About this Unit
USS Cone (DD-866) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1945, near the end of World War II. Named in honor of Rear Admiral Hutch I. Cone, the ship served extensively during the Cold War, including deployments in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Caribbean with the 6th Fleet. USS Cone participated in Korean War operations, providing naval gunfire support and screening for carrier task forces. After decades of service, she was decommissioned in 1973 and later transferred to the Ecuadorian Navy, where she served as BAE El Oro.
Historical Facts
• Gearing-class Destroyer: USS Cone (DD-866) was a Gearing-class destroyer, one of the most numerous and successful classes of destroyers built for the United States Navy during and after World War II.
• Namesake: The ship was named after Arthur L. Cone Jr., a naval aviator who was killed in action during the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
• Commissioning: USS Cone was commissioned on 18 June 1945, shortly before the end of World War II, and did not see action in that conflict.
• Postwar Service: In the immediate postwar period, Cone served on the Atlantic coast and participated in training exercises and goodwill missions in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
• Korean War: During the Korean War, Cone served with the 7th Fleet, providing escort and screening services for aircraft carriers and participating in shore bombardment missions.
• FRAM Modernization: The ship received a Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) overhaul in the early 1960s, which included upgrades to anti-submarine warfare equipment and new radar systems.
• Cuban Missile Crisis: Cone took part in the naval blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, helping to enforce quarantine of Soviet ships.
• Vietnam War: USS Cone deployed to the Western Pacific and served off the coast of Vietnam, providing naval gunfire support and plane guard duties for aircraft carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin.
• International Service: After decommissioning from the US Navy in 1973, Cone was transferred to the Argentine Navy, where she served as ARA Py (D-27) until 1982.
• Final Fate: The ship was decommissioned by Argentina in 1982 and eventually scrapped, marking the end of nearly four decades of distinguished service under two different flags.
