USS MacKenzie, a 1620-ton Benson class destroyer built at San Pedro, California, was commissioned in November 1942. She went to the Atlantic in March 1943 to begin work as a coastal and trans-oceanic convoy escort. On 16 May 1943, west of the Madeira Islands, MacKenzie delivered depth charge attacks that sank the German submarine U-182. She supported in the invasion of Sicily in July, then resumed her escort duties in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. During 1944 the destroyer took time out from this vital assignment to participate in two more continental combat operations, that at Anzio in the spring and the Southern France landings in August.
As the European war neared its end in March and April 1945, MacKenzie was again assigned to bombardment and patrol duty in the Mediterranean Sea. During July she began preparations to move to the Pacific, but these plans were ended with Japan's capitulation in mid-August. Decommissioned early in February 1946, Mackenzie was in "mothballs" as part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until stricken from the Naval Vessel Register at the beginning of July 1971. She was expended as a target off Florida in May 1974.
USS MacKenzie was named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Alexander Slidell MacKenzie (1842-1867), who was killed in action on Formosa on 13 June 1867.
This page provides information on images of USS MacKenzie (DD-614) that may be available from the National Archives
Though the Naval Historical Center's photographic collection includes no images of USS MacKenzie (DD-614), the National Archives appears to hold several views of her. The following list features some of these images:
The images listed below are NOT in
the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
USS MacKenzie (DD-614) in the outer harbor of San Pedro, California, 9 December 1942. Port bow surface view. The ship is painted in a horizontal two-tone camouflage scheme. USS MacKenzie (DD-614) underway at low speed off the U.S. East Coast (position 36 52'N, 75 51'W), steering course 085, on 18 February 1944. Photographed from a blimp of squadron ZP-14, based as Naval Air Station, Weeksville, North Carolina. Starboard quarter aerial view. The ship is still wearing horizontal two-tone camouflage.
Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center. The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions". |
Page made 11 March 2005