USS Biddle, Claude V. Ricketts DDG 5 /
Captain Nicholas Biddle, Admiral Claude Vernon Ricketts / Charles F. Adams
class Guided Missile Destroyer – US Navy
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s e a f o r c e s – online
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Naval Forces
Technology, History & Information
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Guided Missile Destroyer
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DDG 5 -
USS Biddle / Claude V. Ricketts
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USS Claude V. Ricketts (DDG 5)
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US Navy photo
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Type,
Class:
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Guided Missile Destroyer; Charles F. Adams - class;
planned as DD 955; built as
DDG 5; |
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Builder:
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New York Shipbuilding
Corp., Camden, New Jersey, USA |
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STATUS:
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Awarded: March 28, 1957 Laid down: May 18, 1959 Launched: June 4, 1960 Commissioned:
May 5, 1962 (as USS Biddle) Renamed: USS Claude V.
Ricketts on July 28, 1964 Decommissioned:
October 31, 1989 Fate: Sold
for scrap 15 Apr 1994. Contract was terminated 8 Oct 1996 and the hull was
repossessed with scrapping only 30% completed. She is currently berthed at
Philadelphia NISMF awaiting disposal. |
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Homeport:
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-
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Namesake:
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named after and in honor of Captain
Nicholas Biddle (1750 – 1778); renamed to USS Claude V.
Ricketts in honor of Admiral Claude V. Ricketts (? – 1964) - who died on duty as Chief of
Naval Operations (CNO), July 6, 1964. > see history, below; |
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Ship’s
Motto:
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- |
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Technical Data:
(Measures, Propulsion, Armament,
Aviation, etc.)
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see: INFO
>> Guided
Missile Destroyer / Charles F. Adams – Class |
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Pictures,
photos & more ...
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USS Biddle (DDG 5) |
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USS Claude V. Ricketts (DDG 5) |
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Nicholas
Biddle / Claude Vernon Ricketts |
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Capt. Nicholas Biddle |
Adm. Claude V. Ricketts |
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Photo credits: US Navy, US Naval
Historical Center |
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Namesake
& History: |
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Captain
Nicholas Biddle (September 10, 1750 – March 7, 1778): |
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Captain Nicholas Biddle was
born 10 September 1750 in Philadelphia. At the age of 13 he went to sea in
the merchant service, and in 1772 entered the British Navy as a midshipman.
As tension mounted between the Colonies and the Crown, Biddle resigned his
commission and returned to America, volunteering his services to his home
state of Pennsylvania. On 01 August, 1775 he became Commanding Officer of the
armed galley FRANKLIN, which had been fitted out by the Pennsylvania
Committee of Safety to defend the Delaware. In December 1775, Captain
Biddle took command of the 14-gun brig ANDREW DORIA and joined the fleet
commanded by Esek Hopkins in the expedition against New Providence. In this
action ANDREW DORIA captured numerous armed merchantmen, including two armed
transports carrying 400 reinforcements for the British Army in North America.
Later, Captain Biddle assumed
command of RANDOLPH, which was manned in part by paroled British prisoners of
war. These prisoners mutinied shortly after the ship sailed, but the superb
leadership of the 27 year old captain ended the trouble quickly. Violent storms dismasted his
ship off the Delaware Capes, but Captain Biddle's superb seamanship brought
RANDOLPH into Charleston for repairs. he sailed again for the West Indies on
04 September, 1777 and enroute captured HMS TRUE BRITON, along with her three
ship convoy. Captain Biddle took his fourth prize back to Charleston and
blockaded there until late February 1778, when he successfully eluded the
British patrol and escaped to the open sea. On 07 March, 1778 RANDOLPH, 32
guns, engaged HMS YARMOUTH, 64 guns. Despite his firepower disadvantage and a
severe wound received early in action, Captain Biddle brilliantly directed
the cannon fire of his ship, and YARMOUTH's commanding officer later reported
that RANDOLPH fired three accurate broadsides to YARMOUTH's one. Tragically,
however, fire penetrated RANDOLPH's powder magazines, and the ship exploded
and sank instantly. Captain Biddle perished, and his 315 man crew had only
four survivors. Thus ended the
brief but illustrious career of Captain Nicholas Biddle, Continental Navy.
His life ended short of its twenty eighth year, but his spirit lives on in
the ship that bears his name. "I fear
nothing but what I ought to fear. I am much more afraid of doing a foolish
action than of loosing my life. I aim for a character of conduct, as well as
courage, and hope never to throw away a vessel and crew merely to convince
the world I have courage. No one has dared to impeach it yet. If any should,
I will not leave them a moment of doubt." Nicholas Biddle
to his brother, Charles, 16 June 1776 |
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Admiral Claude Vernon
Ricketts (? – July 6, 1964): |
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was a
selfless leader of devoted dedication to the Naval Service and his country. … more Admiral
Ricketts history & bio wanted … |
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USS Biddle /
Claude V. Ricketts (DDG 5): |
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USS Claude V. Ricketts
(DDG-5), previously Biddle and DD-955, was a Charles F. Adams-class guided
missile destroyer of the United States Navy. Originally to be designated as
DD-955, the ship was laid down as DDG-5 by the New York Shipbuilding
Corporation at Camden, New Jersey on 18 May 1959, launched on 4 June 1960 and
commissioned on 5 May 1962. Biddle was
renamed to Claude V. Ricketts on 28 July 1964 in honor of Admiral Claude V.
Ricketts, who had died on 6 July. The Claude V. Ricketts (DDG-5)
served as the rescue unit and tied up alongside USS Belknap after her
collision with USS John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1975 - the twelfth
anniversary of the assassination of the president so named. The cruiser was
ablaze with exploding ammunition and magazines, but the guided-missile
destroyer and her crewmen fought and limited damage. In the end, CG-26 was
knocked and melted to her 01 level, which is the next level above the main
deck. Seven crewmembers aboard Belknap and one aboard the Kennedy were
killed. Claude V. Ricketts was
decommissioned on 31 October 1989, stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on
1 June 1990 and sold for scrap on 15 April 1994. The scrap contract was
terminated on 1 October 1996 and the ship was resold to Metro Machine,
Incorporated, of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania on 18 December 2001 . … more DDG 5
history wanted … |
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… and patches … |
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