McMorris (DE 1036) - Naval Cruise Book

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SHIP ' S HISTORY The United States Ship McMORRIS (DE-1036) is the fourth and last ship of her class. She embodies several recent developments including a unique upper deck arrangement, aluminum mast and superstruc- ture, and an ever changing array of sophisticated detec- tion equipment. McMORRIS displaces 1900 tons, is 312 feet long, has a maximum beam of 38 feet, and a navigational draft of 18 feet. Her main battery consists of two 3 750 single-gun rapid fire mounts and two trainable MK 32 torpedo tube mounts. Four Fair- banks-Morse diesel engines deliver 9200 shaft horsepower to the single screw which can propel the ship to speeds in excess of 20 knots. Habitability engineering features the McMORRIS with semi-- private living compartments and complete air con- ditioning. McMORRIS keel was laid on 5 November 1958, at Avondale Marine Ways, Avondale, Louisiana, where she was subsquently christened and launched by Mrs. Charles H. McMorris, wife of the late Vice Admiral McMORRIS, on 26 May 1959. On 4 March 1960, McMORRIS was commissioned in Charleston, South Carolina. Following a brief fitting out period on the East Coast, McMORRIS was assigned to the Pacific Fleet where she deployed to WestPac three times between 1961 and 1965 from her homeport of San Diego, California, as a unit of Escort Squadron THREE and Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla SEVEN. Receiving a homeport reassignment in 1965, McMORRIS became the flagship of Commander Escort Squadron FIVE, a unit of Destroyer Flotilla FIVE operating from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In the spr- ing of 1965, McMORRIS deployed for her fourth tour of duty with the Seventh Fleet. Upon her return to Pearl Harbor, McMORRIS was assigned to Task Force NINETY-TWO, and became the flagship of Com- mander Escort Division ELEVEN. During 1966-1967, McMORRIS conducted special operations incident to duties with Task Force NINETY-TWO, received the Battle Efficiency E for CORTDIV ELEVEN, and served as flagship for COMCORTRON SEVEN during convoy operations. Subsequent to an Indian Ocean deployment in 1968-1969, McMORRIS and her sister ships combined to form the newly created Escort Squadron ONE. In addition to successive assignments to WestPac in 1969-1970, and 1970-1971, McMORRIS participated in various special operations for which she received the Meritorious Unit Commendation. Additionally, McMORRIS was awarded the Battle Efficiency E for Escorl Squadron ONE for the year 1971. McMORRIS deployed for another tour with the Seventh Fleet in WestPac during the Summer of 1972.

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SffeESO UreuiiA ■ ' miUPlKES AUSTRALIA ,— ' NORTTH PACIFIC MiDVWV Gv- ' AfA t.y.. PAGO PAGO SOOTH PACIFIC BRlSBAHiT i; V HAMGAREi NEW ZEALAND USS McMORRIS DE-1036 WESTPAC 1972

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VICE ADMIRAL CHARLES HORATIO McMORRIS, USN Vice Admiral McMORRIS was born in Wetumpka, Alabama, on August 31, 1890. He attended public schools in Wetumpka before entering the U. S. Naval Academy on June 26, 1908 from the state of Alabama. Graduated and commissioned Ensign on June 8, 1912, he served consecutive tours aboard the battleships DELAWARE, MONTANA and NEW HAMPSHIRE, participating in the occupation of Vera Cruz in the Mexican Campaign in 1914. After reporting aboard the battleship MARYLAND, he was promoted to the rank of Lt(jg) on June 8, 1915. While serving aboard MARYLAND, he assisted in salvaging the USS F-4 which sank off Honolulu in 1915. Leaving the battleship navy during World War I, Lt(jg) McMORRIS served aboard the newly-built destroyers USS SHAW and USS MEREDITH becom- ing executive officer of the latter. In June 1918, he was promoted to Lieutenant and one year later assumed his first command, the destroyer USS WALKE. In the following years, he had tours of duty aboard the cruiser BALTIMORE, the destroyers BURNS, SHIRK and ELLIOTT, and the battleship CALIFORNIA. Interspersed with the sea duty were assignments with recruiting in Pittsburgh, with the Bureau of Navigation in Washington as a student at the Naval War College, Newport, and two tours of duty at the U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis. During this period, he advanced in rank to LCDR in June 1922, CDR in October 1931, and Captain to date from July 1, 1939. In February, 1941, he became War Plans officer on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief Pacific Fleet. While serving in this capacity, he was awarded the Legion of Merit for contributing materially to the con- duct of operations against the Japanese Empire. CAPT McMORRIS then assumed command of the cruiser USS SAN FRANCISCO from May-November 1942. For heroism during the action on 11-12 October 1942, he was awarded the Navy Cross. The citation •read in part For extraordinary heroism. . . .(he) fought his ship valiantly, maneuvering with the expertness of an able seaman and striking at the enemy with deter- mined and effective gunfire despite the difficulties of night combat. For this action, the SAN FRANCISCO also was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for sinking one enemy destroyer, silencing and disabling an enemy battleship and severly damaging two other vessels. On November 14, 1942, he attained the rank of Rear Admiral and one month later assumed command of Cruiser Task Force 8, operating in the North Pacific. Subsequently, in what became known as the Battle of the Komandorski Islands, a running gunfire duel pitted the cruisers SALT LAKE CITY and RICHMOND against a superior enemy force. Followed rapidly by a U. S. destroyer torpedo attack, the enemy ships were forced to retire with heavy casualties. As a result of Rear Admiral McMORRIS ' complete rout of the enemy, he earned the Distingushed Service Medal. In June 1943, he assumed duty as Chief of Staff and Aide to Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, and in this capacity received a Gold Star in lieu of a second Distingushed Service Medal. He was temporarily promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral from September 23, 1944, until July 1948, when he reverted to the rank of Rear Admiral. During the subsequent years, Vice Admiral McMORRIS served as Commander, Fourth Fleet, and president of the General Board at the Navy Depart- ment. He assumed duty on August 25, 1948, as Comman- dant of the Fourteeth Naval District, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii with additional duty as Commander, Naval Base, Pearl Harbor from which duties he retired to Marietta, Pennsylvania.