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Frieda Davison-Family
to remember
Davison, David, HM.
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Contact Info
Home Town Louisville
Last Address 190 Shoal Creek Williamsburg, VA 23188
David served on the USS Des Moines in 1950/51 cruising in the Mediterranean. Their home port was Villefranche on the French Riviera. While there, he said he took every possible shore excursion that the Navy offered. He had pictures of visits to Rome, Lisbon, Athens, Istanbul, and others. He was involved in a serious accident while on an excursion to the Rock of Gibraltor. The brakes failed on the truck that they were being transported in. They were thrown from the back of the truck.
Since the Des Moines was the flagship of the 6th Fleet, they received numerous important visitors including the King and Queen of Greece and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
CLASS - DES MOINES
Displacement 17,000 Tons, Dimensions, 716' 6" (oa) x 76' 4" x 26' (Max)
Armament 9 x 8"/55, 12 x 5"/38AA, 24 x 3"/50, 24 x 20mm, 4 Aircraft
Armor, 6" Belt, 8" Turrets, 3 1/2" Deck, 6 1/2" Conning Tower.
Machinery, 120,000 SHP; G. E. Geared Turbines, 4 screws
Speed, 33 Knots, Crew 1799.
Operational and Building Data
Keel laid on 28 MAY 1945 by the Bethlehem Steel Company, Quincy, MA
Launched 27 SEP 1946
Commissioned 17 NOV 1948
Decommissioned 14 JUL 1961
Stricken 09 JUL 1991
Fate: Scrapping completed by ESCO Marine, Inc., Brownsville, TX on 16 AUG 2007.Hull number CA-134