Sarsfield (DD 837) - Naval Cruise Book

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HISTORY The USS SARSFIELD QDD-8373 is named in honor of Commander Eugene Sarsfield, USN. Commander Sarsfield was Commanding Officer of the USS MADDOX when he perished with the loss of his ship as a result of enemy action off Gela, Sicily on 10 July 1943. He was posthu- mously awarded the Navy Cross for his her- oism and gallantry. SARSFIELD was built by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, and was launched on 27 May 1945. She was homeported at Key West, Florida as a test and evaluation ship for new equipment Qespecially ASW weapons systemsy being con- sidered for fleet-wide use. Subsequently, SARSFIELD spent a good deal of time underway in the Caribbean. She participated in both the Mercury and Gemini Space Programs as a recovery vessel in addi- tion to participating in many fleet-wide exer- cises. In 1963 SARSFIELD was modernized through the Fleet Rehabilitation and Maintenance Program at the Boston Navy Yard. Highly sophisticated electronic equipment and modern weapons systems, including the Anti-Submarine Rocket QASROCJ, were installed in order to in- crease her versatility and effectiveness. In addition to her various activities in ad- jacent home waters and the Caribbean, she has also been deployed overseas. In 1967 SARSFIELD was deployed to the Mediterranean as part of a Submarine Hunter!Kil1er Group QHUKL During the deployment she successfully tracked a Russian submarine for two days, forcing it to the surface. Shortly after returning from the Mediterranean, SARSFIELD's homeport was changed to Mayport, F1orida.,In July 1968 she was first sent to the Red Sea-Indian Ocean area as part of the U.S. Middle East Forces. While deployed she visited ports in South America, East and West Africa, and the Indian sub- continent. In the first half of 1969 SARSFIELD again participated in fleet exercises as well as taking part in the launching of a Polaris A-2 missile from the USS LAFAYETTE QSSBN-6165 by acting as support and evaluation ship. SARSFIELD was deployed during thelatter half of 1969 as a participant in UNITAS X, circumnavigating South America and conducting training exercises with many South American Naval units. After preparing for overseas de- ployment during the ship's regular overhaul period in Charleston Naval Shipyard, SARS- FIELD and her crew trained for two months in mid-1970 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She departed for the Middle East 7 January 1971. SARSFIELD's wide variety of activities has enabled her to maintain a constant state of readiness. The advent of nuclear powered submarines has considerably increased the role of the ASW destroyer. Because of her exper- ience and versatility SARSFIELD is well pre- pared to meet this new challenge.