USS Picking

USS Picking was a Fletcher-class destroyer in service with the United States Navy. She was named for Sherwood Picking. Her keel was laid at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Staten Island, N.Y. on 24 November 1942. She entered service on 21 September 1943, having been launched on 1 June 1943.

Her class ran to 173 ships. The class followed the Gleaves-class destroyer and was succeeded by the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer.

Displacement was 2,050 long tons. She measured 114.7 m (376 ft) long with a beam of 12.1 m (40 ft). Her designed speed was 38 knots, and she carried a complement of 329.

Her main battery was five 127 mm (5 in) guns.

She was in commission for 712 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 20 December 1945. She recommissioned on 26 January 1951. She was struck from the register on 1 March 1975.

She was expended as a target on 27 February 1997. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.