Downes (FF 1070) - Naval Cruise Book

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Rebuilt and recommissioned at Mare Island on 15 November 1943, DOWNES sailed from San Francisco 8 March to escort convoys to Pearl Harbor and on to Majuro, arriving 26 March. She v as assigned to blockade the bypassed Japanese stronghold, Wotje Atoll, until 5 April, then, after replenishing at Pearl Harbor, arrived at Eniwetok 6 May as harbor entrance control vessel and task unit commander for the offshore patrol. During this duty she rescued a pilot in the lagoon at Eniwetok and four crew men off Ponape, Caroline Islands. In July DOWNES began convoy duty from Eniwetok to Saipan in support of the Marianas operation, then patrolled off Tinian during its invasion. She gave fire support during the mopping up operation off Marpi Point, Tinian, and bombarded off Marcus Island as a diversion for carrier air strikes on the Nansei Shoto. DOWNES sailed from Saipan 1 4 October 1 944 to join Task Group 38.1 two days later in a search for Japanese ships which Admiral W. F. Halsey hoped to lure into the open with damaged cruisers CANBERRA (CA-70) and HOUSTON (CL-81). The task group returned to Leyte to support the landings there 20 October. DOWNES sailed the same day for Ulithi, but was recalled to screen the carriers during the air strikes on the Japanese Fleet In the epic battle for Leyte Gulf. She was detached again 27 October and sailed to Ulithi for replenishment. Continuing to Pearl Harbor for overhaul, DOWNES returned to Ulithi 29 March 1945 escorting a convoy, then sailed for Guam. From 5 April to 5 June she operated in the Marianas on patrol, air-sea rescue, submarine training, and escort duty. She served at Iwo Jima on similar duty from 9 June. With the end of the war, DOWNES was ordered to return to the United States and sailed from Iwo Jima 19 September with homeward bound ser- vicemen on board. She touched at San Pedro, California, called at Beaumont, Texas, for Navy Day celebrations and arrived at Norfolk on 5 November. DOWNES was decommissioned at Norfolk on 17 December 1945 and remained in reserve until her name was stricken from the List of Navy Ships on 28 January 1947. She was sold for scrapping on 18 November 1947 to Hugo Neu Corporation, New York. DOWNES (DD-375) earned four battle stars and other awards for operations listed below; 1 Star PEARL HARBOR - MIDWAY: 7 December 1941 1 Star MARIANAS OPERATION: Capture and Occupation of Saipan 28 July - 11 August 1944 1 Star ASIATIC - PACIFIC RAIDS: Bombardment of Marcus Island 9 October 1944 1 Star LEYTE OPERATION: Luzon attacks 1 7 October - 1 9 October 1 944 NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE MEDAL (Asia): 2 - 29 September 1945 the

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DOWNES reached San Diego from Norfolk 24 November 1937 and based there for exercises along the west coast, in the Caribbean, and in the Hawaiian Islands until April 1940, when Pearl Harbor became her homeport. In March and April 1941 she joined in a cruise to Samoa, Fiji, and Australia, and visited the west coast later in the year. . . . THE TRAGEDY . . . When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941, DOWNES was in drydock with CASSIN (DD-372) and PENNSYLVANIA (BB-38). The three came under heavy attack and an incendiary bomb landed between the two destroyers, starting raging fires fed by oil from a ruptured fuel tank. Despite heavy strafing, the crews of the two destroyers got their batteries into action, driving off further attacks by Japanese planes. The drydock was flooded in an effort to quench the fires, but the burning oil rose with the water level and, when the ammunition and torpedo warheads on board the destroyers began to explode, the two ships were abandoned. Later CASSINI slipped from her keel blocks and rested against the DOWNES. Listed at first as complete losses, both of these destroyers lived to fight again. Salvage operations were soon begun on DOWNES with machinery and other salvage- able equipment being shipped to Mare Island Navy Yard. She was officially decommis- sioned 20 June 1942.

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THE DOWNES . . . USS DOWNES (FF1070) is a Knox-Class Frigate especially designed for locating and destroying enemy submarines. In addition to performing anti-submarine warfare (ASW), DOWNES is capable of such varied missions as surface action, anti-missile defense, search and rescue, patrol, evacuation blockade, visit and search or surveillance. She is 438 feet long, displaces 4,000 tons under full load, and has a beam of 47 feet and a draft of 26 feet. DOWNES is equipped with three modern long-range underwater sound detection (SONAR) systems, one hull-mounted, one variable depth, and a towed array passive sonar, as well as long range air and surface search radar, modern communications equip- ment and a sophisticated electronic warfare system. The DOWNES armament includes: one 5-inch 54 caliber gun for use as an anti-aircraft, anti-surface weapon, or for shore bombardment; a NATO Seasparrow Missile System that may be directed at both enemy surface and air targets, and the Surface to Surface HARPOON Missile System capable of long range engagements of enemy surface units. The ship also has four torpedo tubes. an anti-submarine rocket group (ASROC) and the LAMPS ASW helicopter. DOWNES is manned by 16 officers and 260 enlisted men. She has spacious modern living compartments, messing facilities, recreation and lounge areas, post office, ship ' s store, laundry, barber shop, and dispensary. FF-1070 had her keel laid on 5 September 1968 at Todd Shipyards Corporation Seattle, Washington, and was christened DOWNES on 13 December 1969 during launching by her sponsor Mrs. Philip L. Kelton, the great grand daughter of the late Commodore John Downes. The ship is powered by two combustion engineering boilers providing 1200 PSI steam through turbines developing 40,000 shaft horsepower through a single screw. DOWNES is capable of speeds over 27 knots. Her distilling plant produces 24,000 gallons of fresh water daily for personal use and for feeding the ship ' s boilers. Two gyrocontrolled fins protruding from the ship ' s underwater hull actively stabilize the ship for fire control and for better control of the LAMPS helicopter when embarked.