.gif)
USS Brownson (DD-868)
Encyclopedia
USS Brownson (DD-868), a Gearing-class
destroyer
, was the second ship of the United States Navy
to be
named for Rear Admiral Willard H. Brownson
, USN (1845–1935).
Brownson was designed by Gibbs and Cox, Naval Architects, New York office. It's keel was laid down by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation at Staten Island
in New York
on 13 February 1945; launched
on 7 July 1945, sponsored by Ensign Caroline Brownson Hart, USNR
, granddaughter of Admiral Brownson; and commissioned
on 17 November 1945, Commander William R. Cox in command.
Brownson conducted shakedown in the Atlantic and Caribbean
and was then placed in a reduced operational status at Bath
, Maine
for six months. Resuming active operations in October 1946, she participated in Operation Highjump
between November 1946 and April 1947. On 10 February 1947, a boat party attempted to make a landing in the Antarctic
on Charcot Island
but was unsuccessful because of heavy field ice
within three miles of the coastline.
Brownson spent the summer and fall of 1947 operating out of Newport, R.I.
. In February 1948 she took part in the 2nd Fleet exercises in the Caribbean and then Joined the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. She returned to Newport in June 1948 and spent June 1948 to May 1949 conducting reserve cruises.
In May 1949 she entered Boston Naval Shipyard for an extensive modernization which lasted until March 1950. She conducted refresher training in the Caribbean and in the summer of 1950 made a Midshipman
cruise in the Caribbean. She then participated in fleet exercises, operating out of Newport.
During night operations on Bermuda
on 8 November 1950 Brownson collided with Charles H. Roan
(DD-853). She returned to Boston for repairs and further modernization. Leaving the yard in February 1951 she joined the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. The period between October 1951 and August 1952 was spent in the vicinity of Newport. In August 1952 she went to the North Atlantic with the 2nd Fleet for NATO's Operation Mainbrace
. In October 1952 she rejoined the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Returning to Newport in February 1953, she operated along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Caribbean until August 1954, with the exception of one Midshipmen cruise and participation in Operation Springboard.
She departed Newport 2 August for an extended tour in the Far East
with the 7th Fleet. In the Far East Brownson cruised in Japan
ese, Philippine
, and Korea
n waters until January 1955. Departing the Far East she returned to the east coast, via the Suez Canal
, arriving at Newport 14 March 1955.
Brownson received the FRAM II modifications in 1959-60. This included removal of gun mount 53, where a DASH (Drone, Antisubmarine Helicopter) deck/hangar was placed. It was also lengthened about 20 feet, and received ASROC
, among other things. It returned from service in Viet Nam via the Panama Canal
in 1967. It was later modified in the Boston NSY in 1967 with a large, low frequency, rubberized, prototype SONAR
dome just forward of midships and a smaller SONAR receiver, aft but also along the keel, to achieve '3D' SONAR 'pictures'. It spent several months operating out of Newport with the DESDEV (Destroyer Development Group) evaluating the SONAR system. This required that it get underweigh during heavy storms to evaluate the new dome under conditions of high sea states. It underwent REFTRA (Refresher Training) in Gitmo in winter 1968-69, joined the Sixth Fleet north of Egypt that spring, and participated in NATO fleet exercises.
Brownson was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on 30 September 1976 and sold for scrap on 10 June 1977.
Gearing class destroyer
The Gearing class was a group of 98 destroyers built for the US Navy during and shortly after World War II. The Gearing design was a minor modification of the immediately preceding Allen M. Sumner class...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
, was the second ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be
named for Rear Admiral Willard H. Brownson
Willard H. Brownson
Rear Admiral Willard Herbert Brownson, USN was a United States Navy officer whose career included service against pirates in Mexico, and service during the Spanish-American War. He also served a term as Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy.-Early Life and Career:A native of Lyons, New...
, USN (1845–1935).
Brownson was designed by Gibbs and Cox, Naval Architects, New York office. It's keel was laid down by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation at Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 13 February 1945; launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 7 July 1945, sponsored by Ensign Caroline Brownson Hart, USNR
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
, granddaughter of Admiral Brownson; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 17 November 1945, Commander William R. Cox in command.
Brownson conducted shakedown in the Atlantic and Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and was then placed in a reduced operational status at Bath
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
for six months. Resuming active operations in October 1946, she participated in Operation Highjump
Operation Highjump
Operation Highjump , officially titled The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946-1947, was a United States Navy operation organized by RADM Richard E. Byrd Jr. USN, , Officer in Charge, Task Force 68, and led by RADM Richard H. Cruzen, USN, Commanding Officer, Task Force 68....
between November 1946 and April 1947. On 10 February 1947, a boat party attempted to make a landing in the Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
on Charcot Island
Charcot Island
Charcot Island or Charcot Land is an island of the British Antarctic Territory, long and wide, which is ice covered except for prominent mountains overlooking the north coast, west of Alexander Island.-History:...
but was unsuccessful because of heavy field ice
Sea ice
Sea ice is largely formed from seawater that freezes. Because the oceans consist of saltwater, this occurs below the freezing point of pure water, at about -1.8 °C ....
within three miles of the coastline.
Brownson spent the summer and fall of 1947 operating out of Newport, R.I.
Naval Station Newport
The Naval Station Newport is a United States Navy base located in the towns of Newport and Middletown, Rhode Island. Naval Station Newport is home to the Naval War College and the Naval Justice School...
. In February 1948 she took part in the 2nd Fleet exercises in the Caribbean and then Joined the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. She returned to Newport in June 1948 and spent June 1948 to May 1949 conducting reserve cruises.
In May 1949 she entered Boston Naval Shipyard for an extensive modernization which lasted until March 1950. She conducted refresher training in the Caribbean and in the summer of 1950 made a Midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
cruise in the Caribbean. She then participated in fleet exercises, operating out of Newport.
During night operations on Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
on 8 November 1950 Brownson collided with Charles H. Roan
USS Charles H. Roan (DD-853)
USS Charles H. Roan was a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy. The ship was named after Charles Howard Roan, a Marine who lost his life in action on the island of Palau....
(DD-853). She returned to Boston for repairs and further modernization. Leaving the yard in February 1951 she joined the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. The period between October 1951 and August 1952 was spent in the vicinity of Newport. In August 1952 she went to the North Atlantic with the 2nd Fleet for NATO's Operation Mainbrace
Operation Mainbrace
Exercise Mainbrace was the first large-scale naval exercise undertaken by the newly established Allied Command Atlantic , one of the two principal military commands of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . It was part of a series of NATO exerciseS jointly commanded by Supreme Allied Commander...
. In October 1952 she rejoined the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Returning to Newport in February 1953, she operated along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Caribbean until August 1954, with the exception of one Midshipmen cruise and participation in Operation Springboard.
She departed Newport 2 August for an extended tour in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
with the 7th Fleet. In the Far East Brownson cruised in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese, Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n waters until January 1955. Departing the Far East she returned to the east coast, via the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, arriving at Newport 14 March 1955.
- [1955-1976]
Brownson received the FRAM II modifications in 1959-60. This included removal of gun mount 53, where a DASH (Drone, Antisubmarine Helicopter) deck/hangar was placed. It was also lengthened about 20 feet, and received ASROC
ASROC
ASROC is an all-weather, all sea-conditions anti-submarine missile system. Developed by the United States Navy in the 1950s, it was deployed in the 1960s, updated in the 1990s, and eventually installed on over 200 USN surface ships, specifically cruisers, destroyers, and frigates...
, among other things. It returned from service in Viet Nam via the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
in 1967. It was later modified in the Boston NSY in 1967 with a large, low frequency, rubberized, prototype SONAR
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
dome just forward of midships and a smaller SONAR receiver, aft but also along the keel, to achieve '3D' SONAR 'pictures'. It spent several months operating out of Newport with the DESDEV (Destroyer Development Group) evaluating the SONAR system. This required that it get underweigh during heavy storms to evaluate the new dome under conditions of high sea states. It underwent REFTRA (Refresher Training) in Gitmo in winter 1968-69, joined the Sixth Fleet north of Egypt that spring, and participated in NATO fleet exercises.
Brownson was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 30 September 1976 and sold for scrap on 10 June 1977.
External links
- navsource.org: USS Brownson
- hazegray.org: USS Brownson
- USS Brownson Association
- http://www.south-pole.com/brownson.htm/ Brownson South-Pole Expedition
- http://www.hullnumber.com/DD-868/Brownson History
- http://www.mesothelioma.com/asbestos-exposure/jobsites/ships/destroyers/uss-brownson-dd-868.htm/Crew asbestos exposure
- http://www.steelnavy.com/DragonBrownsonJP.htm/Jeff Prowse model of the Brownson
- http://bluejacket.com/usn/insignia/sp/df/dd868_brownson_insig.jpg/Brownson patch
