Mike and Joey Travel America 2013: The USS Kidd

This is the USS Kidd DD-661 located in Baton Rouge Louisiana. The USS Kidd is a Fletcher Class Destroyer that began it's service on February 28, 1943. Leaving it's dry dock in New Jersey flying the Jolly Roger flag. The Kidd served admirably during World War Two, serving first in the North Atlantic where it protected Allied shipping lanes then in the Pacific Theater. Participating in operations near New Guinea, Tarawa, the Marshall Islands, Leyte Gulf and the liberation of the Philippines, and the Invasion of Okinawa. It was near Okinawa that the Kidd suffered her worst attack during the war. On April 11, 1945 the USS Kidd was struck by a Kamikaze and took dozens of casualties and was horribly damaged as a result. She was sent back to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard for repairs. The USS Kidd was enroute to participate in the invasion of the Japanese hon islands when the war ended with the Japanese surrender.

The USS Kidd was named after Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd, Sr., killed in action while commanding the defense of Pearl Harbor from His Flagship, the USS Arizona during the Japanese surprise attack on December 7th, 1941. RADM Kidd was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions that day. Quoted Directly from the Citation;

"For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage, and complete disregard of his own life, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, by Japanese Forces on December 7, 1941. He immediately went to the bridge and as Commander Battleship Division ONE, courageously discharged his duties as Senior Officer Present Afloat until the USS Arizona, his Flagship, blew up from magazine explosions and a direct bomb hit on the bridge, which resulted in the loss of his life."

The body of Rear Admiral Kidd has never been recovered and he is officially listed as Missing In Action.

Twin .50 caliber AA guns.

Shipboard firefighting equipment.

The Galley, where the meals are prepared.

Those are coal burning stoves.

The Officer's Dining area.

A view of the 5-inch guns at the bow the the ship.

A view toward the stern from the bow.

A torpedo launcher.

Anybody need a shower?

Shells for the 5-inch guns.

More torpedoes

Twin-barreled 40mm Anti-Aircraft gun.

I'd hate to be on the other end of those sights.

Narrow, steep staircases. A tall chubby guy like me would have been in trouble his first few weeks on the Kidd.

Such spacious accommodations for the Officers!

The Crew Quarters, all total there is room for about 1/3 of the Kidd's total enlisted compliment in the birthing area, bunks for around 90 enlisted men. The practice of hot bunking was common, with 2/3 of the crew on duty and the other 1/3 asleep, being rotated on a regular basis. so the bunks were always warm from the crewman sleeping in them.