USS Litchfield (DD-336)

USS Litchfield (DD-336)

USS "Litchfield" (DD-336/AG-95) was a "Clemson"-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was named for John Litchfield.

History

"Litchfield" was laid down 15 January 1919 by Mare Island Navy Yard; launched 12 August 1919; sponsored by Mrs. Martha D. Litchfield, mother of Pharmacist’s Mate Litchfield; and commissioned 12 May 1920, Lieutenant Commander J. F. McClain in command.

"Litchfield", a flush-decker, sailed to Bremerton, Washington, on her shakedown cruise but her initial tour on the west coast was brief. Before the end of 1921 she had departed San Diego, California and arrived Charleston, South Carolina. Following the annual fleet maneuvers, "Litchfield" steamed to Newport, Rhode Island, to join Division 39 for duty in the eastern Mediterranean, arriving Constantinople 28 June 1922.

The division served under the direct command of Rear Admiral Mark L. Bristol, U.S. High Commissioner for Turkey. The Allied Commissioners were attempting to end a war between this former ally of Germany and Greece. "Litchfield" served in humanitarian causes and as an instrument of American foreign policy as Admiral Bristol’s destroyers evacuated 262,000 Greek and Armenian refugees from Smyrna, Turkey, 13 September. The destroyers also assisted civilian relief agencies attempting to feed and evacuate additional thousands suffering from famine and war.

The following fall "Litchfield" returned to the United States, her cargo including the remains of World War I hero George Dilboy which were being returned to the US for reburial after his original grave was desecrated as part of the Greco-Turkish conflict.

"Litchfield" entered the New York Navy Yard on 30 October 1923 for overhaul. "Litchfield" joined Destroyer Squadron 12 based at San Diego 24 May 1924. During maneuvers and tactical exercises with the battle fleet in October, she was awarded prize money for her competitive short-range firing.

Annual competition and monthly maneuvers were supplemented in 1925 by a training cruise to Australia and New Zealand. On 4 June 1927 she participated in her first presidential review off Newport, Rhode Island. Returning to the Pacific, "Litchfield" spent most of July off the coast of politically disturbed Nicaragua. She survived both the cutback in naval tonnage agreed upon at the 1930 London Naval Conference and the economy measures of the early years of the great depression.

In April 1937, "Litchfield", as part of the Battle Fleet, changed her permanent base from the west coast to Pearl Harbor. On 20 May she became flagship of Submarine Squadron 4, Submarine Force, Pearl Harbor, and continued to operate with submarines as war approached and training drills intensified during 1941. In company with USS|Thresher|SS-200|3, she departed her base 6 December and returned the 9th to the destruction wrought by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

With the outbreak of war in the Pacific, "Litchfield's" duties involved the escort of U.S. submarines both in and out of port and antisubmarine patrol off the entrance to Pearl Harbor. Several times she made depth charge runs but no kills were confirmed prior to her departure 6 November 1943 for overhaul at Bremerton, Wash.

Fate

Upon her return to Pearl Harbor 14 January 1944, she escorted a series of convoys to Midway and Eniwetok. Twice near Midway, she rescued crews of downed patrol planes and she salvaged a PBM 8 August. "Litchfield" also conducted submarine training exercises in the vicinity of each of these two bases. On 17 March 1944 an escort mission brought her to Guam, her furthest wartime penetration of the western Pacific. While performing escort and training duties with U.S. submarines at Guam on 31 March, she was redesignated AG-95, a miscellaneous auxiliary. Ending these duties 21 July, she arrived San Diego 9 August.

The next week the Board of Inspectors recommended "Litchfield" be scrapped. Arriving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in October, she decommissioned 5 November 1944 and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register 28 November. Scrapping was completed by the Philadelphia Navy Yard 29 March 1946.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l7/litchfield.htm

External links

*http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/336.htm


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • USS Thresher (SS-200) — USS|Thresher|SS 200, a Tambor class submarine, was the first United States Navy ship to be named for the thresher shark. Her keel was laid down 27 May 1939 at the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 27 March 1940… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Sperry (AS-12) — was a Fulton class submarine tender in the United States Navy. She was named for Elmer Sperry. Sperry was laid down on 1 February 1941 at the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California; launched on 17 December 1941, just 10 days after the… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Edsall (DD-219) — USS Edsall (DD 219), named for Seaman Norman Edsall (1873 ndash;1899), was a Clemson class destroyer of the United States Navy.History Edsall was laid down by the William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Company on 15 September 1919,… …   Wikipedia

  • John Litchfield — John R. Litchfield (7 March 1899 ndash; 15 September 1918) was a sailor in the United States Navy during World War I.Born at Flanagan, Illinois, Litchfield was a Navy pharmacist’s mate serving with the 6th Regiment, USMC. Near Thiacourt, France,… …   Wikipedia

  • List of World War II topics (U) — # U 571 (film) # U A # U boat Front Clasp # U boat War Badge # U Boote westwärts # U Man # U.S. British Staff Conference (ABC 1) # U.S. 20th Air Base Group # U.S. 5th Interceptor Command # U.S. Army Forces Far East # U.S. Army Forces in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Liste der Zerstörer der United States Navy — Schiffe der United States Navy A B C D E F …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • List of United States Navy ships, L — L Lag* USS L 1 (SS 40) * USS L 2 (SS 41) * USS L 3 (SS 42) * USS L 4 (SS 43) * USS L 5 (SS 44) * USS L 6 (SS 45) * USS L 7 (SS 46) * USS L 8 (SS 48) * USS L 9 (SS 49) * USS L 10 (SS 50) * USS L 11 (SS 51) * USS L. A. Dempsey (SP 1231) * USS L. C …   Wikipedia

  • Peter Tomich — Infobox Military Person name=Petar Tomić born= birth date|1893|6|3 died= Death date and age|1941|12|7|1893|6|3 placeofbirth=Prolog, Austria Hungary placeofdeath=KIA at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii placeofburial= caption=Chief Watertender Petar Tomić… …   Wikipedia

  • Список эскадренных миноносцев США по типам — …   Википедия

  • List of United States Navy LSTs — A full list of United States Navy Landing Ship Tanks (LST)* USS LST 1 * USS LST 2 * USS LST 3 * USS LST 4 * USS LST 5 * USS LST 6 * USS LST 7 * USS LST 8 * USS LST 9 * USS LST 10 mdash; converted to USS Achelous (ARL 1) * USS LST 11 * USS LST 12… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”