Livermore I DD- 429

Livermore I
(DD-429 : dp. 1,690 1. 34893"; b. 36'1"; dr. 11'10" s. 33 k.; cpl. 208; £.. i 5", 6 20mm., 8 .50 cal. mg., 10 21" tt.2 dct., 1 dcp.; cl. Geaves )

Livermore (DD-429), originally planned as Grayson was renamed Livermore 23 December 1938; laid down 6 March 1939 by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched 3 August 1940; sponsored by Mrs. Everard M. Upjohn, a descendant of Chaplain Livermore; and commissioned 7 October 1940, Lt. Comdr. Vernon Huber in command.

Launched in the aftermath of the fall of France, Lirermore, after a brief training period, was assigned 29 April 1941 to the neutrality patrol. With ships like aircraft carrier Wasp (CV-7) and sister destroyers, she escorted to Iceland convoys bound for England. There ensued a shadowy undeclared war with Nazi wolfpacks. She was on convoy duty with Kearing (DD-432) when the latter was torpedoed 17 October. The hazards of this duty for Livermore also included a temporary grounding 24 November during a storm and having a friendly battery on Iceland fire across the ship.

The attack on Pearl Harbor and full U.S. participation in World War II enlarged the scope of her actions. On 7 April 1942 Livemore departed New York for the first of many transatlantic escort missions. Completing her second voyage to Greenock, Scotland, 27 June, she began coastal patrol and convoy duty southward into the Caribbean.

Livermore arrived off Mehdia, French Morocco, 9 November for the north African invasion and was assigned antisubmarine, antiaircraft, and fire support duties. Five days later, the invasion force successfully established ashore, she sailed for Norfolk, arriving 26 November.

The year 1943 began with patrol duty off Recife, Brazil, and concluded with a series of five voyages from 14 April to 17 January 1944 between New York and Ca~ablanca French Morocco. Her departure Hampton Roads 24 January foreshadowed a prolonged stay in the Mediterranean Sea. Two days earlier U.N. forces had landed at Anzio, Italy. Livermore arrived off this embattled beachhead 5 March. She prov. deaf both antiaircraft protection and shore bombardment support. After rotation to the convoy run between Oran Algeria, and Naples, Italy, she participated in the inn' al landing in southern France on 16 August. While supporting minesweepers on Cavallaire Bay with gunfire, Livermore was hit by a shore battery. The damage was slight, and her guns silenced the enemy guns. Lirermore continued on duty in the western Mediterranean until 26 October when she steamed out of Oran for overhaul in New York Navy Yard.

The war ended in Europe while Livermore was on the third of a new series of escort crossings between the east coast and Oran. Completing her last transatlantic voyage 29 May, she prepared for duty in the Pacific.

Though she departed New York June, V-J Day found her still training at Pearl Harbor. She reached Japan 27 September escorting transports carrying soldiers of the Army's 98th Divis Oll for occupation duty. Her stay in the Orient was relatively brief; for, after several voyages between Saipan, the Philippines, and 'vVakayama, Japan, Livermore sailed 3 November for the Aleutians. At Dutch Harbor and Attu she embarked discharges for passage to Seattle and San Francisco. Completing this duty 22 December 1945, she proceeded to the east coast, arriving Charleston, S.C., 18 January 1946.

Designated for use in the Naval Reserve Training Program, she was placed in commission, in reserve 1 May 1946. Livermore then decommissioned and was placed "in service" 24 January 1947, and was assigned to Naval Reserve training in the 6th Naval District. She was reassigned to the 1st Naval District 15 March 1949. While making one of her training cruises. she ran aground off of southern Cape Cod 30 July 1949. Refloated the next day she proceeded to Boston and w as placed out of service 15 May 1950 and inactivated. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register 19 July 1956. From 1956 to late 1958, her hull was used for spare parts and experimental purposes. During this time, she was anchored off of Indianhead, Md. Upon conclusion of the experiments Livermore was sold 3 March 1961 to Potomac Shipwrecking Co., Pope's Creek Md. She was towed away for scrapping 17 April 1961

Livermore received three battle stars for World War II service.