The USS Kidd (DD-661) is a Fletcher-class destroyer built during World War II, notable for being the first U.S. Navy ship named after Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who was the first American admiral killed in action during the Pearl Harbor attack. Launched on 28 February 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. in Kearny, New Jersey, and commissioned on 23 April 1943, Kidd is a distinguished example of wartime naval engineering and service. She measures approximately 376 feet in length with a beam of about 39 feet, and was armed with a variety of guns and torpedoes typical of Fletcher-class destroyers, retaining her original WWII configuration as a museum ship. After her initial shakedown cruise, Kidd participated actively in Pacific theater operations, including escorting aircraft carriers to Wake Island, supporting the Bougainville landings, and rescuing the crew of a ditched aircraft carrier aircraft during a combat engagement where she shot down three Japanese planes. She provided screening and bombardment during the Marshall Islands invasion, supported the Aitape and Hollandia campaigns, and fought in the Marianas campaign, including shore bombardments at Guam. Kidd played a vital role during the Okinawa campaign, where she screened battleships, provided fire support, rescued pilots, and shot down kamikaze attacks. On 11 April 1945, she was struck by a kamikaze, resulting in the deaths of 38 crew members and injuries to 55, demonstrating her frontline combat toughness. Following WWII, she was decommissioned in 1946 but was recommissioned during the Korean War, serving off Korea with patrol and bombardment duties. In her later years, Kidd was preserved as a National Historic Landmark and now serves as a museum ship berthed on the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She is unique among surviving Fletcher-class destroyers for retaining her WWII appearance, restored to her 1945 configuration. The vessel has undergone extensive preservation efforts, including recent drydocking and repairs to address hull leaks and restore her historic structure. Kidd’s significance lies in her well-preserved wartime configuration and her role as a tangible link to America’s WWII naval history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.