USS Kendrick (DD-612) - Mediterranean Operations

Mediterranean Operations

After temporary repairs at Oran, Kendrick was towed to Norfolk, arriving 26 October. Upon completion of repairs she made a round-trip escort cruise to the United Kingdom before sailing 18 February 1944 as a convoy escort. Arriving Oran 5 March, she prepared for patrol and screening operations, and joined the screen of Philadelphia. For nearly 3 months, the destroyer repeatedly provided effective gunfire in support of ground troops advancing up the Italian boot. After Rome was liberated, she stood by to support the Allied drive in northern Italy.

She cleared Palermo 12 August for the invasion of southern France. As a unit of Rear Admiral Morton Deyo's American-French bombardment group, Kendrick gave direct fire support to the 36th Infantry Division storming the beaches on 15 August. She helped silence German 88 mm guns from 15 to 16 August, and bombarded gun emplacements and ammunition dumps at St. Madrier, France from 25 to 26 August. Upon completion of her mission, the destroyer steamed toward the United States, arriving at Boston, Massachusetts on 19 September.

Kendrick escorted a convoy to the Mediterranean Sea in mid-November, before returning New York 15 December. She joined a convoy and once again departed Norfolk 6 January 1945, reporting for duty with the 8th Fleet 18 January. For the next 4 months she performed air-sea rescue, escort duty, fire support missions, and patrol duty in the Mediterranean as the war in Europe came to an end. Kendrick cleared Oran 15 May with a convoy and put into New York 8 days later. Following repairs at New York and refresher training in Cuba, the destroyer transited the Panama Canal, arriving Pearl Harbor on 28 August via San Diego, California. She engaged in training exercises out of Hawaii before returning Charleston, South Carolina on 16 October.