The ship was commissioned on August 19, 1943 and decommissioned on July 16, 1946. It was recommissioned on June 4, 1951 and decommissioned for the second time on May 2, 1960. These logs provide a meaningful history of a fine ship and finer crew.

To read the condensed logs from the two periods of service, click on the year links above. Some logs are longer than others and may take up to a minute to download.

Sources of Information

The details for the condensed logs are drawn from the ship's actual logs in the National Archives in Washington, DC and other government records, as well as some personal accounts (see thanks below).

For ease of reading, the condensed logs do not include continued general descriptions such as "steaming as before," "operating as before," and/or "anchored as before." Though very important and noted daily, the condensed logs do not mention "made inspection of magazines and smokeless powder samples; conditions normal." Tactical exercises, drills, detailed ship movements encountered, and events that occurred daily underway were not always recorded in the actual logs. Those events that were recorded have been in some cases condensed for brevity, without losing the flavor of what occurred.

Ship's hull numbers were seldom identified during this time period. Combatant ship numbers, if known, are provided the first time a ship is mentioned. Most of the hull numbers were derived from the Other Ship's Point of Contact Records.

This information was collected and condensed by shipmate Gene Woodward, with the help of the shipmates listed below. Gene maintains the USS Gatling Reunion Association Archives, which contain many items of memorabilia in 7 binders for the `43-`46 crew, 12 binders for the `51-`60 crew, and 1 binder for each Reunion.

Thanks

Many thanks to David Fitzgibbons GM3 07/44 – 01/46 (and his niece) who provided the Operational Remarks (War Diary) of the USS Gatling from the 1943 commissioning to decommissioning in 1946 and the Deck Log (Remarks Sheet) of the USS Gatling from the 1951 recommissioning to December 1953.

Thanks to Arthur F. Visnaw for his Personal Log from January 9, 1951 to November 12, 1954.