Kidd

Design

As the first class of destroyers produced by a wartime United States, the Fletcher-class was seen as a logical progression from the pre-war designs. The design firm of Gibbs and Cox took their experience in designing the previous Benson and Gleaves classes and sought to rectify the deficiencies in both designs. Coming in above 1,500 tons, the previous designs failed to meet the armament requirement of five (5) 5-inch guns and ten (10) torpedo tubes; they were seen as too small and top heavy. History would prove their third creation to be a war-winner; the mettle and venerability of the Fletchers were displayed regularly during the grueling combat of the Pacific campaign in World War II.

The Fletcher-class ships were the first destroyers in the US Navy to exceed 2,000 tons displacement. In a change from previous design practice, Fletchers had flush decks as opposed to the raised forecastle design seen on the Benson class. This increased her length but decreased her freeboard and improved her handling; overall, the Fletcher class was considered a very structurally sound and seaworthy design. An interesting design choice to note: early build Fletchers had a taller, rounded-tower superstructure design – as seen on the in-game model for Fletcher – whereas late-build Fletchers (such as Kidd) had a superstructure that was lower in height with a flat-faced bridge.

In order to maintain the 38 knot speed despite the increase in tonnage, new propulsion machinery was utilized: boilers that were 20-30% more efficient and turbines that were 20% more powerful than predecessors were installed. Ultimately, a third of the internal space was consumed by propulsion machinery in a unique configuration. The forward boiler and turbine room were separated from the rear boiler and engine room via watertight bulkheads. Each individual segment ran the port and starboard propulsion screws, respectively. This configuration resulted in greater survivability of the machinery spaces when dealing with combat damage.

As required by U.S. Navy specifications, each Fletcher class ship was able to mount five (5) 5-inch guns in single, enclosed, dual-purpose mounts; two guns forward, two guns rear, and one amidships. All turrets were controlled by Mark 37 and Mark 22 fire directors. Feeding information to the gun computer, the main battery could all be remotely controlled if required. Furthermore, the class got to implement SG surface radar and "Variable-Time" proximity fuses — both novelties to the Navy — that allowed effective engagement of both surface and air threats.

Learning from the experience of Pearl Harbor, the Navy decided to invest in heavier anti-aircraft armament. After seeing their effectiveness during the Spanish Civil War, the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) arranged manufacturing licences for Oerlikon 20mm and Bofors 40mm cannons. Anti-aircraft armament was constantly being changed throughout the war; for instance, the average Fletcher-class destroyer was armed with seven (7) 20mm and ten (10) 40mm AA guns for most of their time in the Pacific.

Finally, the class was able to mount ten (10) torpedoes in two quintuple-tube launchers amidships, the heaviest torpedo broadside of any U.S. Navy destroyer at the time. By also carrying depth charge launchers in conjunction with anti-submarine sonar, Fletchers were well-equipped to conduct anti-submarine operations as well. Overall, the class was armed with a plethora of tools to combat a myriad of threats.

In light of the mounting ferocity and desperation of Japanese kamikaze attacks against US carrier strike groups late into the Pacific campaign, the Navy saw it fit to increase anti-aircraft potency in picket ships however possible. In 1945, about 55 Fletcher-class destroyers – including Kidd – had their forward torpedo tubes removed to install an anti-aircraft platform mounting two quad-barrel 40mm. In addition to the three existing dual-barrel 40mm emplacements, the total was brought up to fourteen (14) 40mm AA guns. Furthermore, the seven (7) single-barrel 20mm were replaced with six dual-barrel emplacements, bringing the total up to twelve (12) 20mm AA guns.

In the end, 175 Fletchers were produced from 11 shipyards throughout the United States. USS Kidd (DD-661) was the 133rd Fletcher-class destroyer to be produced, named after Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd (killed in action during the sinking of his flagship USS Arizona on 7 December 1941). With the sponsorship of Admiral Kidd's widow, Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. in Kearny, New Jersey built the namesake destroyer; she was laid down on 16 October 1942 and launched on 28 February 1943.

Service

USS Kidd (DD-661) was commissioned into the United States Navy eight weeks later on 23 April 1943. Following her shakedown, she cruised the Atlantic and Caribbean before departing to the Pacific as part of the escorting fleet of USS Alabama (BB-60) and USS South Dakota (BB-57) in August 1943. Shortly after she arrived at Pearl Harbor, she was tasked with escorting aircraft carriers to Wake Island until early October. Come mid-October, Kidd joined a formidable task force set to strike Rabaul and support the landings at Bougainville. During this time in the dangerous southern islands, Kidd broke off from her formation to rescue the crew of a plane launched from USS Essex (CV-9). While she was recovering the air crew, a mass of Japanese planes fell on her in an attempt to sink her while she was isolated. Her AA guns lit up the skies, shooting down three Japanese planes and successfully completing the rescue without taking damage. Kidd remained in the southeastern Pacific screening Allied ships and bombarding shorelines before returning to Pearl Harbor by early December, where she remained through the New Year.

By 11 January 1944, Kidd was back at sea, sailing for the Marshall Islands to screen the assaulting American forces. From March through April, Kidd guarded an airstrip under construction on the island of Emirau, later supporting operations off New Guinea. She fought in the Marianas campaign from June through July, bombarding Guam for impending invasion. Following some hard months of service, Kidd returned to Pearl Harbor for repairs in late August 1944. She departed Pearl by the 15 September, arriving at the Manus by early October. From there, she joined the gigantic Philippines invasion fleet, entering Leyte Gulf on 20 October. During the initial stages of the invasion, she screened landings and provided fire support across the Philippines, before returning to Mare Island, California (via New Guinea), arriving there on Christmas Day 1944.

Kidd’s next sortie came on 19 February 1945, as she joined Task Force 58 on their way to Okinawa. Kidd screened Allied ships, protected landings, bombarded key targets ashore, rescued down pilots, protected heavily-damaged USS Franklin (CV-13) and shot down kamikazes. While defending a picket station in early April 1945, Kidd along with her division mates USS Black (DD-666), USS Bullard (DD-660) and USS Chanucey (DD-667) repelled three air raids on their position. After the third raid, a single Japanese plane crash-landed on her deck, killing 38 men and wounding 55. Damaged and down on manpower, she returned slowly to Pearl Harbor for repairs, transferring all the way back to San Diego on 24 September 1945 for deactivation following the end of World War II. She was decommissioned on 10 December 1946 and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

It was to be a brief respite. Kidd re-joined the active United States Navy a mere five years later with the outbreak of the Korean War. Following re-activation protocols, Kidd was recommissioned on 28 March 1951, setting sail for the Western Pacific. She arrived in Yokosuka, Japan by 15 July, joining Task Force 77. Her first actions were patrols off the southern Korean coast, until she was re-located to the eastern coast of the Korean peninsula. From October 1951 to January 1952, Kidd bombarded targets of opportunity along the coastline, until she was ordered to return to San Diego, arriving there on 6 February 1952. She returned to Korea by mid-September that year, patrolling off the North Korean coast after truce talks began. She remained stationed off Korea until she was to return to San Diego, via Midway and Pearl Harbor, for an overhaul, reaching San Diego at last on 20 March 1953.

Kidd remained in active service until 1964, sailing across the Pacific and visiting ports in Japan, Okinawa, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Australia. In 1960, she was transferred to the Atlantic Fleet, cruising the Caribbean and the Atlantic. By mid-June 1964, Kidd was decommissioned and joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, berthing at Philadelphia. In 1982, Kidd became one of three Fletcher-class ships chosen to be preserved as wartime memorials. She was towed from Philadelphia to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where, on 23 May 1982, she was transferred to the custody of the Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission and became a military museum ship. Kidd is the only preserved U.S. Navy destroyer to retain her World War II appearance, as she has slowly been restored back to her August 1945 configuration (a process that took nearly 15 years of hard work by volunteers and a variety of equipment donations).

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  Ship's emblem of USS Kidd.

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  USS Kidd (DD-661) as she appeared early in her career, circa 1943 or 1944.

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  Kidd anchored at Roi, Kwajalein, 1944.

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  Kidd off Mare Island, California, 8 February 1945. She was in overhaul at Mare Island from 25 Dececember 1944 until 11 February 1945.

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  Kidd, circa 1950, location unknown.

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  Kidd underway at the time she was recommissioned for Korean War service, circa March 1951.

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  USS Kidd dropping depth charges during maneuvers in 1958.

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  Kidd as she appears today, as a museum ship in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.