>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1968) Vol. 3, p.480.





JACCARD





	Richard Alonzo Jaccard was born 1 July 1918 in Troy, 

Mo., and enlisted in the Naval Reserve 29 October 1940.  He 

later underwent flight training and upon graduation was 

commissioned Ensign 27 September 1941.  Reporting to famed 

aircraft carrier ENTERPRISE (CV-6) in April 1942, Ens. 

Jaccard took part, 4 June 1942, in one of the most 

important battles in all naval history, the Battle of 

Midway.  As American carrier groups moved to meet the 

Japanese thrust at Midway, Jaccard, as part of Scouting 

Squadron 6, attacked enemy carriers during the morning, 

knocking out AKAGI and KAGA.  That afternoon, the squadron 

carried out another devastating attack, sinking carrier 

HIRYU.  For his part in a great victory, Jaccard was 

awarded the Navy Cross.  Following further missions with 

Scouting Squadron 6, Jaccard was transferred to Bombing 

Squadron 6 in aircraft carrier WASP (CV-7).  While 

supporting the Guadalcanal campaign from the carrier, Ens. 

Jaccard was killed when WASP was torpedoed and sunk 

15 September 1942.





DE-355

Displacement:  1,350 t.

Length:  306’

Beam:  36’8”

Draft:  9’5”

Speed:  24 k.

Complement:  186

Armament:  2 5”; 4 40mm; 10 20mm;

	2 depth charge tracks;

	8 depth charge projectors;

	1 hedge hog

Class:  JOHN C. BUTLER



	JACCARD (DE-355) was launched by Consolidated Steel 

Corp., Ltd., Orange, Tex., 18 March 1944; sponsored by Mrs. 

C. R. Jaccard, mother of Ensign Jaccard; and commissioned 26 

July 1944, Lt. Comdr. C. R. Hamilton in command.



	Following shakedown training out of Bermuda, the new 

destroyer escort sailed to Boston for the installation of 

new electronic equipment.  She departed 29 September for 

Norfolk to join her escort division and, after a battle 

problem off the Virginia Capes, escorted a convoy back into 

Hampton Roads.  JACCARD then sailed 21 October, transited 

the Panama Canal, and touched at many of the Navy's south 

Pacific bases before arriving Hollandia 28 November 1944.  

After several days of antisubmarine training, she steamed to 

Leyte, arriving 21 December, and there underwent her first 

air attack.  In the months that followed, the destroyer 

escort operated as a convoy escort from Hollandia, Manus, 

and the Palaus to Leyte as Allied forces pressed forward in 

the conquest of the Philippines.  JACCARD remained on this 

duty, escorting a total of eleven convoys of vitally needed 

supplies, until joining a hunter-killer group 18 March 1945, 

west of the Philippines.  During the next 2 months she also 

escorted American submarines to and from Subic Bay.  



	In May, JACCARD returned to escort duty out of Leyte 

Gulf, but steamed back to the waters off Manila 22 June to 

patrol and escort submarines.  She remained on this duty 

until after the end of organized fighting, and then began 

escort duty between Manila and Okinawa 30 August 1945.  

Early in 1946 the veteran ship began operating as escort and 

mail ship between the Philippines and ports in China and 

Korea in support of American troops remaining in these 

strategic countries to preserve stability.  She sailed 26 

April 1946 for the United States, and arrived 16 June.  

After a period of training operations off the West Coast, 

JACCARD decommissioned at Puget Sound Navy Yard 30 September 

1946, and joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Bremerton, 

Wash., where she remains.  



	JACCARD received one battle star for World War II 

service.



	[Stricken from the Navy Register on 1 November 1967, 

JACCARD was sunk as a target on 4 October 1968.



K. Jack Bauer and Stephen S. Roberts, “Register of Ships of 

the U. S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.236.]





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com