USS Quick DD-490 (DMS—32)
Action in World War II
The USS Quick was commissioned in July of 1942, and following her initial shakedown she began to work patrol and escort duty in the Atlantic protecting shipping lanes in the West Indies, and the Gulf of Mexico which had recently suffered several losses from German U-boat attacks. In October of 1942, she joined elements of the fleet preparing for the invasion of North Africa.
The Quick arrived in Morocco in November, and took up position in the transport areas near the southern attack group. During the North African landings she supplied fire support, as well as running antiaircraft and antisubmarine operations in the area. Later that month she took up her position near Casablanca and assisted in the sinking of U-173. On the 17th of November she got underway for Norfolk, Virginia. She spent the rest of the year guarding convoys in the North Atlantic.
In June of 1943, she once more got underway for North Africa, and patrolled along the coasts of the Camerina Plain where she provided fire support for ground troops, before returning for another tour of escort duty and cruises to the Mediterranean until the end of the War in Europe.
Following the end of European hostilities the Quick was transferred to the Pacific Fleet to act as reinforcements for the ongoing war with Japan. After undergoing conversion for mine sweeping duties in the Charleston Naval Shipyard she was re-designated DMS—32 and traveled to San Diego for Pacific service. By the time she arrived the war had come to an end.
After the War
The Quick spent her post war years acting in support of Pacific operations. She sailed to the coast of China, Okinawa, the Marianas, and the Marshalls in the years following the war. She returned to San Diego in June of 1949 where she was decommissioned. She remained a part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet until 1972 when she was stricken from the rosters. In the following year she was broken down and sold for scrap.
She received four combat stars for service during the war.
Asbestos in Navy Ships
Although an essential component of the naval fleet, especially during World War II, naval destroyers also pose a lasting health risk to soldiers serving on them. Unfortunately, products containing asbestos were common, especially on older ships, because of the material’s high resistance to heat and fire. Despite its value as an insulator, asbestos fiber intake can lead to several serious health consequences, including mesothelioma, a devastating cancer without cure. Current and former military personnel who came into contact with these ships should seek immediate medical attention in order to detect possible health consequences associated with asbestos exposure.
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