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The USS HERNDON DD638 was a Gleaves Class destroyer that served in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific theatres of World War II. There were a total of 66 Gleaves Class destroyers built at various shipyards in the United States between the years 1938 and 1942. Of those 66, eleven were lost in action during the war.
The USS Herndon DD638 was the second ship of war named after Commander William Lewis Herndon. The first ship, USS Herndon DD198, was transferred to Great Britain as part of an exchange prior to the US entry into the war. The ship was later renamed the HMS Churchill. Sold once again to the Soviet Union, the ship was reported lost in action by the Soviet Navy in 1945.
The ship’s namesake, William Lewis Herndon… (read more)
Read more about the USS Herndon DD638.
See important events in the ship’s history.
Explore photographs and documents.