USS GALLERY
- Name: USS GALLERY
- Ship Class: Guided Missile Frigate
- Ship Number: FFG-26
- Date Commissioned:
- Status:
Ship History:
SHIP’S HISTORYThe ship was named after three brothers, Daniel, Philip and William Gallery, all of whom served in World War II, and subsequently obtained the rank of Rear Admiral.
REAR ADMIRAL DANIEL V. GALLERY
Rear Admiral Daniel Vincent Gallery (1901 – 1977) earned for himself a special niche in Navy history on 4 June 1944, when a task force he was leading captured the German submarine, U-505, off the West Coast of Africa. It was the only German submarine ever boarded and captured by U.S. Forces, and the first foreign man-o-war captured by the U.S. Navy since 1815.
Because of the havoc the dreaded U-boats had created for Allied Forces during World War II, the capture was hailed as a major coup for the Navy and American Intelligence. Analyzing German naval technology was as crucial to them as your elearners learning materials are to you – without them, no progress can be made, and with the sub, American naval experts were able to expose vital weaknesses
Admiral Gallery was a former Assistant Chief of Naval Operations and former Commander of the Hunter-Killer Force, Atlantic. During World War II, he earned the Bronze Star Medal for combat achievements as Commanding Officer, Fleet Air Base Iceland, and the Distinguished Service Medal for daring and skillful command of an anti-submarine task group built around his escort aircraft carrier USS GUADALCANAL, which sank three enemy submarines in the Atlantic before capturing the German submarine, U-505. Task Group 22.3 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation in recognition of this remarkable achievement.
The German submarine is now a major exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, IL.
Admiral Gallery served on the staff of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations from September 1944 until June 1945. He subsequently commanded the aircraft carrier USS HANCOCK, and then served as Assistant Vice Chief of Naval Operations. He held several other key commands before retiring in 1960.
Admiral Gallery was also a writer, and during his lifetime wrote eight books and numerous articles, that combined his insight as a seasoned Navy veteran with humor. Not only did he write funny tales of the sea, but also penned serious essays and commentaries on the need for a strong Navy.
Famed American novelist Herman Wouk once said, “Daniel V. Gallery is a writer of humor and adventure, who somehow got diverted into becoming an admiral of the line in the United States Navy.”
Admiral Gallery’s “diversion” earned him the admiration and respect of his countrymen, and a permanent spot in history.
REAR ADMIRAL WILLIAM ONAHAN GALLERY
Rear Admiral William O. Gallery was born in Chicago 22 June 1904, and attended school there until he was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1921. He was commissioned an Ensign in 1925, and assigned to duty in the battleship USS NEW MEXICO until 1927. He was then assigned to duty on the USS FARRAGUT, being detached in 1930 with orders for flight training at Pensacola, Florida.
RADM Gallery completed his training and won his wings in nine months. He was then attached to Patrol Squadron 6. In 1933, he was transferred to the cruiser USS OMAHA as Naval Aviator, serving in that capacity until 1935. from 1935 to 1937 he was assigned to duty in the Aeronautical Engineering Laboratory in Washington, D.C. In 1937 he was assigned as a fighter pilot with Fighter Squadron 6 aboard the USS ENTERPRISE, and from 1939 to 1941 was stationed at the Naval Air Station, Alameda.
At the start of World War II, he was ordered to the Staff of Admiral Kincaid, and, with the staff, he participated in the Battle of Santa Cruz, and was later based ashore at Guadalcanal. On Guadalcanal, he saw action with the First Escort Carrier Task Group. He later joined the famous Black Cats (PBY night raiders) based on the USS HALF MOON (AVP 26). He devised a method of “knocking-off” Japanese night raiders, for which action he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Returning to the United States, he was assigned to the USS CHICAGO as Commanding Officer. He was promoted to the rank of Captain immediately prior to taking command of the CHICAGO. After his tour of duty on the CHICAGO, RADM Gallery was attached to NATTS at Eglin AFB, in the All-Weather Flying Hangar. His next duties in succession were as Commanding Officer of the USS SIBONEY, Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station, Guantanamo, Cuba, and as Deputy Chief of Naval Operation (Air).
From the Bureau he took command of the USS PRINCETON (recommissioned) on 28 August 1950 at the Bremerton Naval Shipyard, and retired in June of 1955.
REAR ADMIRAL PHILIP D. GALLERY
Rear Admiral Philip Daly Gallery (1907 – 1973) was one of the heroic destroyer men of World War II.
Like his brother, Rear Admiral Daniel Gallery, he was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Prior to service in the Pacific during World War II, he earned the Legion of Merit for his foresight and leadership in the organization and administration of the Anti-Aircraft Training Test Center at Dam Neck, VA.
On 29 December 1943, he took command of the destroyer USS JENKINS, earning a second award of the Legion of Merit and two Bronze Stars for distinguished service and combat achievements during the Marshalls, New Guinea, Philippine, and Borneo Campaigns.
After World War II, he commanded Destroyer Division 72; was Executive Officer of the Naval Powder Factory; and commanded the Fleet oiler USS PASSUMPIC. In 1950, he became Officer in Charge of the Gunfire Support School, then commanded the cruiser USS PITTSBURGH from June of 1953 until December of 1954. He later served as commander of the Surface Anti-Submarine Detachment, and served on the staff of the Commander of Operational Development Force of the Atlantic Fleet until his retirement in 1958.
At the time of his death in 1973, he was associated with the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne.
SHIP’S SPONSORS AND LAUNCHING
The origin of the christening ceremony for ships goes back into the dawn of recorded history. The custom survived, and today is practiced in some form by all seafaring nations.
In 1846, Mrs. Lavivia Watson Fanning became the first woman to sponsor a ship, as she christened the sloop GERMANTOWN in Philadelphia. Since then, the honor has always been bestowed on a woman.
According to tradition, the spirit of the sponsor enters the ship at the time of christening, and remains there forever. The ship becomes a part of her, and she a part of it, as it sails the sea.
Mrs. Louis Gallery, widow of RADM Philip D. Gallery, and Mrs. Vera Gallery, widow of RADM Daniel V. Gallery, christened USS GALLERY (FFG 26) at ceremonies at Bath Iron Works on 20 December 1980.
CHARACTERISTICSDISPLACEMENT 3,585 Tons COMPLEMENT 15 Officers,
DIMENSIONS – LENGTH 445 Feet 15 Chief Petty Officers,
– BEAM 45 Feet 170 Enlisted
– NAVIGATIONAL DRAFT 25 Feet
In order to ensure a large homogeneous class of capable, yet relatively inexpensive ships, many innovative concepts are incorporated into her design. Some of these concepts include modular construction techniques and the utilization of numerous labor-saving devices to reduce the number of personnel required to operate the ship. GALLERY also incorporates many improvements in shipboard habitability, including a lounge area for each berthing compartment, and improved messing facilities.
In today’s combat environment, the ability to respond rapidly and effectively is the key to success. All of GALLERY’s systems are designed to meet this important requirement.
The propulsion system is a computer-controlled, gas turbine power plant with engines similar to those found on the Air Force C5A strategic transport and the civilian DC-10 jetliner. GALLERY’s propulsion system can be brought “on the line” and made ready to operate in less than one-eighth the time required for a conventional steam- or nuclear-powered ship.
The combat system is also a new and innovative design, integrating a computerized command and control system with the ship’s sensors and weapons. Digital computers provide rapid evaluation of potential threats detected by the radars, digital SONAR, and other sensors. Should the need arise, surface-to-air or surface-to-surface missiles, a rapid-fire gun, anti-submarine torpedoes, or the embarked Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) helicopters can be employed to counter any potential threat that may come from any air, surface, or sub-surface platforms.
