World War II Black proceeded to
Pearl Harbor, via
San Diego, Calif., and reported for duty on 15 November 1943. Shortly thereafter, she steamed to
Tarawa and was assigned screening duty off Tarawa Lagoon entrance. She continued this duty until 22 January 1944, with occasional diversion as escort for transports to the 180th meridian. On 15 January 1944 she rescued 22 survivors of two downed patrol aircraft 50 miles (95 km) south of
Jaluit. After seeing her first combat during the invasion of
Majuro Atoll,
Marshall Islands (29 January–8 February 1944),
Black rendered fine service in • the
Aitape and
Hollandia,
New Guinea, landings (22 April – 7 May); •
Saipan invasion (11 June – 4 July); •
capture of Guam (21 July – 10 August); • and
Leyte operation (20–21 October and 13–14 November). The destroyer then returned to
San Francisco, Calif. for repairs which lasted until February 1945. Repairs completed, she sailed to
Ulithi where, upon arrival on 13 March, she reported to the
Fast Carrier Task Force (then TF 58) for duty. Between 17 March and 30 May
Black participated in the
5th and
3rd Fleet raids in support of the
Okinawa operation. After a period of rest and upkeep at
Leyte Gulf,
Black took part in the 3rd Fleet operations against Japan (10 July – 15 August 1945) and, on 15 August, the day Japan agreed to surrender, was present during one of the
Pacific War's final
kamikaze attacks. After the cessation of hostilities
Black remained off
Japan assisting in the occupation until 1 September when, as a unit of TF 72, she departed with the occupation forces for
Inchon,
Korea. She served in the
Far East on occupation duty until 10 November 1945, when she left
Tsingtao, China, for the United States. Upon arrival,
Black reported for inactivation and was placed out of commission in reserve on 5 August 1946 at
Long Beach, Calif. 1951-1969 Black was recommissioned on 18 July 1951 and reported to the
Atlantic Fleet. She participated in type and fleet operations along the eastern seaboard and in the
Caribbean until 10 January 1953 when she departed
Norfolk, Va. for the
Pacific, via the
Panama Canal, on a round-the-world cruise. She arrived off the coast of
Korea on 4 March and two days later commenced harassing fire on the beach.
Black continued her Korean operations until 4 June 1953. On 9 June,
Black departed for Norfolk, via the
Suez Canal, arriving on the east coast 6 August. Until January 1955, she conducted type training, fleet operations, and plane guard duties along the east coast and in the Caribbean. In January 1955
Black transferred to the
Pacific Fleet arriving at Long Beach 26 January. Over the next decade and a half,
Black regularly crossed the great ocean to take her place as a unit of the
7th Fleet, serving as an
aircraft carrier escort, taking part in
antisubmarine warfare exercises, patrolling in the
Taiwan Strait and visiting ports throughout the
Far East. Her tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth post-World War II
Western Pacific deployments, beginning in early 1965, included
Vietnam War service. Among her duties during this time were early participation in
Operation Market Time coastal patrol and interdiction operations, providing naval gunfire support for forces ashore and screening carriers as they took the war to the
North Vietnamese enemy.
Blacks last overseas cruise ended in July 1969. She was decommissioned in late September of that year and sold for scrapping in February 1971. ==Awards==