DD-839 - Tin Can Sailors

Hull Number: DD-839

Launch Date: 06/30/1945

Commissioned Date: 09/13/1945

Call Sign: NBBO

Voice Call Sign: WHITE FANG (63-64), BLACKBIRD, PAYDIRT (52-55)

Class: GEARING

GEARING Class

Data for USS Gearing (DD-710) as of 1945

Length Overall: 390’ 6"

Beam: 40’ 10"

Draft: 14’ 4"

Standard Displacement: 2,425 tons

Full Load Displacement: 3,479 tons

Fuel capacity: 4,647 barrels

Armament:

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

Complement:

20 Officers
325 Enlisted

Propulsion:

4 Boilers
2 General Electric Turbines: 60,000 horsepower

Highest speed on trials: 34.6 knots

Namesake: JOHN VINCENT POWER

JOHN VINCENT POWER

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, August 2015

John Vincent Power, born in Worcester, Mass., enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve 7 July 1942 and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant 31 October 1942. Promoted to 1st Lieutenant in January 1944, he was killed during the fight for Namur Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, 1 February 1944. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty.

Disposition:

Stricken 10/1/1977. To Taiwan .

TCS Ship History

A Tin Can Sailors Destroyer History

USS POWER DD-839

The Tin Can Sailor, April 2010

The GEARING-class destroyer POWER (DD‑839) was launched 30 June 1945 by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, and commissioned 13 September 1945 at Boston. After shakedown out of Guantanamo Bay, she sailed in January 1946 on the first of many deployments with the Sixth Fleet. Subsequently, she operated in the western Atlantic and Caribbean until late 1948 when she again sailed for Mediterranean waters. There, she patrolled the coast of Palestine under the direction of the U.N. Mediation Board.

Early in 1950, the POWER operated with units of the British Royal Navy and visited ports in Northern Europe, then steamed to the Mediterranean for another tour with the Sixth Fleet. In the summer of 1952, she completed a South American cruise, after which she returned to the East Coast where her schedule consisted of reservist and midshipmen training cruises, fleet and type exercises, and Mediterranean deployments.

The POWER served with the Sixth Fleet during the 1958 crisis in Lebanon. After her return to the East Coast, she participated in the first Project Mercury launches. From November 1960 to January 1962, the POWER underwent her FRAM I overhaul, giving her the ASROC system and DASH capability. By September 1962 she was back in the Mediterranean.

During her 1963 overseas deployment, the POWER served with the Middle East Force in the Persian Gulf region. By early 1964, she was operating off Florida with the Polaris program. Another Mediterranean cruise and further East Coast exercises took her into late 1965, when she steamed in the mid‑Atlantic with the recovery teams for Gemini 6 and 7. During 1966 and 1967, she again served with the Sixth Fleet and the Middle East Force. In August 1968, however, she transited the Panama Canal for a WestPac tour. With the Seventh Fleet, beginning in September 1968, she served on the Yankee Station and provided gunfire support and SAR off South Vietnam.

She was back in Mayport, Florida, on 9 July 1969 to resume operations with the Atlantic Fleet into 1970. That year and in 1971, she visited ports in South America, Africa, and the Persian Gulf. She was again deployed to the Mediterranean in late 1972 and 1973. There she participated in gunnery, amphibious, and anti‑submarine exercises, and visited ports along the Riviera and in Greece and Turkey. On 2 September 1973, the POWER left her long-time home port at Mayport, for Fort Schuyler in New York City, to assume duties with the Naval Reserve Force. There, reserve crews joined the ship’s nucleus crew for annual week-end and two-week training sessions. During 1974, the POWER underwent a $5.5 million overhaul to update her engineering, electronics, and hapitability. Following her overhaul, she returned to Fort Schuyler and continued training reserves into 1977. In September 1977, she was decommissioned and, in October 1977, was sold to the Taiwanese government. Renamed the SHENG-YANG (DDG-923) she served in the Taiwan navy until 26 November 2005 when she was decommissioned.

Ship History

USS POWER DD-839 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, August 2015

Power (DD-839) was laid down 26 February 1945 by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine: launched 30 June 1945; sponsored by Mrs. George F. Power, mother of Lt. John Vincent Power; and commissioned 13 September 1945 at Boston, Comdr. John M. Steinbeck in command.

After shakedown out of Guantanamo Bay, Power sailed 9 January 1946 on the first of many Mediterranean deployments. Returning to the east coast 6 months later, she remained in the western Atlantic and Caribbean until late in 1948 when she again sailed for Mediterranean waters, to patrol the coast of Palestine under the direction of the U.N. Mediation Board.

During early 1950, Power operated with units of the British Royal Navy and visited ports in Northern Europe, whence she steamed to the Mediterranean for another tour with the 6th Fleet. In the summer of 1952 Power completed a South American Cruise, then returned to the east coast to resume her schedule of reservist and Midshipman training cruises, fleet and type exercises, and Mediterranean deployments.

In 1958 Power faced the Lebanon crisis with the 6th Fleet; and, after her return to the east coast, participated in the first Project Mercury launches. From November 1960 to January 1962 Power received a FRAM I overhaul, giving her the ASROC system and DASH capability. By September 1962 she was back in the Mediterranean.

During her 1963 overseas deployment Power served with the Middle East Force and at the end of the year, into 1964, operated off eastern Florida in connection with the Polaris program. Following another Mediterranean cruise and further east coast exercises in late 1965, she steamed in mid-Atlantic as a member of the recovery teams for Gemini 6 and 7.

During 1966 and 1967, she again served with the 6th Fleet and the Middle East Force, but in August 1968 she transited the Panama Canal for a tour in the western Pacific. With the 7th Fleet from 26 September 1968, she served in the Yankee Station Surveillance Area and provided gunfire support and SAR off South Vietnam. She arrived Mayport, Fla. 9 July 1969 and remains with the Atlantic Fleet into 1970.