Brinkley Bass (DD 887) - Naval Cruise Book

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NAMED IN HoNoR org. LCDR HARRY BRINKLEY BASS Harry Brinkley BASS was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 4, 1916, son of Percy and Verna CMauldingJ Bass. He attended Beaumont CTexasJ High School, Lamar Junior coiiegesin Beaumont and U. S. Halls War College, Columbia, Missouri, prior to his appointment to the U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, from the Sixth District of Arkansas in 1934. As a Midshipman he was Captain of the ten- nis team in 1938. Graduated and commissioned En- sign on June 2, 1938, he subsequently advanced in rank, attaining that of Lieutenant Commander, to date from March 1, 1944. Following graduation from the Naval Academy in 1938, he reported aboard the USS NEW ORLEANS, and in June 1939 transferred to the destroyer FARRAGUT. Detached from the latter in August 1940, he was ordered to the Naval Air Station Pen- sacola, Florida, for flight training. Designated Naval Aviator on February 18, 1941, he was next assigned for two months further instruction, to the Naval Air Station, Miami, Florida. In May of the same year, he joined Bombing Squadron TWO, based on the USS LEXINGTON. Three months later the United States entered World War II, and the LEXINGTON, with her embarked aircraft, was ordered to the Pacific. Operating with a Task Force off Bougainville, New Guinea, in February 1942, the LEXINGTON was sighted by two Japanese four-engined Kawanishi flying boats on patrol. Pilots of the LEXINGTON's aircraft shot down both enemy planes, but not before they had radioed their forces of the presence of United States ships. Eighteen Japanese twin- engined bombers set out in two flights of nine planes to bomb the ships of our forces. Sixteen of these were shot down by pilots of the LEXNGTON and the remaining two fled. Qcontined on page 625 LT Harry Brinkley BASS receives the Navy Cross aboard USS LEXINGTON for outstanding services as a pilot of Bomb- ing Squadron Two during the Battle of the Coral Sea. ,

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...SHlP'S HBSTCRY On 19 March 1952 BRINKLEY BASS reported for duty to Commander Task Force 95, CCommander United Nations Blockading Sz Escort Forcei, and was assigned to the Wonsan bombardment unit. During the two weeks tour in Wonsan the ship was taken under fire by enemy shore batteries on elev- en separate occasions was straddled by enemy shells resulting in minor damage to the ship and wounds of varying severity of three of the crew. The BASS was relieved in Wonsan on 1 April 1952, and proceeded to Yokosuka for repairs. The ship then returned to duty as a screening unit with Task Force 77. In mid 1961 BRINKLEY BASS began FRAM I con- version at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, replacing her guns with modern ASW Weapons. In 1964 she participated in test firings of ASROC and the new Mark 46 Torpedo. On September 28, 1965 BRINKLEY BASS departed for Vietnam with DESDIV 132 and USS TICON- Pages 8 and 9 show RADM RICHARDSON Commander Task Force 77 and his Flagship USS KITTY HAWK QCVA-637. DEROGA. Operating in the Tonkin Gulf with USS WADDELL, BASS performed shore bombardment, Search and Rescue Air Control and plane guard duties. On the night of 4 February 1966, BRINKLEY BASS collided with USS WADDELL while on Sar Station. The officers and men with the aid of person- nel transferred from USS NAVASOTA CAO-1065 worked furiously through the night to shore up the damaged bow. On 22 February 1966, the ships entered dry dock in Subic Bay where a false bow was con- structed. BRINKLEY BASS arrived home April 8, 1966 and entered drydock May 9th. CDR Sumner GURNEY, USN took command in ceremonies held on board BRINKLEY BASS, 22 June 1966. Throughout July, August, September, and October, BASS was em- ployed in Fleet Exercises and Type Training in the Southern California Operating Area. BRINKLEY BASS spent the Christmas holidays in Long Beach making final preparations for deploy- ment on 27 December 1966. BRINKLEY BASS as a member of Destroyer Squadron 11

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0153 f .fl .-u 'I' O ,K .47' -. '19 R DESTROYER DIVISION USS BRINKLEY BASS CDD-8875 is a member of Destroyer Division One Thirty Two. The Flagship is USS WADDELL QDDG-245. USS SAMUAEL D. MOORE CDD-7475 and USS HARRY E. HUBBARD QDD-7485 are the other ships of the Division which is homeported in Long Beach, California as a part of Destroyer Squadron THIRTEEN and Cruiser- Destroyer Flotilla Three. Commander Destroyer Division One Thirty Two is Captain Harry D. JOHNSTON, USN. Commodore JOHNSTON and his staff deployed in December aboard WADDELL with BRINKLEY BASS, PICKING, and USS DUNCAN QDDR-8747. During the cruise the Staff Chaplain, LT COOPER, Staff Material Officer, LT MELISSARI, and Staff Doc- tor, LT VANGROW, rode BRINKLEY BASS for short periods.