Hull Number: DD-522
Launch Date: 03/06/1943
Commissioned Date: 06/21/1943
Call Sign: NADE
Voice Call Sign: RING LEADER
Class: FLETCHER
FLETCHER Class
Data for USS Fletcher (DD-445) as of 1945
Length Overall: 376’ 5"
Beam: 39’ 7"
Draft: 13’ 9"
Standard Displacement: 2,050 tons
Full Load Displacement: 2,940 tons
Fuel capacity: 3,250 barrels
Armament:
Five 5″/38 caliber guns
Five 40mm twin anti-aircraft mounts
Two 21″ quintuple torpedo tubes
Complement:
20 Officers
309 Enlisted
Propulsion:
4 Boilers
2 General Electric Turbines: 60,000 horsepower
Highest speed on trials: 35.2 knots
Namesake: STEPHEN B. LUCE
STEPHEN B. LUCE
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, July 2015
Born 25 March 1827 in New York, N.Y., Rear Adm. Stephen B. Luce was one of the Navy’s outstanding officers in many fields, including strategy, seamanship, education, and professional development. Entering the naval service 19 October 1841 as a midshipman, he served with the Atlantic coast blockaders during the Civil War, and commanded the monitor Nantucket at the siege of Charleston, S.C. In 1862, while serving as head of the Department of Seamanship at the Naval Academy, he prepared one of the first seamanship textbooks used by the Academy.
After the war Luce organized the Navy’s apprentice training program to prepare seamen and petty officers for fleet duty. From 1878 to 1881 Captain Luce was inspector of training ships and, as commodore, he commanded the U.S. Training Squadron from 1881 to 1884.
Based on Luce’s urgings and exhaustive reports, the Naval War College at Newport, R.I., was established 6 October 1884 with Rear Admiral Luce as its first superintendent. He was also instrumental in starting the Naval Institute and its Proceedings. He again served at sea before retiring 25 March 1889. He returned to the War College in 1901 and died 28 July 1917.
Disposition:
Sunk by Japanese suicide plane E of Okinawa 5/194/1945