USS Ingraham (DD-444)

USS "Ingraham" (DD-444), a "Gleaves"-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain Duncan N. Ingraham (1802–1891), who was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal following his actions regarding Martin Koszta, a Hungarian who had declared in New York his intention of becoming an American citizen, and who had been seized and confined in the Austrian ship "Hussar".

"Ingraham" was launched 15 February 1941 by the Charleston Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. George Ingraham Hutchinson, granddaughter of Captain Ingraham; and commissioned 17 July 1941, Lieutenant Commander William M. Haynsworth, Jr., in command.

After shakedown and local operations along the East Coast, "Ingraham" commenced duties as a convoy escort in December 1941 as the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor drew America into World War Two. During 1942 she escorted convoys between the United States, Iceland, and the United Kingdom, bringing supplies desperately needed by the Allies to stem Hitler's advance and to take the offensive. Under constant threat from German U-boats, "Ingraham" continued her escort duty to Europe and as far south as the Panama Canal.

On the night of 22 August as she was investigating a collision between the destroyer USS "Buck" (DD-420) and a merchant vessel, "Ingraham" collided with the oil tanker USS "Chemung" (AO-30) in heavy fog off the coast of Nova Scotia and "Ingraham" sank almost immediately. Depth charges on her stern exploded. Only 11 men survived the collision. She was struck from the Navy Register on 11 September 1942.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/i2/ingraham-ii.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Ingraham"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/444.htm navsource.org: USS "Ingraham"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd444txt.htm hazegray.org: USS "Ingraham"]