_underway_c1943.jpg) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Glennon |
| Namesake | James H. Glennon |
| Builder | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company |
| Laid down | 25 March 1942 |
| Launched | 26 August 1942 |
| Commissioned | 8 October 1942 |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class & 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
USSGlennon (DD-620) was aGleaves-classdestroyer, the first ship of theUnited States Navy to be named forRear AdmiralJames H. Glennon, who was a recipient of theNavy Cross.
Glennon waslaunched on 26 August 1942 by theFederal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, ofKearny, New Jersey, sponsored by Miss Jeanne Lejeune Glennon (whose later surname was Hull), granddaughter of Admiral Glennon, andcommissioned on 8 October 1942.
Aftershakedown training along theNew England coast,Glennon guarded troops and supplyconvoys for theAllied invasion of Sicily,Italy. She was in action during theAmphibious Battle of Gela, fought from 9 to 15 July 1943.
Glennon continued to operate in theMediterranean Sea and returned toNew York on 3 December 1943. The destroyer then made two round-trip convoy escort voyages to theBritish Isles and one toGibraltar. She arrived in New York from Gibraltar on 22 April 1944, and stood out of that port on 5 May with a task group which arrived atBelfast,Northern Ireland, on the 14th.
Assigned to Assault Force "U" of the Western Naval Task Force, she arrived in theBaie de la Seine,France, on 6 June. After patrolling around the bombardment group forsubmarines and fastGermantorpedo boats, she joined in gunfire support of troops ashore.
_and_USS_Rich_(DE-695)_mined_off_Normandy_in_June_1944.jpg)
On 7 June, she fired 4305-inch (127 mm) shells ashore in support of troops advancing north towardQuinéville. She was again approaching her gunfire support station at 08:30 on 8 June, when herstern struck amine. Awhaleboat picked up survivors whileminesweepersStaff andThreat arrived on the scene, one passing a towline while the other swept ahead of the damaged destroyer. Thedestroyer escortRich closed in the wake of the minesweepers to assist, then felt a heavy explosion as she slowly roundedGlennon's stern to clear the area. Minutes later a second explosion blew off a 50-foot (15 m) section ofRich's stern, followed by a third mine explosion under her forecastle.Rich sank within 15 minutes of the first explosion.
The minesweeperStaff found she could not budgeGlennon, whose stern seemed to be firmly anchored to the bottom by her starboardpropeller. Most of her crew boardedStaff, and those remaining onGlennon lightened her stern by pumping fuel forward and jettisoningdepth charges and topside gear. On 9 June, salvage equipment was assembled, and some 60 officers and men ofGlennon came back on board. The following morning a Germanshore battery near Quinéville found the ships range. A second salvo hitGlennon amidships and cut off all power. After a third hit, the crew was ordered to abandon ship and the men were taken off in alanding craft.Glennon floated until 21:45, 10 June 1944, then rolled over and sank (location:49°31′15″N001°09′16″W / 49.52083°N 1.15444°W /49.52083; -1.15444). She suffered 25 lost and 38 wounded.
Glennon was awarded twobattle stars for services inWorld War II.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
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