Navy | The US Navy |
Type | Destroyer |
Class | Wickes |
Pennant | DD 158 |
Built by | New York Shipbuilding Corp. (Camden, New Jersey, U.S.A.) |
Ordered | |
Laid down | 6 Mar 1918 |
Launched | 18 Dec 1918 |
Commissioned | 5 Dec 1919 |
Lost | 24 Dec 1943 |
Loss position | 45° 15'N, 21° 40'W |
History | Decommissoned 29 June 1922 On 24 December 1943, the American hunter-killer Task Group 21.14, formed around the USS Card was spotted by a German reconnaissance aircraft and the wolfpack Borkum was ordered to attack. The carrier had a narrow escape when three FAT torpedoes fired at 01.43 hours by U-415 (Neide) missed her. The same U-boat also missed the USS Decatur (DD 341) with a Gnat. At 05.05 hours, U-275 fired a Gnat at the USS Leary (DD 158) (Cdr. James Ellsworth Kyes, USN) and hit her on the starboard side in the after engine room. A second Gnat fired by U-382 (Zorn) at 05.21 hours missed the already sinking destroyer. She sank after a huge internal explosion within one minute about 585 miles west-north-west of Cape Finisterre in position 45º15'N, 21º40'W. 97 of the crew, including the commanding officer died and 59 survivors were rescued by the USS Schenck (DD 159), which found U-645 (Ferro) later the same day, evaded a torpedo and sinks the U-boat with depth charges. Hit by U-boat |
U-boat Attack | See our U-boat attack entry for the USS Leary (i) |
Commands listed for USS Leary (i) (DD 158)
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 | Ethelbert Watts, USN | 17 Apr 1938 | 8 Jan 1941 |
2 | Lt. William Lockhart Harmon, USN | 8 Jan 1941 | Mar 1941 |
3 | Lt.Cdr. Clifford Ashton Fines, USN | Mar 1941 | 15 Dec 1941 |
4 | Lt. John Connor Atkeson, USN | 15 Dec 1941 | 11 Aug 1942 |
5 | T/Lt.Cdr. James Ellsworth Kyes, USN | 11 Aug 1942 | 24 Dec 1943 (+) |
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Notable events involving Leary (i) include:
24 Dec 1943
On 24 Dec 1943 she was part of the escort for USS Card, when she was hit by 3 torpedoes, fired by U-275. 97 of her crew of 149 were lost. (1)
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