Photographic History of the United States Navy
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NavSource Naval History Photographic History of the United States Navy |
DESTROYER ARCHIVE |
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Size | Image Description | Contributed By |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38k | Jonathan Thorn was born on 8 January 1779 at Schenectady, N.Y. and was appointed a midshipman on 28 April 1800. Subsequently serving with the Navy during the Tripolitan War, Thorn volunteered to take part in the hazardous expedition to destroy the captured frigate Philadelphia, which lay beneath the guns of the shore batteries in heavily defended Tripoli harbor. On 16 February 1804, Lt. Stephen Decatur, Jr., led a party of these volunteers in the ketch Intrepid into Tripoli and burned the erstwhile American frigate. Attached to the schooner Enterprise, Thorn was then assigned to Gunboat No. 4, under Decatur's command. In this vessel, he participated in the attack on Tripoli, with Commodore Edward Preble's squadron on 3 August 1804. Specially commended by Decatur for his conduct in this battle, Thorn received command of one of the Tripolitan gunboats captured and commanded this vessel in the engagement with the Tripolitan pirates on 7 August. Commissioned a lieutenant on 16 February 1807, Thorn became the first commandant of the New York Navy Yard at age 27. In 1810, he was granted a two-year furlough to command John Jacob Astor's sailing bark Tonquin in a voyage slated to take the ship to the Pacific Northwest to establish a fur trading post. Anchoring off Nootka on 5 June 1811, after a voyage which had taken the ship around Cape Horn to the Hawaiian Islands and to the mouth of the Columbia River, Thorn soon began trading with the local Indians. Angered by what they considered a bad business deal, the Indians came on board Tonquin and, in a brief, bloody action, massacred Thorn and his crew. | Bill Gonyo | |
| 82k | Artist's conception of the Thorn as she appeared in World War II 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 | |
| 158k | USS Thorn (DD-647) oil painting by Elsie Young, depicting the ship at sea during World War II. Courtesy of the painting's owner, Vice Admiral F.H. Schneider, USN (Retired), 1981. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Photo #: NH 92837-KN. | Robert Hurst | |
| 68k | Undated, location unknown. | - | |
| 68k | Undated postcard Copyright © Atlantic Fleet Sales, Norfolk, VA. | Mike Smolinski | |
| 148k | Undated, location unknown. Photo from the collection of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum. | Darryl Baker | |
| 45k | The Ship's Sponsor at the Christening and Launching February 28 1943. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 96k | The Launching February 28 1943. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 73k | Invitation to the Christening and Launching February 28 1943. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 56k | Ticket to the Christening and Launching February 28 1943. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 57k | The Launching February 28 1943. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 116k | The Officers at the Commissioning April 1 1943. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 45k | Invitation to the Commissioning April 1 1943. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 50k | Invitation to the Commissioning April 1 1943. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 75k | The Captain and the Sponsor at the Commissioning April 1 1943. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 96k | The Silver Service presented bt the Sponsor at the Commissioning April 1 1943. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 102k | USS Thorn (DD-647), USS Maddox (DD-622) and USS Butler (DD-636) at Brooklyn Navy Yard during 1943. | Ron Reeves | |
| 64k | Souvenir button of the launching of the USS Thorn (DD-647), USS Turner (DD-648), USS Bullard (DD-660) and USS Kidd (DD-661) on February 2 1943. Courtesy of www.timepassagesnostalgia.com. | Tom Kerman | |
| 209k | 20mm guns in action in Leyte Gulf, October 1944, courtesy of VAdm F H Schneider, USN (ret). Photo NH 92900. | Ed Zajkowski | |
| 148k | Refueling in 1945, in courtesy of VADM F. H. Scheidner. Photo NH 92896. | Ed Zajkowski | |
| 122k | Special sea detail on the starboard bridge wing of USS Thorn (DD-647), circa 1945. Her Commanding Officer, Commander F.H. Schneider is in center, wearing pith helmet. Courtesy of Vice Admiral F.H. Schneider, USN(Ret). Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 92899. | Mike Green | |
| 146k | USS Thorn (DD-647) in heavy seas, circa 1945, as seen from atop the bridge. Courtesy of Vice Admiral F.H. Schneider, USN(Ret). Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 92897. | Mike Green | |
| 75k | USS Thorn (DD-647) in floating dry dock, at Ulithi, May 1945. Courtesy of Vice Admiral F.H. Schneider, USN(Ret). Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 92899. | Mike Green | |
| 89k | USS Thorn (DD-647) entering Duncan Basin, Capetown, South Africa, 15 November 1945, while homeward bound from the Pacific. Table Top and Lion's Head Mountains are in the background. Courtesy of Vice Admiral F.H. Schneider, USN(Ret). Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 92895. | Mike Green | |
| 87k | USS Thorn (DD-647) at Capetown, South Africa, 15 November 1945. Courtesy of Vice Admiral F.H. Schneider, USN(Ret). Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 92886. | Mike Green | |
| 80k | Destroyer Squadron NINETEEN (DesRon 19) homeward bound from the Pacific, via the Cape of Good Hope, circa October-December 1945. Ships present include USS Stevenson (DD-645), USS Stockton (DD-646), USS Lansdowne (DD-486), USS Thorn (DD-647), USS Nelson (DD-623) and USS Lardner (DD-487). Courtesy of Vice Admiral F.H. Schneider, USN (Retired). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss | |
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76k | View of the destroyer piers at Charleston Naval Shipyard between July 1950 and August 1954. Harrison (DD573), John Rodgers (DD574), Thorn (DD647), and Winslow (AG127) are identified. Photo from USNI collection. | John Chiquoine | |
| 42k | USS Thorn (DD-647), USS McLanahan (DD-615) and USS MacKenzie (DD-614) at Philadelphia Navy Yard on August 13 1973. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 36k | Four scenes from ceremonies on the Thorn at Philadelphia Navy Yard on August 13 1973. The speaker was VADM Schneider. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 41k | As above. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 58k | As above. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 63k | As above. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 31k | Five scenes from SINKEX showing the use of Thorn as a target. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 88k | As above. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 101k | As above. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 96k | As above. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 113k | As above. | Kaj Swenson | |
| 104k | As above. | Kaj Swenson | |
LCDR Edward Brumby Apr 1 1943 - May 31 1944 CDR Frederick Henry Schneider Jr. May 31 1944 - May 6 1946 (Later VADM)
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.
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