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USS WITEK (DD-848)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NBCI

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign (circa 1968) - CHAIN MAIL

CLASS - GEARING As Built.
Displacement 3460 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 390' 6"(oa) x 40' 10" x 14' 4" (Max)
Armament 6 x 5"/38AA (3x2), 12 x 40mm AA, 11 x 20mm AA, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; Westinghouse Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 36.8 Knots, Range 4500 NM@ 20 Knots, Crew 336.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath ME July 16 1945.
Launched February 2 1946 and commissioned April 25 1946.
Decommissioned August 19 1968.
Stricken September 17 1968.
In use as an experimental vessel most of her career.
Fate Sunk as target off Virginia July 4 1969.

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Witek 49kFrank Peter Witek was born in Derby, Conn., on 10 December 1921 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at Chicago, III., on 20 January 1942. After training at the Marine Corps Base, San Diego, and at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Calif., Witek was sent to the forward areas on 5 February 1943. During the campaign for the Marianas, Private 1st Class Witek won a posthumous Medal of Honor "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty." When fire from well-camouflaged Japanese positions surprised and halted the advance of his rifle company during the Battle of Lingayen, at Guam, on 3 August 1944, Private Witek daringly remained standing, emptying a full magazine from his automatic rifle into a depression sheltering Japanese troops, killing eight of the enemy and allowing his own men to take cover. During his platoon's withdrawal to consolidate their lines, Witek remained behind, guarding a severely wounded comrade, courageously returning the Japanese fire until stretcher bearers arrived. He then covered the evacuation with sustained automatic rifle fire as he moved backward toward his own lines. Later, when his platoon was again pinned down by a Japanese machine gun, Witek, on his own initiative, boldly moved forward ahead of the reinforcing tanks and infantry, alternately throwing hand grenades and firing as he advanced to within five to 10 yards of the enemy position. He destroyed the gun and an additional eight Japanese, before he was hit and killed by a rifleman's bullet. Photo from the USMC History Division.Bill Gonyo
Witek 126kUndated, location unknown.Terry Newell 54-57 (USN-RET)
Witek 56kUSS Witek (DD-848) underway, location unknown. She is armed with 4 5"/38 guns and is fitted with a new type of propulsion system known as "pumpjets". Two of these units replaced the ship's normal propellers which makes the ship quieter. Photo official USN from "Jane's Fighting Ships" 1960-61 Edition.Robert Hurst
Witek 189kUSS Witek (EDD-848) underway on 10 March 1955. Source: United States National Archives, Photo No. 80-G-1013370.Mike Green
Witek 53kUSS Witek (DD-848), the only jet-propelled warship in the world underway circa 1959. Photo courtesy "Our Navy".Robert Hurst
Witek 178kDecember 1959 in drydock at Boston as an EDD, showing experimental pump jet propulsion system.Ed Zajkowski
Witek 82kAs above. Photo courtesy "Our Navy".Robert Hurst
Witek 76kAs above. Photo courtesy "Our Navy".Robert Hurst
Witek 399kBoston Naval Shipyard, July 4 1961. Fred T. Berry DD-858 undergoing FRAM overhaul moored alongside.© Richard Leonhardt
Witek 47kBoston Harbor, September 1963© Richard Leonhardt
Witek 36kBoston, September 1963© Richard Leonhardt
Witek 45kAtlantic, January 1967© Richard Leonhardt
Witek 30kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Witek 37kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Witek 40kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski

USS WITEK DD-848 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 Nels Clarence Johnson    Apr 23 1946 - Nov 1947 (Later VADM)
CDR Thomas Dana McGrath    Nov 1947 - Jul 10 1949
CDR Stanley Maitland Barnes    Jul 10 1949 - Jul 11 1951
CDR John George Roenigk    Jul 11 1951 - Aug 1952
CDR Kipling Wycliffe (Kip) Wise    Aug 1952 - Sep 1954
CDR Frank Wayne Ayers    Sep 1954 - Oct 1956
CDR Richard Archibald Montford    Oct 1956 - Sep 10 1958
CDR Charles Birney Bishop    Sep 10 1958 - Aug 15 1960
CDR William Edward Underwood    Aug 15 1960 - Apr 1962
CDR Robert Frank Vales    Apr 1962 - Mar 1964
LCDR CDR Seymore Thomas Hayes    Mar 1964 - Sep 1965
CDR Guy Joseph LeBreton Jr.    Sep 1965 - Dec 1966
CDR Eugene John Noblet    Dec 1966 - Aug 19 1968

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: John Noonan
Address: 925 North Street, Weatherly, Pa. 18255
Phone: (570)427-4652
E-mail: countryy@verizon.net


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 Witek website
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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