Since 1981, millions of visitors have walked the decks of USS CASSIN YOUNG, experiencing her history and heroics. Now they have the opportunity to see a new side of this “greyhound of the sea”-what lies below the waterline.Boasting 5-inch guns and made of steel, this Fletcher class destroyer was built in Californian during 1943. While taking part in numerous Pacific engagements, she survived two kamikaze strikes off the coast of Okinawa in 1945.
Today, she sits on keel blocks in Dry Dock One, where workers will clean and restore the 5/8 inch hull-which gave destroyers the nickname “Tin Cans”. USS CASSIN YOUNG in dry dock serves to remind us of the traditions of the Charlestown Navy Yard and the role it continues to play in repairing ships and preserving them for future generations.
To learn more about this ship, the dry dock, and this historic Navy Yard, ask a Park Ranger.
Photo bottom left side of marker:
This ships namesake, Captain Cassin Young, receives the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Photo bottom right side of marker:
The aftermath of a Japanese Kamikaze attack on USS CASSIN YOUNG on July 30, 1945.
DD793 as built December 1943: Length 376 feet-6 inches; Beam 39 feet-8 inches; Draft 17 feet-9 inches; Displacement 2050 tons standard; Top Speed 36 knots (41 mph); Crew 325.
(War, World II • Waterways & Vessels) Includes location, directions, 6 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
