Dashiell (DD 659) - Naval Cruise Book

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CDRiR.W. Sherwin, USN Commanding Officer CDR R.W. Sherwin, USN succeeded to command of Dashiell in Sept 1958. Prior to his present duty, CDR Sherwin had been assigned to duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Fleet OperGTiOI'1S Division, since May 1955. After graduation from Dartmouth College with a BA Degree in 1941, he was employed by a construction company as a cost accountant. ln January 1943 he entered the Navy as a student officer and subsequently was assigned to Cornell University for indoctrination with the rank of Ensign USNR. Following that train- ing course, he was ordered overseas to the European Theatre for duty as a gunfire liaison officer attached to the staff of the 8th and 11th Amphibious Forces. During this tour, he participated in the invasions of Sic-ily, Salerno, and Normandy. After his return to the U.S. in Aug 1944, he served in Bogue CVE-9, and on shore duty on both west and east coasts. ln Jan 1947 he was transferred from reserve to regular status and ordered to duty as gunnery officer of Purvis QDD-7091. L Owens CDDE-8271 as operations officer, C.P. Cecil QDDR-8351 as executive officer, Roberts KDE-7491 as commanding officer. CDR Sherwin attended the General Li ASW, Damage Control and CIC Schools during the past 10 years. His decorations and medals includeArea Campaign Awards,and the Silver Star and Bronze Star Medals received for action in the European landings in 1943 and 1944. CDR Shel-win'5' present date of Rank is 1 September 1956 - Signal Number 11606-O0 in the July 1958 Register. ' - ater tours in destroyer types followed, R.A. ne School at Monterey, California in 1951. He has also attended

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it it-.ffl i ui gr lik ri 3 uh '- ix. sn, 'Hr r. 1 .5 Ur Haig was 2' S 'r fl 6 ,. D 5 r , . W if P 1 9. .tg wk- nf, ,J if 11' ati' f ia. ' Qin. ,.. . Dashiell DD-659i 94 4 T On the fifth of June the Task Group with which she was 'then operating passed through the eye of a typhoon. The sh'ip recorded rolls up to 52 degrees but suffered no serious casualties. ln Leyte Gulf, the Dashiell made her final wartime sortie on the first of July. On the night of thirtieth of July she made, with her squadron the most daring and the deepest penetration of the Japanese homeland waters by surface vessels. The destroyer entered Suruga Wan,,a Bay i-ust below Tokyo, and proceeded thirty miles inside of the Bay to bombard a rail center and an Aluminum plant. ln the harbor of Shimizo, the Dashiell detected a 2000 ton cargo ship, and two well directed torpedoes are believed to have sunk it. She continued operating in the Pacific War Zones until the cessation of hostilities. On the sixth of September, the Dashiell proudly dropped anchor in Tokyo Bay, Upon herreturn, she was placed in an inactive status at Charleston, S.C., on March 30, T946. The Dashiell commenced re-,activation at the Naval Shipyard in Charleston on 20 April l95l. On the third of May, she was formally placed back in commission. Dashiell has been operating with the U.S. Atlantic Fleet par- ticipating in three Caribbean, one Northern European fOperation Mainbracei, and on-Around-the-World Cruise. ln the latter she was entered into the Korean conflict. Extensive modernization of her equipment was completed prior to embarking on a Mediterranean cruise during' September i954-January l955. After return from European waters, the Dashiell departed in October for Pensacola where she served as plane guard for the aircraft carrier Saipan. The Dashiell returned to Newport in late November for holiday season. The Dashiell spent the first six weeks of T956 with a Hunter Killer task group conducting advanced anti- submarine warfare exercises in the Caribbean sea. After three months spent in the Boston Naval Shipyard for overhaul, it returned to the Caribbean to undergo the rugged shakedown and refresher training course at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. From September to the end of the year, the Dashiell was assigned to the Anti-Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and participated in advanced ASW operations. The ship, on 17 January l957, departed for Mediterranean operations with the Sixth Fleet. The Dashiell participated in seven major operations and enioyed short visits in portsfrom Gibraltar to Beirut, Lebanon. The Dashiell returned to the United States 6 June l957, and was assigned to COMASDEFORLANT partici- pating in extensive hunter-,killer anti-,submarine operations prior to the l957 NATO exercises and re-deployment to the Mediterranean. On 3 September l957, the Dashiell set sail for the North Atlantic to participate in the NATO exercises. ln October she sailed to the Mediterranean for ASW operations with the Sixth Fleet. Ports visited during the three month cruise were Portsmouth, England, Lisbon, Portugal, Athens and Rhodes, Greece, and Gibraltar. The ship returned to Newport on 27 November. A ln the first half of 1958, the Dashiell participated in two ASW operations which took her to the Caribbean in January and Halifax in May. ln June the ship began a three month overhaul, followed by six weeks of refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On 2lst November the Dashiell participated in the search and rescue opera- tion resulting from a mid-air collision in the Guantanamo area, and recovered two of the aviators. On November 25th, the ship returned to Newport for leave and upkeep. On 17 March i959 the Dashiell commenced the cruise this book relates .... T

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Message From The Commanding Officer ln these pages are reflected many of the highlights and impressions gathered during the course of DASHlELL's recent seven month tour with the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Me- diterranean and Middle East. i u Regrettably, this book must also serve as a memorial of sorts,since DASH'lEl..l.'s active service will end in May l960, when the ship reports to the U.S. Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Norfolk, Virginia. l am sure that in the years to come, when you have occasion to reread this book, you will relive again many of the pleasurable and hectic events which together made the cruise rewarding for all hands. The commendable record of DASHIELL - established over many months, on various missions, and in the several seas from the Caribbean to Karachi -is indeed a high tri- bute to your devotion to duty and to your loyal service to your ship. Finally, l desire to express my appreciation to a fine ship's company. It has been a pleasure to have sailed with you. ' To all my DASHIELL shipmates and their families - Best Wishes for Success in the I-uture. 1 I R. W. SHERWIN, CDR, USN