USS Gherardi (DD-637) and USS Butler (DD-636) ready to launch |
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USS Butler (DD-636) was a Gleaves class destroyer that took part in the invasion of Sicily, the D-Day landings, the invasion of the South of France and the battle of Okinawa, where she was badly damaged by a kamikaze, ending her war.
The Butler was named after Smedley D. Butler who served in the Marine Corps during the Spanish-American War, the Boxer Rebellion, in Veracruz and Haiti (winning the Medal of Honor in both actions), then on the Western Front of the First World War, where he won both Army and Navy Distinguished Service Medals.
The Butler was laid down at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, launched on 12 February 1942 (alongside the Gherardi (DD-637), when she was sponsored by General Butler’s daughter Mrs John Wehle and commissioned on 15 August 1942.
The Butler was originally classified as a Bristol class ship, which were built with four 5in guns instead of the five installed on the Livermore/ Gleaves class. However after the fifth gun was removed from those ships all of the Bristol class ships joined the Livermore/ Gleaves class.
After her shakedown cruise the Butler was used on escort duties in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic.
On 11 December 1942 she left Norfolk with the Roe (DD-418) and Glennon (DD-620) to escort a convoy of five oilers to Galveston, Texas. On 16 December the Glennon attacked a suspected U-boat, bringing oil to the surface. The convoy reached Galveston on 17 December.
1943
On 14 January 1943 she departed for Casablanca. She then moved on to Dakar, which had been held for the Vichy regime, but changed sides after the Germans occupied Vichy France. This meant that the French warships at Dakar joined the Free French, and the Butler escorted the battleship Richelieu and cruiser Montcalm from Dakar to New York, where they would be prepared for service with the Allies.
After her return to New York she underwent an overhaul, and then spent several months on coastal escort duties.
From 6-9 April she helped escort a large convoy of LSTs from New York to Bermuda.
On 2 June she was part of a force of eight destroyers that carried out exercises off Norfolk.
On 8 June the Butler departed for the Mediterranean, to join the forces being gathered for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. She took part in training exercises at Oran and Algiers, then joined the invasion forces at Bizerte.
The Butler took part in the pre-invasion bombardment of Gela, and then supported the landings there on 10 July. She was then largely used on escort duties, taking part in the campaign until 12 August.
On the evening of 10 July she patrolled the transport area with the Murphy and Glennon.
At 0500 on 11 July she replaced the Shubrick as a fire support destroyer.
On 22 July she left the Gela area with the Glennon to escort the cruiser Boise to Bizerte, Tunisia. Soon afterwards they were joined by the Savannah, Shubrick and Herndon. This force reached Bizerte on 23 July 1943. Later on the same day the same force departed for Algiers, arriving on 24 July.
On 28 July the Butler left Algiers to help escort the cruisers Philadelphia and Savannah to Palermo, Sicily. On 31 July she replaced the Glennon as a fire support ship off Palermo.
On 12 August the Butler joined a convoy that had left Casablanca on the same day. The combined force then headed west across the Atlantic, reaching New York on 22 August.
After another overhaul the Butler returned to convoy escort duties.
From 5-14 September the Butler formed part of the escort of Convoy UT-2, from New York to Belfast.
From 21 September to 1 October she formed part of the escort for Convoy TU-2, from Northern Ireland to New York.
On 21 October she joined Task Force 69, built around the battleship Texas (BB-35). Later on the same day that force left New York to escort Convoy UT-4, a mix of troop ships and merchant ships, to Belfast. That evening the Murphy was hit by the oil tanker Bulkoil and cut in two. The stern sank, killing 38 men trapped below decks. Another 100 men were rescued from the sea. Remarkably the bow section stayed afloat and was towed back to the US. The convoy reached Belfast on 31 October.
On 7 November she joined Task Force 69 once again to escort the return convoy, TU-4, back to New York, arriving on 18 November.
On 5 December she left New York as part of the escort of Convoy UT-5, heading for Northern Ireland. The convoy arrived on 14 December.
1944
On 18 January 1944 she left New York as part of the escort of convoy UT-7, which reached Northern Ireland on 28 January.
She was back in American waters by 29 February, when she took part in exercises off Gravesend Bay.
On 23 March she sailed with Task Force 63, which arrived at Gibraltar on 1 April. On 6 April the task force left Gibraltar to escort Convoy GUS-35 back to New York, arriving on 22 April.
On 5 May 1944 the Butler left the US with a task force heading to Northern Ireland to join the forces being gathered for the D-Day landings. On 8 May she detected a possible U-boat on sonar, and she and the Shubrikck dropped depth charges, but without success. She reached Belfast on 14 May, then on 15-16 May moved on to Plymouth. She was back in Northern Ireland for naval gunfire support exercises on 31 May-1 June.
The Butler’s task group left Northern Ireland on 3 June to head south ready to take part in the invasion.
On D-Day she was part of the Western Naval Task Force, commanded by Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk. She served off Normandy from D-Day to 15 July, screening the heavy units of the bombardment group, and serving on the inshore fire support station.
At around 0830 on D-Day she helped rescue the survivors of USS Corry (DD-463), who had been in the water for two hours after their ship was sunk (probably after hitting a German mine).
In the evening she acted as a spotter for the cruiser Quincy as she fired on German strongpoints. At 1710 the pair attacked Target 82, a blockhouse. She then directed her fire onto German troops and the Quincy fired 77 8-in shells against them. At 1920 she directed the cruiser’s fire onto the strongpoint Target 86, but after only six shots the cruiser changed her target in response to an urgent request from her shore party.
On 7 June she was credited with knocking out one of the fortified German gun positions. She also worked with the Quincy to help rescued Allied airman downed into the channel.
The Butler next moved to the Mediterranean, to join the forces gathering for Operation Dragoon, the invasion of the South of France. From 12-30 August she escorted British escort carriers supporting the invasion.
She then returned to New York for another overhaul. This was followed by a convoy escort mission that took her to Marseilles in October.
She returned to New York on 27 October where work began on converting her into a high speed minesweeper. She became DMS-29 on 15 November, the work was competed on 21 December and she joined Mine Squadron 20 at Norfolk.
1945
On 3 January 1945 the Butler left the East Coast, heading for San Diego, then Pearl Harbor, where she underwent extensive training in her new role. She then moved on to Ulithi to join the forces gathering for the invasion of Okinawa.
The Butler took part in pre-invasion minesweeping in the waters around Okinawa. From 24 March onwards she joined the main invasion force, mainly on screen and picket duties, protecting the vast invasion fleet.
During the first two months of the battle she was attacked five times by kamikaze aircraft, none of which hit her. That changed on 25 May when two bombs from a kamikaze exploded under her keel. The explosion flooded the forward fire room, causing the loss of all steam and electric power. Fourteen men were killed and fifteen wounded. The West Virginia (BB-48) came to her aid, driving off two more Japanese aircraft and remaining in place until power was restored on the Butler.
The Butler was able to return to Kerama Retto under her own power. After temporary repairs she continued on to the United States, arriving on 26 August.
Post war
By this point the war was coming to an end, and it was decided not to return her to service. She was decommissioned on 8 November 1945, without being fully repaired, and was sold for scrap on 10 January 1948.
The Butler received the Navy Unit Commendation for Okinawa, and four battle stars, for Sicily, Normandy, the South of France and Okinawa.
Displacement (standard) |
1,630t design |
Displacement (loaded) |
2,395t |
Top Speed |
35kts design |
Engine |
2-shaft Westinghouse turbines |
Range |
6500nm at 12kt design |
Length |
348ft 3in |
Width |
36ft 1in |
Armaments |
Five 5in/38 guns |
Crew complement |
208 |
Laid down |
16 September 1941 |
Launched |
12 February 1942 |
Commissioned |
15 August 1942 |
Struck off |
28 November 1945 |
Sold for scrap |
10 January 1948 |
U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History, Norman Friedmann .
The standard history of the development of American destroyers, from the earliest torpedo boat destroyers to the post-war fleet, and covering the massive classes of destroyers built for both World Wars. Gives the reader a good understanding of the debates that surrounded each class of destroyer and led to their individual features.
USS Butler (DD-636) loading supplies 
USS Butler (DD-636) coming alongside USS Solomons (CVE-67) 
USS Butler (DD-636) of Philadelphia Navy Yard, 1942