USS Charrette

USS Charrette at Boston, Massachusetts on 4 August 1943
History
United States
Name	Charrette
Namesake	George Charrette
Builder	Boston Navy Yard
Laid down	20 February 1942
Launched	3 June 1942
Sponsored by	Mrs. G. Charrette
Commissioned	18 May 1943
Decommissioned	15 January 1947
Identification	DD-581
Fate	Transferred to the Hellenic Royal Navy, 16 June 1959
Greece
Name	Velos
Acquired	16 June 1959
Out of service	26 February 1991
Stricken	1 September 1975
Identification	D16
Status	Ceremonially active; museum ship in Palaio Faliro, Athens
General characteristics
Class and type	Fletcher-class destroyer
Displacement	2,100 tons standard, 3,050 tons full load
Length	376 ft 6 in (114.76 m)
Beam	39 ft 8 in (12.09 m)
Draft	17 ft 9 in (5.4 m) with full load (including ASW dome): 20 ft 10 in (6.35 m)
Propulsion	60,000 shp (45,000 kW) 2 sets of General Electric geared steam turbines, 1 set of 3 for each shaft (cruising, low pressure, high pressure); 4 Foster Wheeler boilers (two furnaces each), maximum steam pressure: 525 psi (3,620 kPa), maximum steam temperature: 825 °F (441 °C); 2 propellers
Speed	35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range	6,500 nautical miles (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	United States Navy: 329 Hellenic Navy: 269
Armament	5 × Single 5 in (127 mm) guns 4 × 40 mm AA guns, 4 × 20 mm AA guns, 10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 6 × depth charge projectors, 2 × depth charge tracks (in Greek service) 4 × 127 mm (5 in)/38 cal. guns, 3 × twin 3 in (76 mm)/50 RF AA guns 2× 12.7 mm (0.50 in) M2 Browning machine guns 1 × quintuple 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (for Mk 14 torpedoes), 2 × triple 325 mm (12.8 in) anti-submarine torpedo tubes (for Mk 44-Mk 46 torpedoes), 2 × Hedgehog (weapon) launchers (Mark 11, 24 bombs each), 1 × depth charge track for 12 Mk 9 depth charges, 12 (2×6) Super RBOC chaffs & flares launchers, 4 FIM-43 Redeye man-portable surface-to-air missiles (after 1976)

USS Charrette (DD-581) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Lieutenant George Charrette (1867–1938), who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Spanish–American War. Entering service during World War II, she spent her career in the Pacific theatre. Placed in reserve following the war, Charette was transferred to the Kingdom of Greece in 1959 and renamed Velos (D16), remaining in service till 1991 before being preserved as a museum ship at Palaio Faliro, Athens.