Allied Warships

USS Buck (DD 420)

Destroyer of the Sims class

USS Buck on 11 September 1943. Photo from Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum

Navy	The US Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Sims
Pennant	DD 420
Built by	Philadelphia Navy Yard (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)
Ordered
Laid down	6 Apr 1938
Launched	22 May 1939
Commissioned	15 May 1940
Lost	9 Oct 1943
Loss position	39° 57'N, 14° 28'E

History	At 00.40 hours on 9 October 1943, the USS Buck (Lt.Cdr. Millard Jefferson Klein, USN) was on patrol off Salerno in position 39º57'N, 14º28'E , when she was hit in the bow by a Gnat fired by U-616, causing the forward magazine to explode and sank within four minutes. The 94 survivors were picked up by the American destroyers USS Gleaves (DD 423) and USS Plunkett (DD 431), the British cruiser HMS Delhi (D 74) and the British landing craft HMS LCT-170. Amongst the 168 killed was the Commanding Officer. Hit by U-boat Sunk on 9 Oct 1943 by U-616 (Koitschka).
U-boat Attack	See our U-boat attack entry for the USS Buck

Commands listed for USS Buck (DD 420)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

	Commander	From	To
1	Lt.Cdr. Horace Clovis Robison, USN	15 May 1940	1 May 1942
2	Lt.Cdr. Lewis Robinson Miller, USN	1 May 1942	Sep 1942
3	T/Lt.Cdr. John Spencer Reese, USN	Sep 1942	20 Dec 1942
4	Bosquet Neil Lev, USN	20 Dec 1942	10 Feb 1943
5	Lt. George Solon Lambert, USN	10 Feb 1943	28 Feb 1943 (1)
6	T/Cdr. Millard Jefferson Klein, USN	28 Feb 1943	9 Oct 1943 (+) (1)

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Notable events involving Buck include:

28 Mar 1942
HMS H 50 (Lt. M.L.C. Crawford, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Reading (Lt.Cdr. D.V. Clift, RN), HMS Sunflower (Lt.Cdr. J.T. Jones, RD, RNR), HMS Saladin (Lt.Cdr. G.V. Legassick, RNR), HMS Sabre (Lt. R.L. Caple, DSC, RN), USS Bristol, USS Buck and USS Edison. (2)

3 Aug 1943
The Italian submarine Argento is scuttled off Pantellaria in position 36°52'N, 12°08'E after being heavily damaged by the US destroyer USS Buck.

20 Aug 1943
Around 0845B/20, the damaged aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable (A/Capt. P.W.W. Wootten, RN) departed Gibraltar for Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A. for repairs.

She is escorted by the destroyers HMS Opportune (Cdr. J. Lee-Barber, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Obdurate (Lt.Cdr. C.E.L. Sclater, DSO and Bar, RN) and USS Buck (T/Cdr. M.J. Klein, USN).

The destroyers were fuelled by HMS Indomitable on 24 August 1943. (3)

28 Aug 1943
Around 1230P/28, HMS Indomitable (A/Capt. P.W.W. Wootten, RN), HMS Opportune (Cdr. J. Lee-Barber, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Obdurate (Lt.Cdr. C.E.L. Sclater, DSO and Bar, RN) and USS Buck (T/Cdr. M.J. Klein, USN) arrived at Bermuda from Gibraltar. (3)

29 Aug 1943
Around 1630P/29, HMS Indomitable (A/Capt. P.W.W. Wootten, RN), HMS Opportune (Cdr. J. Lee-Barber, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Obdurate (Lt.Cdr. C.E.L. Sclater, DSO and Bar, RN) and USS Buck (T/Cdr. M.J. Klein, USN) departed Bermuda for Norfolk, Virginia. (3)

31 Aug 1943
In the afternoon, HMS Indomitable (A/Capt. P.W.W. Wootten, RN), HMS Opportune (Cdr. J. Lee-Barber, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Obdurate (Lt.Cdr. C.E.L. Sclater, DSO and Bar, RN) and USS Buck (T/Cdr. M.J. Klein, USN) arrived at Norfolk, Virginia from Bermuda. (3)