Gearing (DD 710) - Naval Cruise Book

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U.S.S. GEARING DD-710 The USS GEARING (DD-71()), prototype of her class, was built by the Federal Ship- building and Drydock Company of Poit Newark, New Jersey. The keel was laid Aug-ust 10, 1914, and on P bruary 18, 1945 the ship was launched. Named in honor of Commander Henry Chalfant Gearing, USN (1855-1926) ; Captain Henry Chalfant Gear- ing, USN (1884-1914); and Lieutenant Henry Chalfant Gearing, USN (1912-1942) ; the ship was sponsored by the daughter of the late Commander Gearing, Mrs. Thomas M. Foley, at commissioning ceremonies in New York City on May :3, 1945. Although built during Wcirld War II, GEAR- ING was commissioned too late foi ' combat service. She has, however, spent 15 busy years in the Atlantic Fleet, particijiating in many U.S. and Allied exercises. During this time GEARING has been sighted in such widely separated areas as the Arctic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Red Sea. Since 1951 she has sailed eight times with the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. The first homeport of the USS GEARING was Casco Bay, Maine. From this salty Downeast port she participated in Operation Frostbite, a cruise to Arctic waters in 1949, and, in early 1950, Operation Portrex, an Allied exercise in the Caribbean. In .January of 1951 the ship served her first tour of duty in the Mediterranean Sea. After this initial tour she returned in May to a new home port, Norfolk, Vii-ginia. Operating from Norfolk, GEARING has had a busy career. The summers of 1951, 1956 and 1958 h ave found her on midshipman ti ' ain- ing cruises. Among the ports visited were Barcelona, Belfast. Oporto, Copenhagen and Antwerp. Continuing to participate in the European i-otation plan, the ship has had Mediterranean tours in every year except 1956, visiting ports from Gibraltar to Istan- bul, and, in 1957, transiting the Suez Canal, calling at vai ' ious poi ' ts in the Red Sea. Early in 1954 GEARING joined the Atlantic Fleet Hunter Killer force to participate with other fleet units in Operation Springboard, and later, in Operation Novorock, which in- cluded Canadian Ships. Other exercises in which the ship jiarticiijated were the Joint Civilian Oi-ientation Cruise in the spring of 1957 and LANTFLEX 2-58 and 2-59. Dur- ing these exercises GEARING visited ports on the Eastern Coast of the United States and in the Caribbean. Between overseas deployments and fleet exercises GEARING has been engaged in shorter operations, maintaining herself cons- tantly prepared to carry out her wai ' time mission. The ship is capable of speeds over 30 knots and carries the latest electronic equipment to aid in her primary job of anti- submarine warfare. She employs two ahead thrown weapon mounts as well as depth charges against submarines, three 5-inch 38 caliber twin gun mounts against air, surface and shore targets, 40 millimeter machine guns against aircraft, and high speed tor- pedoes against surface shipping. GEARING, a unit of Destroyer Squadron Four, has officially made her home in Char- leston, South Carolina, since April 1, 1959.

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COMMANDING OFFICER, U.S.S. GEARING DD-710 t k Mi r-a f i f »?«» JOHN R. HANKEY, CDR, USN CDR. J. R. Hankey was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1917. After attending local schools he graduated from the Boston Latin College in 1935, and Boston College in 1941, receiving an A.B. degree. Commissioned an Ensign in September of 1941, Captain Hankey reported aboard the USS RANGER (CV-4) in which he served from December 1941 to July 1944. In Sep- tember 1944 he reported to the USS RAN- DOLPH (CV-15), serving aboard her until July 1945. After World War U Captain Hankey at- tended General Line School and Post Grad- uate School. From April 1948 to April 1950 he served as Assistant Naval Attache in Helsinki, Finland. The following year Cap- tain Hankey saw service on the staff of CINCLANTFLT. Returning to sea duty in December of 1951, he reported to the USS HOLDER (DDE- 819) as Executive Officer. In August 1953 Captain Hankey assumed the duties of Executive Officer of the USS SHENAN- DOAH (AD-26). Leaving the SHENAN- DOAH in December 1954, he was on duty in Washington, D. C. for the next three and one half years. Captain Hankey has been Commanding Of- ficer of GEARING since August, 1958. He is married to the former Anne E. Devlin of Boston and is the father of two sons and a daughter.