USS Luce, a 2030-ton Fletcher class destroyer built at Staten Island, New York, was commissioned in June 1943. She went to the Pacific in the fall and from November 1943 into August 1944 operated in the Alaskan and Aleutian Islands area. On 3-4 February and in June 1944 Luce participated in three bombardments of Japanese facilities in the Kurile Islands. Later in the year the destroyer went to the south Pacific and in October took part in the invasion of Leyte. She was employed on escort and patrol missions in the Admiralty Islands and off New Guinea for the rest of 1944.
In January 1945 Luce took part in amphibious landings at Lingayen Gulf and San Antonio, Leyte. She was part of the vast fleet that supported the invasion of Okinawa in late March and was then stationed off that islands as a radar picket to warn of incoming Japanese air raids. While peforming this duty on 4 May 1944 USS Luce was attacked by several suicide attack planes. Damaged by the bomb of one Kamikaze, she was struck amidships by a second and rapidly sank. Nearly 150 of her crew were lost with her.
USS Luce was named in honor of Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce (1827-1917), first Superintendent of the Naval War College and one of the late 19th Century Navy's most important professional leaders.
This page features the only views we have concerning USS Luce (DD-522).
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
USS Luce is seen distantly and/or partially on the far left side of the following views:
Photo #: 80-G-K-3860 (Color) New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York Lights are turned on as night falls over the Navy Yard docks, circa June-September 1943. USS Gherardi (DD-637) is in the center, by the crane. USS Luce (DD-522) is at left. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 53KB; 740 x 555 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-K-3859 (Color) New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York Dusk falls over the Navy Yard docks, circa June-September 1943. The ship in the center, just beyond the crane, is USS Gherardi (DD-637). USS Luce (DD-522) is at left, with only her bow visible. USS Butler (DD-636) is at right, with only her stern visible. USS Doyle (DD-494) is in the right background. A British light cruiser, painted in yellow primer, is in the left background. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 53KB; 740 x 510 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold at least one other view of USS Luce (DD-522). The following list features this image:
The image listed below is NOT in the
Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain it using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
USS Luce (DD-522) underway at low speed in the New York City area, 2 July 1943. Photographed from an aircraft based at Naval Air Station New York. Starboard bow high aerial view. Luce is painted in an overall dark grey, probably Camouflage Measure 21.
Reproductions of this image should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center. The image listed in this box is NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain it using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
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If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 28 February 2006
Link added 12 May 2006