USS Knapp DD-653
The USS Knapp DD-653 was a Fletcher-class destroyer named after Harry Shepard Knapp, a former Vice Admiral of the United States Navy and, later, a military representative of the U.S. in Haiti. The keel of the USS Knapp was laid down in March of 1943 at Bath Iron Works in Maine, and the vessel was launched on July 10th of that same year. Commander Frank Virden assumed command following the ship’s commissioning. The USS Knapp would later earn eight battle stars for her dedicated World War II service.
Following a shakedown in Bermuda, the USS Knapp headed towards the Pacific Ocean in November, arriving in Pearl Harbor on December 21st. In mid-January, she sailed to the Marshall Islands for an invasion alongside the aircraft carriers of Task Force 58. The USS Knapp participated in a bombardment of the Kwajaleins and then carried out raids on Truk and enemy bases in the Mariana Islands throughout the month of February. In March, the destroyer headed to Espiritu Santo to provide coverage during the seizure of Emirau Island and subsequently participated in raids on Palau, Yap and Woleai during the end of the month and into early April. The USS Knapp ended the month of April with air raids on Truk, Satawan and Ponape.
The USS Knapp arrived in Majuro in May for repairs and then rejoined a fleet of carriers to assist with operations against Saipan. In mid-June, the ship guarded sister-vessels during the famous Battle of the Philippine Sea, during which Japan’s air forces were completely destroyed. During late July and early August, the USS Knapp participated in raids on Palau, Ulithi, Yap, Iwo Jima, and Chichi Jima, assisting in the sinking of several Japanese ships. She was refitted at Eniwetok in late August, and then headed back to the Palau Islands with five battleships and the aircraft carriers Langley CVL-27, Lexington CV-16, Essex CV-9, and Princeton CVL-21. The USS Rowe was an important participant in strikes against Okinawa, Formosa, and Luzon, and was active in the important Battle of Leyte Gulf. After serving as a radar picket ship off the coast of Okinawa in May of 1945, the vessel joined Task Force 39 and carried out the final series of coordinated attacks on the coast of Japan.
On September 2, 1945, the USS Knapp sailed into Tokyo Bay for surrender ceremonies alongside the USS Missouri BB-63. She was decommissioned on July 5, 1946 in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1951, the USS Knapp was recommissioned and served throughout the Korean War conflict until 1957. The ship was struck from the Naval Register in 1972 and subsequently sold for scrap.
The men aboard the USS Knapp DD-653 throughout her almost fifteen years of constant service were undoubtedly a brave and hearty bunch, and although they weathered the occupational hazards associated with military service, these men may find themselves diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, such as mesothelioma cancer, upon entering their sixties or seventies. The onset of these diseases is due to asbestos exposure while aboard WWII-era ships, all of which contained asbestos materials. All veterans, including those who served aboard the USS Knapp, should talk with a doctor about their respiratory health.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
