USS Barton DD-722

The USS Barton DD-722 was the second World War II era destroyer to bear the name Barton. Her predecessor, a Benson-class destroyer was sunk during the Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942 after less than six months of service.

The USS Barton (DD-722) was built by the Bath Iron Works Corporation in Maine. Her keel was laid on 23 May 1943, and she was completed in less than six months. She received her commission on 30 December of that year and was placed under the command of Commander. J. W. Callahan.

Combat Service

Her first mission out of the NOB in Norfolk was to support the Normandy invasion. She sailed for Plymouth, in the United Kingdom on 14 May and arrived two weeks later. During the month of June 1944, her duties included submarine patrols and shore bombardment of German positions. Two days before the Normandy landings, she came to the rescue of 31 U.S. Army infantrymen whose transport, the LCT-2498, became swamped in the English Channel.

Barton engaged German shore batteries on 25 June off the coast of Cherbourg and suffered minor damage. She was ordered back to Norfolk for repairs, then sailed for Pearl Harbor, arriving on 2 October. From there, she was ordered to proceed to the Philippines, where she saw a great deal of action between early November 1944 and the end of January 1945.

After the reconquest of the Philippines, Barton proceeded to Iwo Jima and Okinawa, participating in action with the 3rd and 5th Fleets as U.S. forces neared the Japanese homeland. Following the Japanese surrender, the USS Barton remained in the area for a few months before returning to Puget Sound in October.

Postwar Service

Except for her involvement with Operation Crossroads in June 1946, the USS Barton spent 16 months following the war completing routine patrols along the West Coast before she was placed with the mothball fleet in San Diego.

Barton began active duty again in April 1949 and was assigned to Destroyer Division 201. For the first three months, she patrolled the Pacific coast, and was then ordered to Norfolk. Between August 1949 and May 1952, Barton operated along the eastern seaboard with the exception of two voyages to the Caribbean and a tour to the Mediterranean with the 6th Fleet.

Korea

Barton was ordered to Task Force 77 in May 1952 to join anti-submarine patrols off the coast of Korea. She was struck by a North Korean shell on 10 August. Two crew members were injured, and the ship had to withdraw to the Naval base at Yokosuka, Japan for repairs during the last week of August.

Returning to action, she struck a mine less than two weeks later. Five crewmen went missing and seven were injured. While engineers at Sasebo were able to complete temporary repairs, she returned to Norfolk for permanent repairs. She arrived in Norfolk on 12 December, and repairs took nine months to complete.

Cold War and Final Years

Back in action by August 1953, the Barton kept busy with assignments all over the world for the next four years. During this period, she underwent a full overhaul at the Charleston Naval Shipyard in 1955 and another month of routine maintenance between 5 February and 14 March 1957. She also entered dry dock at the Navy's Newport News facility later that year for hull repairs. She remained active in several capacities over the subsequent years, and participated in John Glenn's historic space flight and the quarantine of Cuba during the crisis in October 1962. Her last years were spent primarily in routine patrols between Nova Scotia and Guantanamo Bay as well as completing public relations duty.

The USS Barton was decommissioned on September 30, 1968 and deliberately sunk during a training exercise a little over a year later on October 8.

Asbestos Risks

On board every American Navy ship throughout World War I and World War II, the mineral asbestos was routinely utilized for insulation and fireproofing capabilities. A vessel's boiler room and engine spaces usually were the most common workspaces where someone aboard a destroyer could be exposed to asbestos particles, but practically all sections of vessels like the USS Barton contained the mineral.

If a ship or vessel was damaged, either in conflict or due to normal operations, toxic asbestos particles could break off into the air where they could be inhaled or ingested by anyone nearby. The greatest hazard in asbestos exposure comes from asbestos sections that become easily broken, as tiny asbestos microfibers can enter surrounding air, where asbestos is inhaled by sailors in the area. Significant asbestos inhalation has been proven to cause mesothelioma, tumors, asbestosis and other serious health conditions. Those exposed to asbestos fibers aboard the USS Barton or during construction or repairs made to the vessel may wish to learn more about symptoms and treatment options associated with mesothelioma. Please click here to receive a complimentary comprehensive packet.

Sources:

Destroyers Index