Built under yard No. 9 as a destroyer by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle, Washington for the USS Navy.
22 September 1943 keel laid down.
15 July 1942 launched under the name USS THOMPSON (DD-627) one of the Gleaves class, sponsored by Miss Sara Thompson Ross. Named after Robert Means Thompson.
Displacement 1.630 tons standard, dim. 106.2 x 11 x 3.6m. (draught).
Powered by geared steam turbines, 50.000 shp, twin screws, speed 37.4 knots.
Armament: 5 – 5 inch, 6 – 0.5 inch, 6 – 20mmAA guns and 10 – 21 inch torpedo tubes, two depth charge tracks.
Range by a speed of 12 knots, 12.000 mile.
Crew 16 officers and 260 enlisted.
10 July 1943 commissioned under command of Lieut. Comdr. Lee A. Ellis.
After operations on the west coast of America, she sailed from San Diego, California on 19 Augustus 1943 to the east coast via the Panama Canal.
01 September arrived at Norfolk.
Then after some work on the east coast and training was she used as an escort for convoys and escort for larger warships in the Atlantic.
28 April 1944 arrived at Plymouth U.K, thereafter was she prepared for the forthcoming invasion in Normandy.
05 June 1944 she sailed in Task Group 124 for Omaha Beach, after arrival she was used to bombarding enemy targets.
12 June she brought Admiral King and General Eisenhower, Marshall and Arnold across the English Channel to the landings beach of Omaha.
After bringing back to Plymouth, Admiral King and his party, she returned to Normandy.
24 July 1944 she got orders to proceed to North Africa, then to Naples where she arrived on 06 August where she joined the Allied expeditionary forces for the invasion in southern France.
During the invasion there was she used as patrol vessel to guard the other vessels of the invasion fleet.
September she headed home, and afterwards used as an escort for two convoy’s to North Africa from January 1945.
30 May 1945 she was reclassified as a fast minesweeper with pennant No DMS-38, and after a period of refitting for her new roll and training she sailed on 1 August from the east coast of the USSA to the Panama Canal for her duties in the Pacific.
14 August received the news that Japan had surrendered.
After the war used for minesweeping in the Yellow Sea and the waters off Japan.
February 1946 headed for the Bikini Atoll for sweeping duties in preparation for the atomic testing in Operation Crossroad. She was not in the area when the testing took place.
After an overhaul in San Francisco she headed for China on 10 February 1947, where she was used by the American occupation forces in Chinese waters.
Returning home, arrived San Diego 02 October 1947. Thereafter stayed in home-waters for training and overhaul.
After the war broke out between South and North Korea in 1950 the USS THOMPSON got a overhaul at Hawaii, after a training period she headed for Korea, where she took part in clearing the mines in the waters off Chinnampo, and when this port was used as evacuating port for Allied forces she was used as escort for leaving troopships from that port.
Then used as harbour control vessel at Inchon, Korea, and just before Christmas she received orders to proceed to Sasebo. Japan for regrouping.
Then used for minesweeping operations in the waters off east Korea.
14 June 1951 she came under enemy attack near Songjin, in which she was damaged and three men were killed and three wounded she returned to base.
03 November 1951 she left Korea bound for the USA for repairs. After a period in American waters on 23 June 1952 she left San Diego and via Hawaii bound for Korea.
After arrival used as a destroyer for coastal operations.
20 August 1952 again she came under fire of communist forces, after a shell hit her flying bridge, killing four and wounding nine she retired from the scene.
Repaired at Sasebo before she headed north to Songjin, Korea for duties in the waters off the coast.
20 November1952 while acting as gunfire support ship for USS KITE she came again under enemy fire, and was hit amidships.
Returned to Yokosuka for battle damage, returning in Korean waters on New Years day 1953 for minesweeping duties.
14 March 1953 arrived at San Diego.
08 June 1953 she played the title role in the movie “The Caine Mutiny” made after the famous book of Herman Wouk. For this role was she renamed CAINE and operated for one week out of San Francisco under that name.
After taking part in some exercises in 1953 she reported to the Pacific Reserve Fleet.
18 May 1954 decommissioned and placed in reserve.
16 July 1956 reclassified as a destroyer under pennant No DD-627.
01 July 1971 struck from the Navy List.
07 August 1972 sold to American Ship Dismantlers, Portland Oregon for scrapping.
Togo 2005 350F sg?, scott?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Thompson_%28DD-627%29 has her complete history.