Allied Warships

USS Leary (i) (DD 158)

Destroyer of the Wickes class

USS Leary shortly before she was sunk

Navy	The US Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Wickes
Pennant	DD 158
Built by	New York Shipbuilding Corp. (Camden, New Jersey, U.S.A.)
Ordered
Laid down	6 Mar 1918
Launched	18 Dec 1918
Commissioned	5 Dec 1919
Lost	24 Dec 1943
Loss position	45° 15'N, 21° 40'W

History	Decommissoned 29 June 1922 Recommissioned 1 May 1930 On 24 December 1943, the American hunter-killer Task Group 21.14, formed around the USS Card was spotted by a German reconnaissance aircraft and the wolfpack Borkum was ordered to attack. The carrier had a narrow escape when three FAT torpedoes fired at 01.43 hours by U-415 (Neide) missed her. The same U-boat also missed the USS Decatur (DD 341) with a Gnat. At 05.05 hours, U-275 fired a Gnat at the USS Leary (DD 158) (Cdr. James Ellsworth Kyes, USN) and hit her on the starboard side in the after engine room. A second Gnat fired by U-382 (Zorn) at 05.21 hours missed the already sinking destroyer. She sank after a huge internal explosion within one minute about 585 miles west-north-west of Cape Finisterre in position 45º15'N, 21º40'W. 97 of the crew, including the commanding officer died and 59 survivors were rescued by the USS Schenck (DD 159), which found U-645 (Ferro) later the same day, evaded a torpedo and sinks the U-boat with depth charges. Hit by U-boat Sunk on 24 Dec 1943 by U-275 (Bork).
U-boat Attack	See our U-boat attack entry for the USS Leary (i)

Commands listed for USS Leary (i) (DD 158)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Ethelbert Watts, USN	17 Apr 1938	8 Jan 1941
2	Lt. William Lockhart Harmon, USN	8 Jan 1941	Mar 1941
3	Lt.Cdr. Clifford Ashton Fines, USN	Mar 1941	15 Dec 1941
4	John Connor Atkeson, USN	15 Dec 1941	11 Aug 1942
5	James Ellsworth Kyes, USN	11 Aug 1942	24 Dec 1943 (+)

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Notable events involving Leary (i) include:

24 Dec 1943
On 24 Dec 1943 she was part of the escort for USS Card, when she was hit by 3 torpedoes, fired by U-275. 97 of her crew of 149 were lost. (1)