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USS ''Gherardi'' (DD-637) (later DMS-30), a ''Gleaves''-class destroyer, is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Bancroft Gherardi. ''Gherardi'' was launched 12 February 1942 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard, sponsored by Mrs. Christopher Robinson, granddaughter of Rear Admiral Bancroft Gherardi; and commissioned 15 September 1942, Lieutenant Commander J. W. Schmidt, USN, in command. == Atlantic and Mediterranean service == In December 1942 the ''Gherardi'' suffered fatalities in a storm. . After trial runs and shakedown training out of Casco Bay, Maine and Newport, Rhode Island ''Gherardi'' departed Philadelphia 1 January 1943 making convoy escort voyages to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Port Arthur and Galveston, Texas, returning to New York 7 February 1943. She departed New York 15 February on what was to be the first of 10 transatlantic convoys. ''Gherardi'' returned to New York from Casablanca 14 April 1943. After a voyage to Newfoundland in May she departed Hampton Roads, Virginia, 8 June ''en route'' to the Mediterranean to become part of Admiral Kent Hewitt's Western Naval Task Force for the invasion of Sicily. Assigned the duty of protecting troop transports, she helped defeat many bombing attacks and was credited with shooting down one plane, suffering 11 near misses. ''Gherardi'' saw her first surface action when late in July and early August she participated in several offensive sweeps along the northern coast of Sicily, and around the port of Palermo. On the night of 3/4 August ''Gherardi'' and ''Rhind'' were making a night offensive sweep along the coast, when at 22:15, a few miles off Cape Calava, they picked up a small convoy consisting of one of the German MFP lighters escorted by two motor torpedo boats (E-boats). At a range of 4,000 yards (3650 m), the destroyers illuminated the convoy with star shell and opened up with main batteries. The E-boat blew up at 22:25 and one of the escorting boats was sunk; the other fired at least one torpedo, which missed. It was later found that the German lighter had been loaded with land mines. ''Gherardi'' returned to New York 22 August 1943 and commenced a series of fast convoy escort voyages to Northern Ireland and England, touching at Belfast and Derry, Northern Ireland and Swansea, Wales. She returned to New York from her last voyage on 13 February 1944. After intensive training out of Casco Bay, Maine, ''Gherardi'' made a voyage to Gibraltar with a large scouting force between 23 March and 22 April 1944. On 8 May 1944 ''Gherardi'' departed New York en route to Northern Ireland for rehearsals for the invasion of Normandy. On the morning of D-Day, 6 June 1944 she maneuvered into the fire support area as a unit of Admiral Don P. Moon's Assault Force "U" for Utah Beach. She delivered calls from fire-control parties ashore clearing the way for troops by prompt and accurate fire on railroads, houses, shore batteries and other targets. This drew dangerous return fire and she had one hot duel during the afternoon. Having expended all her ammunition, ''Gherardi'' was forced to retire that afternoon to Plymouth, England, to replenish. Returning to Utah Beach, ''Gherardi'' was assigned screening duty. This lasted until 25 June when she joined Admiral Morton Deyo's bombardment Task Force 129 in the support of the First Army assault on Cherbourg, France. Departing the Normandy area 18 July 1944 ''Gherardi'' steamed to Malta where she joined a British–American escort carrier task force which trained for the invasion of Southern France on 15 August. On 9 August 1944 ''Gherardi'' rendezvoused with the carrier strike group and maneuvered into the launching areas. For two weeks ''Gherardi'' screened the carriers while strike after strike was made in support of the invasion. Southern France now secured, ''Gherardi'' departed for the states, reaching New York 16 September. Immediately work started to convert her to a high speed minesweeper. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「USS Gherardi (DD-637)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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