Allied Warships

USS Downes (DD 375)

Destroyer of the Mahan class

Navy	The US Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Mahan
Pennant	DD 375
Built by	Norfolk Navy Yard (Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.A.)
Ordered
Laid down	15 Aug 1934
Launched	22 Apr 1936
Commissioned	15 Jan 1937
End service	17 Dec 1945
History	Downes was almost completely destroyed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, She was decommissioned on 20 June 1942. Her equipment was salvaged from her hulk and was taken to the Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo, California, where Cassin was completely rebuilt in a new hull, recommissioning on 15 November 1943. Decommissioned 17 December 1945. Stricken 28 January 1947. Sold 18 November 1947 and broken up for scrap.

Commands listed for USS Downes (DD 375)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

	Commander	From	To
1	Kenneth Hill Noble, USN	13 Jun 1939	10 Dec 1940
2	Lt.Cdr. Thomas Henry Hederman, USN	10 Dec 1940	13 Sep 1941
3	Lt.Cdr. William Rudolph Thayer, USN	13 Sep 1941	8 Dec 1941
4	Lt. William Overton Snead, Jr., USN	8 Dec 1941	1 Jan 1942
5	Lt. Hugh Trent Mackay, USN	1 Jan 1942	13 Apr 1942
6	Frank Morse Culpepper, USN	13 Apr 1942	20 Jun 1942

7	T/Cdr. Robert Schley Fahle, USN	15 Nov 1943	Jan 1945
8	Lt.Cdr. James Martin Yost, USNR	Jan 1945	17 Dec 1945

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Notable events involving Downes include:

3 Sep 1944
Around 0530K/3, USS Seahorse (T/Capt. C.W. Wilkins, USN), USS Whale (T/Cdr. J.B. Grady, USN) and USS Segundo (T/Cdr. J.D. Fulp, Jr., USN) made rendezvous with USS Downes (T/Cdr. R.S. Fahle, USN).

They then proceeded to Tenapag harbour where they arrived around 1130K/3.

The submarines were then taken in hand for voyage repairs by USS Holland (Cdr. C.Q. Wright, Jr., USNR). (1)

19 Sep 1944
USS Bergall (Cdr. J.M. Hyde, USN) arrived at Saipan. She was escorted in by USS Downes (Cdr. R.S. Fahle, USN).

27 Apr 1945
Around 0530K/27, USS Seahorse (T/Cdr. H.H. Greer, Jr., USN) made rendezvous with USS Sea Dog (T/Cdr. E.T. Hydeman, USN) and USS Torsk (T/Cdr. B.E. Lewellen, USN) and their escort USS Downes (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Yost, USNR). They then set course for Guam where they arrived around 0830K/27.