Frederick Warren Purdy
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USS ''Purdy'' (DD-734), was an of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
.


Namesake

Frederick Warren Purdy was born on 4 December 1911 in
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. He graduated from the
United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...
and was commissioned as an
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on 1 June 1933. He served at sea on the , and and ashore at
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,
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, and
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. On 7 December 1941 during the
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...
he was stationed on the ''California'', Kenneth Dawson wrote in his after action report to the ''Californias captain "I would like to recommend that you consider writing an official commendatory letter regarding Lieutenant F. W. Purdy. Purdy was apparently overlooked when all the J.O.'s were commended for fighting fires, rescuing wounded, etc. Purdy went to Plot when G.Q. sounded; left there after establishing communications and checking switching; manned Air Defense and took over Sky Control (and nearly got strafed en route) and remained there during the entire attack. After I had him relieved (Mandelkorn was not then on board) Purdy personally fought fires, took charge of the various parties engaged therein, supervised rescue of badly burned and injured personnel, and in general did the usual good work for which he could always be depended upon. I think he was one of the best officers on the ship and his work on the 7th merits commendation." On 10 June 1942 he reported to the destroyer as a prospective executive officer, and sailed aboard the destroyer to the
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. ''Strong'' was part of a task force that bombarded Vila and Bairoko Harbor, initiating the naval part of the campaign for
Munda __NOTOC__ Munda may refer to: Places India * Munda, a village in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan, India * Munda Majra, a former village in Haryana, India * Munda Pind, a village in Punjab, India Pakistan * Munda, a village near Bilyamin in Kur ...
. On the night of 4–5 July 1943, ''Strong'' was sunk. Lieutenant Commander Purdy assisted forecastle personnel to a rescue vessel and then returned to search for an injured man reported to be on the deck behind the gun mount. He was not seen again, and he was posthumously awarded the
Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...
.


Construction and commissioning

''Purdy'' (DD-734) was
laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...
by the
Bath Iron Works Bath Iron Works (BIW) is a major United States shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, founded in 1884 as Bath Iron Works, Limited. Since 1995, Bath Iron Works has been a subsidiary of General Dynamics, one of the world's largest ...
,
Bath, Maine Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. Bath is included in the Brunswick, Maine, Brunswick Micropolitan statistical area, micropolitan area. Bath has a 2024 population of 8,870. It is also the county seat of Sagadahoc County ...
, 22 December 1943 and launched on 7 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. F. W. Purdy, widow of Lieutenant Commander Purdy. The ship was commissioned on 18 July 1944.


Service history


World War II

Following shakedown off
Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...
and operations in the
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
, ''Purdy'' departed
Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
, 7 February 1945 for San Diego, whence she steamed west arriving at
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...
17 March to rehearse the invasion of
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
. Ten days later she sailed with TU 51.13.2 for Okinawa. Screening the transports of the Southern Attack Force en route, she arrived 1 April and assumed
radar picket A radar picket is a radar-equipped station, ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a nation or military (including naval) force to protect it from surprise attack, typically air attack, or from c ...
station duty off that last Japanese bastion. Continuing that
kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
imperiled duty after the initial landings, she fought fires on, and then returned injured survivors from, heavily damaged destroyer to
Kerama Retto The are a subtropical island group southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Geography Four islands are inhabited: Tokashiki Island, Zamami Island, Aka Island, and Geruma Island. The islands are administered as Tokashiki Village and Zamami Vil ...
on 6 April. Six days later, with some 60 miles off Okinawa, she suffered a similar fate. Attacked by a formation of about 30 enemy planes, both ships opened fire and with the aid of carrier aircraft were able to turn away most of the attackers. Two, however, broke through to score hits on ''Cassin Young''. A third, closing ''Purdy'', was splashed but momentum carried it to the destroyer where its bomb broke loose, pierced her plating and exploded to kill 15, seriously wound 25, and cause extensive damage. ''Purdy'' made it back to Kerama Retto, underwent temporary repairs there and at
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
, and arrived at San Francisco 28 May. Repairs and training completed she sailed to
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
, thence 20 October to Japan. In Japanese waters for the next four months, she served as harbor control vessel at Point Bungo, transported passengers and mail, and performed medical and guard duties. On 21 February 1946, she sailed for San Diego, thence proceeded to
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, arriving 16 April. In June, she entered the
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for a six month overhaul; then, in December, shifted to her homeport,
Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...
. Spring maneuvers in the Caribbean preceded her first Mediterranean tour and in mid-August 1947 she returned to Newport. From September 1948 to January 1949 she again sailed in European waters and in June she reported to New Orleans, whence she conducted naval reserve training cruises until March 1951. Then deployed to the Mediterranean, she resumed operations out of Newport in June.


Korean War

Four months later ''Purdy'', with DesDiv 122, got underway for a return to a Pacific combat zone and on 31 October reported to TF 95 off the coast of
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
. Fire support for minesweeping operations at
Hungnam Hŭngnam () is a district of Hamhung, the second largest city in North Korea. It is a port city on the eastern coast on the Sea of Japan. It is only from the slightly inland city of Hamhung. In 2005 it became a ward of Hamhung. History The por ...
preceded five weeks as
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
,
Songjin Kimch'aek (), formerly Sŏngjin (Chosŏn'gŭl: 성진, Hancha: 城津), is a city in North Hamgyong Province, North Korea. It was an open port in 1899. It has a population of 207,699. Etymology The city received its current name in 1951 during ...
-
Chongjin Chŏngjin (; ) is the capital of North Korea's North Hamgyong Province (함경북도) and the country's List of cities in North Korea, third-largest city. Sometimes called the City of Iron, it is located in the northeast of the country. History ...
unit of the Blockade and Escort Force. Christmas in Japan and antisubmarine training exercises off Okinawa interrupted combat operations, but in January 1952 she returned to Korean waters and for the next six weeks sailed with TF 77, the fast carrier force. Relieved from
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
duty 27 February, ''Purdy'' sailed for home via the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
and on 21 March completed her round-the-world cruise. Western Atlantic and Caribbean exercises carried her into 1953 and on 27 April she departed Newport for a second circumnavigation of the earth. Steaming via
Suez Suez (, , , ) is a Port#Seaport, seaport city with a population of about 800,000 in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez on the Red Sea, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal. It is the capital and largest c ...
, she arrived at
Yokosuka is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 373,797, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th-most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city i ...
on 9 June and after availability again took up duties with TF 77. Escort duty for the
cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...
, bombardment and patrol operations from Chongjin to
Wonsan Wonsan (), previously known as Wonsanjin (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwon Province (North Korea), Kangwon Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...
, and duty with TF 96 preceded a reassignment to TF 77 and finally to TF 95 again for
Pusan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southe ...
-
Pohang Pohang (; ), formerly spelled Po-Hang, is the largest city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, with a List of cities in South Korea, population of 499,363 as of 2022, bordering the Sea of Japan, East Sea to the east, Yeongcheon to the w ...
patrol. Departing the Far East almost two months after the truce, she arrived at
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5 October and was back in the New England area by the end of the month.


Cold War

After Korea, ''Purdy'' regularly rotated east coast and Caribbean training operations with
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
exercises and 6th Fleet duty. In June 1955 she received the first Atomic-Biological-Chemical washdown system to be introduced to the fleet and-during the summers of 1956, 1957, and 1958—she made midshipmen summer training cruises, to
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in 1957 and to Europe in 1958. Two years later while calling at Gythion, Greece, three of her crew were injured ashore assisting the local inhabitants contain a raging fire until fire fighting equipment could be brought from away. On its arrival ''Purdy''s "fire-fighters" continued to assist by manning hoses which replaced the bucket brigade. ''Purdy'' was employed with the recovery forces for
Project Mercury Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race, its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely, ideally before the Soviet Un ...
in the spring of 1961 and in the fall she cruised off the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
supporting U.S. efforts to maintain stability in the Caribbean. A year later she returned to that sea for the same reason, but off a different island, and during November operated with other vessels implementing the Cuban Quarantine during the
Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis () in Cuba, or the Caribbean Crisis (), was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union, when American deployments of Nuclear weapons d ...
. On 1 April 1965 ''Purdy'' left DesRon 12 to commence operations with ResDesRon 30. Homeported at
Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States census, making it the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, tenth-largest city in the state, and the second- ...
, into 1970, she trained naval reservists, served as a school ship for Naval Destroyer School officer students, and tested and evaluated new equipment. She was stricken from the register on 1 July 1973. ''Purdy'' was sold on 11 June 1974 to Northern Metals, Philadelphia and
broken up Ship breaking (also known as ship recycling, ship demolition, ship scrapping, ship dismantling, or ship cracking) is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships either as a source of Interchangeable parts, parts, which can be sol ...
for scrap. ''Purdy'' earned one
battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or service period. T ...
during World War II and 3 during the Korean War.


References

*


External links


USS ''Purdy'' website
a
Destroyer History Foundation
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Purdy (DD-734) World War II destroyers of the United States Cold War destroyers of the United States Korean War destroyers of the United States Ships built in Bath, Maine 1944 ships Allen M. Sumner-class destroyers of the United States Navy