As soon as once more, the Navy may have USS Barb within the fleet.
On Tuesday, Navy Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite introduced the names of two new vessels: the John F. Lehman, a future guided-missile destroyer named for the sixty fifth SecNav; and the Barb, a future Virginia-class submarine named for a sub with the excellence of sinking probably the most tonnage of Japanese delivery throughout World Struggle II — together with an plane provider.
The unique Barb, commissioned in 1942, would perform 12 patrols over the course of the warfare, to devastating impact on the enemy. On her eleventh patrol alone, she sank 4 Japanese business ships and numerous different small vessels and executed a harrowing torpedo launch off the coast of China, maneuvering again to security by mined and rocky waters.
The sub’s crew would earn the coveted Presidential Unit Quotation for that mission, and her commander, Eugene Fluckey, would earn the Medal of Honor.
On September 17, 1944, the Barb sank the Japanese provider Un’yō, only a day after rescuing 14 British and Australian prisoners of warfare from the Japanese cargo ship Rakuyō Maru.
US Navy
In July 1945, the Barb would declare its last conquest: not a ship in any respect, however a railroad prepare. Fluckey despatched eight males from the surfaced sub below cowl of darkness to go ashore on Karafuto, Japan. They embedded a close-by prepare monitor with explosives and raced again to the Barb because the bombs detonated, taking pictures prepare automobile items and particles 200 toes within the air. The Barb’s battle flag featured a prepare in honor of this exploit.
Along with Fluckey’s Medal of Honor, Barb crew members earned six Navy Crosses, 23 Silver Stars and 23 Bronze Stars, amongst different awards.
The Barb is definitely the third of its title. Following the decommissioning of the unique Barb in 1947, one other was commissioned in 1963, serving in Vietnam after which changing into a take a look at platform for the brand new Tomahawk cruise missile.
Lehman, the destroyer’s namesake, served below President Ronald Reagan. A former Navy captain, Lehman as SecNav pushed for a 600-ship Navy fleet — a legacy related to at the moment as service leaders advocate to develop the fleet to 500 ships.
“[Lehman’s bold maritime strategy to surge U.S. naval power into the Soviet maritime domain sent a strong signal to the Soviet Union that President Reagan’s ‘peace through strength’ motto was no empty phrase, thus hastening the end of the Cold War,” Navy officials said in a news release. “He also paved a path to engagement with China, leading to the first U.S. ships entering Chinese waters in more than 30 years.”
In the announcement, Braithwaite said both ship names carry a great legacy that will inspire those in uniform.
“These naval combatants, and many others named after historic leaders and battle-tested namesakes are one of the key components of our great Naval culture and heritage,” he said. “The other is the men and women who volunteer to serve this great nation above self, adding to the fabric of honor, courage and commitment which guides our great Navy each and every day.”
Both future ships await construction; their commissioning dates are yet to be determined.
— Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
