Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
United States Navy — Destroyer DD-451

USS Chevalier (DD-451)

Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Chevalier (DD-451)
Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 107952 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — DD-451 The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Chevalier (DD-451) in Boston harbor, Massachusetts (USA), on 24 October 1942 just prior to departing to escort a convoy during the invasion of North Africa.

Service

  1. United States Navy as Chevalier20 July 1942 — 16 November 1943484 days of the war
Full service history About 833 words
Fletcher-class destroyer Particulars
Name
USS Chevalier
Pennant / hull number
DD-451
Namesake
Lieutenant Commander Godfrey Chevalier
Builder
Bath Iron Works
Ordered
July 1940
Laid down
30 April 1941
Launched
11 April 1942
Commissioned
20 July 1942
Struck
16 November 1943
Fate
Scuttled after being torpedoed and accidentally rammed, 7 October 1943 (1943)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, standard
2,050 long tons (2,083 t)
Length
114.6 m (376 ft)
Beam
11.89 m (39 ft)
Draught
5.18 m (17 ft)
Speed
35 knots (64.8 km/h, 40.3 mph)
Range
6,500 nmi (12,038 km)
Complement
329
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

Born in Providence, R.I., 7 March 1889, Godfrey DeCourcelles Chevalier graduated from the Naval Academy in June 1910. He was appointed a Naval Air Pilot 7 November 1915 and a Naval Aviator 7 November 1918.

In 1916 he participated in the installation of the first real catapult used in the Navy and piloted the first plane to be launched by catapult, from North Carolina. In November 1917 he commanded the first naval air station in France, at Dunkerque and for World War I service was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. In 1922 he was attached to Langley, in connection with fitting her out. On 26 October 1922 Lieutenant Commander Chevalier flew plane No. 606 which made the first landing on Langley's deck. This distinguished pioneer of naval aviation died at the Norfolk Naval Hospital 14 November 1922 as a result of injuries sustained in an airplane crash.

The first Chevalier (DD-451) was launched 11 April 1942 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; sponsored by Mrs. G. DeC. Chevalier; commissioned 20 July 1942, Lieutenant Commander E. R. McLean, Jr., in command; and reported to the Pacific Fleet.

Continue to the full service history About 833 words

From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Chevalier I (DD-451)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 60,000 shp (45 MW); 2 propellers
Armament
  • 5 × 5 in/38 guns
  • 1 × 1.1"/75 caliber quad AA gun
  • 5 × 20 mm AA guns
  • 10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes

Sister ships

148 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Chevalier (DD-451) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Service history reproduced verbatim from Chevalier I (DD-451) , Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships — public domain, a work of the United States Government.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 107952 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons