includedKodiak,Singapore, andBrisbane in her itinerary. The remainder of that year was occupied with task force operations and intertype training exercises off the west coast.
Ernest G. Small began another western Pacific tour in January 1958 as a unit of Destroyer Division 132 (DesDiv 132) and was deployed in various operations, highlighted by participation in theSEATO exercise "Ocean Link."
In March 1959 she was assigned while on her annual Pacific cruise to the operational control of theUnited States Air Force to aid in the "Discoverer" earth satellite program. Until July 1959 she was engaged in competitive exercises andnose cone recoveries. The second half of the year was designated for a period of overhaul and local operations.
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Again, she deployed to thewestern Pacific on 17 May 1960 with Destroyer Division 131. Her duty was principally to screen and picketTiconderoga (CVA-14) andCoral Sea (CVA-43). She arrived back at Long Beach on 16 November and on 29 December enteredSan Francisco Naval Shipyard forFleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM).
Ernest G. Small was stricken from theNaval Vessel Register on 13 November 1970 and transferred to theRepublic of China on 13 April 1971.[clarification needed]
She served in theRepublic of China Navy asROCSFu Yang (DD-907) on 1 July 1971.
In 1980s, she underwent Wu-Chin I modernization program and reclassified DDG-907.
The ship was decommissioned by Taiwan in December 1999 and sunk as a target on 8 October 2003.
Ernest G. Small received fourbattle stars forKorean War service.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entries can be foundhere andhere.
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 2003 | |
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