USS Davison (DMS-37) in harbor, 1945 |
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USS Davison (DD-618/ DMS-37) was a Gleaves class destroyer that supported Operation Torch, the invasion of Sicily, then spent most of the rest of the war on convoy escort duty, before being converted into a fast minesweeper and taking part in the post-war mine sweeping operations in the Pacific.
The Davison was named after Gregory Caldwell Davison who served in the US Navy from 1892-1907, specializing in torpedo boat operations.
The Davison was laid down by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J., launched on 19 July 1942 when it was sponsored by Mrs G.C. Davison, and commissioned on 11 September 1942.
The Davison 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.
1942
On 28 October she escorted the new cruiser Montpelier (CL-57) to Norfolk, Virginia, to start her training in Chesapeake Bay.
On 13 November 1942 she left New York as part of the escort of a convoy carrying reinforcements and supplies to Safi, French Morocco, to support Operation Torch. She reached North Africa in early December.
1943
The Davison returned to New York on 10 January 1943. Between 8 February and 28 April she took part in two more convoy escort missions to North Africa and back.
On 6 June she departed from Norfolk heading to Oran to take part in the invasion of Sicily. She sortied with TF 85 on 10 July, acting as a convoy escort and patrol vessel off the transport area. She returned to Oran on 22 July and on 28 July departed for New York, arriving on 8 August.
On 21 August she left New York to escort Convoy UGF 10 to Bizerte. On 2 September this convoy was attacked by enemy aircraft inside the Mediterranean, and the destroyer Kendrick was torpedoed. At first she was guarded by the Beatty (DD-640), before the Davison took over during the night.
On 7 October she left port to escort a convoy to Belfast and then on to Palermo, Sicily. This convoy was attacked by German aircraft based in the south of France on 6 November, off Algiers. The Davison claimed one victory and then helped the survivors of the Beatty and two merchant ships that had been torpedoed.
1944
The Davison made the return voyage by the same route, visiting Belfast on the way back to New York, where she arrived on 24 January 1944.
Between 11 February and 21 April she made two trips to Northern Ireland and Scotland. She then switched to the Mediterranean routes and escorted convoys between the US East Coast and Naples, Marseilles and Oran until 7 June 1945.
She returned by way of Belfast to New York 24 January 1944, making two escort voyages to Northern Ireland and Scotland between 11 February and 21 April escorting convoys from Norfolk and New York to Naples, Marseilles, and Oran until 7 June 1945.
1945
On 8 June 1945 the Davison reached Charleston, where she was converted into a high speed minesweeper. She was reclassified as DMS-37 on 23 June, and trained in Chesapeake Bay until 27 August. She then departed for the western Pacific, arriving at Okinawa on 15 October, well after the end of the war against Japan.
Post-War
She was used to sweep mines in the Yellow Sea and remained in the Far East until 11 March 1946. She then departed from Yokosuka, heading for San Francisco.
The Davison made two more trips to the western Pacific. The first came between 12 September 1946 and 29 March 1947 and saw her visit Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, Guam, China and Korea and Kwajalein.
The second saw her visit the Marshall Islands to help a team from the Naval Research Laboratory with balloon tests. She departed on 10 March 1948 and was back at San Diego on 4 June.
She was placed out of commission and into the reserve at San Diego on 24 June 1949. She was reclassified as DD-618 on 15 July 1955. She was struck off on 15 January 1972 and sold for scrap on 27 August 1973.
Davison received three battle stars for World War II service, for Sicily, convoy KMF-25A and Pacific Minesweeping. Anyone who served on her between 13 October 1945-12 March 1946 or 11 October 1946-6 March 1947 qualified for the Navy Occupation Service Medal
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 |
26 February 1942 |
Launched |
19 July 1942 |
Commissioned |
11 September 1942 |
Struck off |
15 January 1972 |
Sold for scrap |
27 August 1973 |
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.
