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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive

Henry A. Wiley (MMD 29)
ex-DM-29
ex-DD-749



Call sign:
November - Tango - Juliet - Tango
Robert H. Smith Class Light Minelayer:

  • Laid down 28 November 1943 as Henry A. Wiley (DD-749), an Allen M. Sumner Class Destroyer, by the Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, NY
  • Launched 21 April 1944
  • Reclassified as a Light Minelayer, DM-29, 20 July 1944
  • Delivered 30 August 1944
  • Commissioned USS Henry A. Wiley (DM-29), 31 August 1944
  • Decommissioned 29 January 1947
    Naval Vessel Register of 1 January 1949 lists plan for decommissioning and placing in reserve as December 1946
  • Reclassified as a Fast Minelayer, MMD-29, 1 January 1969
  • Struck from the Navy Register 15 October 1970
  • Sold for scrap 30 May 1972.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 2,380 t.(lt), 3370 t.(fl)
  • Length 376' 6"
  • Beam 40' 10"
  • Draft 18' 10"
  • Speed 34 kts.
  • Complement 363
  • Armament: Three twin 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts, six twin 40mm gun mounts, eleven 20mm guns, two .50 cal. machine guns, two depth charge tracks and four depth charge projectors
  • Propulsion: Four Babcock and Wilcox boilers, two General Electric geared turbines, 60,000shp at 36.5 kts., two shafts, Range 3,300 nm at 20 kts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Henry Aristo Wiley
    Henry A. Wiley 172k Henry Aristo Wiley was born in Pike County, Ala., 31 January 1867 and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1888. He served in Maple during the Spanish-American War and attained his first command, Villalobos, in 1904. During the First World War Wiley commanded battleship Wyoming attached to the 6th Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet and received the Distinguished Service Medal for his outstanding performance. After various shore and fleet commands, he was appointed Admiral in 1927 and served as Commander-in-chief, U.S. Fleet, until his retirement in 1929 after over 40 years of service. Admiral Wiley served in the years that followed as Chairman of the Maritime Commission and in other important government posts until being recalled to active duty in 1941. In the next year he headed the Navy Board of Production Awards. Admiral Wiley retired once more 2 January 1943 and died 20 May 1943 at Palm Beach, Florida
    U.S. Navy photo    		 Bill Gonyo
    USS Henry A. Wiley (DM 29)
    Henry A. Wiley 166k Just out of Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island on 30 August 1944, in camouflage 32/25D. The colors are dull black, ocean gray and light gray
    National Archives photo BS 71747, BS 71748 and BS 71752 from the Bureau of Ships collection    		 Ships of the U.S. Navy in WWII “Dazzle” Camouflage
    Henry A. Wiley 147k
    Henry A. Wiley 244k
    Henry A. Wiley 377k 18 September 1944
    National Archives photo 80-G-248606 from National Museum of the U.S. Navy    		 Michael Mohl
    Henry A. Wiley 266k Interior view of wardroom
    Courtesy of the Kibbe Museum    		 Bill Gonyo
    Henry A. Wiley 42k c. 1945
    Standing within 200 yards of the beach at Iwo Jima. Mount Suribachi is in the background
    U.S. Navy photo from the October 2002 edition of Naval History magazine    		 Joe Radigan
    Henry A. Wiley 119k 7 February 1946
    San Francisco Bay
    Flying the "homeward bound" pennant from masthead to fantail
    U.S. Navy photo from the October 2002 edition of Naval History magazine
    Henry A. Wiley (MMD 29)
    Henry A. Wiley 100k c. 1971
    Henry A Wiley, Albert W. Grant (DD-649) and Herbert J. Thomas (DD-833), moored together at the San Diego Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility
    Photo courtesy of L. Cote from "Warship Boneyards" by Kit and Carolyn Bonner    		 Robert Hurst
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR Robert Emett Gadrow, USN - USNA Class of 193131 August 1944 - 17 March 1945
    02CDR Paul Henrik Bjarnason, USN - USNA Class of 1936
    Awarded the Navy Cross (1945) and two Legions of Merit with Combat V (1945) - Retired as Captain    		17 March 1945 - 15 February 1946
    03LCDR Herschel Vernon Sellers, Jr., USN - USNA Class of 194015 February 1946 - 2 August 1946
    04LT Charles Fredric Merz, USN - USNA Class of 19432 August 1946 - 20 January 1947
    05LT James Russel Coe, USN20 January 1947 - 29 January 1947
    Courtesy of Wolfgang Hechler, Ron Reeves and Joe Radigan
    View the Henry A. Wiley (MMD 29)
    DANFS History entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Website
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    NavSource Destroyer Pages, USS Henry A. Wiley (DD-749)
    Back to the Main Photo Index Back o the Mine Warfare Ship Photo Index Back to the Fast Minelayer (MMD) Photo Index
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    This page was created by Gary P. Priolo & maintained by Joseph M. Radigan (of blessed memory) & David Wright
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