Barton (DD 722) - Naval Cruise Book

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WHAT IS A DESTRDYER? In war and peace, a destroyer does many things, and does them well. She was built to be the most versatile ship in the Navy. Because of her tremen- dous capabilities the destroyer is necessary in every type of naval opera- tions, the Spearhead of Sea Power. What are these capabilities? First of all, the destroyer is the primary opponent of the submarine. Only a destroyer has the detection equipment to seek out and actively and accurately pinpoint an enemy submarine. Only a destroyer has the arsenal of weapons such as hedgehogs, depth charges and homing torpedoes to sink the submarine. Secondly, the destroyer is a prime opponent of attacking enemy aircraft. With accurate, long range radar and excellent plotting capabilities, the destroyer detects approaching aircraft and can vector friendly planes to inter- cept and destroy them. And if they get in close,destroyer guided missiles or gunfire can actively combat the enemy planes. Third, the destroyer is a prime oppo- nent of enemy surface raiders. Using high speed torpedoes and rapid, radar- controlled automatic gunfire, the de- stroyer can battle it out against much bigger and heavier opponents at sea. Fourth, the destroyer carries her destructive power to the enemy ashore. Steaming close to shorelines, destroy- ers use their heavy guns to clear enemy beaches for our assault forces making an amphibious landing. Their gunfire support pinpoints enemy strongpoints allowing our forces ashore to move ahead and their bombardment of enemy artillery protects our minesweepers clearing minefields out in channels to enemy harbors. Those are the wartime capabilities of a destroyer. The capabilities that make this warship the Key Ship of the Fleet. For every naval operation requires destroyers. . .and destroyers in large quantities. The fast striking force is screened by destroyers for protection. Destroy- ers operate far ahead of the attack force as pickets to give early warning of approaching raiders. Destroyers screen the huge convoys of merchant ships to protect them from submarines, aircraft and surface attack. Destroyers are necessary to the suc- cess of amphibious assault landings and to subsequent battles to secure positions farther inland. And so it goes. Name a naval operation and you will find that the destroyer is there in numbers, in the forefront. ln peacetime, the mission of the destroyer is to be ready to fight immed- iately if a war comes along. . .any kind of a war. To be ready to tight, the men who man destroyers must work as a team, keeping their armament and detection equipment and their engineer- ing plants in top notch condition. Naturally to achieve this, destroyer- men must train and keep training con- stantly. For it is only through repeti- tive trainingthat they learn to function automatically and work together as a well-oiled machine. Thus in peacetime, destroyermen and destroyers are constantly on the move . . .from one type of naval operation to another. . .getting the on-the-job practical experience that is necessary to success in war.

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,,,,+ 1 rags. A Z- ,XXL .ff -1. 3 g QT! 1 1, .-.. K.- 1-5. sa: . WM USS WALLER one-466 The USS WALLER iDDE-4663 won the Rhode Island Navy League award for DESLANT'S most pro- ficient destroyer in Anti-Submarine warfare. 1961 z ffm ' ' 9 ff Q' if 5' 5 ,Q X QXZQSW- ,f s 5, fn. uf. WALLER is awarded second successive An'ri-Sub- marine Warfare HA .

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-flim- CHAQL .3 -3 Cspem' ff rf- Qs., I USS CHARLES S. SPERRY CDD-6973 CX ' ENR as YARD PERIOD USS STORMES KDD-7801 Destroyer men have mixed emotions about the Yard PeriOd. Whether it's for minor repairs, major overhaul or the extensive FRAM, the ship is torn-up. Its life in a Bongo Drum for sure. 1,-' -QW f W f MX, ha W f W W WNW , .W , 4VQff,e W, 4 W, mf is ,