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USS Wedderburn, a 2050-ton Fletcher class destroyer, was built at San Francisco, California. Commissioned in March 1944, her first combat mission was the invasion of Guam the following July. A month later, Wedderburn was assigned to escort the fast carrier task forces and operated with them through remainder of World War II. After Japan's surrender, she supported occupation activities and returned to the United States in November 1945.
Wedderburn was briefly out of service in 1946, then became a Naval Reserve training ship, a role she maintained until recommissioning in November 1950. Two Korean War tours followed in 1951-53, during which she conducted blockade, gunfire support and fleet escort missions. With the end of active hostilities, Wedderburn continued to serve with the Pacific Fleet. Over the next decade and a half, she made several deployments to the Western Pacific, including four off Vietnam in 1964-69. USS Wedderburn decommissioned in October 1969 and was sold for scrapping in January 1972.
USS Wedderburn was named in honor of Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Charles F. Wedderburn, who lost his life when USS Chauncey (DD-3) was sunk during the First World War.
This page features views of USS Wedderburn (DD-684) and provides information about others that may be available from the National Archives.
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 94310 USS Wedderburn (DD-684) Underway in San Francisco Bay, California, during the later 1940s or early 1950s. Courtesy of Robert M. Cieri, 1982. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 114KB; 740 x 585 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 69837-A USS Wedderburn (DD-684) Underway in the Pacific, February 1958. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1969. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 75KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 73463 USS Wedderburn (DD-684) Photographed circa the late 1950s. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 144KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: USN 1107281 USS Wedderburn (DD-684) Firing her 5"/38 guns at a target drone aircraft, during exercises, 21 August 1964. The ship following next astern is USS Porterfield (DD-682). The relative positions of Wedderburn's signal flags, with the port side red "Bravo" flag hoisted higher, indicate that the ship is firing to port. Evenly hoisted flags on Porterfield indicate that her guns are not yet trained out. Photographed by PH2 R.D. Fennell. Official U.S. Navy Photograph. Online Image: 94KB; 740 x 520 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-N-1107281. |
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Photo #: NH 69631-KN (Color) Insignia: USS Wedderburn (DD-684) Emblem that was in use in 1963. Courtesy of Captain G.F. Swainson, USN, 1970. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 91KB; 570 x 580 pixels |
While the Naval Historical Center has no other views of USS Wedderburn, the National Archives appears to hold additional photographs. 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 Wedderburn (DD-684) underway near San Francisco, California, 25 March 1944. Port bow aerial view, taken from a 400-foot altitude by a plane from Naval Air Station, Alameda, CA. USS Wedderburn (DD-684) underway near San Francisco, California, 25 March 1944. Aerial view from off the ship's stern and slightly to port, taken from a 400-foot altitude by a plane from NAS Alameda, CA. USS Wedderburn (DD-684) underway near San Francisco, California, 25 March 1944. Aerial view from slightly aft of the ship's starboard beam, taken from a 400-foot altitude by a plane from NAS Alameda, CA. The side of the ship nearest the camera is heavily shadowed. 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.". |
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29 May 1999