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USS HEERMANN (DD-532)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NAXQ

CLASS - FLETCHER As Built.
Displacement 2924 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 376' 5"(oa) x 39' 7" x 13' 9" (Max)
Armament 5 x 5"/38AA, 6 x 40mm, 10/11 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 Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco. May 8 1942.
Launched December 5 1942 and commissioned July 6 1943.
Decommissioned June 12 1946 and recommissioned September 12 1951.
Decommissioned December 20 1957.
Stricken September 1 1975.
To Argentina August 14 1961, renamed Almirante Brown.
Fate Stricken 1982 and scrapped.

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Namesake
Heermann 85kLewis Heermann, born in Kassel, Germany, 3 August 1779 was commissioned Surgeon's Mate in the United States Navy 8 February 1802. On 16 February 1804, during the War with the Barbary States, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur left Heermann in command of the bomb ketch Intrepid while he and a fearless band of American seamen boarded the captured frigate Philadelphia in Tripoli Harbor, swept her Barbary captors' crew overboard, and set the frigate ablaze.When hostilities with the Barbary States closed in 1805, Heermann returned to the United States but soon took leave of absence to study in Europe until 1808 when he returned to active duty in Norfolk, Virginia. Largely due to his pleas for better medical care for the men of the Navy, Congress passed a bill authorizing the construction of hospitals at several naval stations, but the first official U.S. Naval Hospitals were not actually built until after Dr. Heermann's death. He was transferred to New Orleans, Louisiana in August 1811; and, with the exception of a year in the North for his health and an assignment in 1830 in the Mediterranean where he served for an unknown time as Fleet Surgeon of the Mediterranean Squadron, he remained there until he died in May 1833.Bill Gonyo
THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
WASHINGTON

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to the

U.S.S. HEERMANN, U.S.S. SAMUEL B. ROBERTS, U.S.S. RAYMOND, U.S.S. DENNIS and U.S.S. JOHN C. BUTLER

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

"For extraordinary heroism in action against powerful units of the Japanese Fleet during the Battle off Samar, Philippines, October 25, 1944. Silhouetted against the dawn as the Central Japanese Force steamed through San Bernardino Strait towards Leyte Gulf, Task Unit 77.4.3 was suddenly taken under attack by hostile cruisers on its port hand, destroyers on the starboard and battleships from the rear. Quickly laying down a heavy smoke screen, the gallant ships of the Task Unit waged battle fiercely against the superior speed and fire power of the advancing enemy, swiftly launching and rearming aircraft and violently zigzagging in protection of vessels stricken by hostile armor-piercing shells, anti-personnel projectiles and suicide bombers. With one carrier of the group sunk, others badly damaged and squadron aircraft courageously coordinating in the attacks by making dry runs over the enemy Fleet as the Japanese relentlessly closed in for the kill, two of the Unit’s valiant destroyers and one destroyer escort charged the battleships point-blank and, expending their last torpedoes in desperate defense of the entire group, went down under the enemy’s heavy shells as a climax to two and one half hours of sustained and furious combat. The courageous determination and the superb teamwork of the officers and men who fought the embarked planes and who manned the ships of Task Unit 77.4.3 were instrumental in effecting the retirement of a hostile force threatening our Leyte invasion operations and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

For the President,

James Forrestal
Secretary of the Navy
USS Heermann (DD-532)
Heermann 10kUndated, location unknown.-
Heermann 17kUndated, location unknown.-
Heermann 105kUSN Photo, Undated war time image, Good overhead of the general layout of the Fletcher class. -
Heermann 114kUndated, location unknown.Richard A. Danca
Heermann 168kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Heermann 213k1944 at Eniwetok.Ed Zajkowski
Heermann 57kLeyte Gulf October 25 1944. The ship is painted in camouflage Measure 32, Design 24d.-
Heermann 73kBattle of Leyte Gulf, Battle off Samar, 25 October 1944. USS Heermann (DD-532), closer to camera, camouflaged in Ms.32, 24D, and a John C. Butler-escort—possibly John C. Butler (DE-339) herself, as she appears to be painted in Ms.32, Design 11D—lay a smoke screen to protect their escort carrier group from attacking Japanese surface ships. Photographed from USS White Plains (CVE-66). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), #80-G-288885.NARA
Heermann 46kUSS Heermann (DD-532), foreground and one of Taffy 3's John C. Butler-class destroyer escorts laying smoke screens early in the battle off Samar, 25 October 1944. National Archives and Records Administration. Photo # 80-G-288885.Robert Hurst
Heermann
0553229
35kHeermann moored in Kossol Roads after dropping off St. Lo (CVE-63) survivors, 27 October 1944.Tim Smith
Heermann 85kNavy Photo 297-45, broadside view of USS Heermann (DD 532) off Mare Island on 9 Jan 1945. She was in overhaul at Mare Island form 26 Nov 1944 until 14 Jan 1945.Darryl Baker
Heermann 102kNavy Photo 301-45, bow on view of USS Heermann (DD 532) off Mare Island on 9 Jan 1945.Darryl Baker
Heermann 96kNavy Photo 306-45, stern view of USS Heermann (DD 532) off Mare Island on 9 Jan 1945.Darryl Baker
Heermann
0553230
324kStern view of Heermann underway, location unknown, circa October 1945.Tim Smith
Heermann
0553231
920kCloseup of Heerman's superstructure, circa October 1945. Note the tally board on her gun director.Tim Smith
Heermann 236kLCDR William King Yarnell, skipper of the Heermann, with crewmembers in from of the Director in Vancouver, Washington on October 25, 1945 the day she received her Presidential Unit Citation. Note her "scoreboard" painted on the side of the Director.Robert Well
Heermann 145kLCDR William King Yarnell, skipper of the Heermann, with crewmembers onboard and on the pier at Vancouver, Washington in October 1945.Robert Well
Heermann 206kSometime in the 1950's after her armament change to 3"/50 AA and reduction to 4-5"/38 mounts.David Buell
Heermann 90kUSS Heermann (DD-532) underway with the crew at quarters for either entering or leaving port. This image was received by the Naval Photographic Center in December 1959, but was taken during the early 1950s, before Heermann was refitted with 3"/50 guns. Note that she still carries World War II era radars. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo #: NH 107247.Robert Hurst
Heermann 27kUSS Stockham DD 683, USS Charles J. Badger DD 657, USS Hazelwood DD 531 and USS Heermann DD 532 Spring 1954.Josh Tickle
Heermann 162kFrom the collection of CDR M. E. Meahl USN who was Captain of the Heermann in 1956 when he was the U.S. Representative at Grace Kellys wedding in Monaco. Photo taken as the Heermann was entering Monaco harbor.Daniel Meahl
Heermann 94kNewport, RI 1957.Marc Piché
Heermann 80kIn storage at South Boston Naval Annex, May 1958. Stockham DD-683 Aft.© Richard Leonhardt
Heermann 52kBoston Naval Shipyard, September 1961. DD-670 Dortch And Heermann Preparing For Foreign Transfer.© Richard Leonhardt
Heermann 57kThe USS Laub (DD-613), USS Woolsey (DD-437) and the USS Heermann (DD-532) at South Boston Naval Annex.© Richard Leonhardt
Heermann 177kModel of the Heermann in 1/200 scale built and photographed by Alexey Gorelenko, LCDR, Russian Navy.Alexey Gorelenko
Heermann 32kShips patch.Mike Smolinski
On Argentinian Service
Heermann 46kAlmirante Brown D-20 - Guillermo Brown (born William Brown, Foxford, County Mayo, Kingdom of Ireland (currently Republic of Ireland), 22 June 1777; died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 3 March 1857) was the first admiral of the Argentine Navy, both in chronology and in prestige.Francisco Javier Santos Vazquez
Heermann 197kUndated, location unknown. Official Argentine Navy photo courtesy of http://www.histarmar.com.ar.Robert Hurst
Heermann 60kCirca 1965, location unknown.Robert Hurst
Heermann 186kEx USS Heermann (DD-532) as ARA Almirante Brown (DD 20) and Ex USS Dortch (DD-670) as ARA Espora (DD 21) during UNITAS XI 1970.LCDR Orlando Gallardo, Jr. U.S. Navy

USS HEERMANN DD-532 History
View This Vessels DANFS History entry on the Naval History & Heritage Command website

Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves


CDR Dwight Merle Agnew    Jul 6 1943 - May 1 1944 (Later RADM)

CDR Amos Townsend Hathaway    May 1 1944 - Aug 19 1945

LCDR William King Yarnall    Aug 19 1945 - Jun 12 1946

(Decommissioned Jun 12 1946 - Sep 12 1951)

CDR Edward Clarence Spencer    Sep 12 1951 - 1953

CDR George Wyer French    1953 - Jan 1956

CDR Melvin Ewing Meahl    Jan 1956 - Jan 1957

CDR George McNemer Schwartze    Jan 1957 - Dec 20 1957


Commanding Officers on Argentine Service
Thanks to Robert Hurst


Capitán de Fragata Jorge Rodríguez    10 Aug 1961 

Capitán de Navio Constantino Arguelles    24 May 1962

Capitán de Fragata Jorge A. Ledesma- Integra    1963 

Capitán de Fragata Jorge E. Zimmermann    1964

Capitán de Fragata Tirso R. Brizuela    1965

Capitán de Fragata Raymundo C. Suárez    1966

Capitán de Fragata Juan A. Valente    1967

Capitán de Fragata Juan M. Escobar    1968

Capitán de Fragata Edgardo Segura    1969

Capitán de Fragata Edmundo Núñez    1970

Capitán de Fragata José N. Estévez    1971

Capitán de Fragata Carlos Noé Guevara    1972

Capitán de Fragata Sebastian Villanuve    1973 - 1974

Capitán de Fragata Jorge Valarino    1974 - 1975

Capitán de Fragata Jorge Portugal    1975


Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Ralph Stokes
Address: P.O. Box 152, Texarkana, TX 75504
Phone:
E-mail: None


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
NavSource Memorial Page devoted to Admiral Sprague and Task Unit 77.4.3 (Taffy 3)
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 30 January 2024