USS Trippe DD-403 during a convoy to Casablanca in early 1943
A Benham-class destroyer, she was built by Boston Navy Yard, commissioned November 1, 1939
Just before dawn on December 16, 1941, in Block Island Sound off of Long Island NY, a USAAF bomber approached her and after making several passes dropped bombs and reported sinking a German destroyer, however USS Trippe emerged unscathed as the bombs exploded some 200 yards off her bow
USS Trippe escorted several convoys to the Mediterranean in 1942 / 1943
Participating in the invasion of Sicily, she provided shore bombardment and shot down a German bomber during a bombing raid on Palermo
After Sicily, USS Trippe headed north with three PT Boats to accept the surrender of the Aeolian Islands of Lipari and Stromboli
During the invasion of Italy, USS Trippe provided shore bombardment supporting British troops landing at Reggio and supporting the landings at Salerno
On October 13, 1943, USS Trippe was escorting a convoy from Naples to Oran with USS Bristol when Bristol was sunk by U-571, Trippe rescued many of the Bristol survivors
In November 1943, USS Trippe assisted with escorting USS Iowa carrying President Roosevelt
On December 16, 1943, USS Trippe with USS Woolsey sank U-73 with radar assisted 5” gunfire
During the Anzio landings, USS Trippe pounded troop concentrations, vehicles, and demolished an observation post, she also rescued two downed British airmen who had to ditch their plane
Sent to the Pacific in 1945, she escorted several convoys and was en-route to Okinawa when the war ended
Damaged in testing at Bikini Atoll July 1946, USS Trippe was scuttled off of Kwajalein in February 1948
LIFE Magazine Archives - Dmitri Kessel Photographer
