About this Document
You've probably found the history of the USS Lloyd Thomas in several places. And no doubt you've seen many similarities and a few differences. What we've presented here is a blending of histories of the LT in table form, and we've noted which sources mentioned each event or bit of information.
This collection of information is a work in progress, and may continue to grow as long as new information becomes available for inclusion. As you can see, there are a lot of details missing. We would like to consolidate all the personal stories and historical records into one readable document for all to enjoy. Maybe you can help.
If you would like to add information or submit corrections or variations to this collection of information, please contact the webmaster or the reunion coordinator.
When doing so, please provide your sources. Of course, if your information is a personal story, then you would be considered as the source.
- Year
- Month
- Day
- Event
| 1944 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
March (1) (2) (3) (5) |
26 (1) (2) (3) |
The Lloyd Thomas was laid down by Bethelem Steel, Shipbuilding Div, San Francisco, CA (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1945 (1) (2) (3) |
October (1) (2) (3) |
5 (1) (2) (3) |
The ship was launched, sponsored by widow of LT(jg) Lloyd Thomas. (1) (2) (3) |
| 1947 (5) |
The first duty of the LLOYD THOMAS after a period of trials which lasted six weeks was a training cruise with Task Force 38 Pacific Fleet. (5) |
||
| 1947 (1) (2) |
March (1) (2) |
21 (1) (2) |
Commissioned with Comdr. J.I. Cone in command. (1) (2) |
| 1948 (1) (2) (3) |
The rest of this year is spent in training reservists. (1) (2) (3) |
||
| 1948 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
January (1) (2) (3) (5) |
16 (1) (2) (3) |
Departed West Coast for round-the-world training and goodwill voyage. Accompanying aircraft carrier Valley Forge (CV-45) and three other destroyers, LT visited Sidney Australia, Hong Kong and Tsingtao, China.
Leaving Tsingtao, the LT, the William C. Lawe (DD-763) and the Valley Forge proceed westward, touching Singapore, Malaya; Trincomalee, Ceylon; and Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia; passed through the Suez Canal and the Straits of Gibraltar, then steamed north for calls at Bergen, Norway and Southampton England. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1948 (1) (2) (3) |
March (1) (2) (3) |
13 (1) (2) (3) |
LT left England, spent 5 days in New York City. (1) (2) (3) |
| 1948 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
June (1) (2) (3) (5) |
11 (1) (2) (3) |
Arrived at home port in San Diego via the Panama Canal, having traveled 46,168 nautical miles in 5 months. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1949 (2) (5) |
January (2) (5) | LT entered San Francisco Naval Shipyard for conversion into hunter-killer destroyer. (2) (5) | |
| 1949 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
October (1) (2) (3) (5) |
[After conversion to hunter-killer destroyer at the San Francisco shipyard,(2) ] the LT joined the Atlantic Fleet at Newport, RI and steamed north with the 2nd Task Fleet for cold weather exercises in the Arctic. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
|
| 1950 (1) (2) (3) |
January February (1) (2) (3) |
On her return to Newport, the LT was made flagship of Commander Escort Destroyer Division 62. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
|
| 1950 (5) | February (5) | With other units of the Atlantic Fleet, she participated in PORTREX operations near Puerto Rico. (5) | |
| 1950 (1) (3) |
March thru June (1) (3) |
Anti-submarine exercises. (1) (3) |
|
| 1950 (1) (2) |
March (1) (2) |
4 (1) (2) |
The LT was re-designated DDE-764. (1) (2) |
| 1950 (1) (2) (3) |
July (1) (2) (3) |
Midshipmen cruise. (1) (2) (3) |
|
| 1950 (1) (2) (3) |
July (1) (2) (3) |
15 (1) (2) (3) |
Departed Newport RI for 5-day call at Koykavik, Iceland. (1) (2) (3) |
| 1950 (1) (2) (3) |
August (1) (2) (3) |
Returned to Newport RI from Iceland. (1) (2) (3) |
|
| 1950 (5) |
August (5) |
Joined the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean, visiting Sardinia, Sicily, France and the Crown Colony of Gibraltar. (5) |
|
| 1950 (1) (2) (3) |
September (1) (2) (3) |
6 (1) (3) |
Left Newport for Norfolk VA in company with 3 other destroyers. Off Norfolk the destroyers rendezvoused with the Coral Sea (CVB-43) and escorted the carrier to the Mediterranean. The LT was involved in rigorous operations with the 6th Fleet and made calls at Sardinia, Sicily and Golfe Juan France. (1) (2) (3) |
| 1950 (1) (2) (3) |
November (1) (2) (3) |
1 (1) (2) |
The LT departed Gibraltar to escort the Midway (CVB-41) home. (1) (2) (3) |
| 1950 (1) (2) (3) |
November (1) (2) (3) |
9 (1) (2) (3) |
Arrived at Norfolk. (1) (2) (3) |
| 1950 (1) (2) (3) |
November (1) (2) (3) |
10 (1) (2) (3) |
Arrived at Newport. (1) (2) (3) |
| 1950 (5) |
December (5) |
After returning to the United States in December 1950, the ship entered the shipyard for a regular overhaul. (5) |
|
| 1951 (1) (3) |
Conducted anti-submarine operations in the Caribbean and a voyage to the Mediterranean. (1) (3) |
||
| 1952 (1) (2) (3) |
Conducted anti-submarine operations in the Caribbean and a voyage to the Mediterranean. This voyage included a NATO amphibious landing on the coast of Denmark for "Operation Mainbrace" and ports calls in Scotland and England. (1) (2) (3) |
||
| 1952 (5) |
January (5) |
During exercises in the Mediterranean, she took part in operation "GRAND SLAM" along with units of the United States, British, French, and Italian Navies.
This voyage included a NATO amphibious landing on the coast of Denmark for "Operation Mainbrace" and ports calls in Rosyth Scotland and Eastbourne England. (5) |
|
| 1953 (1) (3) (5) |
Again operated with NATO in the Mediterranean, and visited Cannes and Naples. (1) (3) (5) |
||
| 1953 (5) |
February (5) |
Took part in "OPERATION RENDEZVOUS". (5) |
|
| 1953 (5) |
She returned to the United States for her regular shipyard overhaul and continued through her refreshed training. She then remained in the Caribbean and participated in "OPERATION SPRINGBOARD." (5) |
||
| 1954 (1) (2) (3) |
The LT assisted the new canted-deck carrier Antietam (CVS-36) in the intricacies of anti-submarine warfare. (1) (2) (3) |
||
| 1954 (1) (2) (3) |
August (1) (2) (3) |
Began operations with NATO units in the Mediterranean. (1) (2) (3) |
|
| 1954 (5) |
September (5) |
Once again en route to the Mediterranean, she took part in "OPERATION BLACKJACK" and three other NATO operations called "HELLENIC SKY", "TURKISH SKY", "ITALIC SKY." She then visited Istanbul, Kavalla, and Izmir; Genoa, La Spezia, and Marseilles (5) |
|
| 1955 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
January (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Completed operations with NATO units in the Mediterranean. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
|
| 1955 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Except for a quick run to Lisbon, the LT spent the rest of 1955 operating in home waters. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
||
| 1956 (5) |
April (5) |
Finished a regular shipyard overhaul and proceeded once again to refresher training at Guantanamo, Cuba. (5) |
|
| 1956 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Summer midshipmen cruise to Spain and the British Isles in company with the Wisconsin (BB-64). (1) (2) (3) (5) |
||
| 1956 (5) |
July (5) |
Ports visited were Barcelona, Spain; Greenock, England; Scotland and Guantanamo, Cuba. Following their cruise the ship participated in intensive anti-submarine exercises until the Christmas Holidays. (5) |
|
| 1957 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
January (1) (2) (3) (5) |
4 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Departed Newport with destroyer Division 242 and submarine Batfish (SS-310) for South America to acquaint or good neighbors in Columbia, Peru, Ecuador and Chile with the newest techniques in anti-submarine warfare. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1957 (5) |
January (5) |
4 (5) |
Ports visited visited included Cartagena, Columbia; Salinas, Ecuador; Callao, Peru; and Valparaiso, Chile. (5) |
| 1957 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
March (1) (2) (3) (5) |
8 (3) |
Returned to Newport from Chile and conducted local operations. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1957 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
March (1) (2) (3) (5) |
18 (2) (5) |
Returned to Newport from Chile and conducted local operations. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1957 (5) |
March (5) |
18 (5) |
...and a "Hunter Killer"(HUK) cruise to Bermuda. (5) |
| 1957 (5) |
May (5) |
30 (5) |
Returned to Newport from Bermuda. (5) |
| 1957 (1) (2) (3) |
August (1) (2) (3) |
8 (1) |
Departed Newport for 5 months of patrol duty in the Mediterranean and Red Seas. (1) (2) (3) |
| 1957 (5) |
August (5) |
18 (5) |
...where she participated in Operations "SEA SPRAY" and "DEEP WATER." She visited Izmir, Turkey and then transited the Suez Canal for a month on patrol in the Red Sea. While there she visited Port Sudan in Sudan; Massawa, Eritrea; and Djibouti, French Somaliland. On her return to the Mediterranean she participated in more operations with the Sixth Fleet and visited Athens, Patras, and the Island of Rhodes, Greece. (5) |
| 1957 (5) |
December (5) |
22 (5) |
Returned to Newport via Gibraltar on 22 December 1957 in time for the Christmas holidays. (5) |
| 1958 (5) |
February (5) |
Got underway to the Carribbean (5) |
|
| 1958 (1) (2) (3) |
Spring, September & October (1) (2) (3) |
She spent most of 1958 in the Caribbean with operation "Springboard" that spring and refresher training during September and October. (1) (2) (3) |
|
| 1958 (5) |
April (5) |
Completed "Operation Springboard" in the Caribbean. (5) |
|
| 1958 (5) |
April (5) |
After the completion of "OPERATION SPRINGBOARD", the LLOYD THOMAS participated in "OPERATION SLAMEX." (5) |
|
| 1958 (5) |
May (5) |
Entered the Boston Naval Shipyard for periodic overhauls. (5) |
|
| 1958 (5) |
August (5) |
Ordered to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for six weeks refresher training cruise, which included a week end visit to Kingston, Jamaica. (5) |
|
| 1958 (5) |
September or October (5) |
Participated in local type training exercises. (5) |
|
| 1958 (5) |
October (5) |
15 (5) |
Taken into Task Group BRAVO, a special anti submarine HUK group, with whom she was employed in special training cruises. (5) |
| 1959 (5) |
Spring (5) |
Participated on NATO cruise "Operation New Broom." (5) |
|
| 1959 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Conducted hunter-killer training off Norfolk and a summer midshipman cruise to Quebec, and with NATO in European waters. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
||
| 1959 (5) |
Hunter-killer training took place at the ASW Tactical School. (5) |
||
| 1959 (5) |
Summer (5) |
NROTC training cruise in the summer of 1959 which included visits in Quebec and New York City. (5) |
|
| 1959 (5) |
August (5) |
Given special commendation for the excellence of her assistance to the U.S.S. Wasp CVS-18 during a fire and explosion at sea. (An unofficial accounting of the incident relates, "We pulled along side to Foam the forward hanger deck, [it] turned into a monster Foam fight between the Wasp and the Thomas. The Thomas won.") (5) |
|
| 1959 (5) |
Fall (5) |
Another unofficial story tells of the Hurricane the Lloyd Thomas weathered in the fall of 1959, which split open a crack in the after engine room, bent both 5 inch gun mounts, destroyed the depth charge racks, and bent the starboard screw shaft. Went into Brooklyn Navy Yard dry-dock for repairs. One of the deck guys on the bridge told me estimated wave height was 55 feet average!! We ate nothing but sandwiches and cool aid for 5 days. Everyone on board thought we were going down. (5) |
|
| 1959 (5) |
November (5) |
As a unit of Task Group BRAVO participated in an ASW cruise which included a three day visit to Bermuda. The year ended with a holiday leave period in Newport. (5) |
|
| 1960 (5) |
February (5) |
Participated in "OPERATION SPRINGBOARD" in the Caribbean area visiting St. Thomas and San Juan. (5) |
|
| 1960 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
June thru September (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Returned to the Mediterranean with the 6th Fleet. Between exercises, visited Palma de Majorca, Barcelona and Naples. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
|
| 1960 (5) |
June thru September (5) |
Ports visited in the Mediterranean included Gibraltar. Another tour with Task Group Bravo finished out the year. (5) |
|
| 1961 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
March to December (1) (2) (3) |
At New York Naval Shipyard, the LT Underwent FRAM II conversion, a fleet rehabilitation and modernization program designed to add years of service to destroyers built shortly after World War II. Then she left, with a new silhouette complete with helicopter flight deck, for 6 weeks of refresher training at Guantanamo Bay. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
|
| 1962 (5) |
March (5) |
She marked her return to fleet operations with a two week HUK cruise. (5) |
|
| 1962 (1) (2) (3) |
June (1) (2) (3) |
30 (1) (2) (3) |
Re-designated DD764. Operated along the east coast. (1) (2) (3) |
| 1962 (5) |
June and July (5) |
Visited Portland and Bar Harbor Maine; and Fall River, Massachusetts. (5) |
|
| 1962 (5) |
August (5) |
August was spent preparing for a Mediterranean. deployment. (5) |
|
| 1962 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
September to February (1) (2) (3) |
Departed for 6-month tour to the Mediterranean and Middle East. During duty with the Middle East Force, the LT visited Ceylon, crossed the equator and called at the Indian Naval Base in Visakhaptnam. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
|
| 1962 (5) |
September to December (5) |
9/7 to 12/5 (5) |
Mediterranean and Middle East tour was with other units of DESRON TEN . Liberty calls were made in Cagliari, Sardinia; Louda Bay and Heraklion, Crete; Athens Greece; Naples and Savona, Italy, and Messina, Sicily. (5) |
| 1962 (5) |
December (5) |
31 (5) |
December 31 found the LLOYD THOMAS at Port Said, Egypt, awaiting transit of the Suez Canal en route to the Red Sea area for the second time in her career. (5) |
| 1963 (3) |
January and February (3) |
The LLOYD THOMAS became part of the Middle East force and visited Aden and Colombo, Ceylon before crossing the equator. Next stop was the Indian Naval Base of Visakhapatnam, then Chittagong, East Pakistan. Cochin, on the western coast of India, was the last stop before the long trip back through the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and home. (3) |
|
| 1963 (1) (2) (3) |
March (1) (2) (3) |
She arrived in Newport and resumed operations from home port. (1) (2) (3) |
|
| 1963 (5) |
March (5) |
Assisted other units in search of the submarine U.S.S. Thresher. (5) |
|
| 1963 (5) |
June and July (5) |
June and July were spent on a midshipman cruise which took the THOMAS to Bermuda and Sydney, Nova Scotia. (5) |
|
| 1963 (5) |
August (5) |
The LLOYD THOMAS steamed to Key West. (5) |
|
| 1963 (5) |
September (5) |
On a two week anti submarine training operation in the Atlantic. (5) |
|
| 1963 (5) |
October and November (5) |
In Newport preparing for another Mediterranean Cruise in April of 1964. (5) |
|
| 1964 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
May (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Returned to the Mediterranean for the Joint French-American amphibious "Operation Fairgame II," and a brief call at Athens. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
|
| 1964 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
June and July (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Operated in the Near East, showing the flag and promoting goodwill in the nations bordering the Red Sea and Persian Gulf (1) (2) (3) (5) |
|
| 1964 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
October to November (1) (2) (3) (5) |
10/10 to 11/19 (1) (2) (5) |
Escorted 28,000 Marines from Little Creed to the coast of Spain during "Operation Steelpike I," the largest peacetime amphibious operation ever conducted. "Steelpike I" demonstrated that the Navy could quickly and convincingly thwart aggression anywhere in the world. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1965 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
After installing new electronic gear to update her anti-submarine capabilities, the LT trained in Guantanamo, then participated in the late summer anti-submarine operation CANUS-SILEX, with the Royal Canadian Navy in the western Atlantic. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
||
| 1966 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
February (1) (2) (3) (5) |
15 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Deployed from Newport again to the Mediterranean, and during the ensuing months she made an important contribution to the 6th Fleet's influence for peace and order. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1966 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
July (1) (2) (3) (5) |
8 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Returned to Newport. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1966 (1) (2) (3) (5) (5) |
July (1) (2) (3) (5) |
29 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Entered dry-dock for 3 weeks at Bethlehem Shipyard in Boston. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1966 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
August (1) (2) (3) (5) |
22 (1) (2) (5) |
Resumed operations. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1966 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
November (1) (2) (3) (5) |
4 to 18 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Acted as plane guard for Wasp (CVS-18) during the recovery phase of the Gemini XII operation. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1967 (1) (2) (3) |
March (1) (2) (3) (5) |
1 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
With the rest of the Destroyer Squadron, the LT departed Newport for the Mediterranean. During this deployment, the Arab-Israeli tensions rose to war level, and the 6th Fleet, including the LT, was a vital force in keeping the hostilities localized. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1967 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
July (1) (2) (3) (5) |
20 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
Arrived back at Newport and operated out of home port the remainder of the year. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1968 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
May (1) (2) (3) (5) |
7 (1) (2) (3) (5) |
After a brief tour of exercises in the Caribbean, DD764 entered Boston for overhaul. (1) (2) (3) (5) |
| 1968 (5) |
August (5) |
Won the Squadron Battle Efficiency Award in weapons for the second time in three years. (5) |
|
| 1968 (1) (2) (3) |
Fall (1) (2) (3) |
(1) (2) (3) |
Returned to local operations out of Newport into the following year. (1) (2) (3) |
| 1968 (5) |
November and December (5) |
Departed the Shipyard in November and conducted independent ship operations off New England until 19 December. At the end of that month the ship lost a large percentage of its crew and entered reduced operational status. (5) |
|
| 1969 (5) |
August (5) |
Returned to full operational status in August 1969 and sailed for two months of refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The ship concluded the cruise with four days of naval gunfire support exercises at Culebra Island and returned to Newport for the holidays, prior to a change of home port to Pearl Harbor. (5) |
|
| 1969 (5) |
September to December (5) |
Participated in gunnery exercises on the East Coast. (5) |
|
| 1970 (5) |
January (5) |
Change of home port to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to become a unit of Destroyer Squadron Eleven (DESDIV 111). Departure from Newport, Rhode Island was delayed until 4 April 1970. (5) |
|
| 1970 (2) |
February and March (2) |
2/17 to 3/17 (2) |
During the remaining months on the East Coast, the ship participated in gunnery exercises and visited New York City on St. Patrick's Day. (2) |
| 1970 (5) |
February (5) |
17 (5) |
Served in a burial at sea ceremony. (5) |
| 1970 (5) |
March (5) |
17 (5) |
Visited New York City on St. Patrick's Day. (5) |
| 1970 (5) |
April (5) |
4 (5) |
Departed Newport, Rhode Island on route to Pearl Harbor. (5) |
| 1970 (5) |
April (5) |
10 (5) |
Six days later she arrived in Limon Bay, Panama Canal Zone, refueled and departed for San Diego, California. (5) |
| 1970 (5) |
April (5) |
13 (5) |
After a 3 day visit, LLOYD THOMAS departed for Pearl Harbor. (5) |
| 1970 (2) (5) |
April (2) (5) |
27 (2) (5) |
She arrived at Pearl Harbor. (2) (5) |
| 1970 (5) |
May (5) |
13 (5) |
Gunnery exercises were conducted as well as radar range calibration at FORACS Range, Oahu. (5) |
| 1970 (5) |
May to July (5) |
Training months for LLOYD THOMAS personnel. (5) |
|
| 1970 (2) (5) |
August (2) (5) |
12 (2) (5) |
The destroyer got underway for her first western Pacific deployment in over 20 years on 12 August 1970, arriving off the coast of Vietnam on 7 September. (2) (5) |
| 1970 (5) |
August (5) |
12 (5) |
Western Pacific deployment was as a unit of CTU 15.8.6 (5) |
| 1970 (5) |
August (5) |
27 (5) |
She arrived at Subic Bay, Republic Of Philippines to assume her role in the Seventh Fleet. (5) |
| 1970 (5) |
August (5) |
Prior to taking up position as naval gunfire support unit off the Republic of Vietnam, LLOYD THOMAS participated in Amphibious Exercises ZAM 670. (5) |
|
| 1970 (5) |
August (5) |
31 (5) |
Accompanying LLOYD THOMAS during these exercises was DESDIV 252, Captain Lewis, who broke his pennant in this ship on 31 August 1970. Upon completion of these exercises, COMDESDIV 252 hauled down his pennant. (5) |
| 1970 (2) (5) | Sptember (2) (5) | 4 (5) | LLOYD THOMAS was prematurely detached from TU 70.8.9 following an inbore explosion in the toward gun mount, which killed three crewman and injured 10 others. During this gun line period, 100 rounds of ammunition were expended. (2) (5) |
| 1970 (2) (5) |
September (2) (5) |
11 (2) |
LLOYD THOMAS was prematurely detached from TU 70.8.9 following an inbore explosion in the toward gun mount, which killed three crewman and injured 10 others. During this gun line period, 100 rounds of ammunition were expended. (2) (5) |
| 1970 (5) |
September (5) |
22 (5) |
Arrived at Yankee Station and continued transit to Northern Search and Rescue (NSAR) Station. (5) |
| 1970 (2) (5) |
October (2) (5) |
10 (5) | Detached from shore bombardment duty after repairs at Subic Bay, the warship served on the Northern Search and Rescue Station in the Tonkin Gulf until mid-October. (2) (5) |
| 1970 (5) |
October (5) |
14 (5) |
Typhoon Joan, which inflicted heavy damaged on the Republic of the Philippines, forced the LLOYD THOMAS to leave Subic Bay four days later. (5) |
| 1970 (5) |
October (5) |
17 (5) |
Departed for Yokosuka, Japan, where Ship Repair Facility installed a new forward gun mount. (5) |
| 1970 (2) |
November and December (2) |
After visits to Okinawa and Yokosuka, Japan, for the installation of a new gun mount, the warship returned to the gunline in November and December. (2) |
|
| 1970 (5) |
November (5) |
During November, she spent 25 days at sea, first at Yankee Station and then at NSAR Station (Tonkin Gulf), operating as a unit of TG 77.5 and TU 77.0.1 respectively (5) |
|
| 1970 (5) |
December (5) |
December was the final month of naval gunfire support for LLOYD THOMAS. Operating in military regions I, II and III, LLOYD THOMAS expended over 2000 rounds of ammunition in a day and night fire missions against the enemy. (5) |
|
| 1970 (5) |
December (5) |
30 (5) |
On 30 December she arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, to begin a well deserved period of rest and recreation. (5) |
| 1971 (2) (5) |
January and February (2) (5) |
Following a port visit to Bangkok, Thailand, for the holidays, LLoyd Thomas served on the gunline, on search and rescue station and at Yankee Station escorting aircraft carriers until 15 February 1971. (2) (5) |
|
| 1971 (2) |
February (2) |
26 (2) |
Returning to Pearl Harbor, after a stop in Hong Kong, LLOYD THOMAS conducted routine training operations off Hawaii. (2) |
| 1971 (5) |
July to August (5) |
In July the ship sailed for participation in the Seattle Sea Fair, returning in mid August. (5) |
|
| 1971 (5) |
September (5) |
25 (5) |
Commander Edward F. Jardine Jr. USN, relieved Commander Leo P. Brown, USN as Commanding Officer. (5) |
| 1971 (2) (5) |
October to November (2) (5) |
10/8 to 11/12 (2) |
After leave and upkeep, and local operations off Hawaii, the destroyer got underway 8 October for surveillance operations of Soviet activities in the Bering Sea above the Arctic Circle, returning back to Pearl Harbor. (2) (5) |
| 1971 (5) |
October to November (5) |
Surveillance opereations were part of the Cannikin Project, Amchitka Island, Alaska. (5) |
|
| 1972 (5) |
January (5) |
27 (5) |
She deployed to the 7th fleet for the second time. The ship operated in the Gulf of Tonkin with attack carriers and fired nearly 11,000 rounds of shore bombardment in support of Allied Forces in the Republic of Vietnam.
Special Note: This event is shown as occurring in 1971 by the original source. However, Mike Poulin has pointed out that it should have been shown as occurring in 1972. (5) |
| 1972 (2) |
March (2) |
After a service inspection carried out in March 1972, Lloyd Thomas was slated for disposal as part of the massive draw down of old naval forces in the early 1970's. (2) |
|
| 1972 (5) |
April (5) |
5 (5) |
When the LLOYD THOMAS arrived at Military Region I on April 5, she immediately engaged in the most rigorous naval combat since the 1969 Tet Offensive. On the following day while on a fire mission in support of ARVN ground troops LLOYD THOMAS was engulfed in heavy shore fire and sustained a 130mm artillery hit on her port bow. After a few hours, for effecting repairs, the ship continued to be extremely active in her support of the mission. During a lull in her firing missions LLOYD THOMAS saved five Vietnamese fishermen from a sinking sampan six miles offshore from Quang Tri Province. (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
April (5) |
18 (5) |
On April 18th, LLOYD THOMAS proceeded up the North Vietnamese coast as an element of CTU 77.12. During this period the ship conducted day and night missions against enemy airstrips, torpedo boat bases and military supply lines. (5) |
| 1972 (4)(5) | April (4)(5) | 19 (4)(5) | The USS Lloyd Thomas took part in a battle off Dong Hoi in which the US Navy first defeated a guided cruise missile. (4)(5) |
| 1972 (5) |
April (5) |
19 (5) |
The task unit was attacked by three enemy MIG fighter aircraft. On a night raid off Qiang He River mouth, LLOYD THOMAS was credited with destroying an enemy motor torpedo boat. (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
April (5) |
25 (5) |
LLOYD THOMAS returned to Military Region I and remained on various gun line stations until she returned to Subic Bay. (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
May (5) |
6 (5) |
She returned to Subic Bay. (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
May (5) |
14 (5) |
She sortied to Hong Kong in company with USS Coral Sea (CVA43). (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
May (5) |
15 (5) |
She arrived at Hong Kong. (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
May (5) |
22 (5) |
She departed Hong Kong on 22 May, LLOYD THOMAS and returned to Yankee Station with Coral Sea as an element of CTG 77.6. (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
May (5) |
28 (5) |
She detached to precede to Military Region I and remained as a naval gunfire support ship. During this critical period when Qiang Tri City was under siege, LLOYD THOMAS fired over twice as many rounds as in previous three months, bringing her total to nearly 11,000 rounds. This included a series of 52 underway replenishments. (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
June (5) |
29 (5) |
She moored in Subic Bay. (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
July (5) |
2 (5) |
She departed 2 July as an element of CTU 70.0.1, refueling in Guam and Midway. (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
July (5) |
9 (5) |
She out chopped to CTU 15.9.9. (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
July (5) |
13 (5) |
LLOYD THOMAS arrived at port, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
August (5) |
20 (5) |
She embarked on a special Army Chemical Corp team that re-manned Johnson Island after Hurricane Celeste had swept over the atoll. (5) |
| 1972 (5) |
August (5) |
27 (5) |
The ship returned to Pearl Harbor on 27 August to prepare for her decommissioning. (5) |
| 1972 (2) (5) |
October (2) (5) |
12 (2) (5) |
The USS LLOYD THOMAS DD764 was decommissioned and transferred to the Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy as RCS DANG YANG DD911. (2) (5) |
| 1999 | She served as Dang Yang in the Taiwanese Navy until disposed of in the late 1990's. (2) |
||
| 1999 (5) | March (5) | 16 (5) | The DDG-911(DD-764) was decommissioned in Taiwan and sunk to be used as a Reef. (5) |
Legend:
- (1) "DD764" from "The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships" on the Haze Gray and Underway site.
- (2) "Lloyd Thomas (DD-764)" from the Naval History and Heritage Command site.
- (3) "USS LLOYD THOMAS (DD-764)" from the hullnumber.com site.
- (4) "US Navy vs. Cruise Missiles? - the Battle off Dong Hoi" from the EagleSpeak site.
- (5) "History of USS Lloyd Thomas DD764" from Friends of the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. DD850 site.