Hull Number: DD-577

Launch Date: 08/31/1942

Commissioned Date: 05/19/1943

Decommissioned Date: 09/30/1968

Call Sign: NAVU

Voice Call Sign: BRASSPLATE

Other Designations: DDE-577


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: JOHN G. SPROSTON

JOHN G. SPROSTON

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, September 2015

John G. Sproston was born in Maryland and appointed to the Naval Academy in 1846. He served on the Pacific Station during the war with Mexico. During the Civil War, he served as commanding officer of Powhatan and as executive officer of Senneca. On 1 November 1861, during the battle for Port Royal, S.C., Sproston personally fired many of the 11-inch guns on board Senneca as the crew was new and untrained. Lt. Sproston was killed on 8 June 1862 while on a boat expedition to destroy a Confederate privateer in the St. John’s River, Fla.


Disposition:

Sold 12/15/1971 to Chou`s Iron and Steel Co., Taipei, Taiwan for $148,000.00. Scrapped Kaoshiung, Taiwan.


A Tin Can Sailors Destroyer History

USS SPROSTON DD-577

The Tin Can Sailor, January 2001

The SPROSTON was built by the Consolidated Steel Corporation of Orange, Texas, and was commissioned on 19 May 1943. Her first taste of combat was in February 1944 when she carried out shore bombardment missions against Paramushiro Island. With seven other destroyers, she went on to patrol the Sea of Okhotsk and in June shelled enemy shipping, installations, and planes on Matsuma Island. Later that month, she sank one Japanese patrol boat and damaged five others.

In October and November 1944, while screening transports in the Leyte Gulf, she splashed three Japanese fighter planes. She scored a hit in January 1945 en route to Luzon and another in March at Kerama Retto during the Okinawa campaign. A month later she destroyed two enemy pill boxes and set a warehouse afire on Makimunito Saki. On 4 April she suffered damage but no casualties to her crew when a Japanese dive bomber crashed dangerously close. Following repairs, she returned to Okinawa for picket duty, claiming one enemy plane. With the WADSWORTH (DD-516) and BRADFORD (DD-545), she shot down three others. Headed for home in June, she went to the rescue of the ANTARES (AG-10) under attack by two enemy submarines. Her depth charges brought one of the submarines to the surface where her guns sank it. Later, American planes sand the second sub. She continued to California where in October 1945, she was placed in reserve.

Recommissioned on 15 September 1950, she returned to active duty as escort destroyer DDE-577. Home ported in Pearl Harbor in 1951, she participated in atomic bomb tests at Eniwetok. The following year, she served six months patrolling Korea’s east and west coasts and the Taiwan Straits. Over the next four years the SPROSTON had three Far East deployments, visiting Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, Singapore, and the Philippines. During the summer of 1962, the destroyer was redesignated DD-577 when the navy discontinued the escort destroyer designation.

The SPROSTON operated out of Pearl Harbor in 1964 and ended the year en route to the Far East for duty with an attack group composed of the RANGER (CVA-61), ENGLAND (DLG-22), and CARPENTER (DD-825). In January, she proceeded to Dixie Station to support “in country” operations off the coast of South Vietnam where she was assigned plane guard and screening duties. On the evening of 18 January 1965, search efforts to locate a RA5C Vigilante pilot from the RANGER resulted in the recovery of nothing more than a shattered flight helmet. The following morning, she covered a truck convoy traveling along the river road to Saigon and ended the day patrolling Phuoc Hui Bay north of the Saigon River mouth. There she fired 157 rounds of 5-inch ammunition at Vietcong base camps and assembly areas.

She went on to the Gulf of Tonkin for antisubmarine warfare training with the NICHOLAS (DD-449) and BUGARA (SS-331) and routine flight operations with the RANGER. The SPROSTON was detached on 5 February for surveillance of the Soviet GIDROFON, which was gathering electronic and tactical intelligence on the carrier groups in the area. Her week-long mission to jam the Soviet ship’s radio frequencies and interfere with its monitoring of flight operations ended without incident.

Back on Yankee Station in February 1966, the SPROSTON joined the ENGLAND and MAHAN (DLG-11) on a fruitless search for the crew of a lost plane. Three days later, she was on the gun line off South Vietnam where she supported units of the U.S. Army First Cavalry Division and South Vietnamese marines with random harassment, interdiction, and direct fire on Vietcong troop concentrations and base camps. On the evening of 9 March, her guns stopped a battalion-strength Vietcong attack against South Vietnamese marine positions near Tam Quan. During the exhausting twenty-day period, she fired 1,171 rounds of 5-inch ammunition. Moving on to Dixie Station, she spent an uneventful last patrol with the RANGER. By early June 1966 she, the ENGLAND, and KITTY HAWK (CVA-63) were underway for Pearl Harbor. In August the SPROSTON participated in the Apollo spacecraft recovery.

At 2240 on 31 January 1967, the SPROSTON was operating with the TOMBIGBEE (AOG-11) and MCMORRIS (DE-1036) when they collided causing considerable damage to the DE and injuring several of her crew. The SPROSTON sped the injured to Pearl Harbor. Back on Yankee Station in April, her 5-inch guns wreaked havoc on Vietcong vessels, roads, supplies, and buildings. She went on to plane guard duty with the BON HOMME RICHARD (CVA-31) and ENTERPRISE (CVAN-65) and helped search for survivors of the FORRESTAL (CVA-59) disaster in July. Later she participated in exercises with the navies of New Zealand and Great Britain and then returned to Pearl Harbor.

The SPROSTON was decommissioned on 30 September 1968 and was stricken from the navy’s list on 1 October 1968. In January 1969, she, the BRISTER (DE-327), SHELDRAKE (AM-62), and NEWELL (DE-322) contributed radar antennas and other fittings for use as set dressing on the ARIZONA mock-up in the making of the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! The SPROSTON was then sold to Chou’s Iron and Steel Company of Taipei, Taiwan, on 28 October 1971.

USS SPROSTON DD-577 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, September 2015

The second Sproston (DD-577) was laid down on 1 April 1942 by the Consolidated Steel Co., Orange, Tex.; launched on 31 August 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Aline G. Darst; and commissioned on 19 May 1943, Comdr. Fred R. Stickney in command.

Following shakedown off Cuba, Sproston transited the Panama Canal on 4 November 1943. After a brief stop at San Francisco, she sailed for Pearl Harbor on 15 November and, 11 days later, headed for the Aleutian Islands. She entered Kuluk Bay, Adak, on December 1st and was assigned to Destroyer Squadron (Des Ron) 49, a unit of Task Force (TF) 94.

She spent the next two months in gunnery practice and exercises. On 1 February 1944, Sproston departed Massacre Bay with TF 94 to shell targets in the Kuril Islands. On 4 February, she bombarded Kurabu Point in the Kurabu-Sa-ki area of Paramushiro Island. One month later, the task force sailed north in the Sea of Okhotsk to strike targets in the Kurils again; but, because of extremely heavy seas and poor visibility, the mission was aborted.

Sproston spent the next three months on antisubmarine sweeps and patrols off the Aleutians. On 10 June, she was again underway for the Kurils where she participated in the pre-dawn bombardment of Matsuwa Island. On the 26th, she shelled Kurabu Zaki airfield on the southern end of Paramushiro Island.

On 8 August, Sproston departed Sweeper Cove, Adak, for a two-week stay in San Francisco before sailing for the South Pacific war zone. En route, she made port at Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, and Manus. In October, she was assigned to Task Unit 79.11.2 whose primary mission was to screen transports of Task Group 79.2 off Dulag, Leyte Island, during the initial campaign to liberate the Philippines.

On October 25th, with supporting fire from Hale (DD-642) and Pickens (APA-190), she splashed her first enemy plane. On 18 November, in San Pedro Bay, Sproston’s gunners downed two “Zekes” of a five plane attack force.

In late December 1944 and early January 1945, Sproston patrolled in the Lingayen area of central Luzon. On 8 January, another Japanese plane fell victim to her guns. From Lingayen, she sailed to the Zambales area to support landing operations there. At 1248 on 29 January, she entered Subic Bay. Sproston was believed to be the first United States warship to enter Subic Bay since the Japanese occupation had begun. She continued operations in the Philippine Islands until 18 February when she was assigned to escort duty. Ordered to Guam for a week, she was in Apra Harbor from 25 February to 1 March when she sailed for Milne Bay. By 13 March, she was back in Leyte Gulf.

On March 21st, she was underway for Kerama Retto and Okinawa Gunto, Ryukyu Islands. Sproston relieved Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663) on 26 March and began picket and patrol duty. That evening, her guns hit a -Jill- which departed in flames. On 2 April, she provided call fire on Makiminato Saki, destroying two enemy pillboxes and a warehouse.

Sproston received damage to her sonar equipment and main battery computer on 4 April by the near miss of a bomb which exploded 50 yards off her port beam. There were no casualties, and the sonar equipment was quickly repaired, but the main battery could only be fired by local control. She retired to Guam for repair of her main computer and was back on station within two weeks. Off Hagushi Beach on 12 May, she fired 16 rounds at an enemy plane which burst into flames and crashed. On 28 May, Sproston and Wadsworth (DD-576) downed two planes within an hour. With supporting fire from Bradford (DD-545), she splashed another on the 29th. On 6 June, she rescued a pilot from escort carrier Gilbert Island (CVE-107) whose plane had been shot down.

On 28 June, while she was steaming independently toward the United States for overhaul, Sproston was signalled, between Saipan and Eniwetok, by Antares (AKS-3), that she was under submarine attack and required assistance. Arriving in the vicinity of the submarine, Sproston made good sonar contact at a range of 1,000 yards. At 500 yards, a periscope was observed passing from starboard to port. The destroyer made an unsuccessful attempt to ram the submarine which was then identified as a fleet type. Sproston dropped a full pattern of depth charges, and a large oil slick was later observed. She made six more attacks with negative results. After all her depth charges were expended, a lookout spotted a torpedo wake approaching Sproston, 60° off her port bow. Sproston turned hard left and the torpedo passed along her port side. A periscope was then sighted off the port quarter belonging to a midget submarine. The main battery commenced firing, and one salvo found its mark, causing a large secondary explosion which sank the submarine. LC1-535, LSM-196, and LSM-197 arrived to help conduct night radar coverage of the area. The next morning, Parks (DE-165), Levy (DE-162), and Roberts (DE-749) joined the group. After a thorough search, all ships were directed to carry out their previous orders.

Sproston arrived at San Francisco on 14 July 1945 where she underwent yard overhaul and prepared for inactivation. She moved to San Diego in mid-December and was placed out of commission on 18 January 1946.

After Communist forces invaded South Korea, Sproston was recommissioned as DDE-577 on 15 September 1950. Her initial training was conducted with the Fleet Training Group, San Diego. Sproston departed San Diego in early 1951 for Eniwetok to participate in the Atomic Bomb Test. When the test was over in July, Sproston sailed to her new home port, Pearl Harbor, and began the normal routine of Pacific Fleet destroyers: holding fleet, type, and individual exercises.

In early 1952, she entered the shipyard for overhaul and then, after refresher training, she sailed, on 2 June, for the Far East.

On 15 June, Sproston was assigned to Task Force 77, the 7th Fleet Striking Force, operating off the east coast of Korea in the Hungnam-Sinipo area. During the next six months, she participated in the Taiwan Patrol when not assigned to TF 77.

Sproston returned to Pearl Harbor on 5 December 1952 and began a regular operating schedule as a member of DesRon 25. In the next decade, she made nine cruises to the Far East for operations with the Seventh Fleet. She spent part of each deployment on the Taiwan Patrol and also participated in amphibious and other type exercises. In 1958 and in 1961, Sproston was awarded the Battle Efficiency “E.”

In 1962, she was redesignated DD-577. Normal operating duties continued through 1963 and 1964. In March 1965, she began a five-month overhaul in the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. When this was completed, she conducted extensive refresher training to prepare her crew for deployment to the western Pacific.

Sproston departed Pearl Harbor on 27 December with Ranger (CVA-61), England (DLG-22), and Carpenter (DD-825) and headed, via Subic Bay, for the Vietnam coast. The group arrived at “Dixie Station” off the coast of South Vietnam on 16 January 1966 and remained there until 13 February. Sproston was assigned rescue and antisubmarine screening duties. On the 18th, she was directed to proceed to Phuoc Hui Bay to provide naval gunfire support. During the night, the ship shelled Viet Cong: base camps and assembly areas.

On 19 January, she rejoined the carrier task group which had moved to “Yankee Station” in the Gulf of Tonkin. Sproston was detached from 5 to 11 February to perform trawler surveillance and blocking. During this time, she observed a Russian Okean-Class vessel, the Gidrofon, which was believed to be gathering electronic and tactial information. She rejoined the carrier group which returned to Subic Bay until 22 February.

Back at “Yankee Station,” Sproston was again detached for Navl Gunfire Support duty.

She arrived off the coast, in the II Corps area, on 1 March and remained there until the 20th, firing 40 support missions for the 1st Cavalry Division and South Vietnamese Marines. The most eventful came on 9 March when, during a three-hour battle, her guns helped to repulse a battalion-strength Viet Cong attack against Republic of Vietnam Marines near Tarn Quan.

On 21 March, she and the Task Group proceeded to Yokosuka whence it departed on 5 April for another tour at “Dixie Station.” Sproston worked with Ranger at both “Dixie Station” and “Yankee Station” during the patrol.

Sproston was detached from the Task Group on 4 May and visited Hong Kong, Subic Bay, and Yokosuka before she returned to Pearl Harbor for upkeep and the installation of a recovery crane as she had been selected to participate in an Apollo spacecraft recovery.

On 25 August, she was on station off Kwajalein when the spacecraft passed overhead and landed 200 miles north, where it was recovered by Hornet (CVS-12). Sproston returned to Pearl Harbor on 2 September and remained there undergoing repair services and conducting type training for the remainder of the year.

In January and February 1967, Sproston conducted local operations to prepare for her 1967 deployment to the Far East. She sailed for Yokosuka on 6 March and, one month later, was back at “Yankee Station.” She particpated in Operation “Sea Lion” and provided gunfire support until 14 May. She then joined Hancock (CVA-19) as escort and plane guard for two and one-half months. During this period of deployment, she performed trawler surveillance duty at “Yankee Station” several times when the Russian ships AGI Deflcktor, Barograf, and Gidrofon entered the area.

Sproston and Carpenter departed Vietnam on 4 August for Sydney, Australia, where they participated in a joint ASW exercise with units of the British and New Zealand Navies off the coast of New Zealand.

Having steamed almost 40,000 miles since leaving Pearl Harbor, Sproston returned to her home port on 11 September. She underwent general repairs and conducted local operations until the last of December 1967 when she was ordered to Guam for yard availability.

Upon completion of yard work in mid-March, Sproston returned to Pearl Harbor until 29 July when she sailed for the west coast. When she arrived in San Diego, she was notified that she was to be decommissioned. She sailed to Pearl Harbor late in August and, on 30 September 1968, was placed out of commission. Sproston was struck from the Navy list on 10 October 1968 and sold to Chou’s Iron and Steel Co., Taipei, Taiwan, for scrap.

Sproston received five battle stars for World War II, one for Korean service, and three for Vietnamese service.