USS William M. Wood (DD-715)

USS William M. Wood (DD-715)

For other ships of the same name, see USS William M. Wood. For ships named USS Wood, see USS Wood.

Career
Name:	USS William M. Wood
Namesake:	William Maxwell Wood (1819-1880), a U.S. Navy officer and surgeon, first Surgeon General of the United States Navy and first Medical Director of the U.S. Navy
Builder:	Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, Newark, New Jersey
Laid down:	2 November 1944
Launched:	29 July 1945
Commissioned:	24 November 1945
Decommissioned:	1 December 1976
Fate:	Sunk as target off Puerto Rico during ReadEx 1-83 in March 1983
General characteristics
Class & type:	Gearing-class destroyer
Displacement:	2,425 long tons (2,464 t)
Length:	390 ft 6 in (119.02 m)
Beam:	40 ft 10 in (12.45 m)
Draft:	18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
Speed:	34.6 knots (64.1 km/h; 39.8 mph)
Armament:	• 6 × 5"/38 caliber guns • 12 × 40 mm AA guns • 4 × 20 mm AA guns • 5 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes • 6 × depth charge projectors • 2 × depth charge tracks

USS William M. Wood (DD/DDR-715) was a Gearing-class destroyer in the United States Navy during the final year of World War II. She was in commission for 31 years, from 1945 through 1976, serving in both the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. She was the second Navy ship named for Navy Surgeon-General William M. Wood (1809–1880).

William M. Wood was laid down on 2 November 1944 at Newark, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company; launched on 29 July 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Joseph P. Tracy; and commissioned at the New York Naval Shipyard on 24 November 1945, Commander George R. Wilson in command.