The DOUGLAS H. FOX was built at Todd Shipyard in Seattle, Washington. She
was launched 30 September 1944 and
commissioned (see photo's 036 and
048) the day after Christmas 1944.
The ship carries the name of Lieutenant Commander DOUGLAS H. FOX, USN,
winner of two Navy Crosses for heroism, who lost his life in enemy action
at Guadalcanal while commanding the destroyer USS BARTON in 1942. Following
an intensive period of test runs and specialized training for the crew, the
USS DOUGLAS H. FOX reached the forward area in time to take part in the
Battle of Okinawa, being assigned to
the radar picket lines. She was successful in repelling a number of Kamikaze
attacks while on this duty until the evening of
17 May 1945, when after five enemy planes were shot down a sixth crashed
between the forward mounts and exploded its
220 pound bomb. Minutes later a second plane parted a lifeline on the fantail
and covered the entire area with gasoline before crashing close aboard. Damage
to the ship was extensive and casualties were ten killed and nineteen wounded.
However, she managed to make her way to the Kerama Retto anchorage for temporary
repairs and then returned to the United States. The personal and
eye-witness account of Chief Yeoman Miles Lewis
as distributed to all hands by the Fox's Commanding Officer, Ray M. Pitts,
USN, shortly after the attack, is attached. Also attached is the
after-action report prepared and submitted by Commander Pitts on
24 May 1945, along with Photo 203
showing the damage incurred at Mounts I and II. Lastly there is a
narrative prepared by Lt. JG. James A. Fleming (see
Photo 099) giving his recollections from this period. Repairs and armament
modifications were completed in San Francisco on 28 August 1945 after
which the ship sailed first to San Diego and then to New York arriving
on 17 October 1945 (see photo 014) in time to participate in the war-ending
Navy Day celebration.
From 1945 to 1950 the USS DOUGLAS H. FOX performed routine duties with the
Fleet. During that time she visited Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in February 1946
and later in the year Valparaiso, Chile and Lima, Peru in the company of
the Battleship Wisconsin and the Aircraft
Carrier Leyte. A brief account
of this cruise with Photos 003,
004 and
005, is attached. This was followed by a cruise to the Mediterranean
where on 27 September 1947, while en-route from Venice (see
Photo 109) to Trieste, the
FOX struck an underwater mine left over from World War II and was severely
damaged. As a result of this accident three crew members lost their lives and
ten were wounded. After minor repairs in Venice, with a skeleton crew aboard
she was towed to Boston for further overhaul and repairs. Photo's
109, 110 and 111,
which show the damage incurred, are included. On 6 July 1949 while en-route from
Guantanamo Bay to Panama the Fox was struck on her portside by the USS Willard
Keith resulting in loss of the whaleboat and minor damage amidships. On 21 April
1950 the Fox was decommissioned and placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at
Charleston, SC.
Following the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, on November 15, 1950 the
DOUGLAS H. FOX was recommissioned at Charleston
and for the next year under the command of Cdr. H. A. Adams, Jr., operated with the Atlantic
Fleet. On 22 January 1952 under the command of
Cdr. J.A. Dare, she departed on a "round-the world" cruise which included
three months with U.S. Seventh Fleet in Korean waters.
Assigned to Task Force 77 she participated in the bombardment of Wonson on 13 March 1952,
and later in the month joined the Manchester (CL 83) in conducting harassing fire against
enemy troops on the east coast. In May she began
independent operations (see photo 049), shelling
targets, supporting minesweeping operations, and capturing 26
fishing sampans. She
also participated in shore bombardment exercises and made a number of
commando-type raids on enemy shore installations.
Photo 102 shows Lt.jg Bill Doran and
six raiding party members. During this period
approximately 8,500 rounds of 5" ammunition (see photo 046
were expended, while receiving about 200 rounds of
counter-battery fire. On May 15 while exchanging fire with shore gun
positions off Mayan-do, the FOX was hit by a round which although
causing negligible damage to the ship injured Seamen Green, Rhon, and
Nelson, for which each was awarded the Purple Heart. For their performance
during this period a total of seven Bronze Star medals were awarded to the
Captain and other members of the crew.
Excerpts from a booklet
prepared by Ens. Stoessel covering these activities, are included.
On 21 June the Fox departed Yokosuka and sailed west through the Indian
Ocean and the Mediterranean (see Photo 101),
completing the world cruise at Norfolk on 19 August 1952. After operating
in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, she entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
for a four-month conversion and overhaul period. In October 1952 the Fox took
aboard a photographer from Loof magazine who was treated to a torpedo run during
which he cought the unique photo of all main batteries firing simultaneously,
which is displayed on our cover page. See the story in
Section IX submitted by Don Engbert and Don Stone for a vivid account of
how this photo-shoot was accomplished.
In February 1954, under the command of Cdr. John A. Sharpe, the FOX began
a second world cruise, which included
passage through the Suez Canal, three months operation in Japan and
Korea, and the return to Norfolk on 16 August 1954, after stops in Midway,
Pearl Harbor,, and San Francisco. A summary of these activities as
compiled by Jack Baylor RMSM is
attached. Since returning from the 1954 world cruise, the DOUGLAS H. FOX
has been deployed six times with the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean
Sea. In addition to these commitments, the ship participated in several
large NATO exercises and cruises. Other duties included Midshipman Training
Cruises, Anti-Submarine Warfare operations, and air-defense exercises as
well as patrol duty off the coast of Guatemala in the fall of 1960.
In 1961 the Fox spent time in Lybia with a stop in Tobruk which extended from May 22
through May 25. The USS Mitscher was also anchored in the harbor at the time. As
a gesture of goodwill during their visit the crew put together a playground for
the local school, and there were also several visits by both enlisted men and
officers to the RAF base at El Adem. A unique event occured during that period
which triggered a happening in 1969 eight years later, which culminated in a
contact from the UK in 2003 (see photo 042),
as recorded in the story of the Fox Plaque found in Tobruk harbor, which can
be found in Section XIa.
After completing a 1961 Mediterranean Sea deployment, the Fox participated
in ASW exercises and patrols through March 1962. At that time the ship went
into the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a FRAM II (Fleet Rehabilitation and
Modernization) conversion. Included in the changes were updated torpedo
mounts, and a Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH) and Variable-Depth
Sonar (VDS) system (see Photo 122).
In November 1962, the DOUGLAS H. FOX departed from the yard with this
increased ASW capability, more modern and comfortable quarters, and a
longer life expectancy with the United States Navy.
In December of 1962 the DOUGLAS H. FOX reported to the Fleet Training Group,
Guantanamo Bay. Cuba for refresher training and base defense. Personal recollection and
photo's (031, 034
035, 132,
134 and 137),
showing life aboard the Fox during the 1960's are included in Section XIa.
In February and March 1963 the ship took part in Operation Springboard - 63, an extensive
training cruise in the Caribbean Sea area, after which she resumed her ASW
ready duties with the Atlantic Fleet. Early July 1964 found the DOUGLAS H.
FOX deployed to the Mediterranean (Photo 030 shows
the Fox refuelling while underway), returning November. After a leave and
upkeep period, over the holidays, DOUGLAS H. FOX took part in Operation
Springboard - 65, after which she resumed her ASW duties with Task Group Four.
Summer 1965 found DOUGLAS H. FOX deployed to the Mediterranean and Middle
East, where she conducted ASW operations with H.M. Royal Navy and then
participated in contingency operations off the coast of Pakistan. During
this period DOUGLAS H. FOX was the proud recipient of the Atlantic Fleet
ASW Award for her consistent success in the art of anti-submarine warfare.
From November 1965 to April 1966 DOUGLAS H. FOX was in Norfolk Naval
Shipyard undergoing overhaul.
July 1966 she returned to the Mediterranean. The most unusual event of this
tour was a visit to Safi, Morocco. The DOUGLAS H. FOX was the first American
warship to visit Safi in seventeen years. DOUGLAS H. FOX returned to Norfolk
17 December 1966, for a holiday season at home. 1967 provided a variety of
interesting assignments, working with the Second Fleet. The major emphasis
was on anti-submarine warfare. Many days of ASW were spent in areas just
east of Cape Hatteras, where it was found that the Cape justly deserves its
reputation for foul weather. Two trips to Florida were made. The first in
March, involved DOUGLAS H. FOX in an impressive demonstration of ASW
techniques for the National Security Industrial Association. There was
also a visit to Miami. Also, in the 1966 - 68 period the Fox was home to
Bill Cosby Sr. (See photo 041), which
was documented in 2008 by a crew member who knew him at the time and recorded
this vignette of Fox history.
In May FOX operated with 55 ships from four countries in FIZWEZ SUNRISE,
and paid a visit to New York City. In June a NATO exercise NEWLOOK, took
the ship to the North Atlantic for ten days of highly competitive ASW
operations with the Canadian Navy. The second Florida trip involved two
weeks of operations out of Key West as a school ship for the Fleet Sonar
School, with a call at Fort Lauderdale on the way back to Norfolk. While
in Key West, DOUGLAS H. FOX participated in that city's celebration of
the Fourth of July. Moored at Old Mallory Square,
DOUGLAS H. FOX held open house, attracting 2,500
visitors. Many dependant's got a taste of destroyer life on the 27th of
July Dependant's Cruise. Even then preparations were underway for DOUGLAS H. FOX's
next deployment which commenced on 1 September 1967 when the Fox in company with
USS LAFFEY (DD-724),
USS WOOD (DD-715), USS WALLER (DD-466) and
USS MISSISSINEWA (AO-144), left Norfolk to begin a five month deployment
with the U. S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean.
In September 1968, 323 miles southeast of Charleston, SC, while enroute
for a return visit to Vietnam, a
fire broke out in the aft fireroom. Three seamen were killed and five
others were injured. The fire was brought under control and the ship
returned to port under her own power. Newspaper accounts of the fire
along with a first-hand account given by John Hobbs who was aboard at that
time are included in this section. After extensive repairs were completed at Charleston
Naval Shipyard, the Fox departed again for Vietnam arriving in February
1969. From February to September she operated in the Vietnam area on a
variety of assignments which included plane-guarding in the Tonkin Gulf,
and harassment and interdiction fire on a regular basis. She also operated
independently providing close-in gunfire support to troops on numerous
occasions.
After 29 years of service which included action in three wars, on 15
December 1973 the USS DOUGLAS H. FOX, DD 779 while under the command of
LCDR. Kelley was given orders to proceed to the Navy Yard at Philadelphia
where its days as a commissioned warship of the United States Navy came to
an end (as rembered by by Captain George Pillow in his letter of February 29, 2004
included at the end of Section III). After being decommissioned in Philadelphia the Fox was sold to Chile
for further naval service. Under a different flag and with a new name the
Destroyer Ministro Portales, DD 17 (see photo 052),
served its new country for another 22 years. And then in 1995, there was another
below-deck explosion in the after engine room which brought this unique ship's
career to an end. With its intentional sinking by friendly fire in the blue
Pacific shortly thereafter, it joined those of its crew who had brought it to
life and performed so magnificently with it many years earlier (see link to
Ministro Portales (DD 17) included at the end of this section).
Note: We are indebted to Howard Longstreth, who served aboard the Fox
from 1966 to 1968, for the first Ship's History
published on this website. We are also indebted to many others who
have provided accounts and stories included in this expanded history,
including Andy Wilde, 1952-54, Jim "Gun Boss" Davis, Gordy Earl, Jim
Fleming, Ken Johnson, and Connie (XO) Carlson, all aboard during the
Kamikaze attack in 1945, Shelby Martin from the Korean War era, and
John Hobbs a Vietnam veteran. Their sources of information included
"
U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History"
Naval Institute
Press, Annapolis 1982. Others who have had and continue to have an
active and deeply personal interest in the Douglas H. Fox, its history
and its crew, are William "Bill" Sims, 1950-53, Cdr. USNR (Ret.),
Commanding Officer of USS Douglas H. Fox Association, and Tom "Windy"
Sherman, RMSN, 1951-53, Executive Officer of the Association,
Whitey Gieseking, BT2,
1947-50, Ted Sypolt, S2c, 1944-46, Norm Handley S2c,
1944-46, Clyde Welsh, S1c, 1944-46,
Bob Guimarin, 1950-51 and
Ben Tisa, IC2, 1962-64 who provided most of the photographs which are included.
Compiled and edited by Bill
Oliver, 1946-47, in December 2002 and continued through 2009, with sincere apologies for any
errors or omissions which might be present.
USS DOUGLAS H. FOX DD-779
COMMANDING OFFICERS
Cdr. Pitts, R. M. 1944-1945 - Commissioning
Cdr. Travis, C. W. 1945-1947
Cdr. Brown, J. H. 1947-1949
Lt. Cdr. Lewis, F. A. 1949-1950
Cdr. Adams, Jr., H. A. 1950-1952 - Recommissioning
Cdr. Dare, J. A. 1952-1953
Cdr. Sharpe, J. A. 1953-1955
Cdr. Mandel, H. I. 1955-1956
Cdr. Jennings, D. H. 1956-1958
Cdr. Rowe, R. A. 1958-1959
Cdr. McConnell, L. E. 1959-1960
Cdr. Doak, J. J. 1960-1961
Cdr. Heiler, F. J. 1961-1963
Cdr. Vallely, J. R. 1963-1965
Cdr. Horn, F. R. 1965-1967
Cdr. Aston, W. J. 1967-1969
Cdr. Wilson, J. L. 1969-1971
Cdr. Pillow, G. E. 1971-1973
Lt. Cdr. Kelley, 1973-1973 - Decommissioning
The Fox Decommissioning, December 15, 1973
Message From George Pillow, Capt. USN (Retired)
September 29,2004
Forgive me for intruding on this conversation, but I would like to set the record straight on the
question under discussion. I was the last O-5 commanding officer of the Douglas H. Fox and was on board
when she was tied to the pier in Philadelphia for the last time. Since I had orders to the Naval War
College and had to leave, COMDESRON 30 authorized me to turn over command to my Executive Officer, LCDR
Joe Kelly, which I did on August 24th 1973.
Just prior to that we had been tasked with helping train some Iranian officers and enlisted personnel
who were at the shipyard to pick up two decommissioned USN destroyers and take them back to Iran (which
was then still friendly). We took these officers and men to sea several times because the destroyers they
were buying from the USA were not ready for sea. In the meantime, we had been informed that the Fox would
be decommissioned and sold to Chile.
A couple of months after turning command over to LCDR Joe Kelly, I returned to Philadelphia to attend the
actual decommissioning ceremony ... a sad occasion. As I left, I took the actual commissioning sword of
LCDR Douglas H. Fox off the wardroom bulkhead. I was concerned that the sword would end up in a flea
market somewhere, so after attempting, unsuccessfully, to locate surviving members of LCDR Fox's family,
I presented it to the USS Douglas H. Fox Association when they assembled in Virginia Beach a few years
ago.
Great memories of bygone days!
George Pillow
Captain, USN, Ret.
Ministro Portales (DD 17)
