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F2C Gerald Eugene Darger
Monument

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F2C Gerald Eugene Darger Veteran

Birth
Concord, Dixon County, Nebraska, USA
Death
25 Dec 1944 (aged 23)
At Sea
Monument
Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England Add to Map
Plot
Tablets of the Missing
Memorial ID
View Source
Entered the service from South Dakota.
(info provided by Member 46896240)
From: http://mva.sd.gov/sdwwiimemorial/
Gerald Eugene Darger was born July 6, 1921, at Concord, Nebraska, to Walter and Viva Darger. Gerald was survived by parents, Walter and Viva, now deceased; one brother, Gordon, now deceased; and one sister, Doris, now deceased. His brother, Gordon, married Pat Darger and had a son, Gerald Eugene Darger, named after his heroic uncle.
Information for this entry was provided by Pat Darger of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, sister in-law of Navy Fireman Second Class Darger.
See memorial # 21326044 For Gordon Darger, brother of Gerald.
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US Navy WORLD WAR II
Fireman 2nd Class,Gerald E. Darger MIA/KIA Official Date of Death: 25-Dec-44
Hometown: Sioux Fall South Dakota
Service # 6483531
Awards: Purple Heart, Navy Good Conduct Medal,
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Captain: (Cdr J.E. Kyes, lost)

Ship: USS Leary (DD 158) Loss Date: 24-Dec-43
Mission: Convoy escort
Location: 45° 15'N, 21° 40'W - Grid BE 7343 585 miles west-northwest of Cape Finisterre
Fate: Sunk by U-275 (Helmut Bork)
Complement: 176 officers and men (97 dead and 79 survivors).

Notes on event
On 24 Dec, 1943, the American hunter-killer Task Group 21.14, formed around USS Card (CVE 11) was spotted by a German reconnaissance aircraft and the wolfpack Borkum was ordered to attack. The carrier had a narrow escape when three FAT torpedoes fired by U-415 (Neide) missed her at 01.43 hours. The same U-boat also missed USS Decatur (DD 341) with a Gnat.

At 05.05 hours, U-275 fired a Gnat at USS Leary (DD 158) and hit her on the starboard side in the after engine room. A second Gnat fired by U-382 (Zorn) at 05.21 hours missed the already sinking destroyer. She sank after a huge internal explosion within one minute about 585 miles west-northwest of Cape Finisterre. The survivors were picked up by USS Schenck (DD 159), which found U-645 (Ferro) later the same day, evaded a torpedo and sank the U-boat with depth charges.

Visit the virtual cemetery of USS Leary (DD 158) " Click Here "
Entered the service from South Dakota.
(info provided by Member 46896240)
From: http://mva.sd.gov/sdwwiimemorial/
Gerald Eugene Darger was born July 6, 1921, at Concord, Nebraska, to Walter and Viva Darger. Gerald was survived by parents, Walter and Viva, now deceased; one brother, Gordon, now deceased; and one sister, Doris, now deceased. His brother, Gordon, married Pat Darger and had a son, Gerald Eugene Darger, named after his heroic uncle.
Information for this entry was provided by Pat Darger of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, sister in-law of Navy Fireman Second Class Darger.
See memorial # 21326044 For Gordon Darger, brother of Gerald.
-------------------------------------------------
US Navy WORLD WAR II
Fireman 2nd Class,Gerald E. Darger MIA/KIA Official Date of Death: 25-Dec-44
Hometown: Sioux Fall South Dakota
Service # 6483531
Awards: Purple Heart, Navy Good Conduct Medal,
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Captain: (Cdr J.E. Kyes, lost)

Ship: USS Leary (DD 158) Loss Date: 24-Dec-43
Mission: Convoy escort
Location: 45° 15'N, 21° 40'W - Grid BE 7343 585 miles west-northwest of Cape Finisterre
Fate: Sunk by U-275 (Helmut Bork)
Complement: 176 officers and men (97 dead and 79 survivors).

Notes on event
On 24 Dec, 1943, the American hunter-killer Task Group 21.14, formed around USS Card (CVE 11) was spotted by a German reconnaissance aircraft and the wolfpack Borkum was ordered to attack. The carrier had a narrow escape when three FAT torpedoes fired by U-415 (Neide) missed her at 01.43 hours. The same U-boat also missed USS Decatur (DD 341) with a Gnat.

At 05.05 hours, U-275 fired a Gnat at USS Leary (DD 158) and hit her on the starboard side in the after engine room. A second Gnat fired by U-382 (Zorn) at 05.21 hours missed the already sinking destroyer. She sank after a huge internal explosion within one minute about 585 miles west-northwest of Cape Finisterre. The survivors were picked up by USS Schenck (DD 159), which found U-645 (Ferro) later the same day, evaded a torpedo and sank the U-boat with depth charges.

Visit the virtual cemetery of USS Leary (DD 158) " Click Here "


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  • Maintained by: John Dowdy
  • Originally Created by: War Graves
  • Added: Aug 6, 2010
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56289018/gerald_eugene-darger: accessed ), memorial page for F2C Gerald Eugene Darger (6 Jul 1921–25 Dec 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56289018, citing Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England; Maintained by John Dowdy (contributor 47791572).