A decommissioned World War II destroyer moored near the centre of Buffalo, New York, took on water on Thursday and was listing dangerously.
The crew worked to keep the former "USS The Sullivans" from sinking at its berth at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park. Part of the leaning ship's deck had sunk below the waterline by noon. The ship is memorable, it is a Fletcher destroyer, a class of which 175 ships were built, the largest class of destroyers ever built, according to available sources. These ships also served in the German Navy as destroyers 1 to 6.
The park's president, Paul Marzello, said it was believed there had been a rupture on the right side of the hull on Wednesday night. The park's crew had been trying to stabilise the 79-year-old vessel and pump out up to 13,000 gallons per minute, he said. The USS The Sullivans is one of four decommissioned Navy ships at the park.
Governor Kathy Hochul, who is from Buffalo, tweeted that state officials were on the scene and ready to "revive this treasure and symbol of perseverance." The USS The Sullivans, a national monument was named in honour of the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa. The brothers lost their lives when the USS "Juneau" was sunk by the Japanese in the South Pacific during World War II.
Since then, it has been forbidden in the US Navy for family members to serve on the same ship. The current namesake is the USS "The Sullivans" (DDG-68), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. It is the second ship after the museum object to bear this name.
Last year, more than 1 million dollars were raised to repair the damaged hull. The crew had suspended work over the winter and was due to resume repairs on Monday.
Source: stripes / Schlüter
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