USS Dealey History Page

Samuel David Dealey, born 13 September 1906 in Dallas, Tex., graduated from the Naval Academy in June 1930 and had duty in Nevada (BB-36) before training as a submariner. In command of S-20 at the outbreak of World War II, he assumed command of Harder (SS-257) upon her commissioning 2 December 1942. Commander Dealey guided his submarine deep into enemy waters, wreaking destruction on Japanese shipping. He won the Navy Cross four times and the Silver Star once, and shared in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded his command, for heroism in combat. On his fifth war patrol, Commander Dealey pressed home a series of bold and daring attacks, both surfaced and submerged, which sank three destroyers and damaged two others. For his exceptional gallantry in these actions, Commander Dealey was awarded the Medal of Honor. He was lost with his submarine during the sixth patrol, when Harder was sunk 24 August 1944 by a depth charge attack off Luzon.

 

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(DE - 1006: dp. 1,280; l. 314'6"; b. 36'9"; dr. 9'3"; s. 25 k.; cpl. 170; a. Classified; cl. Dealey)

Dealey (DE-1006) was launched 8 November 1953 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; sponsored by Mrs. Samuel D. Dealey, widow of Commander Dealey; and commissioned 3 June 1954, Lieutenant Commander R. H. Rossell in command.

Homeported at Newport, Dealey sailed on local exercises, cruised to Key West, Fla., to serve with the Fleet Sonar School, and joined in convoy exercises in the Caribbean during her first 2½ years of service.

On 4 January 1957 she sailed from Newport for a South American cruise, returning 21 March for exercises off the Atlantic coast. NATO exercises in the Irish Sea in September and October took her to Plymouth, England, and Brest and Cherbourg, France.

On 12 May 1958 Dealey sailed for the Mediterranean as flagship of Commander, Escort Squadron 10, screening Wasp (CV-18) to her duty with the 6th Fleet. She patrolled the eastern Mediterranean during the Lebanon crisis and returned to Newport 7 October.

On 3 February 1959 she put to sea for Guantanamo Bay, and after exercises there sailed through the Panama Canal for calls at Buenaventura, Colombia; Salinas, Ecuador; Talara and Callao, Peru; and Valparaiso and Antofagasta, Chile. During this cruise she exercised with the navies of all four countries. She returned to Newport 20 April, and sailed on NATO exercises, calling at Londonderry, Northern Ireland; Greenwich, England; and Lisbon, Portugal, before returning to Newport 11 October. She operated in the Narragansett Bay area for the remainder of 1959.

Dealey continued these operations, plus a cruise to the Caribbean and an amphibious exercise off the Virginia and North Carolina coasts, until 20 June 1960 when she began a short overhaul at the New York Naval Shipyard. Returning to Newport on 22 July, the escort prepared for distant duty. On 22 August, she sailed for exercises in the Caribbean, and continued on a voyage around South America. After visits to Trinidad, Venezuela, and Colombia, Dealey sailed through the Panama Canal, down the coast of South America, calling in Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, transited the Straits of Magellan, and turned northward, visiting Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Trinidad. On 13 December, Dealey arrived home in Newport, where she passed the remainder of the year.

 

Transcribed by Yves HUBERT

 

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Commander Samuel Dealey

CITATION:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the USS Harder during her Fifth War Patrol in Japanese-controlled waters. Floodlighted by a bright moon and disclosed to an enemy destroyer escort which bore down with intent to attack, Commander Dealey quickly dived to periscope depth and waited for the pursuer to close range, then opened fire, sending the target and all aboard down in flames with his third torpedo. Plunging deep to avoid fierce depth charges, he again surfaced and, within nine minutes after sighting another destroyer, he sent the enemy down tail first with a hit directly amidships. Evading detection, he penetrated the confined waters off TawiTawi with the Japanese fleet based six miles away and scored death blows on two patrolling destroyers in quick succession. With his ship heeled over by concussion from the first exploding target and the second vessel nose-diving in a blinding detonation, he cleared the area at high speed. Sighted by a large hostile Fleet force on the following day, he swung his bow toward the lead destroyer for another ‘down-the-throat’ shot, fired three bow tubes and promptly crash-dived to be terrifically rocked seconds later by the exploding ship as the Harder passed beneath. This remarkable record of five vital Japanese destroyers sunk in five short-range torpedo attacks attests the valiant fighting spirit of Commander Dealey and his indomitable command."

Harry S. Truman

USS Dealey DE 1006

DEALEY was built by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine and was commissioned 3 June 1954 in Boston naval Shipyard. She participated in the amphibious landings during the Lebanon crisis in 1958 and in fleet operations during the Cuban crisis of 1962. She was the only destroyer escort to participate in fleet operations off the coast of the Dominican Republic during the Dominican crisis of may 1965.

In summer 1965, DEALEY was demanned to fulfill personnel requirements elsewhere in the fleet; however, in June 1966 she was remanned and has since participated as an active member of the Atlantic fleet. Today the DEALEY is a member of the Uruguay Navy.

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