U.S.S. Borie (DD-704)
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Career (US)
Namesake: Adolph E. Borie
Builder: Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company
Laid down: 29 February 1944
Launched: 4 July 1944
Commissioned: 21 September 1944
Decommissioned: 1 July 1972
Struck: 1 July 1972
Fate: To Argentina 1 July 1972
Career (Argentina)
Name: Hipólito Bouchard (D-26)
Namesake: Hippolyte de Bouchard
Acquired: 1 July 1972
Decommissioned: 1984
Struck: 1984
Fate: Broken up for scrap 1984
General characteristics
Class and type: Allen M. Sumner class destroyer
Displacement: 2,200 tons
Length: 376 ft. 6 in. (114.8 m)
Beam: 40 ft. (12.2 m)
Draft: 15 ft. 8 in. (4.8 m)
Propulsion: 60,000 shp (45 MW); 2 propellers
Speed: 34 knots (63 km/h)
Range: 6500 nmi. (12,000 km) at 15 kt
Complement: 336
Armament: 6 - 5 in./38 guns (12 cm), 12 - 40mm AA guns, 11 - 20mm AA guns, 10 - 21 in. torpedo tubes, 6 depth charge projectors, 2 depth charge tracks.
The U.S.S. Borie (DD-704), an Allen M. Sumner class destroyer, was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Adolph E. Borie, Secretary of the Navy under President Ulysses S. Grant.
History
The second Borie (DD-704) was launched 4 July 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey sponsored by Mrs. Albert Nalle (Patty Neill Borie, great-grandniece of Adolph E. Borie); and commissioned 21 September 1944, Commander N. Adair, Jr. in command. Borie joined the Pacific Fleet arriving at Pearl Harbor 4 January 1945. She took part in the Iwo Jima bombardment (24 January) and invasion (19 - 23 February). After joining TF 58 she participated in the Tokyo raids (16 - 17 and 25 February), Okinawa raid (1 March), and the raids in support of the occupation of Okinawa (17 March - 14 May). During 9 July - 9 August she served with TF 38 in its raids on the Japanese home islands. On 9 August a Japanese suicide plane crashed into Borie's superstructure between the mast and the 5 inch gun director causing extensive damage, killing 48 men, and wounding 66.
The damaged destroyer returned to Saipan and Pearl Harbor for temporary repairs and on 10 September entered dry dock at Hunter's Point, California, for permanent repairs. Repairs completed on 20 November, she departed San Diego 4 February 1946 to join the Atlantic Fleet. Borie remained in the Atlantic Fleet, except for one cruise to Korea (6 September 1950 - 9 June 1951) during which she served with TF 77 and took part in the Hungnam Evacuation. Borie made at least five European and Mediterranean cruises. During a cruise (28 July - 4 December 1956) she assisted in the evacuation of American Nationals and United Nations truce teams from Haifa, Israel, and Gaza, Egypt.
She returned to more routine operations with a few notable exceptions, including her 1959 recovery of the Project Mercury nose cone and Sam, the space monkey; her 1960 surveillance duties with the Polaris missile submarines U.S.S. George Washington Carver (SSBN-656) and U.S.S. Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601); and in 1961, a Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) overhaul. In the Caribbean in 1962, she rescued nine Cubans seeking asylum in the U.S. and later, three Jamaican fishermen and then joined the U.S. blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Over the ensuing years, she acquired a Drone Antisubmarine Helicopter (DASH) system and during a Mediterranean deployment, rescued an F-8 Crusader pilot whose plane crashed in a landing attempt on the U.S.S. Shangri-La (CVA-38). Ensign Robert N. Hendricks of the Borie went into the water to bring the pilot aboard. In February 1968, the Borie began her Vietnam deployment, serving in the Tonkin Gulf on plane guard and radar picket duty. On the gun line, her gunners fired over 7,000 rounds at enemy positions at Phan Thiet and in the Mekong Delta.
Returning to peacetime operations in 1969, the Borie became a naval reserve training ship until June 1972 when she was decommissioned. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 July 1972, and sold to the Argentine Navy and renamed ARA Hipólito Bouchard (D-26). She saw action in the Falklands War where she escorted the ill fated ARA General Belgrano. She was broken up for scrap in 1984. Borie received three battle stars for her World War II services and four battle stars for her participation in the Korean conflict.
