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USS LEUTZE (DD-481)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NEMO

CLASS - FLETCHER As Built.
Displacement 2924 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 376' 5"(oa) x 39' 7" x 13' 9" (Max)
Armament 5 x 5"/38AA, 10 x 40mm, 7 x 20mm AA, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; Allis Chalmers Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 38 Knots, Range 6500 NM@ 15 Knots, Crew 273.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Puget Sound Navy Yard June 3 1941.
Launched October 29 1942 and commissioned March 2 1944.
Heavily damaged by Kamikaze Aircraft April 6 1945 Off Okinawa.
Decommissioned December 6 1945.
Stricken January 3 1946.
Fate Sold February 11 1947 to Thomas Harris, Barker, NJ and broken up for scrap.
8 of her crew were lost and remain on duty.

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Size Image Description Contributed
By
Leutze 80kEugene Henry Cozzens Leutze, son of Emanuel Leutze, the noted painter of American Revolutionary War scenes, was born in Dusseldorf, Prussia, 16 November 1847. Appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy by President Lincoln in 1863, he witnessed part of the Civil War on board blockade ship Monticello the following summer. His early career brought Leutze various surveying assignments, especially in Central America. In 1897, as commanding officer of Alert, he helped promote the peace when representatives from Costa Rica and Nicaragua met and signed a treaty of peace aboard his ship. As captain of Monterey, he sailed to reinforce Dewey’s fleet at Manila, and was present when the city capitulated. A fine administrator, he was promoted to rear admiral in 1907 while Superintendent of the Naval Gun Factory and Commandant of the Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Admiral Leutze ended his active career as Commandant of both the 3rd Naval District and the New York Navy Yard on 6 June 1912. He died at Brooklyn Naval Hospital 1 September 1931. Digital ID: ggbain 09689, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.Bill Gonyo
Leutze 82kArtist's conception of the Leutze as she appeared after original construction by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource.Navy Yard Associates
Leutze 78kArtist's conception of a cutaway view of the Leutze by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource.Navy Yard Associates
Leutze 171kUndated, location unknown. NARA # 80G455325.Daniel Dunham
Leutze 112kNewspaper clipiing from the launching.Roin Reeves
Leutze 79kCommissioning ceremony at Puget Sound Navy yard March 4 1944.Tracy White
Leutze 66kAs above.Tracy White
Leutze 134kMarch 12 1944 in Puget Sound.Ed Zajkowski
Leutze 267kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Leutze 194kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Leutze 245kUSS Leutze (DD-481) underway in Elliott Bay, Seattle, Washington, on 5 April 1944. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 31, Design 16D. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo #: NH 107412. In memory of Wally's dad, Walter Summ BM1c who served aboard the Leutze.Wally Summ/Robert Hurst
Leutze 221kUSS Leutze (DD-481) in Elliott Bay, Washington, 5 April 1944. Source: United States National Archives, Photo No. 19-N-64259.Wally Summ/Tommy Trampp
Leutze 280kUSS Leutze (DD-481) in Elliott Bay, Washington, 5 April 1944. Source: United States National Archives, Photo No.19-N-64260.Tommy Trampp
Leutze 171kAerial view in Elliott Bay April 13 1944. NARA # 80G702376.Daniel Dunham
Leutze 42kPhoto taken after kamikaze atack on April 6 1945 off Okinawa.Wally Summ
Leutze 50kUSS Leutze (DD-481) showing damage sustained after being hit by Japanese Kamikaze off Okinawa. Photo from "United States Destroyer Operations in World War II" by Theodore Roscoe.Robert Hurst
Leutze 112kUSS Leutze (DD-481) showing damage suffered after coming the assistance of USS Newcomb. A kamikaze glanced off Newcomb and exploded in the narrow space between the two ships. Leutze got much the worse of this, the upward force of the explosion damaging both propeller shafts and ripping her side open adjacent to mount 55. The damage is seen nearly a month later from both sides of her stern. Photos National Archives and Records Admininstration.Robert Hurst
Leutze 150kAs above.Robert Hurst
Leutze 143kAs above.Gerd Matthes
Leutze 113kDetail of damage caused by the kamikaze hit
US National Archives photo 80-G-342585
MIke Green

USS LEUTZE DD-481 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The hazegray Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)

Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves


CDR Berton Aldrich Robbins Jr.    Mar 4 1944 - Feb 17 1945 (Later RADM)

LT Leon Grabowsky    Feb 17 1945 - Apr 6 1945


Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Malcolm Fortson
Address: 3975 Ortega Blvd., Jacksonville, FL
Phone: (904) 388-8217
E-mail: fortson3875@aol.com
Next reunion: 2012 in St. Louis, MO, dates to be determined

Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.


Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
USS Leutze Website
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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This page was created by Fred Willishaw (ex ARG-4, AS-11 & DD-692) and is maintained by David L. Wright
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Last Updated 10 July 2017