Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
United States Navy — Destroyer DD-661

USS Kidd (DD-661)

Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Kidd (DD-661)
Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 107198 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — DD-661 The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Kidd (DD-661) underway at the time she was recommissioned for Korean War service, circa March 1951.

Service

  1. United States Navy as Kidd23 April 1943 — 19 June 1964863 days of the war
Full service history About 1,105 words
Fletcher-class destroyer Particulars
Name
USS Kidd
Pennant / hull number
DD-661
Namesake
Isaac C. Kidd
Builder
Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Laid down
16 October 1942
Launched
28 February 1943
Commissioned
23 April 1943
Decommissioned
10 December 1946
Recommissioned
28 March 1951
Struck
1 December 1974
Fate
Museum ship in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Status
Preserved

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)

Isaac Campbell Kidd , born in Cleveland, Ohio, 26 March 1884, entered the Naval Academy in 1902. He served in Columbia, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pittsburgh, San Diego, New Mexico, Utah, and Vega. During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , 7 December 1941, Rear Admiral Kidd was Commander of Battleship Division 1 and Chief of Staff and Aide, Commander, Battleship Battle Force. At the first knowledge of the attack, he rushed to the bridge of Arizona (BB-39), his flagship, and "courageously discharged his duties as Senior Officer Present Afloat until Arizona blew up from a magazine explosion and a direct bomb hit on the bridge which resulted in the loss of his life."

He was awarded the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart for his "conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage, and complete disregard of his own life..."

Kidd (DD-661) was launched 28 February 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J.; sponsored by Mrs. Isaac C. Kidd, widow of Hear Admiral Kidd, and commissioned 23 April 1943, Comdr. Allan Roby in command.

Continue to the full service history About 1,105 words

From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Kidd I (DD-661)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 4 oil-fired boilers
  • 2 steam turbines
  • 2 shafts
  • 60000 shp
Armament
  • April 1943-December 1944:
  • 5 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber guns
  • 6 × 40 mm AA guns (3 x 2)
  • 7 × 20 mm AA guns (7 × 1)
  • 10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2 × 5)
  • 6 × K-gun depth charge throwers
  • 2 × depth charge tracks
  • February–May 1945:
  • 5 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber guns
  • 10 × 40 mm AA guns (5 x 2)
  • 7 × 20 mm AA guns (7 × 1)
  • 10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2 × 5)
  • 6 × K-gun depth charge throwers
  • 2 × depth charge tracks
  • Post-August 1945 and as preserved:
  • 5 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber guns
  • 14 × 40 mm AA guns (3 x 2, 2 x 4)
  • 12 × 20 mm AA guns (6 × 2)
  • 5 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (1 × 5)
  • 6 × K-gun depth charge throwers
  • 2 × depth charge tracks

Sister ships

148 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Kidd (DD-661) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Service history reproduced verbatim from Kidd I (DD-661) , Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships — public domain, a work of the United States Government.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 107198 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons