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USS Hugh Purvis (DD-709)
Encyclopedia
USS Hugh Purvis (DD-709), an Allen M. Sumner-class
destroyer
, is currently the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Hugh Purvis
, a marine who served from 1869 to 1884 and was awarded the Medal of Honor
. The ship was launched by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey
, 17 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Mary Alice Purvis, widow of Corporal Purvis; and commissioned 1 March 1945, Commander
B. L. (Byron Lawrence) Gurnette in command (until 10/1/45).
, Hugh Purvis transited the Panama Canal
to take part in training exercises in Hawaii
an waters after the close of World War II
, returning to Casco Bay, Maine, 16 April 1946. After a long overhaul at New York
she trained in the Caribbean and arrived her new homeport at Newport, Rhode Island
on 14 December 1946. Hugh Purvis sailed for her first Europe
an cruise 2 February 1947 and after exercises with allied ships in the north Atlantic, formed a part of the United State's official party at the burial of King Christian X
of Denmark
in April. The ship returned to Newport 14 August and took part in antisubmarine exercises off the New England
coast the balance of the year.
Hugh Purvis departed Newport for her first cruise with the U.S. 6th Fleet 13 September 1948. For the next 5 months she took part in the fleet's vital work of peacekeeping. Returning to Newport 10 February 1949, she operated from that port until sailing 27 June for New Orleans. Hugh Purvis made reserve training cruises out of the gulf port until returning to Newport and regular fleet duties 10 December 1950.
As the demands on the Navy increased during the Korean War
, Hugh Purvis continued intensive readiness training. She made another Mediterranean Sea
cruise March to October 1951, and took part in another giant NATO cruise in August 1952. Another 6th Fleet cruise was completed in July 1953 after which the veteran ship embarked midshipmen for a Caribbean training cruise. She participated in Operation Springboard in the Caribbean before returning to Newport 23 November 1953.
Hugh Purvis spent 1954 on training operations the western Atlantic, but sailed 5 January 1955 for another important deployment with the 6th Fleet. She returned 26 May to join a hunter-killer group in antisubmarine exercises until July 1956. On 2 July she sailed again for duty in the troubled Mediterranean, joining other 6th Fleet units in that ancient center of civilization. During this period, American power afloat did much to dampen the Suez Crisis
and to discourage foreign interference in this vital area. While in the Persian Gulf
in October 1956, Hugh Purvis acted as an escort vessel during evacuation of refugees from Haifa, Israel, and the removal of United Nations
Truce Team officials from Gaza
, Egypt
.
During the summer of 1957, the destroyer took part in another midshipman training cruise to Chile
and the Panama Canal Zone
, and operated with NATO units in the north Atlantic. In early 1958 she trained in the Caribbean, sailing 12 June for visits to NATO countries in northern Europe. It was during this crucial period that the 6th Fleet was proving its peacekeeping power in the Lebanon Crisis
, and was successful in preventing a leftist
revolt.
After her return from Europe in August 1958 she began 16 months of training and experimental work with the Destroyer Development Group designed to increase her fighting capacity for the modern navy. In March 1960 she entered Boston Naval Shipyard to begin a Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization
(FRAM) overhaul, which included extensive refitting and the installation of a helicopter
landing deck and hangar aft. Emerging with a greatly increased life span, the ship took part in antisubmarine exercises in January 1961, including the use of the new DASH antisubmarine drone helicopter. Hugh Purvis then sailed 8 March for her sixth deployment to the Mediterranean. During this cruise the fleet stood by for any eventuality during a deepening of the Berlin Crisis
. The ship returned to Newport 4 October 1961.
In January 1962, as the dawning space age increased America's need for control of the sea, Hugh Purvis, while attached to Destroyer Development Group Two, operated in the Atlantic recovery area, aiding in the historic recovery of Col. John Glenn
's Project Mercury
space capsule. Sonar
exercises occupied her until late October, when the introduction of offensive missiles into Cuba
precipitated another Cold War
crisis. Hugh Purvis proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, where she remained on station to provide gunfire support to the marines during the Cuban Missile Crisis
. She returned to Newport 20 December 1962 and throughout the next year took part in antisubmarine exercises with antisubmarine warfare (ASW) carriers and helicopters in the Atlantic.
The year 1964 found her preparing for her annual operational readiness inspection and in February of that year she entered the Boston Naval Shipyard for a regular overhaul. After overhaul and a new radar
radome mounted on a 30-foot mast she began evaluation of a new ASW sensor. On 18 January 1965 she sailed from Newport to become an important part of Operation "Springboard". At the completion of competitive year 1965, Hugh Purvis was awarded two Cruiser Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet, departmental excellence awards in operations and weaponry. During the latter part of 1965 Hugh Purvis was adapted for a new conformed planar array sonar at the Boston Naval Shipyard.
Ready for action 21 January 1966 Hugh Purvis operated along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean through most of the year. On 6 March she rescued fishing boat Good Will II and her crew of five. The destroyer sailed for the Mediterranean 29 November, and transited the Straits of Gibraltar 7 December to join the 6th Fleet. She operated in the eastern Mediterranean into 1967.
Hugh Purvis underwent a regular overhaul period in early 1968. Following this, she trained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in preparation for a Western Pacific
deployment. She departed on this deployment in August, arriving on station off Vietnam in support of carrier and gunfire support operations. During this time, she was responsible for salvage and recovery of USS Safeguard (ARS-25)
. For her service during this deployment, she was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation
and Combat Action Ribbon
.
Following this deployment, Hugh Purvis transferred from the Destroyer Development Group to Destroyer Division 102. In the summer of 1969, she participated in training exercises in the Caribbean and served as a training ship for destroyer school. In November, she participated in searching and rescue operations for the SS Koa. In 1970 she once again trained at Guantanamo Bay in anticipation of her final deployment to the Mediterranean.
Allen M. Sumner class destroyer
The Allen M. Sumner class was a group of 58 destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Another twelve ships were completed as destroyer minelayers...
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...
, is currently the only 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 Hugh Purvis
Hugh Purvis
Hugh Purvis was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for actions on board the during the United States expedition to Korea.-Biography:...
, a marine who served from 1869 to 1884 and was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. The ship was launched by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
, 17 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Mary Alice Purvis, widow of Corporal Purvis; and commissioned 1 March 1945, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
B. L. (Byron Lawrence) Gurnette in command (until 10/1/45).
History
Following shakedown training in the Caribbean SeaCaribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, Hugh Purvis transited 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...
to take part in training exercises in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an waters after the close of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, returning to Casco Bay, Maine, 16 April 1946. After a long overhaul at 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...
she trained in the Caribbean and arrived her new homeport at Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
on 14 December 1946. Hugh Purvis sailed for her first Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an cruise 2 February 1947 and after exercises with allied ships in the north Atlantic, formed a part of the United State's official party at the burial of King Christian X
Christian X of Denmark
Christian X was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and the only King of Iceland between 1918 and 1944....
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
in April. The ship returned to Newport 14 August and took part in antisubmarine exercises off the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast the balance of the year.
Hugh Purvis departed Newport for her first cruise with the U.S. 6th Fleet 13 September 1948. For the next 5 months she took part in the fleet's vital work of peacekeeping. Returning to Newport 10 February 1949, she operated from that port until sailing 27 June for New Orleans. Hugh Purvis made reserve training cruises out of the gulf port until returning to Newport and regular fleet duties 10 December 1950.
As the demands on the Navy increased during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Hugh Purvis continued intensive readiness training. She made another Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
cruise March to October 1951, and took part in another giant NATO cruise in August 1952. Another 6th Fleet cruise was completed in July 1953 after which the veteran ship embarked midshipmen for a Caribbean training cruise. She participated in Operation Springboard in the Caribbean before returning to Newport 23 November 1953.
Hugh Purvis spent 1954 on training operations the western Atlantic, but sailed 5 January 1955 for another important deployment with the 6th Fleet. She returned 26 May to join a hunter-killer group in antisubmarine exercises until July 1956. On 2 July she sailed again for duty in the troubled Mediterranean, joining other 6th Fleet units in that ancient center of civilization. During this period, American power afloat did much to dampen the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
and to discourage foreign interference in this vital area. While in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
in October 1956, Hugh Purvis acted as an escort vessel during evacuation of refugees from Haifa, Israel, and the removal of United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Truce Team officials from Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
During the summer of 1957, the destroyer took part in another midshipman training cruise to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, and operated with NATO units in the north Atlantic. In early 1958 she trained in the Caribbean, sailing 12 June for visits to NATO countries in northern Europe. It was during this crucial period that the 6th Fleet was proving its peacekeeping power in the Lebanon Crisis
Lebanon crisis of 1958
The 1958 Lebanon crisis was a Lebanese political crisis caused by political and religious tensions in the country. It included a U.S. military intervention.-Background:...
, and was successful in preventing a leftist
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
revolt.
After her return from Europe in August 1958 she began 16 months of training and experimental work with the Destroyer Development Group designed to increase her fighting capacity for the modern navy. In March 1960 she entered Boston Naval Shipyard to begin a Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization
Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization
The Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization program of the United States Navy extended the lives of World War II-era destroyers by shifting their mission from a surface attack role to that of a submarine hunter...
(FRAM) overhaul, which included extensive refitting and the installation of a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
landing deck and hangar aft. Emerging with a greatly increased life span, the ship took part in antisubmarine exercises in January 1961, including the use of the new DASH antisubmarine drone helicopter. Hugh Purvis then sailed 8 March for her sixth deployment to the Mediterranean. During this cruise the fleet stood by for any eventuality during a deepening of the Berlin Crisis
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War and the first resulting in casualties. During the multinational occupation of post-World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway and road access to the sectors of Berlin under Allied...
. The ship returned to Newport 4 October 1961.
In January 1962, as the dawning space age increased America's need for control of the sea, Hugh Purvis, while attached to Destroyer Development Group Two, operated in the Atlantic recovery area, aiding in the historic recovery of Col. John Glenn
John Glenn
John Herschel Glenn, Jr. is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States senator who was the first American to orbit the Earth and the third American in space. Glenn was a Marine Corps fighter pilot before joining NASA's Mercury program as a member of NASA's original...
's Project Mercury
Project Mercury
In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,...
space capsule. Sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
exercises occupied her until late October, when the introduction of offensive missiles into Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
precipitated another Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
crisis. Hugh Purvis proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, where she remained on station to provide gunfire support to the marines during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
. She returned to Newport 20 December 1962 and throughout the next year took part in antisubmarine exercises with antisubmarine warfare (ASW) carriers and helicopters in the Atlantic.
The year 1964 found her preparing for her annual operational readiness inspection and in February of that year she entered the Boston Naval Shipyard for a regular overhaul. After overhaul and a new radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
radome mounted on a 30-foot mast she began evaluation of a new ASW sensor. On 18 January 1965 she sailed from Newport to become an important part of Operation "Springboard". At the completion of competitive year 1965, Hugh Purvis was awarded two Cruiser Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet, departmental excellence awards in operations and weaponry. During the latter part of 1965 Hugh Purvis was adapted for a new conformed planar array sonar at the Boston Naval Shipyard.
Ready for action 21 January 1966 Hugh Purvis operated along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean through most of the year. On 6 March she rescued fishing boat Good Will II and her crew of five. The destroyer sailed for the Mediterranean 29 November, and transited the Straits of Gibraltar 7 December to join the 6th Fleet. She operated in the eastern Mediterranean into 1967.
Hugh Purvis underwent a regular overhaul period in early 1968. Following this, she trained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in preparation for a Western Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
deployment. She departed on this deployment in August, arriving on station off Vietnam in support of carrier and gunfire support operations. During this time, she was responsible for salvage and recovery of USS Safeguard (ARS-25)
USS Safeguard (ARS-25)
USS Safeguard was an commissioned by the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels.Safeguard was laid down on 5 June 1943 by the Basalt Rock Company in Napa, California; launched on 20 November 1943; and commissioned on 30 September 1944 at the Southern...
. For her service during this deployment, she was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
and Combat Action Ribbon
Combat Action Ribbon
The Combat Action Ribbon is a personal military decoration of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard which is awarded to those who, in any grade including and below that of a Captain in the Navy and Coast Guard , have actively participated in ground or...
.
Following this deployment, Hugh Purvis transferred from the Destroyer Development Group to Destroyer Division 102. In the summer of 1969, she participated in training exercises in the Caribbean and served as a training ship for destroyer school. In November, she participated in searching and rescue operations for the SS Koa. In 1970 she once again trained at Guantanamo Bay in anticipation of her final deployment to the Mediterranean.