About this Unit
USS Gearing (DD-710) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in May 1945. Arriving too late to see combat in World War II, she participated in post-war occupation duties and played an active role during the Cold War, including service with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean and involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade. USS Gearing underwent a Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) upgrade in the early 1960s, enhancing her anti-submarine warfare capabilities. After nearly three decades of service, she was decommissioned in 1973 and later transferred to the Turkish Navy, where she served as TCG Muavenet.
Historical Facts
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Namesake: USS Gearing (DD-710) was named after Rear Admiral Henry Chalfant Gearing, a distinguished officer in the United States Navy who served during World War I.
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Lead Ship of Her Class: USS Gearing was the lead ship of the Gearing-class destroyers, a class that ultimately included 98 ships and represented the pinnacle of US destroyer design during World War II.
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Commissioned in 1945: Gearing was commissioned on 3 May 1945, just months before the end of World War II, and thus missed major combat in that conflict.
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Postwar Service: After World War II, USS Gearing served in a variety of roles, including occupation duty in the Far East and operations in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
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Korean War Service: During the Korean War, Gearing provided gunfire support, served on patrol, and escorted carriers as part of United Nations operations.
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FRAM Modernization: In the early 1960s, Gearing underwent Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM I), receiving advanced anti-submarine warfare (ASW) equipment such as the ASROC launcher and DASH drone helicopter.
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Cuban Missile Crisis: USS Gearing participated in the naval quarantine during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, helping to enforce the blockade against Soviet shipments to Cuba.
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Rescue Missions: Gearing was involved in several rescue missions at sea, including aiding distressed merchant vessels and conducting search and rescue operations for downed aviators.
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Vietnam War Involvement: During the Vietnam War, Gearing provided naval gunfire support for ground forces and served in the Gulf of Tonkin as part of the US Navy's Seventh Fleet.
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Final Fate: Decommissioned on 6 July 1973, USS Gearing was later sunk as a target in 1974, ending nearly three decades of distinguished naval service.
