DD-396 - Tin Can Sailors

Hull Number: DD-396

Launch Date: 09/24/1938

Commissioned Date: 01/25/1939

Decommissioned Date: 11/01/1945

Call Sign: NAMJ

Class: SOMERS

SOMERS Class

Data for USS Somers (DD-381) as of 1945

Length Overall: 381' 0"

Beam: 36' 11"

Draft: 14' 0"

Standard Displacement: 1,850 tons

Full Load Displacement: 2,905 tons

Fuel capacity: 3,452 barrels

Armament:

Five 5″/38 caliber guns
Three 40mm twin anti-aircraft mounts
Two 21″ quadruple torpedo tubes

Complement:

16 Officers
278 Enlisted

Propulsion:

4 Boilers
2 General Electric Turbines: 52,000 horsepower

Highest speed on trials: 39.0 knots

Namesake: JAMES EDWARD JOUETT

JAMES EDWARD JOUETT

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, July 2015

James Edward Jouett was born near Lexington, Ky., 7 February 1826 and was appointed Midshipman 10 September 1841. He served on the African coast in Decatur with Mathew C. Perry and in John Adams during the Mexican War.

At the beginning of the Civil War, Jouett was captured by Confederates at Pensacola but was soon parolled. He then joined the blockading forces off Galveston, distinguishing himself during the night of 7 to 8 November 1861 in the capture and destruction of Confederate schooner Royal Yacht. Jouett later commanded Montgomery and R. R. Cuyler on blockading duty and in September 1863 took command of Metacomet. In the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864, his ship was lashed to Admiral Farragut’s flagship Hartford as the gallant ships entered the bay. Monitor Tecumseh was sunk by an underwater “torpedo”, but the ships steamed boldly on, inspired By Farragut’s famous command: “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.” Metacomet was sent after two Confederate gunboats, and in a short chase Jouett riddled Gaines and captured Selma.

Jouett had various commands ashore and afloat after the Civil War, taking command of the North Atlantic Squadron in 1884. In 1889 he commanded a naval force which forced the opening of the isthmus of Panama, threatened by insurrection. Rear Admiral Jouett retired in 1890 and lived for most of his remaining years at “The Anchorage,” near Sandy Springs, Md. He died 30 September 1902.

Disposition:

Stricken 11/28/1945, scrapped 1946

TCS Ship History

A Tin Can Sailors Destroyer History

USS JOUETT DD-396

The Tin Can Sailor July 2000

Rear Admiral James E. Jouett served during the Mexican and Civil Wars. The second JOUETT was launched on 24 September 1938 and commissioned 25 January 1939. Her shakedown training took her to England and Ireland after which she joined the neutrality patrol off the Grand Banks. Then, in November, she steamed south to Galveston, Texas, with the DAVIS (DD-395), BENHAM (DD-397), ELLET (DD-398), and LANG (DD-399) to patrol the Gulf of Mexico. On 15 February 1940, she joined the LANG and TUSCALOOSA (CA-37), with President Roosevelt aboard, for fishing in the Gulf of Panama, then back to Galveston. She was transferred to San Diego with the DAVIS and SAMPSON (DD-394) and then continued west to Pearl Harbor. She served in Hawaiian and California waters where she operated with the DAVIS, WARRINGTON (DD-383), and SOMERS (DD-381) from April 1940 to April 1941.

On 18 April 1941, the three destroyers were joined by the McDOUGAL (DD-358) to escort the YORKTOWN (CV-5) to Port of Spain, Trinidad. There, the JOUETT joined the MILWAUKEE (CL-5) to guard against German surface and submarine attacks on American shipping. She also patrolled with the MEMPHIS (CL-13), CINCINNATI (CL-6), and DAVIS, steaming out of Port of Spain, San Juan, Cape Verde, and Recife. She was in Port of Spain with the CINCINNATI on December 7th.

Following Pearl Harbor, the JOUETT began offensive antisubmarine patrols between Brazil and Africa, helping to keep the supply lanes open. In October 1941, the JOUETT, DAVIS, and MEMPHIS escorted a merchant ship to Lagos, Nigeria. Following overhaul at the Charleston Navy Yard, the JOUETT headed south via Key West and Trinidad to Recife, Brazil. She accompanied ships carrying army engineers to Ascension Island in March 1942 to build an airfield and then escorted oil tankers from Trinidad, attacking several submarines with depth charges along the way.

In December 1942, the destroyer returned to Charleston for repairs and in January 1943 was back in Brazil on escort duty and antisubmarine patrol. By mid-May, she was part of the search for U-128 off Bahia, Brazil. Navy patrol bombers located the sub and dropped depth charges bringing her to the surface. Learning of the attack, the JOUETT and MOFFETT (DD-362) sped to the scene and opened fire. Their gunners made several direct hits that sent the submarine to the bottom, leaving most of its crew in the water where the destroyers rescued them and took them prisoner. The JOUETT continued on convoy duty and antisubmarine patrol through 1943, serving at various times with the OMAHA (CL-4), MARBLEHEAD (CL-12), MEMPHIS, and MILWAUKEE.

On New Year’s Day 1944, she joined OMAHA and SOMERS for ocean patrol, and within a forty-eight-hour period intercepted three German blockade runners, their holds full of thousands of tons of rubber, tin, fats, and strategic ores. One, the WESTERLAND, was sunk by the SOMERS. Later, a scout plane from the OMAHA and a lookout in the ship’s foretop sighted the RIO GRANDE. As the OMAHA and JOUETT moved in to investigate the ship, it erupted in smoke and flame from demolition charges set by her crew. The cruiser and destroyer opened fire and finished off the German ship. The following day, patrol planes reported a strange ship identifying herself as the FLORIDIAN. When naval intelligence identified her as the blockade runner BURGENLAND, the OMAHA and JOUETT headed for the area. When they picked her up on radar, they closed in only to see her go up in flames as had the RIO GRANDE. The cruiser’s gunfire sank her just after 1730. The American ships found hundreds of tons of baled rubber floating amid the debris of the sunken ships and recovered them to send back to the states.

The JOUETT, with the DAVIS and SOMERS, escorted a convoy bound for England in May 1944 and there joined a Reserve Fire Support Group for the invasion of France. She arrived of Omaha Beach on 8 June escorting coastal steamers with support troops and repelling at least one air attack that day. Until 21 June, she screened British heavy ships during shore bombardment and provided an antisubmarine screen for the Omaha Beach transport area. With establishment of the second front, the JOUETT escorted convoys to and from the Firth of Clyde until 12 July 1944 when she sailed with a convoy for Algeria.

She arrived at Oran on 21 July to prepare for the invasion of Southern France. Leaving Naples on 14 August, the JOUETT arrived off Cape Camarat the next day and, as troops landed, acted as command ship of the Convoy Control Group charged with the smooth routing and unloading of support troops. This duty continued until 3 September, after which the ship operated on patrol out of Toulon. In early October, the JOUETT steamed off Cape Ferrat, Nice, giving gunfire support to American troops in the bitter fighting ashore. She also destroyed mines off San Remo, destroyed bridges, and covered Allied minesweeping operations in the area.

The JOUETT sailed for Charleston and repairs on 31 December 1944 after which she escorted convoys to Europe. She was in Cuba in August 1945 and when the war ended on 15 August, was en route to Philadelphia where she tied up alongside the SAMPSON (DD-394), BALCH (DD-363), and CLARK (DD-361). The JOUETT was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard at 1500 on 1 November 1945. She was scrapped in 1946.

Ship History

USS JOUETT DD-396 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, July 2015

The second Jouett (DD-396) was laid down 26 March 1936 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; launched 24 September 1938; sponsored by Mrs. J. R. Todd; and commissioned at Boston 25 January 1939, Comdr. G. W. Clark in command.

Following shakedown training which took Jouett to England and Ireland, the ship returned to Norfolk 29 April 1939 and began operating on neutrality patrol along the East and Gulf Coasts. She stood out of Pensacola Bay 15 February 1940 as one of the escorts for Tuscaloosa (CA-37), carrying President Roosevelt on a cruise through the Gulf of Panama, returning to Pensacola 1 March 1940. Jouett then set course for the Panama Canal and the Pacific, arriving Pearl Harbor for duty 10 April 1940.

The destroyer remained in Hawaiian waters during the next year exercising with America’s vital carriers and perfecting tactics. Sailing 18 April 1941, Jouett accompanied Yorktown (CV-5) through the canal to Cuba, proceeding from there to Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. 19 May. The ship then joined a cruiser and destroyer force under Rear Admiral Jonas H. Ingram charged with guarding against German surface or submarine attacks on American shipping. Jouett was at Port of Spain 7 December 1941 when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought America into the war. The ship then began offensive antisubmarine patrols between Brazil and Africa, helping to keep the all-important ocean supply lines open. She accompanied Army engineers to lonely Ascension Island 30 March 1942 where an airfield was carved from the bleak landscape. Jouett convoyed the precious oil tankers from Trinidad south during the months that followed, often attacking submarines with depth charges. In December 1942, the ship returned to Charleston for repairs, hut by 21 January 1943 she was back in Natal harbor, Brazil.

Jouett received President Vargas of Brazil 27 January 1943, providing quarters for him and his party during important conferences on board Humboldt (AG-121) with President Roosevelt. Following the talks, which cemented relations between the countries and provided for closer naval cooperation, President Vargas departed Jouett 29 January.

The veteran destroyer resumed her escort duties in February, and 14 May joined in the search for U-128 off Bahia, Brazil. Aircraft dropped depth charges on the sub and brought her to the surface where gunfire from Jouett and Moffett (DD-362) sent her to the bottom. The destroyer continued to serve with Admiral Ingram’s crack antisubmarine force, now 4th Fleet, through the rest of 1943. On New Year’s Day 1944 she joined Omaha (CL-4) for ocean patrol; and the ships intercepted German blockade runner SS Rio Grande, with a vital cargo of crude rubber. After the crew abandoned ship, Omaha and Jouett sank the German ship. This effective closing of the South Atlantic to German blockade runners was demonstrated even more forcefully 5 January when patrol planes reported a strange ship identifying herself as Floridian. Intelligence identified her, however, as blockade runner Burgenlund. Before aerial attacks could begin Omaha and Jouett picked her up on radar and closed in. Scuttling charges and the cruiser’s gunfire sank her just after 1730.

Jouett returned to Charleston once more in March 1944 and engaged in training operations in Casco Bay, Maine, before sailing for England in convoy 16 May 1944. There she joined a Reserve Fire Support Group for the long-awaited invasion of France. Jouett arrived off Omaha beach 8 June, escorting coastal steamers with support troops embarked. She repelled an air attack that day, and until 21 June screened British heavies during shore bombardment and provided antisubmarine screen for the Omaha Beach transport area. The second front established, Jouett escorted convoys to and from the Firth of Clyde until 12 July 1944 when she sailed with a convoy for Algeria.

The destroyer arrived at Oran 21 July to prepare for the next major European operation, the invasion of southern France. Departing Naples 14 August, Jouett arrived off the Delta assault area next day and, as troops landed, acted as command ship of the Convoy Control Group charged with the smooth routing and unloading of support troops. This duty continued until 3 September, after which the ship operated on patrol out of Toulon. In early October Jouett steamed off Cape Ferrat, giving gunfire support to American troops in the bitter fighting ashore. She also destroyed mines off San Remo 9 October, destroyed bridges, and covered Allied minesweeping operations in the area.

Jouett sailed from Oran 31 December 1944 for repairs at Charleston. After refresher training in Casco Bay in April, the battle4ested ship made convoy voyages to England and Cuba before the end of the war 15 August 1945. She decommissioned at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 1 November 1945 and was scrapped there in 1946.

Jouett received three battle stars for World War II service.