USS Gherardi, a 1630-ton Gleaves class destroyer built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, was commissioned in mid-September 1942. She began active war operations at the beginning of January 1943 and for the next seventeen months was employed escorting convoys to the Caribbean area and across the Atlantic. In June 1943 she steamed to the Mediterranean Sea to participate in the Sicily campaign, which began with an amphibious assault in July. While patrolling off Sicily on the night of 3-4 August, Gherardi and the destroyer Rhind fought a gun battle with a small German convoy, sinking an armed lighter and a motor torpedo boat.
Later in August 1943 Gherardi resumed her trans-Atlantic convoy escort duties, which continued into the following year. She went to Northern Ireland in early May 1944 to prepare for the invasion of France. During the Normandy landings in June she used her guns to supress targets ashore in the vicinity of "Utah" Beach and later in the month took part in the bombardment of Cherbourg. In August Gherardi screened escort aircraft carriers providing air support for the invasion of southern France.
Following her return to the U.S. in September 1944 Gherardi was converted to a high-speed minesweeper, receiving the designation DMS-30 in mid-November. She then voyaged to the western Pacific to conduct mine clearance operations for the invasion of Okinawa, followed by gunfire duty and escort for other warships during the long and bitter campaign to secure that island. As the war with Japan neared its conclusion Gherardi assisted minesweeping efforts off China and, once the enemy had capitulated, she helped clear the waters around Japan and Korea.
Gherardi left the Far East in December 1945, steaming through the Panama Canal to join the Atlantic Fleet early in 1946. Thereafter she mainly served along the East Coast and in the Caribbean, deploying to the Mediterranean Sea in 1949 and 1952, and taking part in Operation "Mainbrace" in the north Atlantic later in 1952. Redesignated DD-637 in July 1955, USS Gherardi was decommissioned late in that year and placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She remained in "mothballs" until stricken from the Naval Vessel Register at the beginning of June 1971 and was sunk as a target two years later.
USS Gherardi was named in honor of Rear Admiral Bancroft Gherardi (1832-1903), who served on active duty from 1846 to 1894.
This page features all the views we have of USS Gherardi (DD-637, later DMS-30 and DD-637), and provides links to selected photographs concerning her construction.
For images related to the construction of this ship, see:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 99246 USS Gherardi (DD-637) Underway, circa 1942. This photograph has been retouched by wartime censors to remove radar antennas atop Gherardi's gun director and foremast. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 107KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 96396 USS Gherardi (DD-637) Underway in New York Harbor, 24 April 1943. The Statue of Liberty is in the left background. Courtesy of the U.S. Naval Institute Photo Collection, Annapolis, Maryland. Collection of James C. Fahey. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 87KB; 740 x 530 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 81010 USS Gherardi (DMS-30) Photographed circa the later 1940s or the early 1950s. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1974. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 62KB; 740 x 500 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-G-K-3859 (Color) New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York Dusk falls over the Navy Yard docks, circa June-September 1943. The ship in the center, just beyond the crane, is USS Gherardi (DD-637). USS Luce (DD-522) is at left, with only her bow visible. USS Butler (DD-636) is at right, with only her stern visible. USS Doyle (DD-494) is in the right background. A British light cruiser, painted in yellow primer, is in the left background. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 53KB; 740 x 510 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-K-3860 (Color) New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York Lights are turned on as night falls over the Navy Yard docks, circa June-September 1943. USS Gherardi (DD-637) is in the center, by the crane. USS Luce (DD-522) is at left. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 53KB; 740 x 555 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Gherardi (DD-637). The following list features some of these images:
The images listed below are NOT in
the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
USS Gherardi (DD-637) in New York Harbor, 4 September 1942. Photographed from an aircraft based at Naval Air Station New York, N.Y. High aerial view taken from directly ahead of the ship and slightly to port.
USS Gherardi (DD-637) laying a smoke screen, 19 November 1942. Starboard quarter high aerial view, rather tight on the stern. White smoke is billowing from the ship's after smokestack and streaming astern, largely hiding her after portion. As 80-G-20030, but starboard quarter aerial view. As 80-G-20030, but starboard broadside aerial view. As 80-G-20030, but port bow high aerial view, rather tight on the bow. As 80-G-20030, but high aerial view taken from directly ahead and slightly to starboard. USS Severn (AO-61) refueling USS Gherardi (DMS-30) and USS Roanoke (CL-145). Taken by USS Midway (CVA-41). This photo was received by the Naval Photographic Center on 5 May 1952. Surface view, taken from almost directly ahead of Gherardi, which is on the left side of the image. Severn is seen from tight on the starboard bow, in the middle of the photo, while Roanoke is seen from off the starboard bow. Note: Gherardi is mis-identified as USS Shea (DM-30) in the original photo caption.
Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center. The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions". |
For images related to the construction of this ship, see:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 9 April 2004
New image added 7 September 2004