USS Carmick (DD-493/ DMS-33)

USS Carmick (DD-493/ DMS-33) was a Gleaves class destroyer that served on convoy escort duty in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, supported the D-Day invasion and the invasion of the South of France, and after the war served as a mine sweeper in the Pacific.

The Carmick was named after Daniel Carmick, who served in the US Marines during the Quasi-War with France and the War of 1812.

The Carmick was laid down by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Co of Seattle, launched on 8 March 1942 when she was sponsored by Mrs H.L. Merill and commissioned on 28 December 1942.

The Carmick 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.

1943

The Carmick left San Diego on 19 February 1943 heading for Norfolk, Virginia and service in the Atlantic and Mediteranean. Her career begain in April when she escorted a convoy to Argentia, then returned to New York to join the escort of a slow convoy heading to Casablanca.

On 8 May, during this crossing of the Atlantic, she dropped three depth charges on a possible U-boat before having to return to the convoy. She was back at New York by 1 June. She then moved north to Casco Bay for training, but hit a submerged object on 16 June which forced her to move to Boston for four months of repairs.

She returned to service on 5 November when she departed from the US to guard a convoy to Londonderry.

In December she escorted the Chikaskia (AO-54) to Aruba.

1944

In January 1944 she protected the Hornet (CV-12) during the carrier’s shakedown cruise off Bermuda.

In February she tested equipment for the Bureau of Ships and on separate voyages escorted the new carrier Wasp (CV-18) and the new cruiser Quincy (CA-71) to Trinidad.

USS Carmick (DMS-33) at Pearl Harbor, 1950s

From 29 March she took part in anti-submarine hunter-killer operations with Destroyer Squadron 18. On 2 April she made two depth charge attacks on a possible U-boat detected on sonar and later on the same day dodged a torpedo.

On 18 April she left Boston heading for Plymouth, England, arriving on 28 April, where she joined the forcing being gathered for the D-Day invasion.

On 25 May the American steamner Exhibitor collided with USS Endicott while passing through the Irish Sea. The Carmick escorted her to Milford Haven.

On D-Day she was part of TG 124.9 (Rear Admiral Bryant), which was built around the battleships Texas and Arkansas, the British cruiser HMS Glasgow and the Free French cruisers George Leygues and Montcalm.

She was used to support the 116th and 115th Regimental Combat Teams of the 29th Infantry Division as they fought on Dog and Easy Green sectors in the centre of Omaha Beach. Soon after the troops landed the destroyers were ordered to stop firing as some of their shells were falling into the US troops.

At 6.47 she recorded coming under fire from a German shore battery, and at 6.50 she recorded silencing that battery with her 5in guns.

At one point on D-Day she was so close to the beach that she was able to act in support of an individual tank, firing on the same targets until the tank commander started acting as a spotter. This helped the US tanks approach the Vierville draw, and was the first break in the ceasefire order. Once firing was allowed the Carmick targeted the exit from Dog Green beach from 10, which helped US troops captured Vierville by 11.

During the day she fired 1,127 rounds of 5in ammo. She ran out of ammo before midnight and withdrew to the anti-submarine screen.

After D-Day the Carmick remained off the beachhead until 17 June, mainly operating against enemy air attacks and protecting the massive fleets that supported the invasion.

On 10 June she reported four separate air raids. The first involved two Henschel Hs 293 remote controlled glide bombs. One came straight for her, was targeted by electronic jamming and crashed suddenly into the sea. At 0440 she fired on a Heinkel He 177 which crashed into the sea.

For a month after leaving the D-Day area she was used on screening duties in the Channel, before on 18 July she departed for the Mediterranean to support the invasion of the South of France.

After her arrival in the Mediterranean she was used on convoy escort duties during the build-up.

Convoy duty in connection with the buildup for the invasion of southern France continued until 15 August, day of the preliminary attacks on the coast between Toulon and Cannes.-

On 13 August the Carmick, Madison, Baldwin (DD-624), Haines (DE-792) and Marsh (DE-699) left Castellamare Bay, Italy, heading for the assault area, arriving on 15 August. Once Operation Dragoon began she carried out a similar mix of shore bombardment and shipping protection as on D-Day. On 18 August she destroyed an E-boat.

After leaving the immediate area of the fighting she was used on convoy escort duty in the western Mediterranean before departed for New York on 23 September, for an overhaul.

After this overhaul she made three more convoy escort missions to Casablanca and Oran.

1945

On 26 January 1945 the Carmick joined the forces escorted President Roosevelt east across the Atlantic. She formed part of the anti-submarine screen ahead of the main force until 28 January, when she was detached and sent to the Panama Canal with the rest of her task group.

She also escorted the Presidential party for part of the voyage back, joining on 20 February west of Gibraltar. On 21 February she was sent to identify an unknown ship that had appeared, but this turned out to be the Douglas E. Howard (DE-138) part of the screen of the Mission Bay (CVE-59). The Carmick was detached from the force on 24 February after taking on oil.

On 10 June 1945 she entered the Philadelphia Navy Yard to be converted into a high speed mine sweeper. On 23 June she became DMS-33.

She wasn’t ready to depart for the Pacific until 27 August, too late to take part in the fighting. She arrived at Okinawa on 15 October and began minesweeping operations in the Yellow Sea.

Postwar

After the war she remained in the Far East supporting the occupation forces before returning to San Francisco on 20 April 1946. Unlike many of her sister ships she remained with the active fleet.

In the summer and autumn of 1947 she carried out a tour of duty in the western Pacific, but she spent most of the next few years on local operations along the west coast.

She left San Diego on 4 October 1950, and reached Sasebo on 22 October, ready to join the UN forces fighting in the Korean War. She joined TF 95, based at Yokosuka, Japan, and was used to patrol along both coasts of Korea, carrying out a mix of fire support and minesweeping operations. From 29 October-3 December she was used to sweep the dangerous harbour at Chinnampo, winning the Navy Unit Commendation for her actions.

She returned to San Diego on 21 November for an overhaul and training.

She left San Diego on 7 May 1952 for a second Korean tour. She was used to patrol off Yang Do Island (in the river close to Pyongyang), bombarded the rail centre at Songjin (now Kimch’aek), in the north-east of Korea. In February 1953 she provided gunfire support for minesweepers.

She returned to Long Beach, California for an overhaul on 14 March. In June she began work with the Fleet Sonar School at San Diego. She then moved to San Francisco to be prepared for inactivation. She was placed out of commissioned and into the reserve on 13 February 1954. She was reclassified as DD-493 on 15 July 1955. She was sold for scrap on 7 August 1972.

Carmick received three battle stars for World War II service, for Normandy, the south of France and Pacific minesweeping. She won five battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for service during the Korean War.

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.

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