USS Heermann

USS Heermann in an undated wartime photo. Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox ship image with unknown parameter "1 = 300px "
History
United States
Name	USS Heermann
Namesake	Lewis Heermann
Builder	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California
Laid down	8 May 1942
Launched	5 December 1942
Sponsored by	Mrs. Edward B. Briggs
Commissioned	6 July 1943 to 12 June 1946
Recommissioned	12 September 1951
Decommissioned	20 December 1957
Stricken	1 September 1975
Identification	DD-532
Fate	Transferred to Argentina, 14 August 1961.
Argentina
Name	Almirante Brown
Acquired	14 August 1961
Decommissioned	1982
Stricken	1982
Identification	D 20
Fate	Scrapped 1982
General characteristics as built
Class and type	Fletcher-class destroyer
Displacement	2,325 long tons (2,362 t) standard 2,942 long tons (2,989 t) full load
Length	376 ft 5 in (114.7 m) oa 369 ft 1 in (112.5 m) wl
Beam	39 ft 7 in (12.1 m)
Draft	13 ft 9 in (4.19 m) full load
Propulsion	60,000 shp (45,000 kW), 2 propellers 4 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Speed	38 knots (70 km/h; 44 mph)
Range	6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	273
Armament	5 × single 5 in (127 mm)/38 guns 5 × twin 40 mm (1.6 in) AA guns 7 × single 20 mm (0.8 in) AA guns 2 × quintuple 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 × single depth charge throwers 2 × depth charge racks
Armor	Side: 0.75 in (1.9 cm) Deck: 0.5 in (1.3 cm)
Service record
Part of:	United States Pacific Fleet
Operations:	Operation Galvanic, Landing on Emirau, Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, Philippines campaign, Battle off Samar, Okinawa campaign, Battle of Iwo Jima
Awards:	Presidential Unit Citation (United States) Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines) 9 Battle stars

USS Heermann (DD-532) was a World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy. The ship entered service in 1943 and took part in several battles during World War II in the Pacific theatre of operations, including the Philippines campaign, Battle off Samar and the Battle of Iwo Jima among others. Heermann gained fame during the "last stand of the Tin Can Sailors" in which she and several other destroyers of Task Unit 77.4.3 ("Taffy 3") engaged a far superior Japanese task force during the Battle off Samar in October 1944. Heermann was the only American destroyer of "Taffy 3" to survive the engagement. Following the end of the war in 1945, the ship was placed in reserve from 1946 to 1951, when the destroyer was reactivated. Heermann remained in active service until 1957, when the ship was returned to the reserve. In 1961, Heerman was loaned to Argentina and was renamed ARA Almirante Brown (D-20) while in service with the Argentinian Navy. Almirante Brown remained in Argentinian service until 1982, when the ship was decommissioned.