USS KIDD (DD-661) - LEGENDS OF WARFARE

Fletcher-class destroyers were the mainstay of the US Navy's destroyer force during WWII. With 175 of the class commissioned, the Fletchers were the most numerous of the American "Tin Cans"—as destroyers are affectionately known. Today, only one of the type has been preserved in WWII configuration, USS Kidd (DD-661). Named after RAdm. Isaac C. Kidd, who gave his life on the bridge of his flagship USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, USS Kidd conducted two years of successful operations in the Atlantic and Pacific during WWII, before being struck by a kamikaze on April 11, 1945. After repairs, the destroyer rejoined the fleet, only to be decommissioned after the war. Recommissioned and brought back to active service during the Korean War, Kidd remained an active naval vessel until she was decommissioned for the last time in 1964. The interior and exterior of the ship have been painstakingly restored and preserved in Baton Rouge by the Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission. This work uses color photography to provide readers an illustrated tour of the ship, above and below deck.