Rathburne possesses the newest and longest range under- water sound detection equipment (SONAR) in the fleet that was available at time of construction, as well as the most modern and highly sophisticated communication and electronics installations. Her principal armament is a anti-submarine homing torpedo, which can be delivered to a water entry point miles distant by the anti-submarine rocket (ASROC) or launched from conventional above-water torpedo tubes. Additionally, her 5" 54 caliber gun is the main anti-aircraft weapon and can be used for shore bombardment in support of military operations several miles inland.
John Peck Rathburne served in the Continental Navy from its beginning. As a lieutenant in Providence, he participated in an attack on New Providence in 1776. When John Paul Jones took command, he remained in Providence, then went with Jones to Alfred. Promoted to captain of the sloop Providence in April 1777, he took his ship back to the Bahamas, and on the night of 27 January 1778, sent a small landing party of marines ashore at New Providence. They captured Forts Nassau and Montague without bloodshed. On the 28th Rathburne brought Providence into Nassau harbor. Before departing on the morning of the 30th, he and his crew had taken two sloops and a brig, Mary; released American prisoners; dismantled the fortifications; and acquired badly needed small arms, ammunition, and powder.
In 1779 he assumed command of the frigate Queen of France and in July cruised off Newfoundland with Providence and Ranger. On the 16th the ships sighted a convoy bound for Britain. Fog closed in, but when it lifted, Queen of France was next to a merchant man whose crew mistook the American for a British escort vessel. Rathburne took advantage of the situation, exploited the mistake in identity, and captured the ship. Ranger and Providence followed suit. Ten more ships were cut out of the convoy, their total value approaching $1 million.
In 1780 Rathburne took Queen of France south in Commodore Whipple's force to bolster the defenses of Charleston, S.C. There, with smaller ships, she was stationed in the Ashley River to prevent British forces under Cornwallis from crossing and attacking the city. As the American position weakened, Queen of France's guns were removed and she was sunk as a block ship. Her crew then went ashore and Rathburne served as an artillery man until the city fell in May 1781.
Taken prisoner at the fall of Charleston, Rathburne and the other American captains were paroled and allowed to return to New England. There he found that the Continental Navy had dwindled and no commands were available. Thereupon, Rathburne, a true patriot, secured a commission from congress on 4 August to command the Massachusetts privateer brig Wexford. About two weeks later, he set sail from Boston bound for St. Georges Channel and, within another six weeks reached the coast of Ireland. There, less than 100 miles from Cape Clear, he ran afoul of the 32-gun frigate HMS Recovery. Following a 24-hour chase during which HMS Recovery fired at least one broadside, Rathburne and his ship were captured by the British warship. Incarcerated first at Kinsale Prison near Cork Ireland, Rathburne was later transferred to Mills Prison in Plymouth, England, where he died on 20 June 1782.
Rathburne arrived at her home port of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 20 July 1970 and spent the remainder of that year and the first quarter of the next engaged in weapons systems' testing and various exercises. On 14 April 1971, she departed Pearl Harbor for a six-month West Pac deployment, returning to Hawaii on 27 October for an extended upkeep period. After a short visit to the west coast in May and June 1972, Rathburne embarked upon her second tour of duty in Western Pacific 31 July 1972. She ended 1972 and began 1973 in the Western Pacific, off the coast of Vietnam, and did not return to Pearl Harbor until 25 February 1973. She remained in the Pearl Harbor area throughout 1973 and working up for her third West Pac deployment with some new ships in company and some new crew members in 1974. The third deployment was from 1 Oct, 1974 to 31 May 1975. Deployment went much the same as the first two deployments with a few exceptions. Evacuation on pull out of Viet Nam. A stretch for repairs in dry dock in Subic Bay. Seems there was a problem with the ships catholic protection system. The problem turned out worse than first expected. Dry dock repairs were needed to clad weld the hull to restore the proper thickness to the Hull. Upon return to Pearl there was a scheduled SRA package and extensive repairs with system upgrades field changes. I would be transferred but stay in touch with those friends still on board her. (see Stodderd link)
The following 1974-1975 history
provided by C.Cole.
Commander Ming E CHANG U.S.N. was relieved by Commander Harold B Russell U.S.N. in a ceremony held aboard RATHBURNE on 13 June 1973. Commander Russell is RATHBURNE's third commanding officer. On 23 July 1973 RATHBURNE began preparations for her first regular scheduled overhaul. A Pre-overhaul availability commenced in August 1973 and she entered dry-dock on 4 October 73. Major modifications included installation of Basic Point Defense system, the LAMPS modification and installation of a 1.5 million dollar rubber sonar dome . RATHBURNE successfully completed her Light-Off Examination on 23 March and completed overhaul on 23 April 1974. RATHBURNE completed pre-deployment conditions and REFTRA on 21 June 1974. On & September 1974 RATHBURNE was transferred from Destroyer Squadron Twenty-five to Destroyer squadron THREE-THREE. On the first of October 1974, RATHBURNE commenced her third Seventh Fleet deployment. The next eight months her schedule would take her to Subic Bay. Hong Kong, Guam, and Kaohsiung and Saltahip, Thailand. Also the Indian Ocean Operations included a port visit in Mombassa, Kenya and Singapore. Rathburne returned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 31 May 1975. This info from the 74/75 cruise book
Other Knox class destroyers
In the Hawaiian pineapple fleet
First Deployment
Garcia Class "P" Fired
USS Davidson
DE/FF 1045
USS Sample
DE/FF 1048
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