Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War

United States Navy — Destroyer

USS Norris — service history

This is the full service history. For the vessel's particulars, photograph and specifications, see the entry.

In the words of the US Navy. The account below is reproduced verbatim from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command — a work of the United States Government, in the public domain, and the only text on this site not written here.

Before commissioning

USS Norris
Decommissioned U.S. Navy ships laid up in the Reserve Basin of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Pennsylvania (USA), while awaiting disposal, circa March 1974. Outboard ships are (from left to right center): USS Norris (DD-859), USS Sigourney (DD-643) and USS Calcaterra (DER-390). Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 102800 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

Benjamin White Norris, born at Callao, Peru, 15 May 1907, was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve 15 May 1919; completed flight training 6 May 1938; and was promoted to Major 16 May 1942. He was killed in action 4 June 1942 while leading a search and attack mission in the Battle of Midway. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism.

Second World War 1939–1945

1944

Norris (DD-859) was laid down 29 August 1944 by Bethlehem Steel Corp., San Pedro, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. Benjamin Norris, widow of Major Norris, by proxy, Mrs. Charles Browning; and commissioned 9 June 1945, Comdr. T. A. Nisemann in command.

Post-war 1946–1949

1946

After shakedown off California, Norris served three months with the Pre-Commissioning Training Center, Treasure Island, then sailed for duty off Hawaii and Far Eastern patrol operations, for which she arrived Hong Kong 7 February 1946. Much of this deployment was spent preventing smuggling and privateering along the Chinese and Korean coasts. She returned San Diego 22 February 1947, but was on the China coast again from 8 January to 16 July 1948.

Korean War period 1950–1953

1950

USS Norris
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Norris (DD-859) drops depth charges in a demonstration of antisubmarine warfare (ASW) for the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Francis P. Matthews, who was embarked in the aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) on 27 April 1950. U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo 80-G-439861 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

After an overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard which included extensive alterations enhancing her antisubmarine capability, Norris joined the Atlantic Fleet at Newport, R.I., in October. Reclassified escort destroyer (DDE-859) 4 March 1950, she trained for her first Mediterranean deployment, for which she sailed 5 July, just after the outbreak of the Korean Conflict. She was accordingly ordered on through the Suez Canal to join the 7th Fleet in the combat area.

Joining in blockade, patrol, fire support, and screening duties, Norris gave gunfire support during the Hungnam evacuation in early December 1950, and while on blockade rescued 21 South Koreans from a drifting junk off North Korea. Returning to Newport early in March 1951, Norris overhauled at Boston and trained in the North Atlantic and Caribbean until sailing 19 April 1952 for her deferred first Mediterranean deployment. Duty with the 6th Fleet, mighty protector of peace in the critical areas surrounding the Mediterrean, continued until 27 June, when she returned to Newport to prepare for Operation "Main Brace," a major NATO exercise in the North Sea 26 August-12 October. Mediterrean cruises April 1952-February 1953 and January 1954-May 1954 followed, and from 28 June she operated primarily with the Hunter-Killer Force of the Atlantic Fleet for the next 15 months. During a fleet exercise 1 November, she collided with Bergall (SS-320) when the submarine was attempting to fire torpedoes at the surface attack force.

Cold War 1954–1963

1955

From 2 May to 4 June 1955 she escorted replacements for the 6th Fleet to Gibraltar, then returned to antisubmarine evaluation and training in the western Atlantic and Caribbean, broken by a three-week patrol in the North Atlantic during the November 1956 Suez crisis. With Destroyer Squadron 24 she made an extended training cruise to South America from early January to late March 1957, visiting ports in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay between antisubmarine exercises with various Latin American navies.

1957

Returning to the Mediterranean from August to December 1957, she also served in the Red Sea during this deployment, then served in TF Bravo, an experimental antisubmarine development group, until her next 6th Fleet duty, June-August 1960 After a FRAM 11 conversion at Philadelphia from March to December 1961, Norris had over a year of intensive Atlantic Fleet training operations, including a midshipman training cruise. She was reclassified a general purpose destroyer (DD-859) 7 August 1962, and in October took station off Cuba during the Quarantine provoked by the missile crisis. With the return of quiet, she was back in Newport in December to prepare for another Mediterranean deployment, 6 February-7 July 1963. In August, an experimental wire-guided torpedo system was installed by Boston Naval Shipyard, and Norris spent much of the next year testing and evaluating the new system.

Vietnam War period 1964–1975

1964

Deployed again to the Mediterranean 1 October 1964-18 January 1965 and 19 August-7 December 1965, Norris served in Polaris support operations as a missile tracking ship 1 to 15 April 1966, and in the primary recovery force for Gemini X, 12 to 23 July. Intensified operations in Vietnam called her with other ships of Destroyer Squadron 20 and they left Newport 4 October for Panama and Yokosuka, arriving 10 November. As they had in Korea, her guns supported troops ashore, first driving back Viet Cong attempting to overrun Vung Tau 21 November. After four months on the gunline giving major service in the struggle to keep South Vietnam free, Norris completed a circumnavigation by returning via Suez to Newport 25 April 1967. Following east coast and Caribbean operations, Norris returned to the Mediterranean 29 April 1968 for duty through the summer months. Returning to Newport in the fall, she deployed again from 9 May-4 December 1969. Into 1970 she continues on rotation between the 2nd and 6th Fleets.

Other photographs

Held for this vessel, and not tied to any part of the account above.

USS Norris
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Norris (DD-859) underway on 2 May 1966. Norris shows the typical appearance of a FRAM II-modernized Gearing -class destroyer: Hedgehog in front of the brigde, AN/SPS-6 radar, Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes amidships and DASH hangar and landing deck aft. Note that it appears that a single Mk 25 torpedo tube is still installed in front of the Mk 32 launcher. Originally, the F U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo NH 106884 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Norris
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Norris (DD-859) prepares to launch a QH-50 DASH drone during an anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Mediterranean Sea, in 1969. John Spielmann, USN (photographed from USS Sellers (DDG-11)). — Official U.S. Navy photo [1] available at ussnorris.com — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Norris
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Norris (DD-859) off Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Pedro, California (USA), 10 days after her commissioning, 19 June 1945. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 21. USN — Official U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-N-85989 available at Destroyerhistory.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Norris
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Norris (DD-859) off San Pedro, California (USA), on 19 June 1945. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 21. USN — Official U.S. Navy photo [1] available at ussnorris.com — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Norris
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Norris (DD-859) underway at sea in the 1960s, after her FRAM II-modernization. Note her crew manning the rails. Arnold Art Store — Photo PC13362 from the collections of the Florida Memory Project — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Norris
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Norris (DDE-859) underway in 1956. Photograph taken by a Photographer's Mate onbord the USS Norris — U.S. Navy photo [1] from ussnorris.com — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Norris
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Norris (DDE-859) underway off the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Pennsylvania (USA), on 27 August 1953 U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-NN - DD-859 Norris - 143982 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
USS Norris
The U.S. Navy destroyers USS Norris (DDE-859), USS Fred T. Berry (DDE-858) and USS Blandy (DD-943) underway in the Atlantic Ocaen, in 1960. The destroyers were assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CVS-18). Wasp , with assigned Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 52 (CVSG-52), was deployed to the Atlantic Ocean from 11 June to 11 August 1960. U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy photo [1] from the USS Wasp (CVS-18) 1960 cruise book available at Navysite.de — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

References

Every work this entry draws on. There are no numbered markers in the text above: what we hold is the provenance of the page — this history, this article, these photographs.

  1. History Norris (DD-859) Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command. A work of the United States Government, in the public domain — the only text on this site reproduced verbatim.
  2. Facts USS Norris Structured facts only — dates, dimensions, armament and fate. No wording is taken from it. Harvested 1 August 2026.
  3. Photograph NH 107402 USS Norris U.S. Navy — https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-107000/NH-107402.html — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  4. Photograph Ships laid up at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, circa in March 1974 (NH 102800) Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 102800 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  5. Photograph USS Norris (DD-859) at sea in May 1966 U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo NH 106884 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  6. Photograph USS Norris (DD-859) drops depth charges in April 1950 U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo 80-G-439861 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  7. Photograph USS Norris (DD-859) in the Mediterranean Sea 1969 John Spielmann, USN (photographed from USS Sellers (DDG-11)). — Official U.S. Navy photo [1] available at ussnorris.com — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  8. Photograph USS Norris (DD-859) off San Pedro CA in 1945 USN — Official U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-N-85989 available at Destroyerhistory.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  9. Photograph USS Norris (DD-859) off San Pedro CA in June 1945 USN — Official U.S. Navy photo [1] available at ussnorris.com — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  10. Photograph USS Norris (DD-859) underway at sea in the 1960s (PC13362) Arnold Art Store — Photo PC13362 from the collections of the Florida Memory Project — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  11. Photograph USS Norris (DDE-859) underway at sea in 1956 Photograph taken by a Photographer's Mate onbord the USS Norris — U.S. Navy photo [1] from ussnorris.com — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  12. Photograph USS Norris (DDE-859) underway on 27 August 1953 U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-NN - DD-859 Norris - 143982 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
  13. Photograph USS Norris (DDE-859), USS Fred T. Berry (DDE-858) and USS Blandy (DD-943) underway in the Atlantic Ocean, in 1960 U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy photo [1] from the USS Wasp (CVS-18) 1960 cruise book available at Navysite.de — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons