The USS Barry DD-933 destroyer operated with US naval forces throughout the bulk of the Cold War years, ending her reign as a museum ship in Washington D.C.
The Forrest Sherman-class of destroyers was established in 1955 and became a warship group of eighteen-strong led by the USS Forrest Sherman (DD-931). The types were conventionally-powered vessels intended to counter a variety of threats anticipated during the West's "Cold War" with the Soviet Union. The enemy would have utilized attack submarines, aircraft and other surface warships during an all-out war and, as such, then-modern destroyers were properly outfitted with a plethora of weapon options to suit the threat. In this way, American destroyers were capable of engaging aerial, surface and undersea threats as well as supporting offshore actions during amphibious assaults or protecting components of the main fleet. These ship types were constructed in such a way to allow them to operate independently or as part of a larger force, in deep or coastal waters. In addition to their multi-layered armament, destroyers possessed favorable speed to meet with potential threats or escape imminent danger.
The third ship in the class became the USS Barry (DD-933), named after American Revolutionary War hero Commodore John Barry, often cited as the "father of the American Navy". Barry served in the Continental Navy, forerunner to the modern USN and took part in several notable battles of the war that led to American independence. His name eventually graced the hull of no fewer than four American warships including the all-modern Arleigh Burke-class USS John Barry (DDG-52) currently in active service (2013).
USS Barry (DD-933) was ordered on December 15th, 1952 as America was fully committed to the Korean War (1950-1953). She saw her keel laid down by Bath Iron Works (Bath, Maine USA) on March 15th, 1954 to which the hull was launched to sea on October 1st, 1955 by which time the Korean War has ended in a loose armistice. The USN officially acquired the vessel on August 31st, 1956 and commissioned it in September 7th, 1956.
As a destroyer-type vessel, Barry was a compact ship built with speed in mind. Her design was still rather conventional, incorporating an unobstructed forecastle mounting one forward deck gun, a superstructure at amidships and a stern deck gun (no helicopter deck was present). Two smoke funnels completed her side profile as did a pair of high-reaching masts - the forward mounting of a complicated lattice structure and the lower, aft mast of a tripod arrangement. The bridge was set aft of the forward gun (identified by its large windows) and near the top of the superstructure, providing a good view over the bow and to the forward sides of the ship. The helm was situated at the center of the bridge with the captain residing off to the left. He was given a forward cabin to remain near the bridge. A darkened actions room was attached to the rear of the bridge holding sensitive electronics, equipment and specialists to monitor them. The vessel held living quarters for its crew of 337 that included 22 officers and 315 enlisted. Power was served through 4 x 1,200lb boilers feeding 2 x steam turbines driving 2 x shafts at the stern. Maximum speed was 32 knots while displacement measured 4,000lbs under full load.
USS Barry was one of the ships called by President John F. Kennedy to enact a naval blockade (the "Cuban Quarantine") of the island nation of Cuba, a communist hold just miles from American shores and actively supported by the Soviet Union. This took place during the critical "Cuban Missile Crisis" that nearly brought both world powers to nuclear war. The Barry joined her contemporaries in the action of October 1962. The situation was ultimately diffused and led to all of the Soviet Union's parked nuclear missiles removed from the island which, in turn, forced the United States to remove some of its missiles from allied nations bordering the Soviet Empire.
The USS Barry was one of the many US naval surface vessels taking part in the actions concerning the Vietnam War (1955-1975). Barry used her guns in anger during shore bombardment of enemy positions in the Mekong Delta. Her guns were then used in support of "Operation Double Eagle" near Quang Ngi which became the largest amphibious operation since the landings at Inchon during the Korean War (1950-1953). Barry's guns eventually fired some 2,500 shells against enemy positions, credited with destroyer about 1,000 enemy fortifications during the fighting. From the period of September 1965 to January 1967, the USS Barry covered some 55,000 miles at sea, proving her a well-traveled, combat veteran which netted her Vietnam service two Battle Stars. 1966 saw her become the first USN vessel to be outfitted with the Mk 86 Fire Control System (FCS), a digitally-assisted, gun-firing system intended to improve base accuracy at range. Barry completed her Vietnam tour on February 15th when she headed for Hong Kong.
In 1967, the USS Barry was given a major modernization that increased her Anti-Submarine Warfare prowess. This included integration of a Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) to aid in search and tracking of enemy submarines. Additionally, her deck was now graced with the "ASROC" kit (Anti-Submarine Rocket Launcher), a rocket-assisted torpedo projector developed exclusively for countering enemy submarines at range. The system coupled a subsonic rocket motor (using solid propellant) to a conventional submarine-hunting (inertial guidance) homing torpedo. The launcher carried eight individual launch cells and sat atop a trainable base (offering traversal and elevation) for engagement across many angles of the ship.
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
USS Forrest Sherman (DD-931); USS John Paul Jones (DD-932/DDG-32); USS Barry (DD-933); USS Decatur (DD-936); USS Davis (DD-937); USS Jonas Ingram (DD-938); USS Manley (DD-940); USS Du Pont (DD-941); USS Bigelow (DD-942); USS Blandy (DD-943); USS Mullinnix (DD-944); USS Hull (DD-945); USS Edson (DD-946); USS Somers (DD-947/DDG-34); USS Morton (DD-948); USS Parsons (DD-949/DDG-33); USS Richard S. Edwards (DD-950); USS Turner Joy (DD-951); Ships-in-Class
Offshore Bombardment
Offshore bombardment / attack of surface targets / areas primarily through onboard ballistic weaponry.
Land-Attack
Offshore strike of surface targets primarily through onboard missile / rocket weaponry.
Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.
Airspace Denial / Deterrence
Neutralization or deterrence of airborne elements through onboard ballistic of missile weaponry.
Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.
418.5 feet (127.56 meters) Length
45.0 feet (13.72 meters) Beam
19.5 feet (5.94 meters) Draught
4,050 tons Displacement
2 x Geared turbines delivering 70,000 shaft horsepower to 2 x shafts. Propulsion
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.
