USS Radford (DD-446)

History

United States
Name:	Radford
Namesake:	Rear Admiral William Radford
Builder:	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Laid down:	2 October 1941
Launched:	3 May 1942
Commissioned:	22 July 1942
Decommissioned:	17 January 1946
Recommissioned:	17 October 1949
Decommissioned:	10 November 1969
Struck:	10 November 1969
Motto:	HUK King
Fate:	sold October 1970 for scrap
General characteristics
Class and type:	Fletcher-class destroyer
Displacement:	2,050 tons
Length:	376 ft 5 in (114.73 m)
Beam:	39 ft 7 in (12.07 m)
Draft:	17 ft 9 in (5.41 m)
Propulsion:	60,000 shp (45,000 kW) geared turbines; 2 propellers
Speed:	38 knots (70 km/h)
Range:	6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement:	329 officers and enlisted
Armament:	5 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal. guns 10 × 40 mm AA guns 7 × 20 mm AA guns 10 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 × depth charge projectors 2 × depth charge tracks FRAM II modifications: 2 × 5 in/38 cal. guns, 1 Mark 108 ASW rocket launcher, 6 × Mark 44 18 in ASW torpedo tubes, 2 x Hedgehog projectors, 2 x Mark 14 21 in torpedo tubes, 2 × .50 cal M2 machineguns

USS Radford (DD-446), named for Rear Admiral William Radford, was a Fletcher-class destroyer in the United States Navy. Entering service in 1942 during World War II the ship also saw action during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The ship was removed from service in 1969 and sold for scrap in 1970.

Radford was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company at Kearny, New Jersey on 2 October 1941 and was launched on 3 May 1942 by Radford's granddaughter Edith (Mrs. François E. Matthes). The destroyer was commissioned on 22 July 1942.

Radford participated in the Battle of Kolombangara and the Battle of Kula Gulf. She engaged in an offensive sweep against the Tokyo Express, and received Presidential Unit Citation for the rescue of 468 survivors from the cruiser USS Helena. The Radford took her revenge for the loss of her sister ship, the USS O'Brien and the USS Wasp (CV-7) by depth charging and sinking the Japanese submarine I-19 on 25 November 1943. The destroyer was damaged by a Japanese mine while supporting the liberation of Luzon in December 1944 and received a Presidential Unit Citation from the Philippine government. The ship was decommissioned on 17 January 1946 and placed in reserve at San Francisco.