Newman K Perry (DDR 883) - Naval Cruise Book

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'7l, .240 The Newman K. Perry It,s just across the gangplanlc, N. K. PERRY is the spot Where we are doomed to spend our time On the ship that God forgot Down with the rats and roaches, Down with the men in blue, Right in the middle of nowhere A million miles from you We freeze, we sweat, we shiver It s more than a man can stand Welre not supposed to be convicts Iust defenders of our land We are men of the Bloomin Newman Earning our measly pay Defending the peoples millions For two and a half a day. Living with our memories, Waiting for our gals Hoping that while we,re away They don't marry our pals Nobody knows welre living, Nobody gives a damn At home we,re soon forgotten, We belong to Uncle Sam The time we spend in the Navy, The part of our lives welve missed Donlt let the draft board get you And for God,s salce don,t enlist When we pass thru the pearly gates VVe'll hear St. Peter yell Fall out you Bloomin Newman Men You,ve served your time in Hellf, -Unanimous

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History of the U.S.S. Newman K. Perry I DDR 8831 This vessel was named in memory of Ensign Newman K. Perry, USN, who was killed in a boiler explosion on board the U.S.S. BENNINCTON in 1905. Built by the Consolidated Steel Corpora- tion of Orange, Texas, she was launched on March 7, 1945 and commissioned in Iuly 1945. Her Shakedown cruise and early operat- ing was conducted in the Atlantic, but on 7 November 1945 she departed for the Pa- cific to become a part of DesPac. Many interesting assignments have fol- lowed: The Bikini Atom Bomb Tests in 1946, Chinese waters in 1947, and San Diego, California in 1948. In April 1949 the N. K. PERRY once again joined DesLant and had Newport, Rhode Island assigned as its home port. From September 1949 to January 1950 she operated in the Mediterranean area. From February 1950 until September 1950 she participated in Atlantic Fleet Exercises. From October 1950 until December 1950 she again steamed under ComSixthFleet in the Mediterranean. From February 1951 until May 1951 she underwent an overhaul at New York Naval Shipyard. Upon comple- tion of the overhaul she departed for Under- Way Training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The initial trip south was marred by a collision with a Iapanese freighter. .After a seven week stay for repairs at the Naval Shipyard, Charleston, South Carolina, The PERRY successfully completed her under- way Training in Cuba and thereafter op- erated in The A t l a n t i c Fleet, until her departure, on 22 April 1952, for another tour of Mediterranean duty. 1 I The N. K. PERRY is a gearing class, 2200 ton long hull, Radar Picket Destroyer, with an actual full load displacement of about 3,500 tons. She is 390 feet 6 inches long, with an extreme beam of 40 feet 10 inches, and a mean draft of 14 feet 8 inches. Her propulsion system consists of 4 boilers and two geared turbines 'with a max- imum output of 60,000 shaft power. Her armament consists of six-five inch 38 caliber guns housed in three mounts, 16 40mm. Anti-aircraft guns in 5 mounts, and additional Anti-Submarine weapons. Her prime function as a DDR is to serve as a long-range warning picket vessel against aircraft, for which job she is well equipped with an abundance of electronic gear and a crew consisting-of 18 officers and 280 en- listed personnel. As proof of her capabilities the N. K. has received the following awards and honors: 1945-American Theater Ribbon 1946-Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon 1947-China Occupation Ribbon 1948-Battleship Efficiency Pennant 1949-Battleship Efficiency Pennant 1949-Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award