Destroyers: Clemson Class

[Brian James]

Clemson Class Destroyers USS Williamson,USS Gilmer pictured at Portland,Oregon on July 4th 1935.

[Brian James]

The ill fated Clemson Class Destroyer USS Reuben James pictured in the Hudson River,New York,April 29th 1939.She was sunk by a torpedo attack from Type VIIC Submarine U-552 near Iceland on October 31st 1941.She was hit forward by a torpedo meant for a merchant ship and her entire bow was blown off when her magazine exploded. The bow sank immediately. The aft section floated for five minutes before going down. Of a crew of seven officers and 136 enlisted men plus one enlisted passenger, 100 were killed, leaving only 44 enlisted men and no officers who survived the attack.

[Brian James]

The ill fated Clemson Class Destroyer USS Hovey pictured in 1932...She was torpedoed off Luzon on January 7th 1945 with the loss of 24 men.

[Brian James]

Destroyer Tender USS Dobbin pictured fitting out at left with Clemson Class Destroyers USS Sharkey,USS Coghlan,USS Preston with USS Lamson astern at Philadelphia Navy Yard,May 31st 1923.

[Brian James]

Launched in 1918, Clemson Class Destroyer USS Ballard pictured during her Auxiliary Seaplane Tender conversion at Mare Island Navy Yard on January 5th 1942.

[Brian James]

Clemson Class Destroyer USS Bainbridge pictured transferring Ensign Thomas Jamson by jackstay to Sangamon Class Escort Carrier USS Santee, Atlantic Ocean, July 29th 1943. He was rescued by Bainbridge after a flight deck crash on the previous day.

[Brian James]

Clemson Class Destroyer USS Perry pictured conducting a RAS with Lead Ship,Battleship USS Pennsylvania in 1932.

[Brian James]

Clemson Class Destroyer USS Bulmer pictured off Mare Island Navy Yard on August 28th 1943, she was the last warship of the Asiatic Fleet in USN commission. She was reclassified as Miscellaneous Auxiliary AG-86 December 1st 1944.

[Brian James]

Clemson Class Destroyer USS Noa pictured fitting out at Norfolk Navy Yard on February 11th 1921.At the beginning of World War II she was converted to a High-speed transport and redesignated APD-24.....Noa steamed for Pearl Harbor May 11th 1943, arrived May 23rd, and embarked units of the Second Marine Division for transport to Saipan. She patrolled assigned areas off Saipan June 15th and that day shot down a raiding aircraft. The next day, she landed her troops and continued patrol operations until June 24th, when she steamed to Eniwetok Atoll. Noa departed Eniwetok on June 30th and escorted Clamp (ARS-33) to Saipan, arriving July 4th. She conducted patrol and screening operations off Tinian and Saipan through the next week. During the Guam operations of July 12th – August 15th, Noa served as a screening ship. By August 16th, she had returned to Guadalcanal and the next day, she commenced patrol operations out of Purvis Bay....Departing Purvis Bay September 6th, she steamed for the Palau Islands to conduct underwater demolition activities. While en route, she was rammed by Fullam (DD-474) at 0350, September 12th 1944. She immediately began to settle. Rescue efforts were performed by the crew of Fullam in an attempt to save the sinking Noa; numerous members of the team received battlefield commissions, including Seaman Joseph DeSisto. The order to abandon ship was given at 0501, but by 0700, Noa's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander H. Wallace Boud, USNR had returned to her with a salvage party, including Lt. George A. Williams, Engineering Officer of the Noa who also testified at the court martial of the Fullam's commander. Salvage efforts failed, however, and the second order to abandon ship was sadly given at 1030; the old ship sank by the stern at 1034 with no loss of life. The commanding officer of Fullam was court-martialed in November 1944 in San Francisco.

[Brian James]

Hospital Ship USS Relief pictured at Philadelphia Naval Yard in 1921.....In the foreground is Clemson Class Destroyer USS Pillsbury DD-227....There are no US logs or battle reports giving the details of the actions in which Pillsbury (DD 227), Asheville (PG-21) and Edsall (DD-219) were sunk, and their fates were mysterious until after the war when Japanese logs could be examined. A powerful force of Japanese ships was operating to the south of Java to prevent the escape of Allied ships from that area. The Japanese force consisted of four Battleships, five Cruisers of Cruiser Division 4, the Aircraft Carriers Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū and Hiryū and the Destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 4...Edsall was sunk in the area of the Second Battle of the Java Sea on March 1st 1942, the Second Battle of the Java Sea was fought north of the island of Java, USS Edsall was lost south of Java. At 18:24 she received a direct hit from the Battleship Hiei and at 18:35 another from the Cruiser Tone. Edsall was also attacked by nine Aichi D3A dive bombers from Sōryū and eight from Akagi, which hit her with several bombs, leaving her dead in the water by 18:50. She was destroyed by the Cruiser Chikuma and sank at 19:00 with 5-8 survivors. The remains of 5 executed sailors from the Edsall were recovered in Indonesia in 1952. In a night surface action on March 2nd 1942 Pillsbury was overtaken by two Japanese Cruisers of Cruiser Division 4. She was engaged by Takao and Atago, and at 21:02 sank with the loss of all hands...Asheville, slowed by engine troubles, was caught at 09:06 on March 3rd by the Destroyers Arashi and Nowaki and sunk after a 30-minute battle. One crew member was rescued from the water, but died later in a prisoner of war camp...All three sinkings took place approximately 200 miles east of Christmas Island. After sinking the three U.S. ships, the Japanese forces retired from the scene.