USS Gyatt

USS Gyatt (DD-712/DDG-1/DDG-712) was a Gearing-class destroyer in service with the United States Navy. The ship was named for Edward Earl Gyatt, a United States Marine Corps private and Marine Raider who was killed during the Battle of Guadalcanal. Laid down in 1944, the destroyer was commissioned in 1945 and missed combat during the Second World War. In 1955, she was converted into a guided missile destroyer (DDG) and served as the first United States Navy destroyer to test onboard missile systems before she was decommissioned and sunk as a target in 11 June 1970.

Namesake
Edward Earl Gyatt was born on 4 September 1921 in Syracuse, New York. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on 28 January 1942. Private Gyatt was serving with the 1st Marine Raider Battalion during the Battle of Tulagi, part of the initial landings of the Guadalcanal campaign. He went ashore on Tulagi on 7 August 1942 and Gyatt reported the approach of a Japanese counterattack approaching his advanced position that night. He remained at his post and inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese force before he was killed by a hand grenade. Gyatt was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. The destroyer escort USS Gyatt (DE-550) was named for him, but construction was canceled in 1944 before it could be completed.

Service history
Gyatt was built by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey. She was sponsored by Hilda Morrell, Private Gyatt's mother, a member of the Gold Star Mothers.

Commissioning and early history
After shakedown in the Caribbean, Gyatt reported to Norfolk, Virginia, for duties along the East Coast. In addition to local operations and training exercises, she participated in training operations with aircraft carriers in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Departing Norfolk on 24 January 1947, Gyatt sailed south to represent the United States at the inauguration of the new Uruguayan President Berres at Montevideo from 27 February to 6 March. Before returning to Norfolk on 21 March, she made goodwill visits to Rio de Janeiro and Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Gyatt sailed on 20 November 1947, to deploy with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean and returned to Norfolk on 2 March 1948. She participated in six subsequent deployments to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Other operations took her north from Norfolk to Nova Scotia and Iceland and south into the Caribbean Sea.

Conversion to DDG
Gyatt entered the Boston Naval Shipyard on 26 September 1955, and was decommissioned on 31 October for conversion into the world's first guided missile destroyer. In addition to twin Terrier guided missile launchers, she was equipped with the Navy's first Denny-Brown stabilization system. The system consisted of two 45 square foot (4m2) retractable fins that extended out from midship below the waterline, which helped balance out the ship after missile launches. Her hull classification was changed to DDG-712 on 1 December 1956. Gyatt was recommissioned two days later.

The new guided missile ship spent nearly 3 years undergoing evaluation and development work along the Atlantic coast. On 23 May 1957, her hull number was changed to DDG-1 in recognition of her novel position. She sailed to join the 6th Fleet on 28 January 1960, and was the first guided missile destroyer to deploy with an overseas fleet. By the time of her arrival back in Charleston, her new home port on 31 August, Gyatt had participated in fleet readiness and training operations throughout the Mediterranean.

Space program
On her return, Gyatt joined the United States' space program. For several days in 1960 and 1961, she was stationed to recover nose-cones which fell to Earth from Project Mercury launches. As Cold War tensions increased, she joined the 6th fleet in the Mediterranean to serve as an American counterbalance to deescalate tensions. After her return to the US, she operated out of Charleston, South Carolina.

Conversion to DD
Gyatt entered the Charleston Naval Shipyard on 29 June 1962 to be retrofitted for service with the Operational Test and Evaluation Force. Her missile systems were removed and equipment in need of ship-board testing were fitted. Her classification changed from DDG-1 back to conventional destroyer hull number DD-712 on 1 October 1962. Work finished by 1 January 1963 when Gyatt arrived in Norfolk to operate with her new force. For the next few years, she operated out of the port testing, 'New equipment and helping to improve the efficiency and modernity of the Navy' along the US East Coast and Caribbean. Aside from her experimental work, she also aided other ships in anti-submarine and patrol duties.

Sinking
Gyatt was transferred to the reserve fleet and switched homeports to Washington, D.C., in 1968. After being stricken on 22 October 1969, Gyatt was sunk as a target off Virginia on 11 June 1970.