Cassin Young file photo [10487]

Cassin Young

CountryUnited States
Ship ClassFletcher-class Destroyer
Hull NumberDD-793
BuilderBethlehem San Pedro Shipyard
Laid Down18 Mar 1943
Launched12 Sep 1943
Commissioned31 Dec 1943
Decommissioned28 May 1946
Displacement2,050 tons standard; 2,924 tons full
Length376 feet
Beam40 feet
Draft14 feet
MachineryGeneral Electric geared turbines with two screws
Power Output60,000 shaft horsepower
Speed38 knots
Range6,500nm at 15 knots
Crew329
Armament5x127mm guns, 10x40mm anti-aircraft guns, 7x20mm anti-aircraft guns, 10x533mm torpedo tubes
Recommission8 Sep 1951
Final Decommission29 Apr 1960

Contributor:

ww2dbaseWhen destroyer USS Cassin Young, DD-793, was launched by the United States Navy, her sponsor was none other than the widow of her namesake who was killed during actions off Guadalcanal earlier in the war. She was commissioned into service on the final day of 1943 under the command of Commander Earl Tobias Schrieber. She arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States on 19 Mar 1944 at the conclusion of her training cruise, then sailed on to Manus, Admiralty Islands to join Task Force 58. Her first sortie was on 28 Apr when the task force was launched attack the Japanese positions at Truk, Woleai, Satawan, and Ponape, with Cassin Young acting as an anti-aircraft picket ship. After brief rest and training at Majuro in the Marshall Islands and then at Pearl Harbor, she arrived at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands on 11 Jun to screen escort carriers for the Mariana Islands invasion; during that campaign, in addition to anti-aircraft picket duties, she also provided naval gunfire support against targets close to shore. She returned to Eniwetok on 13 Aug to replenish. Between 29 Aug and 2 Oct, she screened the carriers of Task Group 38.3 as their aircraft struck Japanese positions at Palau and Philippine Islands (Mindanao and Luzon) as support for the invasion of Palau Islands. On 6 Oct, she set sail again as part of TG 38.3; aircraft of TG 38.3 struck Japanese positions at Okinawa (Japan), Luzon (Philippine Islands), and Taiwan; between 10 and 13 Oct, off Taiwan, five of her crew was wounded by Japanese aircraft machine gun fire, but she succeeded in shooting down several aircraft. On 18 Oct, she screened carriers of Task Force 38 east of Luzon, Philippine Islands as their aircraft struck Japanese airfields in preparation for the invasion of Leyte, Philippine Islands. On 25 Oct, she was among the American warships that rushed northward, lured by Jisaburo Ozawa's decoy fleet; this led to the Battle off Cape EngaƱo. She remained with TF 38 through Jan 1945 as the aircraft struck land targets at Okinawa, Taiwan, Luzon, and Hong Kong and sea targets in the Camranh Bay, making port call at Ulithi periodically. In Feb 1945, she screened carriers as their aircraft struck Japanese airfields on Honshu and Okinawa, Japan during the Iwo Jima invasion. On 22 Mar, she departed Ulithi for the Okinawa invasion. On 1 Apr, she screened larger warships as they bombarded Okinawa, moved in close to shore to support underwater demolition teams, provided naval gunfire support, and acted as a radar picket ship. On 6 Apr, she rescued survivors from two sunken American destroyers. On 12 Apr, after shooting down five enemy aircraft, a Japanese aircraft crashed into her foremast, exploding in mid-air about 15 meters from her; one man was killed and another was wounded. She sailed to Kerama Retto southwest of Okinawa under her own power, then received temporary repairs at Ulithi, returning to Okinawa on 31 May to resume radar picket duties. On 28 Jul, she shot down two Japanese aircraft during a special attack on ships in her group; she then helped in the rescue of men from a destroyer sunken by a kamikaze aircraft. On 29 Jul, she was struck on the starboard side by a special attack aircraft, killing 22 and injuring 45; her crew was able to bring the fire under control within 20 minutes. This special attack ended her WW2 career. For her service at Okinawa, she received the Navy Unit Commendation. She was decommissioned in 1946, and was recommissioned in 1951. In mid-1953, she conducted anti-submarine exercises off Florida, United States. Between 16 Sep and 30 Nov 1953, she served with the US Navy 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. In early 1954, she conducted exercises in the Caribbean Sea. On 3 May 1954, she departed Newport, Rhode Island, United States for an around-the-world cruise, returning the Newport on 28 Nov. In the late 1950s, she conducted training exercises in the Caribbean Sea and in the Atlantic Ocean, mixed in with several tours of duty in the Mediterranean Sea and a cruise to northern Europe in 1958. On 6 Feb 1960, she arrived at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Virginia, United States and prepared for inactivation. She was decommissioned for the second and final time about three months later. She now serves as a museum ship at the Boston National Historical Park in Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Jul 2010

Destroyer Cassin Young (DD-793) Interactive Map

Photographs

Keel of USS Cassin Young at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard, San Pedro, California, United States, 18 Mar 1943Launching of USS Cassin Young, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard, San Pedro, California, United States, 12 Sep 1943Mrs. E. M. Young, widow of Captain Cassin Young, christening the destroyer named after her late husband, San Pedro, California, United States, 12 Sep 1943Commissioning ceremony of USS Cassin Young, San Pedro, California, United States, 31 Dec 1943; note USS Preston at left and USS Comfort at right
See all 31 photographs of Destroyer Cassin Young (DD-793)

Cassin Young Operational Timeline

18 Mar 1943 The keel of destroyer USS Cassin Young was laid down by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation at San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, United States.
12 Sep 1943 USS Cassin Young was launched.
31 Dec 1943 USS Cassin Young was commissioned into service under the command of Commander E. T. Schrieber.
19 Mar 1944 USS Cassin Young arrived at Pearl Harbor.
28 Apr 1944 USS Cassin Young sortied from Manus, Admiralty Islands with Task Force 58 for carrier strikes in the Central Pacific.
11 Jun 1944 USS Cassin Young arrived at Eniwetok, Marshall Islands.
15 Jun 1944 USS Cassin Young provided support for the Mariana Islands invasion.
13 Aug 1944 USS Cassin Young arrived at Eniwetok, Marshall Islands.
29 Aug 1944 USS Cassin Young screened carriers of Task Group 38.3 as their aircraft struck Palau and Philippine Islands.
2 Oct 1944 USS Cassin Young arrived at Ulithi, Caroline Islands.
6 Oct 1944 USS Cassin Young departed Ulithi, Caroline Islands with Task Group 38.3.
14 Oct 1944 USS Cassin Young shot down several Japanese aircraft off Taiwan, suffered five men wounded by machine gun fire.
18 Oct 1944 USS Cassin Young screened carriers of Task Force 38 east of Luzon, Philippine Islands.
25 Oct 1944 USS Cassin Young screened carriers while their aircraft engaged in the Battle off Cape EngaƱo.
31 Oct 1944 Commander John Ailes III became the commanding officer of USS Cassin Young.
18 Dec 1944 Many ships from the United States Third Fleet, Task Force 38 sailed into Typhoon Cobra in the Philippine Sea. Three destroyers and 790 men were lost.
22 Mar 1945 USS Cassin Young departed Ulithi, Caroline Islands for Okinawa.
1 Apr 1945 USS Cassin Young supported the invasion of Okinawa, Japan.
6 Apr 1945 USS Cassin Young rescued survivors of two sunken US destroyers.
12 Apr 1945 A Japanese aircraft crashed into the foremast of USS Cassin Young, killing one and wounding one.
31 May 1945 USS Cassin Young arrived at Okinawa, Japan.
28 Jul 1945 USS Cassin Young shot down two Japanese aircraft during a special attack, then proceeded to pick up 125 survivors of the sunken USS Callaghan.
29 Jul 1945 A special attack aircraft struck destroyer USS Cassin Young, killing 22 and injuring 45.
8 Aug 1945 USS Cassin Young departed Okinawa, Japan for San Pedro, California, United States.
29 Aug 1945 Lieutenant Commander Carl Pfeifer became the commanding officer of USS Cassin Young.
28 May 1946 USS Cassin Young was decommissioned.
8 Sep 1951 USS Cassin Young was recommissioned into service with Commander James Denton in command.
4 Jan 1952 USS Cassin Young departed San Diego, California, United States.
21 Nov 1952 Commander Thomas Rudden Jr. became the commanding officer of USS Cassin Young.
7 May 1953 USS Cassin Young began a period of anti-submarine exercises off Florida, United States.
12 Jun 1953 USS Cassin Young completed anti-submarine exercises off Florida, United States.
16 Sep 1953 USS Cassin Young joined the US Navy 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea.
30 Nov 1953 USS Cassin Young completed its service in the Mediterranean Sea.
3 May 1954 USS Cassin Young departed Newport, Rhode Island, United States for an around-the-world cruise.
10 Jul 1954 Commander Kenneth Brown became the commanding officer of USS Cassin Young.
28 Nov 1954 USS Cassin Young arrived at Newport, Rhode Island, United States after completing an around-the-world cruise.
17 Aug 1956 Commander Clifton Cates Jr. became the commanding officer of USS Cassin Young.
14 Sep 1958 Commander John Hooper became the commanding officer of USS Cassin Young.
6 Feb 1960 USS Cassin Young arrived at Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, United States for inactivation.
29 Apr 1960 USS Cassin Young was decommissioned for the final time.
1 Dec 1974 USS Cassin Young was struck from the Naval Vessel Register.
15 Jun 1978 Cassin Young arrived at Boston National Historical Park in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. She was berthed across from the museum ship USS Constitution where, starting in 1981, she would be opened to the public as a museum ship.
9 Aug 2010 Museum ship Cassin Young was drydocked at Historic Dry Dock #1 at the Boston National Historical Park in Boston, Massachusetts, United States for repairs after 30 years in the water.




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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Dennis Halladay says:
6 Sep 2017 01:19:44 PM

Does a list exist of the crew members who served on the Cassin Young in 1944 and 1945?
2. Commenter identity confirmed David Stubblebine says:
6 Sep 2017 06:33:32 PM

To Dennis Halladay (above):
Yes. These lists are called Muster Rolls and they can be viewed at Fold3.com. Muster Rolls documented the enlisted men only while officers were accounted for in the Deck Logs (not available at Fold3.com).

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More on Cassin Young
Event(s) Participated:
» Mariana Islands Campaign and the Great Turkey Shoot
» Philippines Campaign, Phase 1, the Leyte Campaign
» Typhoon Cobra
» Raid into the South China Sea
» Okinawa Campaign

Related Books:
» USS Cassin Young (DD-793): A Fletcher Class Destroyer

Destroyer Cassin Young (DD-793) Photo Gallery
Keel of USS Cassin Young at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard, San Pedro, California, United States, 18 Mar 1943
See all 31 photographs of Destroyer Cassin Young (DD-793)


Famous WW2 Quote
"I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil."

General Douglas MacArthur at Leyte, 17 Oct 1944


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