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U.S.S. BACHE

(DD-470)

SEEK STRIKE DESTROY

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USS BACHE (DD-470) - a Fletcher-class destroyer

In Commission 1942 to 1968

DD-470 Deployments - Major Events

Add a DD-470 Shellback Initiation Add a DD-470 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
NOV1941-Keel Date: 19 NOV 1941
at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation Staten Island
JUL1942-Launch Date: 7 JUL 1942
NOV1942-Commissioned: 14 NOV 1942
MAY1945-MAY1945Kamikaze hit 13 May 1945 - 41 killed
JAN1946-JAN1946Decommisioning
OCT1951-OCT1951Recommisioned
JAN1954-Shellback Initiation - 20 JAN 1954 - Pacific Ocean
MAY1954-OCT1954Mediterranean
MAR1957-JUL1957Mediterranean-West Africa
APR1957-Shellback Initiation - 2 APR 1957 - Atlantic Ocean
JUN1959-DEC1962Cuban Missle Blockade
APR1961-APR1961Bay Of Pigs Cuba
OCT1962-DEC1966West Pac-Viet Nam
OCT1962-OCT1962Cuban Missle Blockade
NOV1963-MAY1964Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
NOV1963-MAY1964Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
NOV1963-MAY1964Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
NOV1963-MAY1964Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
FEB1964-Shellback Initiation - 7 FEB 1964 - Indian Ocean
NOV1964-Shellback Initiation - 7 NOV 1964 - Indian Ocean
SEP1965-SEP1966West Pac-Viet Nam
NOV1965-FEB1966West Pac-Viet Nam
FEB1966-Shellback Initiation - 22 FEB 1966 - Pacific Ocean
FEB1966-Shellback Initiation - 27 FEB 1966 - Pacific Ocean
DEC1967-FEB1968Mediterranean
FEB1968-FEB1968Wrecked on island of Rhodes Greece
MAR1968-Decommissioned: 1 MAR 1968

DD-470 General Specifications

Class: Fletcher-class destroyer

Named for: George M. Bache

Complement: 329 Officers and Enlisted

Displacement: 2050 tons

Length: 376 feet 6 inches

Beam: 39 feet 8 inches

Flank Speed: 35 knots

Range: 6500 Nautical Miles

Final Disposition:Wrecked off Rhodes 6 February 1968



USS BACHE (DD-470)



Bache (DD 470) was launched 7 July 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Co. Staten Island N. Y.; sponsored by Miss Louise Bache daughter of Commander Bache; and commissioned 14 November 1942 Commander J. N. Opie III in command


Reporting to the Atlantic Fleet she acted as escort to a westbound convoy to Halifax Nova Scotia and then returned to New York for her post-shakedown overhaul. On 6 February 1943 she left Norfolk as escort for H.M.S. Victorious. The vessels arrived at Pearl Harbor 4 March 1943. On 10 May after a training period Bache departed for the Aleutian Islands. She served in the Aleutian area until December 1943 taking part in the bombardment of Kiska. After a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor she joined the 7 th Fleet 23 December 1943.


Until 29 October 1944 Bache operated with the 7th Fleet taking part in:bombardment of New Britain Islands(26 December 1943)Los Negros Admiralty islands landings (29 February 1944); bombardment of Ndrillo and Karunia Islands in the Admiralties (4-7 March) bombardment of various assault beaches and targets of opportunity on New Guinea and adjacent islands (10 April-15 September); bombardment of Leyte Island Philippine Islands (20 October); and finally 25 October 1944 as a unit of TG 77.3 she took part in the overwhelming victory of Battle ot Surigao Strait. On 29 October Bache departed Leyte enroute to the United States for yard overhaul.


Upon completion of her overhaul she joined the 5th Fleet at Eniwetok 20 February 1945. Between 28 February and 5 March she provided Air support at Iwo Jima. On 1 April Bache arrived off Okinawa for screening and picket duty. She suffered slight damage 3 May when an enemy suicide plane overshot the ship and crashed into the sea. The same day she went to the aid of the stricken LSM(R)-195 and rescued her crew of 74. Remaining on this vital duty she helped destroy several enemy planes. On 13 May several enemy dive-bombers attacked the picket station and one completed a successful suicide attack on Bache. The wing of the plane struck near number two stack catapulting the plane down on the main deck amidships with its bomb exploding about seven feet above the main deck. Forty-one of the crew were killed and 32 were injured. All steam and electrical power were lost. Fires were brought under control within 20 minutes and she was towed to Kerama Retto Okinawa for temporary repairs.


Bache arrived at New York Navy Yard 13 July 1945 for permanent repairs and then went to Charleston S. a. for inactivation. On 4 February 1946 Bache went out of commission in reserve at Charleston.


In 1950 Bache was converted to an escort destroyer at Boston Navy Yard (reclassified DDE-470 2 January 1951) and recommissioned 1 October 1951. Bache was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet and since that time has made six cruises to the Caribbean for operations and training exercises and three cruises in the Mediterranean where she operated as a unit of the 6th Fleet.


Bache received eight battle stars for her World War II service.

[Note: The above USS BACHE (DD-470) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS BACHE (DD-470) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]