Page Updated: January 23, 2024
USS Cassin Young
USS Cassin Young - Boston MA
A Fletcher-class destroyer - a class denoting destroyers built during World War II; USS Cassin Young was built in 1943, survived seven battles in WWII including two Kamikaze attacks, and sailed the seas during the Korean Conflict.
Decommissioned in 1960, the Destroyer was eventually moved to Boston where it’s exhibited as an example of what the Charlestown Navy Yard built, repaired, and modernized over its 174-year history.
We spotted USS Cassin Young across the pier during our visit to USS Constitution. We were cramped for time that day but made a point to return to it the next day. This was a really cool ship with features we hadn’t seen before. Even though it meant a second trip back to the Charlestown Naval Yard, it was worth it to see details of the destroyer.
Open seasonally, the National Parks Service offers guided tours below deck, but visitors can explore the top deck on their own. We chose the latter and found that with the all the interpretive signs it was sufficient enough.
Disabled anti-aircraft guns, depth charges, and torpedoes remain on the upper deck to help paint a picture of the ship’s capability.
Common rooms open to the public include the galley, the laundry, and the dinning room/lounge. The industrial mixer (below) is larger than two people - should’ve taken the snap with Lee next to it for scale.
The Combat Information Center (C.I.C.) contains the radios, radar, and sonar needed to communicate critical information throughout the ship. There’s enough wiring here to power a small city and yet it’s just a single piece of a larger puzzle.
The most fascinating area of the ship for us was the ammunition handling room. The room is small with cubbies of artillery tucked along the walls. Signs convey this room held nine men ready to move projectiles and powder cases up the electric hoist to the 38-caliber gun mount directly above.
Loved the opportunity to walk the deck of this historic warship. Together, the the USS Cassin Young and the USS Constitution are remarkable examples of U.S. naval history.
-b&b
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