U.S.S. BRAINE

USS BRAINE (DD-630)

Braine (DD-630) was launched 7 March 1943 by Bath Iron Works Corp. Bath Maine; sponsored by Mrs. Daniel L. Braine wife of a grandson of Rear Admiral Braine and commissioned 11 May 1943 Commander J. F. Newman Jr. in command.

Departing the east coast in the summer of 1943 Braine sailed via San Francisco to Pearl Harbor as an escort for troop transports. She then proceeded directly to Wake Island where she participated in its bombing and bombardment (5-6 October 1943). Between 1 and 3 November Braine took part in the initial landings in Empress Augusta Bay Bougainville. During the following two months she escorted resupply echelons to the Bougainville beachhead.

On 15 February 1944 Braine participated in the Green Island landing. She steamed into Rabaul Harbor under enemy fire for night shore bombardment of enemy installations (24-25 February). On 20 March she supported landings on Emirau Island Bismarck Archipelago. Braine spent the ensuing months in escort work and training for the Marianas invasion.

On 14 June she took part in the bombardment of Tinian Island and received minor damage from a small caliber shell but continued operations in the Marianas until 23 June. After spending almost a month in the United States she sailed for the Philippines via Pearl Harbor. Braine rendered fire support during the Leyte landings (20 October) and repelled an enemy air attack on 18 November. From 4 to 15 January 1945 she participated in the Lingayen Gulf landings.

Braine then proceeded to Manila Bay to support landings on the Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor (14-28 February 1946). She served as a radar picket and support ship for the landing forces at Zamboanga and subsequently at Pollack Harbor Mindanao (17 Mar ch-23 April). She took part in the Okinawa operations as a radar picket ship (16-25 May). On 27 May the destroyer was hit in quick succession by two suicide planes. The first hit forward seriously damaging the bridge and the second hit amidships blowing number two funnel overboard and demolishing the amidships superstructure. Braine retired to Kerama Retto Ryukyu Islands for emergency repairs; departed 19 June; and arrived in the United States 19 July 1945.

On 21 July Braine steamed to Boston for repairs and then proceeded to Charleston Navy Yard for inactivation. She was placed out of commission in reserve 26 July 1946 at Charleston.

Recommissioned 6 April 1951 Braine conducted training in the Atlantic and Caribbean and in the spring of 1952 sailed to the Mediterranean for duty with the 6th Fleet. In October she returned to duty in coastal waters. She joined the 6th Fleet again in May 1953 and remained until October. Between October 1953 and 2 November 1954 she underwent a yard period conducted refresher training in the Caribbean and local operations in the vicinity of Newport. On 30 November 1954 she departed for the Pacific and became a unit of Cruisers-Destroyers Pacific Fleet in mid-December 1954.

Early in January 1966 she proceeded to Yokosuka Japan and Joined TF 77. Braine participated in the evacuation of the Tachen Islands in February and later operated on the Formosa patrol. She returned to the west coast 19 June 1955.

Braine's next departure from the west coast was on 13 February 1956 to conduct another Western Pacific cruise. She returned to California 22 July 1956 and has since operated in the San Diego and San Francisco areas.

Braine earned nine battle stars for her World War II service.

[Note: The above USS BRAINE (DD-630) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS BRAINE (DD-630) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]