USS Gherardi
Index of Allied warships during Operation Neptune
History, technical sheet and photo
USS Gherardi history
The USS Gherardi was launched on 12 February 1942 and entered service on 15 September of the same year. At the beginning of 1943, it began its convoy escort missions across the Atlantic and then took part in Operation Husky off Sicily, escorting Allied cruisers. On the night of August 3rd to 4th, it destroyed a German S-Boot. In the second half of 1943, it again escorted convoys to the Atlantic.
On May 8, 1944, it traveled to Northern Ireland to participate in Operation Neptune. On the night of June 5-6, it escorted the Allied war-ships to Utah Beach: off the beach it bombarded German positions in this sector of D-Day until June 25, when the Gherardi is deployed off Cherbourg within Task Force 129 to bombard the German batteries defending the port city.
On July 18, it joined the Mediterranean sea and on August 15 it participated in the landing of Provence, south of France, before returning to the United States to be transformed into a rapid minesweeper. At the beginning of 1945, USS Gherardi was deployed to the Pacific and took part in the battle of Okinawa in the 5th Wing. In July 1945, it became the flagship of the 60th minesweepers fleet and operated in the China Sea.
Engaged in the Mediterranean sea within the 6th Squadron from 3 January 1949 and again in 1952, it was also deployed in the Caribbean before being placed in reserve on 17 December 1955. On 3 June 1973 it was deliberately sunk During shooting drills off Puerto Rico.
USS Gherardi technical sheet
Creaotr/User: United States of America
Denomination: DD 637 – U.S.S. Gherardi
Class: Gleaves-class destroyer
Crew: 276 sailors
Armament (1944): 4x 127 mm guns, 4x 40 mm guns, 4x 20 mm Oerlikon guns, 5x 533 mm torpedo tubes
Displacement: 1,630 tons
Speed: 37,4 knots
Lenght: 106,15 m
Beam: 11 m
Draught : 3,61 m
