C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L

                               W-A-R      D-I-A-R-Y
                                   of  the

                              U. S. S.    CLARK



                   November 1 - 30, 1942, Inclusive 


    DISTRIBUTION:    Original - Retain on  board for eventual trans-
                                Mission to the Office of Naval
                                Operations (War Records and Library
                                Division)

                     1 Copy   - To Office of Naval Operations
                                (War Records and Library Division)

                     1 Copy   - To Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

                     1 Copy   - File (TS-0133)




    C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L

                         U.S.S. CLARK
                          WAR DIARY

                           November 1, 1942

    U.S.S CLARK escorting MODEL Convey (LW-101), consisting of 
U.S.S. KENMORE (convey commander), S.S. FAIRISLE, S.S. ROBIN
KENTLEY, S.S. ROGER WILLIAM, from Borabora to Noumea, New
Caledonia in accordance with Comsopac dispatches 2812212 of 
October 1942 and 180742 of October 1942.

    0800 Position:     15-59-00 S;  153-33-45 W.
    1200 Position:     16-09-00 S;  154-14-00 W.
    2000 Position:     16-37-00 S;  155-41-00 W.

                           November 2, 1942

    0800 Position:     17-31-15 S;  158-13-00 W.
    1200 Position:     17-48-00 S;  158-50-00 W.
    2000 Position:     18-10-00 S;  160-11-00 W.

                           November 3, 1942

    0800 Position:     19-02-00 S;  162-30-30 W.
    1200 Position:     19-16-20 S;  163-28-00 W.
    2000 Position:     19-44-00 S;  164-55-00 W.

                           November 4, 1942

    0800 Position:     20-20-00 S;  167-31-30 W.
    1200 Position:     20-35-40 S;  168-16-30 W.
    2000 Position:     21-05-00 S;  169-42-00 W.

                           November 5, 1942

    0800 Position:     21-38-20 S;  172-15-00 W.
    1200 Position:     21-35-00 S;  173-04-00 W.
    2000 Position:     21-40-00 S;  174-38-30 W.

                           November 6, 1942

    0800 Position:     21-52-45 S;  177-16-00 W.
    1200 Position:     21-58-00 S;  178-04-45 W.
    2000 Position:     22-06-45 S;  179-35-00 W.

During evening S.S. ROGER WILLIAM fell out of formation and
Dropped astern and out of convoy.

At 2400 crossed 180th Meridian and dropped Saturday, November
7, 1942.

                           November 8, 1942

    0800 Position:     22-22-30 S;  177-59-00 E.
    1200 Position:     22-25-15 S;  174-14-00 E.
    2000 Position:     22-27-00 S;  175-54-30 E.

At 1500 S.S. ROGER WILLIAM rejoined convoy.

                           November 9, 1942

    0800 Position:     22-41-40 S;  173-38-40 E.
    1200 Position:     22-51-30 S;  173-15-00 E.
    2000 Position:     22-59-30 S;  171-53-00 E.

                           November 10, 1942

    0800 Position:     23-11-30 S;  169-33-00 E.
    1200 Position:     23-08-00 S;  168-49-00 E.
    2000 Position:     23-38-40 S;  167-48-00 E.

    At 1200 U.S.S. ANDERSON joined formation and took station in
Anti-submarine screen.

                           November 11, 1942

    At 0730 arrived off Noumea, New Caledonia and proceeded into
harbor.  Completed duty as escort vessel and reported for duty
with Task Force Sixteen in accordance with Comsopac 070232 of
November 1942.  Fueled to capacity form U.S.S. SABINE.  Received
Commander Destroyer Squadron Two and staff on board for duty and
took status of flagship of ComDesRon TWO.  At 1100 Underway and
proceeded to sea in company with Task Force Sixteen in accordance
with C.T.F 16 - 102253 of November 1942.

    2000 Position:     22-31-30 S;  165-45-00 E.

                           November 12, 1942

    0800 Position:     20-32-00 S;  163-05-00 E.
    1200 Position:     19-51-00 S;  162-38-00 E.
    2000 Position:     17-50-30 S;  161-46-00 E.

                           November 13, 1942

    0800 Position:     14-18-15 S;  161-16-15 E.
    1200 Position:     13-45-00 S;  161-37-30 E.
    2000 Position:     14-28-00 S;  162-01-30 E.

                           November 14, 1942

    0800 Position:     12-52-00 S;  158-56-30 E.
    1200 Position:     12-47-00 S;  159-11-30 E.
    2000 Position:     14-50-00 S;  158-44-30 E.

    At 1030 Carrier plane contacted and shot down Jap Patrol Plane.

                           November 15, 1942

    0800 Position:     17-16-00 S;  159-12-00 E.
    1200 Position:     17-54-20 S;  159-57-00 E.
    2000 Position:     19-23-00-S;  161-45-30 E.

    At 1600 U.S.S. ENTERPRISE; SAN DIEGO, HUGHES and CLARK left
Formation and proceeded to Noumea, New Caledonia in accordance
With orders of C.T.F. 16.  Other units proceeded to Esperitu
Santo.

                           November 16, 1942

    0800 Position:     21-44-00 S;  164-45-00 E.
    1200 Position:     22-27-45 S;  165-53-00 E.

    At 1500 entered Noumea harbor and fueled to capacity from S.S
J.C. DONNELL.  Upon completion of fueling went alongside U.S.S.
WHITNEY.

                           November 17, 1942

                      Alongside U.S.S. WHITNEY.

                           November 18, 1942

                      Alongside U.S.S. WHITNEY.

                           November 19, 1942

                      Alongside U.S.S. WHITNEY.

                           November 20, 1942

    At 0400 received Comsopac despatch 191052 of November, 1942,
directing U.S.S. CLARK proceed to rendezvous with U.S.S HONOLULU
and four ship convoy to act as anti-submarine screen to the convoy
enroute Noumea, New Caledonia.  Time of rendezvous 0100 G.C.T.,
November 20, 1942.  At 0630 Underway from alongside U.S.S. WHITNEY
and proceeded out of channel enroute rendezvous.

    1200 Position:     22-57-30 S;  166-52-30 E.
    2000 Position:     23-08-15 S;  168-51-30 E.

                           November 21, 1942

    0800 Position:     22-47-30 S;  172-09-15 E.
    1200 Position:     22-57-00 S;  173-21-00 E.
    2000 Position:     23-10-30 S;  171-10-00 E.

    A t 1100 sighted convoy and joined up as anti-submarine escort.
Convoy consisted of U.S.S. HONOLULU, S.S. PENNAT, S.S.
KLIPFONTEIN, and S.S. CAPE FLATTERY.  At 1600 S.S. CAPE FLATTERY
Dropped astern due to engine casualty.

                           November 22, 1942

    0800 Position:     23-28-00 S;  167-56-00 E.
    1200 Position:     23-10-30 S;  166-54-00 E.

    Received Comsopac 212332 of November 1942 directing C.T.G.
15.4 to release U.S.S. CLARK, upon arrival Bulari Passage, to
proceed to rendezvous with U.S.S CAPE FLATTERY and escort
that vessel to Noumea.  At 1530 released by escort commander,
(U.S.S. HONOLULU) and proceeded to position to intercept S.S.
CAPE FLATTERY.  At 2230 made contact with S.S. CAPE FLATTERY
And proceeded to escort her to Noumea, New Caledonia.

                           November 23, 1942

    Escorting S.S. CAPE FLATTERY toward Noumea, New Caledonia.
At 0515 entered Bulari Passage and stood in channel.  Released
convoy at anchorage and stood alongside S.S. J.C. DONNELL and
fueled to capacity.  On completion of fueling moored alongside
U.S.S. DALE in Great Roads, Noumea, New Caledonia.

                           November 24, 1942

    Moored in Great Roads, At 1500 underway and stood out to
take patrol station off Amedse Light.

                           November 25, 1942

    Patrolling off Amadee Light.  At 1130 relieved by U.S.S. 
RUSSELL.  Proceeded to alongside S.S. J.C. DONNELL and topped
off fuel.  On completion of fueling proceeded to anchorage in
Great Roads, Noumea, New Caledonia.

                           November 26, 1942

    At anchor in Great Roads, Noumea, New Caledonia.

                           November 27, 1942

    At anchor in Great Roads, Noumea, New Caledonia.

                           November 28, 1942

    At anchor in Great Roads, Noumea, New Caledonia.

                           November 29, 1942

    At anchor in Great Roads, Noumea, New Caledonia.
    At 1000 underway to patrol station off Amadee Light relieving
U.S.S. RUSSELL.
    At 1130 on Patrol Station.

                           November 30, 1942

    On patrol station off Amadee Light.  At 0500 stood
In to Dunbea Bay to take station as plane guard to
U.S.S. NASSAU.  At 1030 relieved as plane guard by
U.S.S. ELLET and proceeded to fuel to Capacity from
U.S.S. PLATTE.  At 1230 anchored in Great Roads,
Noumea, New Caledonia.

    Clark (DD-361) was launched 16 October 1935 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding
Corp., Quincy, Mass., sponsored by Mrs. S. Robinson, and commissioned 20 May 
1936 Commander H. Thebaud in command.

    Clark's prewar service included operations on the Atlantic coast, in the 
Caribbean and from Pearl Harbor, her home port from 1 April 1940. From 3 
March to 10 April 1941, she joined in a cruise to Samoa Australia, and Fiji. 
At the outbreak of the war, she lay in overhaul at San Diego. Clark departed 
the west coast 27 December, escorted two convoys to Pearl Harbor, then took 
up antisubmarine patrol off Pago Pago Samoa, and in February and March 1942 
joined a carrier task force for air raids on New Guinea.

    From April through May 1942, Clark escorted four convoys on their passage 
between Pearl Harbor and San Francisco, continuing to Midway on the last. She 
returned to San Diego and Balboa, where she joined the escort of a convoy 
bound for Wellington, New Zealand. Between 12 August and 8 September, she 
sailed out of Noumea, New Caledonia, screening oilers fueling carrier task 
forces, then returned to Auckland for a month of duty escorting convoys from 
New Zealand to South Pacific Island bases. After a final month of local 
escort and patrol duty at Noumea, Clark sailed 11 December 1942 to report at 
Balboa as flagship for Commander, Southeast Pacific Force.

    Until 10 August 1944, Clark patrolled out of various South American 
ports, sailing then for an east coast overhaul. Between 4 September 1944 and 
11 April 1945, she guarded the passage of six transatlantic convoys to ports 
in the United Kingdom and France. On 16 June 1946, she arrived at 
Philadelphia, where she was decommissioned 23 October 1945 and scrapped 29 
March 1946.

Clark received two battle stars for World War II service.

                                 Selfridge Class
                             Completed - 1936 - 37

DD 357 SELFRIDGE
DD 358 McDOUGAL
DD 359 WINSLOW
DD 360 PHELPS
DD 361 CLARK 
DD 362 MOFFETT
DD 363 BALCH


Dimensions

Displacement:
   1,825 - 1,850 tons (stand)
   2,700 tons (Mean War Service)
Length: 381’ (oa)
Beam: 37
Draft: 14’ (max)

Armament

5 5"/ 38 DP
1 40mm quad
2 40mm twins
6 20mm
2 DC tracks
4 DC projectors
2 21" TT (quads) (none for DD 360)

Propulsion

Speed: 34 knots (max)
Max. Cruising radius:
  2,500 miles @ 25 knots 
  5,700 miles @ 15 knots
Horsepower: 25,0000 (shaft)
Drive: 2 screws; geared turbine
Fuel: 675 tons oil (max)

Remarks:
       Initially as squadron leaders, the SELFRIDGE Class was built to
an unusually large and powerful design.  They introduced twin enclosed
main battery mounts in American destroyers, though the original set 
fitted were not duel-purpose.  The heavy tripod masts of their 
original rig gave them the appearance of cruisers.

       During the course of the war these destroyers were altered on
Several occasions.  Their latest reconstruction resulted in a very 
much lower silhouette and a reduction in main battery from 8 to 5-5"/38 
guns in dual-purpose mounts, the new mounts being identical with those 
fitted in newer destroyers.  Their close-defense armament was greatly 
increased.

War losses include:
PORTER DD 356  (original name-ship of this class)