USS English DD-696
Ship History

The Destroyer English was built by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, of Kearny, New Jersey and launched on 27 February 1944. The ship was named after Rear Admiral Robert H. English, jr., USN. The English has an overall length of 377 feet, and a beam of 41 feet. She displaces 2200 tons of water and has a maximum speed of 34 knots. The English is flagship for Destroyer Division 22 which consists of the USS English ( DD696 ), USS Hank ( DD702 ), USS Borie ( DD704 ), and USS Lind ( DD703 ).

From September 1944 until the end of the war the Destroyer English was assigned to the Pacific Fleet. She participated in the engagements at Luzon, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and in The Third Fleet Operations along the coast of Japan.

During the Korean conflict English again had many combat operations. The ship participated in the operations leading to the first amphibious landing at Wonsan, Korea, and then began a round of blockade patrol and shore bombardment of the principal Communist held ports.

On 8 September 1961 English, with other units of Destroyer Squadron Two sailed to join the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean.

During the Mediterranean cruise English participated in numerous training cruises as a unit of the Sixth Fleet and took part in one NATO exercise in which she joined with ships of the British, Italian, and Greek navies. On 1 April 1962 she returned to her home port of Norfolk, Virginia.

Most of June and July 1962 found English engaged in type training and a midshipmen training cruise highlighted by a Fourth of July visit to Camden, Main. August 1962 was a period of upkeep and tender availability at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in September 1962.

HISTORY OF U.S.S. ENGLISH (DD-696)
as provided by
Lew McCain
11561 Elm Way
Thornton, CO 80233

[email protected]
[email protected] 

The Sumner Class Destroyer was the next evolutionary step from the Fletcher Class and reflected the increasing need for Anti-Aircraft Warfare defense. They shared the same power plants as their predecessor but had twin rudders
and were slightly longer and wider in the beam. They are often referred to as "short-hulls" or the "2200 class" as the subsequent Gearing Class were essentially the same as the Sumner Class except for a 14 foot extension
inserted into the middle of the hull.

Of the seventy Sumner's Class Destroyers only five were lost to enemy action. The USS Meredith (DD-726) struck a mine during the D-Day landing and was lost to a German aircraft attack. A Japanese destroyer sank the USS Cooper (DD-695) in the Philippines. The USS Drexler (DD-741), USS Hugh W. Hadley (DD-709), and USS Mannert L. Abele (DD-733) were lost to hits by Kamikazes. Many others suffered severe damage from large numbers of Kamikaze attacks and
various other battle actions but these were repaired and returned to service. Twelve of the destroyers were converted for mine-laying duty while under construction.

The destroyer USS English (DD-696), first ship of the name, was built by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, of Kearny, New Jersey.  Her keel was laid on 10 October 1943.  Ensign Eloise W. English, USNR(W), daughter of the late Rear Admiral English, christened the new destroyer at the launching ceremonies on 27 February 1944.

Rear Admiral Robers H. English, Jr., USN, for whom the ship was named, was in command of the cruiser USS Helena (CL-50), during the Pearl Harbor attack of 7 December 1941.  He was later assigned to command the submarine force of the Pacific Fleet and, on 21 January 1943, was killed in a plane crash near Boonville, California.  He held the Mexican Service Medal, the Victory Medal with Fleet Clasp, and the Navy Cross.

The English was placed in commission on 4 May 1944, with Commander James T. Smith in command.

The English had an overall length of 377 feet, and a beam of 41 feet. The ship displaces 2200 tons of water and has a maximum speed of 34 knots. Although, the ship reported during initial sea trails a top speed of 37 knots.

World War II

After an extensive shakedown cruise off Bermuda, and a post shakedown availability in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the ship got under way for her wartime assignment with Destroyer Squadron 62 in the Pacific.  Ships in the squadron were the USS Ault (DD-698), USS Waldron (DD-699), USS Hank (DD-702), USS John W. Weeks (DD-701) and English.

The Destroyers arrived in Pearl Harbor, on 3 September 1944 and began six weeks of anti-aircraft, plane guard, damage control training and qualification exercises.  Finally, on 17 December, the English got underway for the forward areas, escorting the USS Bladen to Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands.

At Eniwetok, the other four ships of the squadron joined forces, and the entire group sailed for Ulithi, in the Caroline Islands where, they joined fast carrier Task Force 38 on 28 December 1944.  Action began two days later, when the mighty armada sortied for a series of raids which lasted until 26 January 1945, carrying the group from Formosa to Saigon and back to Okinawa before they anchored again at Ulithi.

The first strike was on Formosa, and the second hit Luzon on 9 January 1945, the English steamed through Bashi Strait into the South China Sea, as the first allied surface vessel to enter the Japanese stronghold since the beginning of the war.

Heavy seas damaged some of the ships and made life uncomfortable for everyone, but for twelve days the planes from the carrier force swept the French Indochina coast and made strikes against the Camranh Bay area, Hong Kong, Hainan, Swatow and the Formosa Straits off the coast of China.  On one day alone, 12 January 1945, the planes sank 41 ships, totaling over 127,000 tons; to further cripple the Japanese supply force.

After a final blow at Okinawa on 21 January 1945, the force retired to Ulithi, dropped anchor there on 26 January.  On 8 February the English sailed to meet and escorted the USS Indianapolis  (CA-35) to Saipan in the Mariana Islands, and on 12 February, put to sea again to rendezvous with Task Force 58. The ship screened the carriers as they launched the series of strikes accompanying the Iwo Jima operation, hitting Tokyo both before and after the assault, Iwo Jima itself, and Okinawa.

To minimize Japanese air threats from the north and to create a diversionary threat during the landing on Iwo Jima, the force proceeded directly to the Tokyo area.  There was practically no opposition, with only one Japanese bomber being shot down during the approach.  Following the successive days of strikes on 16 and 17 February 1945, the aircraft carrier force retired, encountering a group of picket boats on the evening of the 18 February.  The picket boats were destroyed, but the Waldron sustained damage to her bow while ramming a Japanese picket boat and was detached for repairs.

The ships supported the operation on Iwo Jima by leading air cover beginning on 19 February 1945, and six days later struck at Tokyo once more.  Heavy weather prevented a further strike against Nagoya, Japan.  On 23 February,
the ships began a high speed run toward Okinawa, launching strikes against that strong hold on 1 March before retiring to Ulithi.

The English sortied with Task Group 583 again on 14 March 1945, and set course for Kyushu, Japan.  Early on the morning of 18 March, the Japanese discovered the Task Force and began a series of raids, keeping the ships at
General Quarters almost continuously.  That same day the ship rescued a sailor involved in a freak traffic accident, The sailor had driven his jeep off the deck of the carries the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17)

The carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) took two severe hits on 19 March 1945 off Kyushu, setting off tremendous explosions and fires among the planes ready to take off and the ready ammunition.  The English was in a group covering the
withdrawal of the stricken ship, and was credited with shooting down one plane.

On 23 March 1945, strikes began against Okinawa, and on 28 March, the English got her first taste of shore bombardment when the ship joined four cruisers and Destroyer Squadron 62 to shell Minami Daito Shima.  Then, in preparation for the invasion of Okinawa, the force flew strikes on Kyushu and Okinawa.  The landing took place on 1 April, and the carries planes of the Task Force 58 carried continued to fly support missions.

The Japanese then sent out their mammoth battleship, the 60,000 ton Yamato, with a light escort, on a suicide mission to Okinawa.  But before the big battleship could reach her destination, planes from Task Force 58 sent her to the bottom.

The Japanese struck back, however, and on 7 April 1945, a suicide plane cartwheeled across the deck of the USS Hancock (CV-19) starting fires, which threatened to engulf the ship.  With speedy damage control and fire fighting the ship was back in action in less than 50 minutes.  Several men were blown overboard by the blast of exploding bombs and fuel tanks, and the English picked up eight of them.  The Japanese sent torpedo planes into attack while the rescue was being effected, but the combat patrol and ships' anti-aircraft fire shot them down.

Anti-aircraft action continued almost daily as the force continued their strikes in support of the Okinawa campaign.  The English was credited with an assist in splashing a Japanese twin engine bomber on 17 April 1945, and suffered four personnel causalities from shrapnel. Two men had been wounded previously in an anti-aircraft action on 6 April.

On 10 May 1945, the English fought a return engagement at Minami Daito Shima, bombarding the island in a midnight operation.

The following day the Bunker Hill was hit by two enemy suicide planes, turning her into a blazing inferno fed by exploding ammunition which riddled her decks, bulkheads and blasted her sides. The English went close alongside Bunker Hill, to help in fighting fires, and to take off Vice Admiral M. A. Mitscher and his staff, whom the ship transferred to another carrier.

Men aboard the carrier immediately began a gallant fight to save their ship.  Instances of heroism were legend, as all hands rushed hoses to the flames, tossed bombs and rockets overboard, and went into smoke and flame filled compartments to rescue their shipmates.

As soon as possible the USS Wilkes Barre (CL-103) came alongside, placing her bow against the Bunker Hill's starboard quarter.  Her hose teams fought flames while men who had been trapped on the hangar deck jumped aboard her to
safety.  The destroyers USS Stembel (DD-644), USS Charles S. Sperry  (DD-697) and English also stood alongside, adding their stream of water to the fight.

After the fight had gone on for three hours, the Bunker Hill made a slow turn, which threw tons of water, burning gasoline and oil into the water. The cascade of flaming liquid rolling over the side from the hangar deck turned
the tide and after another hour of fire fighting the blaze was under control.

The air strikes on Khushu continued through 14 May 1945, when the USS Enterprise (CV-6) was hit by a suicide plane, but was able to remain in action.  Beginning on 17 May, the planes of the carrier task force flew air cover over Okinawa, and on 1 June, the group put into San Pedro Bay, Leyte, for rest, replenishment and repairs, after having been at sea continuously for 80 days.

A month later the English sailed with Task Group 38.3, bound for strikes against the Japanese home islands.  This time the ship did not drop her anchor again until the war was won.

The planes first hit Tokyo on 10 July 1945, with no planes threatening the task force.  On 12 July, however, the English made contact with a Japanese submarine and attacked fiercely dropped all the depth charges that the ship had.  An underwater explosion brought up pieces of black rubber and an oil slick.

Knocking even harder on the gates of the Japanese Empire, the ship joined Destroyer Squadron 62 and Cruiser Division 18 to conduct an anti-shipping sweep off Sagami Wan and a shore bombardment of Nojimasake, Honshu.  The English led the column and thus lays claim to having been the first United States surface vessel to penetrate the entrance to Tokyo Bay since the beginning of the war.  The sweep was otherwise without incident.

The ships continued raking the coastline, with no serious opposition other than a typhoon, which forced a delay in operations from 30 July until 7 August 1945.  On 11 August, all strikes were cancelled as peace negotiations got underway.  Four days later the cease fire order became effective, but a few die-hard fanatics had to be shot down in mid-afternoon "in a friendly fashion".

Remaining at sea, the group of ships cruised off the coast of Japan until 10 September 1945, when they anchored in Tokyo Bay after 71 days at sea in the last operation of the war. In Tokyo Bay from 10 to 19 September, English steamed to escort occupation shipping from the Marianas, then after 2 1/2 months of occupation duty left Sasebo for the long passage to Boston, where the ship arrived 26 April 1946.

The English operated out of Boston with the Atlantic Fleet, until February 1947, when, with the other ships of Destroyer Squadron 16, the ship sailed to Charleston and New Orleans.

For the next sixteen months the destroyers were in and out of New Orleans, operating as Naval Reserve training ships.  Thousand of reservists took their annual two-week training cruises on the English as the ship visited ports throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean.

June of 1949 brought the squadron back to Norfolk, Virginia, for a three-month overhaul in preparation for a tour of duty in the Mediterranean.  A refresher-training program was held in Guantanamo Bay, to put the English in a state or readiness for the European maneuvers.

Upon her return to Norfolk in January 1949 the English underwent a short maintenance period in preparations for the gigantic joint amphibious operation PORTREX, held in the Caribbean. The ship sailed on 6 September 1949 for her first tour of duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. The ship returned to Norfolk 26 January 1950 for exercises off the Virginia Capes and in the Caribbean.

Korean War

The English returned to Norfolk in the latter part of March 1950 to undergo exercises with the Air Force, Coast Guard and Naval Air in the Virginia Cape area for five months.  Visits were made to New York City on Armed Forces Day and Washington, D.C., on the Fourth of July.  The ship returned to Norfolk and placed on three weeks notice for temporary assignment to the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Destroyer Squadron 16, together with the USS Leyte (CV-32), sailed for the Far East on 6 September 1950, maintaining maximum sustained speed.  The Korean situation was critical and ships, after proceeding through the Panama
Canal, where the Leyte left the squadron, made very brief stops as San Diego, Pearl Harbor and Midway.  On 6 October, they reported for duty at the Yokosuka Naval Base, the English, after four days in Yokosuka, headed northward on patrol off the East Coast of Korea.

The first weeks of Korean duty were spent as a unit in the screen of the United Nations blockading forces.  The English fired her first shell of shore bombardment fire support with the Hank, coming to the aid of the Marines at Kojo.  The enemy was driver out and a relief column got through to the Marines.

The English participated in the operations leading to the first amphibious
landings as Wonsan, Korea, and then began a round of blockade patrol and
shore bombardment of the principal Communist ports.  The ship hit Songjin, Chongnin, Iwo and Chaho Sinchaing, operating in the bitter cold of the Korean winter with the ship often coated with ice from the heavy seas and driving spray.  Enemy mines further complicated the operations.

Finally, on 29 November 1950, the English was ordered to Sasebo, Japan, for tender upkeep and repairs.  A few hours after work started, the upkeep was cancelled and the ship was ordered to Hungnam.  The United Nations forces were being withdrawn, and the ship was stationed on gunfire support to protect the shrinking perimeter.  The duty was broker for short patrols to Sanjin and Caongjin for bombardment to slow down the Chinese advance.

The destroyer remained in Hungnam until Christmas Eve 1950, and was the last ship to leave the harbor.  On Christmas Eve the English again entered Sasebo for tender availability.

As 1951 began, the ship departed Sasebo in company with two Thailand Corvettes HMTS Prasae and HMTS Bangpakonf.  After shelling Communist positions at Choderi and Chonjin Nim, Prasae ran aground during a heavy snowstorm on the morning of 7 January.  Severe weather hindered the salvage operations, and the English stood by to assist.

The Commander Destroyer Squadron 16, while transferring by highline from the English to the USS Doyle (DD-494), was tossed into the frigid water during the first day of operation when a padeye parted aboard the Doyle.  A lifeboat from the English picked him up in a matter of minutes.

Another near tragedy occurred when a rescue helicopter crashed and burned aboard the Prasae after striking her mast.  After several salvage attempts, the English was given the order to destroy the ship by gunfire to keep her
from falling into enemy hands.  After several salvos the corvette's magazines blew up and the Prasae was left a flaming hulk.

The English proceeded to Sasebo for a few days and on 20 January 1951, assumed duties as a gunfire support ship with the ROK Capital Division at Bokuko Ko, Korea.  During the nest week several bombardment missions were carried out in support of the South Koreans.

Major General Kim, Commanding General of the First ROK Corps, and Brigadier General Song, Commanding General of the ROK Capital Division, came aboard the English off Samch'ok and presented a porcelain lion which was christened "The General" and given a place of honor in the wardroom.  Attention was shifted further to the north and on 30 and 31 January 1951, shore bombardments at Kanson and Kosong were carried out with a task group which included the USS Missouri (BB-63) and USS Manchester (CL-83).

As the Capital Division moved north, the English moved with them reaching Kangnung in February 1951.  On 4 February two North Korean infantry battalions made a dawn attack against advance element of the Capital Division, and were shattered and dispersed by accurate fire from the English.

Later the same day accurate interdiction fire including whit phosphorus shells from the English aided in the capture of a key ridge commanding Kangnung.  When this ridge fell, Communist resistance collapsed and Kangnugn was captured the next day.

Another week of upkeep as Sasebo was scheduled for the ship, ending on 22 February 1951.  The English was then ordered to Wonsan, Korea, and upon arrival assumed a station on the firing line.  Her next blockade patrol was to Chongjin, hitting targets at Chaho and Songjin enroute.  This patrol was maintained until 5 March when the ship returned to Wonsan Harbor to lend support for the siege of Wonsan.  The English spent 20 consecutive days on the firing line, firing her 12,000th round of 5-inch ammunition since reporting for duty in the Korean area.

The Communist shore batteries opened up on the English in 20 counter battery attacks during the siege.  Although straddled by the opening salvos several times the ship silenced the enemy batteries each time without casualties.

After five weeks at sea the ship received a four day availability at Sasebo and then put to sea again in the screen for the United Nations aircraft carrier operations off the West and East Coasts of Korea.

In May 1951, the English was finally ordered to return to Norfolk.  And after short stops in Hawaii, San Diego and Panama arrived home on 9 June, having set the record in Korea for having fired the most round of main battery ammunition (12,600) during a single tour of combat duty. The summer of 1951 was spent in the shipyard following by a refresher-training period in Guantanamo Bay, during which the job of keeping the ship battle ready started anew.

Christmas of 1951 was a well-deserved Christmas at home for the English, the first since 1948.

Cold War

The English resumed local training operations, and in the winter of 1952 joined in cold-weather exercises off Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. On 26 August 1952 the ship departed for NATO operations in which the ship visited British ports, sailing on to a tour of duty in the Mediterranean from which the ship returned to Norfolk 5 February 1953. In the fall of 1954 the ship visited Lisbon, Portugal.

However, at 0445 on 31 October 1954, Halloween morning, during the operation LANTFLEX, English and the USS Wallace L. Lind (DD-703) collided, with the English losing some fifty feet of her bow.  There were no casualties and both ships made port under their own power for the yard period that followed.  In January 1955 the ship left the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and joined in operation Springboard, operating out of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.  Then, from May through August, the ship once again became a good-will ship of the U.S. Navy in visiting Portugal, France, Germany, England, Scotland, and the Isle of Wight.

With the Northern European cruise behind her, the English operated in the Norfolk area and underwent refresher training at Guantanamo Bay.  The day before departure for duty with the Sixth Fleet, CNO, ADM Arleigh A. Burke, inspected the ship.

In the Mediterranean the English stopped briefly at Palma, then steamed eastward, transited the Suez Canal, and patrolled the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, visiting Bahrein Island enroute.  Heading northward again, the English re-entered the Mediterranean and visited Cannes, France and Athens, Greece, for liberty.  The Suez crisis of 1956 placed the ship at sea for a month awaiting developments.  As the Middle East situation lulled the ship left Gibraltar astern and headed for home. January 1957 found her in Norfolk preparing for Operation Springboard 1957, to take place in the San Juan, Puerto Rico operating area.  The English visited liberty ports of Kingston, Jamaica and Guantanamo Bay.

Following a round trip from Norfolk to Newark, New Jersey, during operation LANTREX, the ship proceeded to Norfolk.  June 1957 was a big month for the U.S. Navy and the English.  The International Naval Review took place in the Hampton Roads area during which the English was the host ship for the flagship of Commander-in-Chief Venezuelan Navy, FMV Vulia (D-21).  Before June was finished, the ship had participated as a unit of Task Force 25 in Operation REDEX, prepared for overseas movement and welcomed a new Commodore and new Captain aboard.

On 2 July 1957, the English got Underway for another tour with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean and headed for Cartagena, Spain and Genoa, Italy in July.  In August, after stops in Leghorn, Italy, and Athens, Greece, the ship passed through the Suez Canal to patrol the Red Sea between Aden, B.C.C., and Massawa, Eritrea, before seeing Malta and Messina, Sicily.  The end of November saw the English back home for a rest at the Destroyer/Submarine Piers in Norfolk.

After a month and a half say in Norfolk, January and February 1958 found the ship operating off of Jacksonville, Florida, and proceeding to the San Juan operating area where the English participated in Operation Springboard 1958.  Visits were made to Ciudad Trujillo, Dominican Republic, Fort de France, Martinique and San Juan.

On 13 February 1958, the English steamed up the Elizabeth River for an overhaul period in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard where the ship remained until 27 May.  During this period, on 24 May, Capt. G. F. Dalton relieved Capt. E. B. Jarman as Commander Destroyer Division 22, on board the English.  The Division consisted of the USS Borie (DD-704), Hank, Wallace L. Lind, with the English as the flagship.

Following sea trails and division operations, the English got underway of 16 June for Guantanamo Bay, for six weeks of refresher training.  After returning to Norfolk the ship continued operations with the Second Fleet.

On 20 October 1958, the English, together with the other ships of Destroyer Squadron 2, the USS Salamonie (AO26), and the Norwegian Coastal vessel, Vayer, departed Norfolk for their tours of duty in the Mediterranean.  Arriving in Gibraltar on 3 November, the English began her five-month stay in the Mediterranean, which was to cover 23,322 miles of sea and eleven ports of call in six different countries.  The English and the Hank then proceeded to the Eastern Mediterranean where the patrolled the tanker lanes along the Egyptian, Lebanon, and Syrian coasts until early December.  While in this area the ship visited the Greek cities of Rhodes, Piraeus and Athens.

Completing her patrol duty the ship rendezvoused with the Fleet in Augusta Bay, Sicily and then journeyed west to Barcelona, Spain for the Christmas holidays with the attack Carrier USS Randolph (CVA 15), the Barton and the Hank.

Leaving Barcelona in early January 1959, the English participated in her second fleet exercise, which consisted of plane guarding, anti-submarine warfare, refueling and replenishing.  Following this exercise, the ship visited Rapallo, which is a resort town on the Italian Riviera and then Palma of the island of Mallorea where the Destroyer Tender USS Everglades (AD-24) was waiting for her.  The next port of call was San Remo, Italy, another resort town on the Riviera.

After San Remo, the English operated with the USS Forrestal  (CV-59) as a rescue destroyer for her flight operations, while heading south to Naples, Italy.  Leaving Naples on 13 February 1959 the English steamed eastward to the Eastern Mediterranean patrol area again.  During this patrol the ship visited Athens twice more and made a brief refueling stop in Beirut, Lebanon.

With the patrol completed the English returned to the Western Mediterranean and the port of Cannes, France for eight days.  Following Cannes the English participated in another Fleet exercise and a visit to Gibraltar for the Easter weekend.

On 30 March 1959 Destroyer Squardon 2, Everglades and the USS Willis A. Lee (DL-4) departed Gibraltar and crossed the Atlantic arriving in Norfolk, on 8 April for a much needed leave and upkeep period.

During April and May 1959 the English participated in routine training exercises under the command of Destroyer Division 22 and on 18 June entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for necessary repairs and overhaul.

The English remained in the yards until 26 October at which time the ship became a unit of Task Force 83.  The task force operated in the Atlantic conducting advance anti-submarine warfare training and exercises until 16 December 1959.  On 16 December the English entered its homeport, Norfolk, for the holiday leave period.

>From January 1960 until October the English resumed operations with Task Force 83 out of Norfolk.

On 29 June 1960 ten first class and sixteen third class midshipmen reported aboard for their summer cruise which took the English and Task Force 83 to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and New York City.

In November 1960, the English became part of Task Force 81 and remained with this task force until 19 December when the ship reverted to the operational control of Commander, Destroyer Force, and U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

The English entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in December 1960 for a three-month overhaul.  The ship left the shipyard in April 1961 and commenced two month of refresher training at Guantanamo Bay returning to Norfolk on 26 June.

The English had the privilege of visiting Baltimore for the Fourth of July celebration.  This visit was highlighted by the dedication ceremonies opening to the public the restoration of the USS Constellation, the sister ship of the USS Constitution.  The Under-Secretary of the Navy spoke at the dedication and made a brief inspection of the English.  The English crewmembers contributed many hours of work while adding finishing touches to the Constellation.

During the remainder of the summer, preparations were made for the deployment to the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean.  The English departed Norfolk, 8 September 1961 with units of Destroyer Squadron 2 and arrived in Pollensa Bay, Mallorca, on 21 September.

During the Mediterranean cruise English participated in numerous training cruises as a unit of the Sixth Fleet and took part in one NATO exercise in which the ship joined with other ships of the British, Italian, and Greek navies. On 1 April 1962 the English returned to her homeport of Norfolk.

The English returned to her homeport a brief leave and upkeep period.  On 13 April the English participated in a Presidential Review, composed of more than 60 ships, off the coast of North Carolina.

In May 1962 the English engaged in the Mercury recovery operations.  In June and July the ship conducted type training as part of a midshipmen-training cruise.  The highlight of this cruise was a Fourth of July visit to Camden, Maine.  The ship also pulled liberty in New York City on its transit back to Norfolk.

August and September 1962 were allotted to tender availability and interim shipyard availability at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

The English left the shipyard in October 1962 and sailed south on 11 October for plane guard duty with the USS Independence (CV-63).  The English was at sea at the commencement of the Cuban Crisis and remained at sea for 30 days as a member of the Quarantine Force before entering Kingston, Jamaica, on 12 November for a weeklong tender availability.  Upon leaving Kingston, the ship was underway until returning to Norfolk on 25 November for a Christmas leave and upkeep period lasting until 21 January 1963.

In March 1963 the English got underway from Norfolk for her last deployment in the Mediterranean.  After a brief refueling stop in Rota, Spain the English transited the Straits of Gibraltar to join the Sixth Fleet.  The ship began her five-month stay in the Mediterranean, which included eight ports of call in six different countries which included Barcelona, Spain; Palma, Majorca; Marseilles and Cannes, France; Rapallo and Naples, Italy; Palermo, Sicily; Malta, Piraievs, Greece.

One of the chief high lights of the deployment was the visit of Commander, Sixth Fleet, Vice Admiral William E. Gentner.  The Admiral took a thorough tour of the English visiting nearly every space and meeting most of the officers and crew.  He appeared favorably impressed by destroyers in general the English in particular.

This cruise was another in the series of fleet exercises of patrolling coastal waters, plane guarding, anti-submarine warfare and replenishment at sea.

Prior to arrival in the Mediterranean a People-To-People committee was formed of volunteers from the English.  The purpose of the committee was to plan and carry out goodwill projects in the various ports of call.  The first step was loading material including encyclopedias, dictionaries, magazines, children's clothing, and other items contributed by various American manufactures.

Recipients of the material was a college in Palermo, Sicily; an orphanage, the Salvation Army, and a hospital in Naples; a university and a boys home in Athens: and a orphanage in Rapallo, Italy.

In July 1963, Capt. J. E. Murphy, Jr. relieved Capt. M. H. Sappington as Commander Destroyer Division 22, on board the English.  The Division consisted of the Borie, Hank, and Wallace L. Lind, with the English as the flagship.

Upon returning to Norfolk in August 1963 the English was transferred to the Naval Reserve as a training ship stationed in Mayport, Florida.  Prior to this assignment the ship underwent a brief overhaul in Charleston, South Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida.

From January 1964 through May 1970 the English trained thousands of Naval Reservist in the skills of seamanship, marine engineering, gunnery, damage control, navigation and numerous other shipboard functions

The English received four battle stars for World War II service, four for Korean War service and the American Expansionary Award for the Cuban Crises.

The English was decommissioned 15 May 1970 and sold to Taiwan on 11 August 1970. Renamed the Huei Yang (DDG-906) and as of December 1999 is still active in the Republic of China (ROC) Navy.

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