Destroyers: Clemson Class

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Brian James
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Destroyers: Clemson Class

Unread post by Brian James »

Clemson Class Destroyer USS Gillis being prepared for launch at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy on May 29th 1919.
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Culverin
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Location: Off the Itchen Navi.

Re: Destroyers: Clemson Class

Unread post by Culverin »

Flush deckers and four pipes. So Distinctly American.

The Clemson DD 186 numerically were the largest class of these flush deckers with 156 hulls completed constructed by 9 yards. None were completed in time for the Great War with only a handful actually launched during hostilities.

Union Iron Works managed the largest number with 40 of these, DD 296 - DD 335 inclusive, not a single one survived to see any service in the subsequent World War.

Honda Point. 8th September 1923.
Destroyer Squadron 11 comprising 14 flush deckers met with a rather catastrophic encounter with the rocks, half the Squadron being wrecked of which 6 were Union built, Chauncey DD 296, Fuller DD 297, Woodbury DD 309, S.P. Lee DD 310, Nicholas DD 311 and Young DD 312. The flag Delphy DD 261 (Bethlehem Squantum) led them to their fate and makes 7.
Brian James
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Re: Destroyers: Clemson Class

Unread post by Brian James »

Hull No 349,Clemson Class Destroyer USS Bailey pictured fitting out at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation-
Squantum Victory Yard at Quincy in 1919.
Bailey carried out routine operations along the west coast between October 1919 and June 1922. Because of the disturbed conditions on the west coast of Mexico she was assigned to patrol duty there for short periods in 1920. On June 16th 1922 Bailey went out of commission at San Diego.
On September 30th 1939 she was recommissioned at San Diego and reported to Destroyer Division 72, Atlantic Squadron. Bailey served with the Squadron in operations off the eastern seaboard until November 1940. On November 26th 1940 she was decommissioned at Halifax, Nova Scotia, and transferred in the Destroyer-land bases exchange to Great Britain.Renamed HMS Reading she was commissioned November 26th 1940 for service with the 5th Town Flotilla and arrived at Plymouth,December 17th 1940 where she was re-fitted and modified at HMNB Devonport.
Between March and July 1941 she escorted convoys in the Atlantic, working out of Liverpool. In July 1941 she joined the Newfoundland Escort Group with which she remained until May 1942. In this role, she escorted the Battleship HMS Prince of Wales with Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the Newfoundland Conference. She was deployed at Placentia Bay with other Royal Navy and United States Navy warships for guard duties during the conference. After the meeting, she temporarily resumed escort duties in the Atlantic.
Between May and October 1942 she underwent a yard overhaul in London, after which her weaponry was removed and she served as a Target Ship for aircraft from Air Station, Fearn, Scotland, and continued in this assignment until July 1945 when she was handed over to ship-breakers at Rosyth.
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Brian James
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Re: Destroyers: Clemson Class

Unread post by Brian James »

Clemson Class Destroyer USS Ausburn pictured c1923 with her embarked Naval Aircraft Factory TS-1 Floatplane.She aided in the development and application of new ideas in naval warfare. In the fall of 1923, she was equipped to carry a Seaplane, with which she performed experiments in the rapidly developing field of naval aviation.
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Brian James
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Re: Destroyers: Clemson Class

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Clemson Class Destroyer USS Hulbert pictured from Casablanca Class Escort Carrier USS Petrof Bay c1945.
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Brian James
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Re: Destroyers: Clemson Class

Unread post by Brian James »

An original colour photo of PT Boats pictured moored alongside Seaplane Tender USS Gillis (a converted Clemson Class Destroyer),Aleutian Islands,June 1943...Consolidated PBY Catalina in the background.
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Brian James
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Re: Destroyers: Clemson Class

Unread post by Brian James »

Construction Hull # 238,Clemson Class Destroyer USS Bainbridge DD-246,pictured fitting out at New York Shipbuilding Corporation Shipyards at Camden,New Jersey,October 29th 1920.
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Brian James
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Re: Destroyers: Clemson Class

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Clemson Class Destroyer USS Hatfield pictured post her overhaul at Puget Sound Navy Yard,(prior to her Alaskan waters deployment) on May 26th 1942..An unidentified CVE is under construction in the background.
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greendragon
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Re: Destroyers: Clemson Class

Unread post by greendragon »

Broaching.
Reference H.Wouk the Caine's Mutiny.
There is a very vivid description of the Flushdecker broaching and heavy rolling in typhoon weather on the Pacific in this famous novel.
Also some other memories also repeated by contemporary writers say about the flushdeckers as "top heavy" and rolling bad.
That feature of the class of USN DDs does not seem to be something unusual and rather common for all the DDs of that period if one goes through some other sources of knowledge.

Here translation of the Polish (ex HM N- class, Nerrisa) and his Tribal class companions during the Bismarck chase as provided by her CO LtCdr Poplawski.
Should be added first that the crew opinion about this destroyer - one of the best design of war (pre-) times - was that she was the best of the best.
They had absolutely trust to their ship, her seaworthiness, quick response to steer and engines, behaving on waves and more.
Excellent ship.
And her behaviour on Atlantic long and high waves coming from the stern side of the ship was that she was broaching like all the others of her class.
"...the hull rolled some 60 deg (might be more) on her leeside...the ship was out of control played by the elements like toy".
"...being on bridge I was sliding down trying to keep with my legs and hands everything I would be able to grab...beside me the others were lying...I can remember that our British signaller Baron thudded on me and after a while he asked embarrased "I hope you confortable, Sir?"
"..I saw HMS Maori lying on her port side showing her red painted bottom and ploughing the waves . It seemed she would capsize. If fate coordinated movement of our ships bad both the ships would colide with no chance to prevent it.
At 2152 HMS Sheffield was sighted. Piorun broached again and showed the cruiser's crew her bottom as a prove that Polish ships can be underway on its side as well".

Regards,

GD
greendragon
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Re: Destroyers: Clemson Class

Unread post by greendragon »

The Fourstackers apparently attract interest even nowaday.
It is interesting that the British complain on the Fourstackers even today and bring forward their weak sides with sort of love and passion :oops: :( ;) - a bit false attitude for some of them can be observed among all the ships of their size and classes.
I have mentioned broaching in my previous post - apparently common to all destroyers even for one of the best ones as in WW2 were HM designs and constructions.

Number of the Fourstackers were transfered to the Soviets' Northern Fleet and their service and performance is said to be covered by thick curtain of lack of knowledge.
Not exactly, for some information pops up anyway.

In his memories ADM Kuznetzow, Wartime Minister of the Soviet Navy (SN) put quite a lot of information about the newcommers to the SN.
First of all - that is important - he was of positive opinion about the Western Allies effort in helping the Soviets with supplies and usual ammount of the Russian criticism is really limited.
He was talking to the crews of the ships who brought so much needed supplies to Russia and was of highest opinion about them and their effort.
He criticized of course the decision by the HM Admiralty of the scatter/dispersing PQ17 - nothing surprising though.
As for handover of the battleship, cruiser, eight fourstackers and four U-class subs he says that the "....the British were very friendly and were equally enthusiastic in helping our sailors...they were ready to work with our crews round the clock...."..
..."The British' and United States' ships handed over to us were efficiently mastered by their crews. They served faithfully till the end of the war".
...."ADM Cunningham RN and ADM King USN repeatedly asked about this event (transfer of the BB, CL DDs) in talks in Podstam.They wanted to know what our soldiers thought about these ships. I had no reason to speak derogatorily about them.We had become to accustomed to them .That is why I expressed a favourable opinion about these ships and thanked our Allies for their aid in behalf of our officers and men."
Should be mentiond that as for the DDs all except one which was towed (it was used for canibalisation) were returned to the UK by their own propulsion a credit to the old ship raliability and their Russian crews who were able servicing them properly .
One of them served till early fifties - became an actor in a feature film - may we call her a celebrity? :roll: :)

Regards,

GD
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