U.S.S. ABBOT  •  DD 629

Web Site Map

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General

• About this web site, including information about viewing the Abbot site and a list of recent changes.
• Links to other destroyer-related sites.
• Subscribe to Abbot videos.
• Multimedia help; technical assistance for video and audio links, or for the visually, hearing or physically impaired.
• Main entry page.
• Main home page.
• Abbot DVD information and ordering details.
• Glossary of terms found in naval logs.
• Searchable dictionary of World War II terminology.
• Bibliography of published sources. Web sites are listed on the links page.

Cruise Books

• Cruise books home page.
• Index to web edition 1943-45.
• Preface to the 1943-45 book, including an introduction to the web edition.
• 1943-45 eBook version (For digital book devices, in ePub format.)
• 1943-45 Cruise Book Chapters:
  1. Launching, commissioning and shakedown (February-August 1943).
     Commissioning (1943).
  2. Our First Taste Of The Pacific (September-December 1943).
     Crossing The Line.
  3. The Marshalls Campaign (January-April 1944).
  4. To The South Pacific (May-August 1944).
  5. From Pearl Harbor To The Philippines (September-October 1944).
  6. Our Stay In The Philippines (October-December 1944).
  7. The Abbot And The Philippine Navy (January-March 1945).
  8. Leisure Time Well Spent (April-June 1945).
  9. Tokyo Bound (July-September 1945).
     Bombardment of Kamaishi.
• History of the U.S.S. Abbot is a pdf copy of the original 1943-45 cruise book. Large file; download before viewing on a slow Internet connection.
• World Cruise 1954 cruise book in PDF format.
• Mediterranean Cruise 1958 cruise book in PDF format.
• Europe and Asia 1960 cruise book in PDF format.

Images & Diagrams

Collections

• Abbot’s Pacific War slide show.
• Angevine photo collection contains more than 400 images.
  • Searchable index
  • All images
  • Reunions
• World War II Abboteers
• 1950s Abboteers
• Gil Nelson photo collection, 1953-1955.
• Frank Laffredo photo collection, 1961-1963.
• 2003 crew reunion in Baton Rouge, La.

The Ship

• About Fletcher-class destroyers.
• General layout of Fletcher-class destroyers as built.
• Booklet of general Fletcher-class building plans.
• General layout of Fletcher-class destroyer with Cold War (1950s) modifications.
• Interactive blueprint of a Fletcher-class destroyer.
• Camouflage paint schemes on Fletcher-class destroyers.
• Interactive 1941 blueprint of a proposed post-Fletcher-class destroyer.
• Complete as-built blueprints for Fletcher-class destroyers. (In progress.)
• The first Abbot (DD 184), 1919-1940.
• Cutaway drawing of a Fletcher-class destroyer.
• Abbot launch, February 1943.
• Abbot shipyard photos, April 1943.
• Launch of Abbot.
• Abbot underway, 1945 is perhaps the best running shot of Abbot during World War II.
• Aerial photo of Abbot.
• Abbot underway, probably in the 1960s.
• Abbot in 1965.
• Broadside view of Abbot.
• Starboard stern view of Abbot.
• Post-refit, late 1951, starboard broadside as Abbot leaves the shipyard.
• Starboard bow, 1954.
• Starboard running shot, 1954.
• Port view, 1960, scanned from Mediterranean cruise book.
• Aerial view, 1961, scanned from a souvenir Project Mercury postcard.
• Aerial view, 1964 or 1965, with ResDesRon 30.
• Awaiting the scrapper’s yard, 1974.
• High-resolution images selected from the collection. Suitable for high-quality printing or use as PC wallpaper background.

Events

• Chronology.
• Collision with Cowpens on 18 October 1943.
• Honshu raids, July 1945, with color images and 12-minute film.
• Torpedo practice, 1950s, color images.
• 1956 Mediterranean cruise, color images.
• Fleet Week, 1960, color image.
• Project Mercury, 1961, with color images.
• The Last Shot, 1962
• Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962

Places

• Wotje Atoll, modern photo.
• U.S. fleet off Majuro, Navy archives photo.
• Fletcher-class destroyer in the Philippines.
• Visit a Fletcher-class destroyer.

People

• Getting started: Looking for an Abbot crewman?
• In Memorium.
• December 1945 crew photo.
• Destroyer Squadron 48.
• Joe Scarpino aboard Abbot in August 1964.
• Muster rolls.
• Abbot’s commanding officers:
  1. Chester Edward Carroll (1900-1987); April 1943 to August 1943
  2. Marshall Edgar Dornin (1907-1994); August 1943 to August 1944
  3. Francis Walford Ingling (1912-1990); August 1944 to February 1946
  4. Rue O’Neill Jr. (1918-1988); February 1951 to November 1952
  5. Lowell Crosby Savage (1919-1961); November 1952 to April 1954
  6. Robert Samuel Salzer (1919-1988); April 1954 to April 1956
  7. Willard Wendell DeVenter (1918-2000); April 1956 to April 1958
  8. Robert McHenry Pond (1921-1989); April 1958 to June 1959
  9. Robert James Norman (1919-); June 1959 to July 1961
  10. Allan Hamilton Craig (1916-1992); July 1961 to September 1963
  11. John Joseph Pirro (1921-2006); September 1963 to January 1965
  12. John Patrick Derr (1929-); January 1965 to March 1965
• Chief petty officers in the Philippines.
• Lt. (j.g.) Walter R. Baranger, en route to Bath, Maine.
• Cdr. Dornin and Lt. Baranger.
• Dr. Mrazek.
• Lt. Magill.

Artifacts & Souvenirs

• Silk parachute fragment from Corregidor given to Abbot’s crew as a souvenir.
• Envelope mailed aboard Abbot in 1946 with a lovely hand-painted sketch.
• Envelope mailed aboard Abbot in June 1943.
• Envelope mailed aboard Abbot in November 1943.
• Envelope mailed aboard Abbot in 1945.
• Envelope mailed aboard Abbot in 1957.
• Envelope mailed aboard Abbot in 1958.
• Pearl Harbor base pass, 1943.
• Neptune Card, 1943.
• Homeward Bound Pennant, August 1945.
• Navy Day leaflet, October 1945.
• Post-war patch.
• Reserve Destroyer Squadron 30 patch.
• Post-war matchbook cover.
• Stationery packet, probably from the 1950s.
• Post-war shoulder patch.
• Post-war round patch.
• Ratings patches.
• Officer ranks.
• Enlisted rates (ranks).
• Ashtray, Cold War era.
• Cast aluminum logo, Cold War era.
• Sterling silver chalice, circa 1943.
• Vulcan lighter, 1950s.
• Zippo lighter, 1959.
• Boatswain’s call (pipe).
• World War II dogtag.
• Bracelet.
• Certificate for crossing 180° longitude, 1954.
• Flags flown aboard Abbot.

Documents & Newspaper Articles

• Index of miscellaneous documents.
• Gil Nelson’s documents, 1953-1955.
• Gene Gallagher’s documents, 1961-1963.
• Launch of Abbot, New York Times article, archive image.
• Various editions of The Abbot Dabbler and The Abboteer, the ship’s newsletters. Mimeograph.
• Christmas Menu 1943, three pages. Mimeograph.
• Captain’s Anniversary Message 1944, by Lt. Cdr. Dornin; marking exactly one year since commissioning. Four pages. Mimeograph.
• Know Your Enemy: Japan!, by Anthony Jenkinson; 1942. Pamphlet issued to sailors.
• Thanksgiving Menu 1944, three pages. Mimeograph.
• Christmas Menu 1944, four pages. Mimeograph.
• Smoker, undated (1944 or 1945) boxing match between DesRon 48 rivals Abbot and Walker (DD 517). Mimeograph.
• Change of command orders. Francis Ingling relieves Marshall Dornin as commanding officer of Abbot on 14 August 1944. Two pages. Mimeograph.
• Life aboard destroyers, New York Times article, archive image.
• Kamaishi bombardment, New York Times article, archive image.
• Honshu bombardment, New York Times article, archive image.
• Official History of U.S.S. Abbot is the Navy’s summary of Abbot’s career.
• Biography of Commodore Joel Abbot.
• History of the U.S.S. Abbot is a large pdf version of the cruise book.
• Abbot’s battle stars.
• Abbot’s ribbons and medals.
• Navy ribbons and medals chart.
• Logs & action reports.
• War Diary entry for Cowpens (CV25) collision, 18OCT43.
• Muster rolls.

Multimedia

• Abbot’s Pacific War slide show.
• Collision with Cowpens, 18 October 1943.
• Destroyer Life in the Pacific 1943, black & white movie.
• Philippines campaign, slide show.
• Bombardment of Honshu and other scenes, color movie.
• Bombardment of Kamaishi, slide show.
• The 1950s Doc Savage color movies.
• The 1957-1958 John Alford color movies.

Memories & Reunions

• Index
• Charlie Angevine (WWII).
• Charlie Angevine remembers the Cowpens collision (1943).
• Curt Presley (WWII).
• John Derr (1960s).
• John Alford (1958).
• John Kelleher (1964).
• John Kelleher (1962-1964).
• James Michels (1965).
• George Rider and the St. Patrick’s eve tragedy (1956).
• George Rider and “Five Degrees From No Return” (1956).
• Vittie Sablinskas (WWII).
• 2003 crew reunion, Baton Rouge.
• 1945 autograph book.
• Future reunions.
• 2003 Reunion, Baton Rouge, La.
• 2008 Reunion, Charleston, S.C.
• 2010 Reunion, Portland, Maine.