USS Walke (DD-723)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
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| Name: | Walke |
| Namesake: | Henry A. Walke |
| Builder: | Bath Iron Works |
| Laid down: | 7 June 1943 |
| Launched: | 27 October 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 21 January 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 30 November 1970 |
| Struck: | 1 February 1974 |
| Fate: | Sold 16 April 1975 for scrapping |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 2,200 tons |
| Length: | 376 ft 6 in (114.76 m) |
| Beam: | 40 ft (12 m) |
| Draft: | 15 ft 8 in (4.78 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph) |
| Range: | 6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement: | 336 |
| Armament: |
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USS Walke (DD-723), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Henry A. Walke, a Rear Admiral during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. The third Walke (DD-723) was laid down on 7 June 1943 at Bath, Maine, by the Bath Iron Works and launched on 27 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Douglas Dillon. The ship was commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 21 January 1944, Comdr. John C. Zahm in command.
After fitting out at the Boston Navy Yard, Walke got underway on 12 February for Washington, D.C., which she visited from 14 to 18 February before heading for Bermuda and shakedown training. She returned to Boston on 19 March 1944 for availability before moving to Norfolk, Virginia, to conduct high-speed, over-the-stern fueling exercises with Aucilla under the auspices of the Bureau of Ships. From Hampton Roads, the destroyer moved to Key West, Florida, at the end of the first week in April to conduct antisubmarine warfare (ASW) tests on a new type of sound gear. She completed that duty on 17 April and headed to Norfolk where she arrived two days later for almost a month of duty training nucleus crews for newly constructed destroyers.
On 12 May, Walke got underway for New York where she arrived the following day. On 14 May, she headed for European waters to participate in the Normandy invasion. She arrived in Greenock, Scotland, on 24 May. As a unit of Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 119, Walke participated in the Normandy invasion between 6 and 26 June. On 7 and 8 June, she conducted shore bombardments, destroying blockhouses and machine-gun positions as well as helping to repulse a counterattack mounted by German armored units. On 23 and 24 June, the warship supported minesweeping operations at the Bombardment of Cherbourg and duelled with enemy shore batteries.
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