USS Maddox (DD-622)

USS Maddox (DD-622)
Career
Ordered:
Laid down:	7 May 1942
Launched:	15 September 1942
Commissioned:	31 October 1942
Fate:	sunk in enemy action, 10 July 1943
Struck:	19 August 1943
General characteristics
Displacement:	1,630 tons
Length:	348 ft 3 in (106.1 m)
Beam:	36 ft 1 in (11.0 m)
Draft:	11 ft 10 in (3.6 m)
Propulsion:	50,000 shp (37 MW), 2 propellers, 4 boilers
Speed:	37.4 knots (69 km/h)
Range:	6500 nmi. (12,000 km)   @ 12 kt
Complement:	16 officers, 260 enlisted
Armament:	5 × 5 in./38 guns (127 mm), 6 × 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) guns, 6 × 20 mm AA guns, 10 × 21 in. torpedo tubes, 2 × depth charge tracks
Motto:

USS Maddox (DD-622), a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for William A. T. Maddox, who was a United States Marine Corps officer who served in the Mexican-American War. Maddox was laid down 7 May 1942 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Kearny, New Jersey; launched 15 September 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Ellen-Venita Browning Wilhoit Gay, great granddaughter of Captain Maddox; and commissioned 31 October 1942, Lieutenant Commander Eugene S. Sarsfield in command. After shakedown, Maddox departed New York 2 January 1943 for Norfolk, Virginia where she commenced escort duties. Following her first two convoy missions, safeguarding fleet oilers plying between Norfolk and the petroleum centers of Galveston, Texas and Aruba, Maddox began a series of trans Atlantic voyages escorting convoys from New York and Norfolk to north Africa. On 8 June 1943, Maddox departed Norfolk for Oran, Algeria, where she became a unit of TF 81, the assault force for the Sicilian invasion. As the assault troops landed 10 July, Maddox was on antisubmarine patrol about 16 miles offshore. Steaming alone, the destroyer was attacked by a German dive bomber. One of the bombs exploded Maddox's after magazine, causing the ship to roll over and sink within 2 minutes. The commanding officer, Lt. Comdr. E. S. Sarsfield, was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for heroism displayed in supervising abandon ship. His action was responsible for saving the lives of 74 of the crew. Maddox was struck from the Navy list 19 August 1943. Maddox received two battle stars for World War II service.

See also

See USS Maddox for other ships of this name.

References

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

External links

• history.navy.mil: USS Maddox
• navsource.org: USS Maddox
• hazegray.org: USS Maddox

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