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USS Maddox (DD-622)
Encyclopedia
USS Maddox (DD-622), a Gleaves
-class destroyer
, was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Captain William A. T. Maddox.
Maddox was laid down 7 May 1942 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Kearny, New Jersey
; launched 15 September 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Ellen-Venita Browning Wilhoit Gay, great granddaughter of Captain Maddox; and commissioned 31 October 1942, Lieutenant Commander
Eugene S. Sarsfield
in command.
After shakedown, Maddox departed New York 2 January 1943 for Norfolk, Virginia
where she commenced escort duties. Following her first two convoy
missions, safeguarding fleet oilers plying between Norfolk and the petroleum centers of Galveston, Texas
and Aruba
, Maddox began a series of trans-Atlantic voyages escorting convoys from New York
and Norfolk to north Africa
.
On 8 June 1943, Maddox departed Norfolk for Oran
, Algeria
, where she became a unit of Task Force 81 (TF81), the assault force for the Sicilian invasion
. As the assault troops landed 10 July, Maddox was on antisubmarine patrol about 16 miles offshore. Steaming alone, the destroyer was attacked by a German
dive bomber
. One of the bombs exploded Maddoxs after magazine, causing the ship to roll over and sink within 2 minutes. Lt. Comdr. Sarsfield was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross
for heroism displayed in supervising abandon ship. His action was responsible for saving the lives of 74 of the crew.
Maddox was struck from the Navy list
19 August 1943.
Maddox received two battle stars for World War II service.
Gleaves class destroyer
The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class...
-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 2nd 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 Captain William A. T. Maddox.
Maddox was laid down 7 May 1942 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, 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....
; launched 15 September 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Ellen-Venita Browning Wilhoit Gay, great granddaughter of Captain Maddox; and commissioned 31 October 1942, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Eugene S. Sarsfield
Eugene S. Sarsfield
Eugene S. Sarsfield was an officer of the United States Navy during World War II.Sarsfield was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 19 April 1902 and entered the United States Naval Academy in 1922...
in command.
After shakedown, Maddox departed New York 2 January 1943 for Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
where she commenced escort duties. Following her first two convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
missions, safeguarding fleet oilers plying between Norfolk and the petroleum centers of Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
and Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
, Maddox began a series of trans-Atlantic voyages escorting convoys from New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Norfolk to north Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
On 8 June 1943, Maddox departed Norfolk for Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, where she became a unit of Task Force 81 (TF81), the assault force for the Sicilian invasion
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
. As the assault troops landed 10 July, Maddox was on antisubmarine patrol about 16 miles offshore. Steaming alone, the destroyer was attacked by a German
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
. One of the bombs exploded Maddoxs after magazine, causing the ship to roll over and sink within 2 minutes. Lt. Comdr. Sarsfield was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for heroism displayed in supervising abandon ship. His action was responsible for saving the lives of 74 of the crew.
Maddox was struck from the Navy list
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...
19 August 1943.
Maddox received two battle stars for World War II service.