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 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 |
U-boat Attack | See our U-boat attack entry for the USS Leary (i) |
Commands listed for USS Leary (i) (DD 158)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
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 | T/Lt.Cdr. 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)
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