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USS ''Kidd'' (DD-661), a ''Fletcher''-class destroyer, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named after Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who died on the bridge of his flagship USS ''Arizona'' during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Admiral Kidd was the first US flag officer to die during World War II, and the first American admiral ever to be killed in action.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/ddg100/Pages/namesake.aspx#.VWVpbc9Viko )〕 ==World War II== ''Kidd'' (DD-661) was launched 28 February 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs. Isaac C. Kidd, widow of Rear Admiral Kidd, and commissioned 23 April 1943, Commander Allan Roby in command. During her initial cruise to the Brooklyn Naval Shipyards, she sailed across New York Harbor with the Jolly Roger flying from the foremast. Subsequently, during outfitting, her crew adopted the pirate captain William Kidd as their mascot, and commissioned a local artist to paint a pirate figure on the forward smokestack. After shakedown out of Casco Bay, Maine in June, ''Kidd'' cruised in the Atlantic and Caribbean escorting large combatant vessels until she departed for the Pacific in August 1943 in company with ''Alabama'' and ''South Dakota''. Arriving at Pearl Harbor 17 September 1943, she got underway 29 September escorting aircraft carriers toward Wake Island for the heavy air attacks conducted 6 October on Japanese installations located there, returning to Pearl Harbor 11 October 1943. Mid-October ''Kidd'' was underway with a task force to strike Rabaul and support the Bougainville landings. Upon reaching a strike position south of Rabaul on the morning of 11 November, the task force launched attacks upon Japanese positions on the island. ''Kidd'' was ordered to rescue the crew of an aircraft from ''Essex'' which had ditched astern of the formation. During this rescue, a group of Japanese aircraft attacked the destroyer; ''Kidd'' shot down three attacking aircraft and completed the rescue while manoeuvring to dodge torpedoes and bombs. Cmdr. Roby, her commanding officer, received the Silver Star for gallantry during this action. The destroyer returned to Espiritu Santo 13 November. ''Kidd'' next screened carriers making air attacks on Tarawa during the Gilbert Islands invasion from 19 to 23 November. On the 24th, she spotted 15 low flying enemy bombers heading toward the heavy ships, gave warning, and shot down two Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers. After Tarawa was secure, ''Kidd'' remained in the Gilbert Islands to support cleanup operations before returning to Pearl Harbor 9 December. On 11 January 1944 ''Kidd'' sailed for the forward area at Espiritu Santo, then sailed the next day for Funafuti, arriving 19 January. During the invasion of the Marshall Islands 29 January to 8 February, ''Kidd'' screened heavy ships and bombarded Roi and Wotje, then anchored at Kwajalein 26 February. From 20 March to 14 April, ''Kidd'' guarded an airstrip under construction on Emirau and supported the occupation of Aitape and Hollandia in New Guinea 16 April to 7 May. She fought in the Marianas campaign 10 June to 8 July, and performed shore bombardment at Guam between 8 July and 10 August. In need of repairs, ''Kidd'' sailed for Pearl Harbor, arriving 26 August 1944. On 15 September, she departed Pearl, reached Eniwetok 26 September, and arrived at Manus on 3 October. There she became part of the giant Philippines invasion fleet and entered Leyte Gulf 20 October. Here, she screened the initial landings and provided fire support for soldiers who fought to reconquer the island until she sailed 14 November for Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, arriving 19 November. On 9 December ''Kidd'' headed toward Mare Island Navy Yard for overhaul and moored at Mare Island on Christmas Day. ''Kidd'' sailed 19 February 1945, to join Task Force 58 (TF 58) for the invasion of Okinawa. Trained and battle wise, ''Kidd'' played a key role during the first days of the Okinawa campaign, screening battleships, bombarding shore targets, rescuing downed pilots, sinking floating mines, providing early warning of raids, guarding heavily damaged ''Franklin'' (CV-13), and helping to shoot down kamikazes. While on picket station 11 April 1945, ''Kidd'' and her division mates, USS ''Black'', USS ''Bullard'', and USS ''Chauncey'', with the help of Combat Air Patrol, repelled three air raids. That afternoon, a single enemy plane crashed into ''Kidd'', killing 38 men and wounding 55. As the destroyer headed south to rejoin the task group, her fire drove off further enemy planes that were trying to finish her off. Stopping at Ulithi for temporary repairs, she got underway 2 May for the West Coast, arriving Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard 25 May. The ''Kidd'' saw heavy action in World War II, participating in nearly every important naval campaign in the Pacific after her 1943 commissioning, as she fought gallantly during the invasions of the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, the Philippines at Leyte Gulf, and Okinawa. On 1 August 1945, ''Kidd'' sailed to Pearl Harbor and returned to San Diego, California 24 September 1945 for inactivation. She decommissioned 10 December 1946 and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet. 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 Kidd (DD-661)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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