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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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111k | Mons Monssen was born at Bergen, Norway, on 20 January 1867. He enlisted in the United States Navy in about 1890 and by 1904 had risen in rank to Chief Gunner's Mate. On 13 April 1904, while he was serving in the battleship Missouri, the ship suffered a tragic fire in her after twelve-inch gun turret that killed 36 of her crew. Chief Monssen entered the burning powder magazine below the turret and fought the blaze by throwing water on it until a hose was passed to him. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for this act of heroism and a month later was appointed to the rank of Warrant Officer. Gunner Monssen served in USS Yankee and USS Iowa during the next three years. He was then stationed ashore in the New York area before returning to sea between 1909 and 1912 in the battleship Connecticut. Promoted to Chief Gunner in 1910 and commissioned in the rank of Lieutenant in 1918, his subsequent assignments were all in shore stations, including the New York Navy Yard during 1910-1914 and 1918-1924; the Naval Stations at Cavite and Olongapo, Philippine Islands, in 1914-1917; and the Naval Mine depot at New London, Connecticut, in 1924-1925. He retired from active duty in December 1925 and made his home in Brooklyn, New York. Lieutenant Mons Monssen died at the Brooklyn Naval Hospital on 10 February 1930. Photo #: NH 97949. Gunner Mons Monssen, USN (seated, # 22) on board USS Iowa (Battleship # 4), 1906. Cropped from Photo # NH 97948. Others present include (as numbered and identified on the original print): 13. Surgeon Moulton K. Johnson; 14. Lieutenant Duncan M. Wood; 15. Lieutenant George K. Pettengill; 16. Ensign David A. Weaver; 21. unidentified Warrant Officer; 23. Boatswain John P. Judge. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Bill Gonyo | |
| 77k | Artist's conception of the Monssen 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 | |
| 81k | Undated, medical aid being given in the ward room of USS Monssen (DD-798) while supporting the land forces during the battle for Saipan. Photo and text taken from "United States Destroyer Operations of World War II" by Theodore Roscoe. | Robert Hurst | |
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127k | Naval Gun Fire Support (NGFS) plan for the invasion of Saipan on June 15 1944. | Wayne VanDerVoort | |
| 115k | USS Monssen (DD-798) off Staten Island, New York, upon completion of construction by the Bethlehem Steel Company's Staten Island Shipyard, 12 February 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. | Fred Weiss | |
| 147k | Aft plan view of USS Monssen (DD 798), outboard, and USS Howorth (DD 592), inboard, at Mare Island on 4 December 1945. | Darryl Baker | |
| 82k | Forward plan view of USS Monssen (DD 798), outboard, and USS Howorth (DD 592), inboard, at Mare Island on 4 December 1945. Monssen was in overhaul at the yard from 1 Oct to 5 Dec 1945. | Darryl Baker | |
| 198k | December 4 1945 at Mare Island. | Ed Zajkowski | |
| 186k | Mothballed Fletcher-class destroyers such as the USS Monssen (DD-798) are being recommissioned as the conflict in Korea heats up in the early 1950's. Photo courtesy of Life magazine. | Bill Gonyo | |
| 159k | USS Monssen (DD-798) underway soon after she was recommissioned, circa 1951-1952. The ship is still essentially in her late World War II configuration, with ten torpedo tubes, 20mm guns, and wartime radars. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. | Fred Weiss | |
| 88k | Photo #: 80-G-625694: USS Monssen (DD-798) underway off Newport, Rhode Island, on 17 July 1953. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. | Scott Dyben | |
| 208k | In Italian waters on December 23 1956. | Carlo Martinelli | |
| 75k | New York, NY May 18 1957. | Marc Piché | |
| 91k | South Boston , August 1960 | © Richard Leonhardt | |
| 84k | Taken by Brian's Dad who was in the Coast Guard, Beach Haven, NJ March 1962. | Brian Kroenung | |
| 77k | As above. | Brian Kroenung | |
| 86k | As above. | Brian Kroenung | |
| 63k | As above. | Brian Kroenung | |
| 71k | As above. | Brian Kroenung | |
| 109k | As above. | Brian Kroenung | |
| 82k | As above. | Brian Kroenung | |
| 82k | As above. | Brian Kroenung | |
| 87k | As above. | Brian Kroenung | |
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Transferred to the Philadelphia Reserve Group in 1962, MONSSEN was being towed down the coast when the towline parted in heavy seas, 6 March. With seas running 10 to 15 feet and wind gusting to 50 knots, she went aground at Beach Haven Inlet, N.J., remaining there for 6 weeks before being pulled off and completing her journey. | Mike Murphy | |||
| 225k | The Reserve Fleet destroyer USS Monssen (DD-798) high and dry on a new Jersey beach. Scanned from Mud, Muscle and Miracles by Captain Charles A. Bartholomew, USN and Commander William I Milwee, Jr., USN, (Ret.). | Robert Hurst | |
| 108k | Drawing of the pulling arrangements that freed Monssen. Scanned from Mud, Muscle and Miracles by Captain Charles A. Bartholomew, USN and Commander William I Milwee, Jr., USN, (Ret.). | Robert Hurst | |
| 99k | April 20 1962 in Philadelphia Navy Yard after grounding. | Ed Zajkowski | |
| 198k | April 20 1962, just arrived at Philadelphia Navy Yard after being aground off New Jersey for weeks. | Ed Zajkowski | |
| 45k | Ship's patch. | Mike Smolinski | |
| 142k | Monssen's actual stern name-plate, salvaged when the ship was scrapped, now on display at Freedom Park, Omaha, Nebraska. | D.J. Gallagher | |
CDR Bernhardt Alois Feutsch Feb 14 1944 - Jul 21 1944 CDR Charles Kniese Bergin Jul 21 1944 - Dec 8 1944 (Later RADM) CDR Everett George Sanderson Dec 8 1944 - Apr 30 1946 (Decommissioned Apr 30 1946 - Oct 31 1951) CDR Charles Rutter Norris Jr. Oct 31 1951 - 1953 CDR Walter Louis Phaler 1953 - Mar 13 1954 CDR Paul Edward Glenn Mar 13 1954 - 1956 CDR Samuel Lloyd Collins 1956 - Sep 1957
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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