USS Barry (DD-933) - Cuban Missile Crisis

Cuban Missile Crisis

On 16 October, the day President John F. Kennedy was shown aerial reconnaissance photographs of Soviet nuclear missiles and launch sites under construction in Cuba, Barry was still undergoing upkeep at Newport. On 22 October, when President Kennedy told the nation that he had initiated "as strict quarantine of all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba", she cleared Newport on the night of 22 October, in company with Blandy, Charles S. Sperry and Keppler. After rendezvous with Essex on the 26th, she operated as a screening vessel and plane guard. Two days later, she was detached to operated on ASW surveillance and, after taking over the task from Bache and Eaton, kept a close watch on contact C-19, a surfaced Soviet submarine. Barry, at this time well east of the "Quarantine" line, kept the Foxtrot-class diesel boat under surveillance until it submerged at 1814 that evening.

Barry remained on the line, carrying out patrols, until 8 November when, during refueling operations with Essex, the destroyer had embarked, via highline transfer, a three-man photographic and interpreter party. Barry, ordered to investigate a Soviet merchantman, proceeded to her station on the 9th and sighted the merchant ship that evening. She closed to within 400 yards (370 m) on the merchantman's starboard quarter, illuminated the ship's quarter and bow, and identified her as the Soviet-registry Metallurg Anosov. Trailing astern, Barry followed the merchant ship, heading east away from the quarantine zone, until morning. After dawn, the destroyer closed the merchant, to "obtain photographs of deck cargo", until late morning when she shaped course for Essex for refueling and transfer of photographic personnel.