# USS Nelson > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/USS_Nelson > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/USS_Nelson.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Nelson > Source revision: 1327084274 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **USS *Nelson* (DD-623)**, a [*Gleaves*-class destroyer](/source/Gleaves-class_destroyer), was the only ship of the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) to be named for [Rear Admiral](/source/Rear_Admiral) [Charles P. Nelson](/source/Charles_P._Nelson_(admiral)), who served during the [Spanish–American War](/source/Spanish%E2%80%93American_War) and [World War I](/source/World_War_I). *Nelson* was [laid down](/source/Keel_laying) on 7 May 1942 at the [Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company](/source/Federal_Shipbuilding_and_Drydock_Company), [Kearny, New Jersey](/source/Kearny,_New_Jersey) and [launched](/source/Ship_naming_and_launching) on 15 September 1942 sponsored by Mrs. Nelson Stewart, daughter of Rear Admiral Nelson. The ship was [commissioned](/source/Ship_commissioning) on 26 November 1942. ## Service history After [shakedown](/source/Shakedown_cruise) along the [Atlantic](/source/Atlantic) coast, *Nelson* reported to the [U.S. Atlantic Fleet](/source/U.S._Atlantic_Fleet) on 21 January 1943. Through 29 May, she operated on [convoy](/source/Convoy) duty as flagship of Destroyer Squadron 17, making runs to [Bermuda](/source/Bermuda), [Port of Spain](/source/Port_of_Spain), [Trinidad](/source/Trinidad), [Dakar](/source/Dakar), [French West Africa](/source/French_West_Africa); [Aruba](/source/Aruba), [Netherlands West Indies](/source/Netherlands_West_Indies); [Casablanca](/source/Casablanca); and [Gibraltar](/source/Gibraltar). ### Invasion of Sicily, 1943 Upon completion of a short training period at [Norfolk, Virginia](/source/Norfolk,_Virginia), *Nelson* got underway 7 June to take part in the [invasion of Sicily](/source/Allied_invasion_of_Sicily). During the crossing she screened the [cruiser](/source/Cruiser) [USS *Boise*](/source/USS_Boise_(CL-47)), arriving at [Algiers](/source/Algiers) on 20 June. Serving as [flagship](/source/Flagship) for Commander Task Force 81 (TF 81) during the [Sicily](/source/Sicily) operation, *Nelson* was assigned duty with the central part of the Western Task Force. This group was to land assault troops on [beachheads](/source/Beachhead) near [Gela](/source/Gela), Sicily, to expand the captured area, and to seize the nearby airfield at [Ponte Olivo](/source/Ponte_Olivo). At 02:46 on 10 July the first assault waves hit the Gela beaches. Plunging in through the breakers, the shock troops encountered light opposition. But furious gunfire raked the follow-up waves. Caught in the blue-white glare of [searchlights](/source/Searchlight), [landing craft](/source/Landing_craft) were subjected to intense fire, and [LCIs](/source/Landing_Craft_Infantry) took direct hits. At 03:00 *Nelson* commenced [figure eight](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/figure_eight) patrols to the east of the [transports](/source/Transport_(ship)). Shortly after dawn [Axis](/source/Axis_powers) aircraft joined the fight, flying out of the [Acate River](/source/Acate_River) valley on the eastern coast and attempting to bomb and strafe [Allied](/source/Allies_of_World_War_II) ships, landing craft, and beaches. *Nelson* fired sporadically at the planes throughout the day. At 12:30 she received word that the destroyer [USS *Maddox*](/source/USS_Maddox_(DD-622)) had been sunk. Enemy aircraft continued the attack the next day, delivering a high level bombing attack on *Nelson'*s area and obtaining a direct hit on the [Liberty ship](/source/Liberty_ship) [SS *Robert Rowan*](/source/SS_Robert_Rowan). By 23:02 the ships commenced laying a heavy [smoke screen](/source/Smoke_screen), and the Axis attacks were beaten off. [German](/source/Luftwaffe) [dive bombers](/source/Dive_bomber) buzzed in on a surprise attack from the northeast at 17:33 on 12 July, dropping bombs and making strafing runs. *Nelson* splashed one plane at 17:42 and an hour later departed in convoy for Algiers, North Africa. Returning to the battle area on 17 July, she took up [antisubmarine](/source/Antisubmarine) patrol station around Gela and [Scoglitti](/source/Scoglitti) until 23 July, when she returned to Algiers. Later, on 30 July, she escorted [troopships](/source/Troopship) into [Palermo](/source/Palermo) Harbor on the north coast of Sicily. During this operation she was harassed by constant German air attacks. At 05:48 on 1 August she opened fire on a single plane, splashing it with the third salvo. *Nelson* returned to New York on 22 August, where Lt. Comdr. Thomas D. McGrath relieved Lt. Comdr. Riker of command on 3 September. The ship was assigned to North Atlantic convoy runs for the winter. This duty took the destroyer to [Belfast](/source/Belfast), Northern Ireland three times and to [Greenock](/source/Greenock) Bay, [Scotland](/source/Scotland), and Gibraltar once each. ### Invasion of Normandy, 1944 In May 1944 *Nelson* steamed to England to stage for the coming [Normandy invasion](/source/Invasion_of_Normandy). While moored alongside a [tanker](/source/Tanker_(ship)) at [Plymouth](/source/Plymouth), England on 24 May, her port [screw](/source/Propeller) fouled a mooring buoy, causing extensive damage to the screw and shaft. *Nelson* was placed in [drydock](/source/Drydock) where the screw and shaft, deemed beyond repair, were removed. But the need for fighting ships was so great that *Nelson* got underway on 2 June with only a starboard screw. At [Milford Haven](/source/Milford_Haven) she rendezvoused with a convoy, and by 8 June was in the [Normandy](/source/Normandy) assault area. The next day she steamed into position No. 13 on the "Dixie Line" as part of the anti-submarine and [E-boat](/source/E-boat) screen around the [Omaha beachhead](/source/Omaha_Beach). [E-boats](/source/E-boat) were the German version of [PT boats](/source/PT_boat) – speedy, agile, hard-hitting, and hard to hit. Armed with 40 mm guns and [torpedoes](/source/Torpedo), they specialized in night attacks. On the night of 8/9 June several destroyers on the "Dixie Line" had taken under fire and chased several of these E-boats, sinking two. *Nelson* was anchored in position 13 the night of 12 June. Thus far her only contact with the enemy had been in the form of a [glide bomb](/source/Glide_bomb) which had exploded harmlessly off the starboard quarter during her first night in the area. At 01:05 on 13 June she made a [radar](/source/Radar) contact, challenged the contact by flashing light, and opened fire. The target slowed, turned away, and split into three distinct blips. The destroyer had loosed ten salvos when a torpedo struck her just aft the No. 4 gun mount blowing off the stern and No. 4 mount (the destroyer's transom is now on display in the [Museum of Underwater Wrecks](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%25C3%25A9e_des_%25C3%25A9paves_sous-marines), having been raised from the bottom of the [Baie de Seine](/source/Baie_de_Seine) by the diver Jacques Lemonchois). [USS *Maloy*](/source/USS_Maloy_(DE-791)) stood by to transfer personnel, and *Nelson* was taken in tow. Twenty-four of her crew were killed or missing and nine wounded. After emergency repairs at [Derry](/source/Derry), Northern Ireland, where her #2 turret and torpedo tubes were removed as a weight saving/stability measure, the destroyer was towed to [Boston](/source/Boston_Navy_Yard) where she received a new stern. Extensive repairs completed 23 November 1944, *Nelson* returned to Atlantic patrol duty. During December she steamed to Plymouth, England, conducting anti-submarine patrol en route. She departed New York late in February 1945 on a convoy run to [Oran](/source/Oran), Algeria, returning 31 March. Throughout April and May *Nelson* served as plane guard and screen for the [escort carrier](/source/Escort_carrier) [USS *Card*](/source/USS_Card_(CVE-11)), and on 16 May Lt. Comdr. Clark W. Freeman, USNR, relieved Comdr. McGrath as skipper. The destroyer transited the [Panama Canal](/source/Panama_Canal) on 1 August en route [Pearl Harbor](/source/Pearl_Harbor), and then to [Tokyo Bay](/source/Tokyo_Bay) 3–14 September, following [Japan's surrender](/source/Surrender_of_Japan). The last part of September she steamed to [Okinawa](/source/Okinawa_Island), [Korea](/source/Korea), and Singapore, which she reached on 24 August. En route home, she arrived [Colombo](/source/Colombo), [Ceylon](/source/Ceylon) on 30 August. There, two days later, Lt. Comdr. Scott Lothrop relieved Lt. Comdr. Freeman as commanding officer; and on 3 November, *Nelson* sailed for New York, via [Cape Town](/source/Cape_Town), South Africa, arriving 6 December. She got underway again on 29 January 1946 for [Charleston, South Carolina](/source/Charleston,_South_Carolina). By directive dated January 1947, *Nelson* was placed out of commission, in reserve, U.S. [Atlantic Reserve Fleet](/source/Atlantic_Reserve_Fleet), and berthed at Charleston. She was struck from the [Naval Register](/source/Naval_Register) on 1 March 1968 and sold in July 1969. *Nelson* earned two [battle stars](/source/Battle_star) for [World War II](/source/World_War_II) service. ## External links - [hazegray.org: USS *Nelson*](http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd623txt.htm) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [USS Nelson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Nelson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Nelson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.