USS Glennon (DD-620)

USS Glennon (DD-620) was a Gleaves class destroyer that was used on convoy escort duties and supported the invasions of Sicily and Normandy, where she was sunk after hitting a mine.

The Glennon was named after James Henry Glennon, who served in the US Navy during the Spanish-American War and in the campaign to conquer the Philippines. He also served as President of the Board of Naval Ordnance and on the Joint Army-Navy Board on Smokeless Powder, before serving as commander of Battleship Division 5 in 1918.  

The Glennon 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.

The Glennon (DD-620) was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J, launched on 26 August 1942 when she was sponsored by Miss Jeanne Lejeune Glennon, Admiral Glennons’ granddaughter and commissioned on 8 October 1942.

1943

After her shakedown cruise the Glennon escorted troop and supply convoys during the invasion of Sicily (9-15 July 1943). She returned to New York on 3 December 1943.

1944

Between then and 22 April 1944 she made two round trips to Britain and one to Gibraltar on convoy escort duty.

On 22 April she reached New York from Gibraltar and joined the forces gathering to support the D-Day invasions. On 5 May she left New York, and arrived in Northern Ireland on 14 May.

USS Glennon (DD-620) with stern damage, Normandy, 8 June 1944

The Glennon was assigned to Assault Force U of the Western Naval Task Force. She took part in the D-Day invasion on 6 June. Her first duties were to guard against submarines and E-boats, before moving on to close support duties. On 7 June she fired 430 5in shells in support of troops advancing north towards Quineville. 

Early on 8 June the Glennon was approaching her gunnery support station when her stern hit a mine. The resulting explosion killed 25 and wounded 38 men on the Glennon, but she stayed afloat. The minesweepers Staff and Threat and the destroyer escort Rich (DE-695) came to her assistance, but the Rich hit three mines. The second blew off 50ft of her stern and the second was under her forecastle. She sank within 15 minutes of the first explosion, with the loss of 90 men.

Despite the risk the Staff attempted to tow the Glennon away from the scene, but found she was securely fixed to the bottom by her starboard propeller. Most of the crew of the Glennon moved to the Staff, while a salvage crew remained onboard. They attempted to lightern her stern by moving fuel forwards and dumping depth charges and topside weight, but this made no difference.

On 9 June salvage equipment was gathered and 60 crew from the Glennon went back onboard.

Early on 10 June, just as the salvage operation was about to resume when a German battery near Quinneville opened fire on her. The second salvo hid amidships and cut off all power. After the third hit Commander Johnson gave the order to abandon ship. The salvage crew was taken off by a landing craft. The Glennon remained afloat until 2145 on 10 June when she finally capsized.

The Glennon was awarded two battle stars, for the invasions of Sicily and Normandy.

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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