USS Somers (DD-381)

The fifth USS "Somers" (DD-381) was the lead ship of the "Somers"-class destroyers. She was named for Richard Somers.

History

"Somers" was built at Federal, Kearny and commissioned 1 December 1937. Though active for only eight years she acquired an enviable record.

In 1938 she transported a consignment of gold from the Bank of England to New York. On 6 November 1941, she and the cruiser USS "Omaha" captured the German freighter "Odenwald" which was carrying 3800 tons of scarce rubber while disguised as the American merchantman "Willmoto". "Somers" also accounted for two other blockade runners, "Anneliese Essberger" and "Westerland".

"Odenwald" was taken to Puerto Rico. An admiralty court ruled that since the ship was illegally claiming American registration, there was sufficient grounds for confiscation. A legal case was started claiming that the crews of the two American ships had salvage rights because the "Odenwald" crew's attempt to scuttle the ship was the equivalent of abandoning her. The court case, settled in 1947 ruled the members of the boarding party and the prize crew were entitled to $3,000 apiece while all the other crewmen in Omaha and Somers were entitled to two months’ pay and allowances. This was the last prize money awarded by the US Navy.cite journal |url=http://www.strategypage.com/cic/docs/cic205b.asp#one |last=Nofi |first=Al |title=The Last “Prize” Awards in the U.S. Navy?|publisher=Strategypage.com |issue= Issue #205, July 20th, 2008 |quote=Oldenwald was taken to Puerto Rico. An admiralty court ruled that since the ship was illegally claiming American registration, there was sufficient grounds for confiscation. At that point, some sea lawyers got into the act. Observing that the attempt to scuttle the ship was the equivalent of abandoning her, they claimed that the crews of the two American ships had salvage rights, to the tune of $3 million. This led to a protracted court case, which was not settled until 1947. At that time it was ruled that the members of the boarding party and the prize crew were entitled to $3,000 apiece, the equivalent today of over $25,000 according to the Consumer Price Index, but easily nearly twice that on the basis of the prevailing minimum wage, while all the other crewmen in Omaha and Somers were entitled to two months’ pay and allowances at their then current rate.]

"Somers" next participated in the Normandy and Southern France invasions providing naval gunfire support as well as serving in the anti-submarine screen. On 15 August 1944, four hours before H-Hour, D-Day, along the French Riviera, "Somers" encountered and sank the German corvettes "Comascio" and "Escabort". Following this action, she moved inshore to give gunfire support to the invasion. For two days she bombarded enemy strongpoints off the coast near Toulon with 5 inch (127 mm) shells and then exchanged fire with enemy shore batteries east of Marseilles. Although "Somers" sustained many hits during this action, she emerged the victor.

For the next month, the destroyer operated in the Mediterranean Sea, visiting ports on the southern coast of France, Ajaccio, Corsica, and Oran, Algeria. She steamed out of Oran on 28 September and arrived in New York on 8 October. Somers was overhauled at the Brooklyn Navy Yard until 8 November, then moved to Casco Bay, Maine, for training. On 23 November, she joined the screen of a Britain bound convoy for the first of four transatlantic voyages which closed "Somers"' combat service. She returned to the United States on 12 May 1945 at the end of her last voyage to the United Kingdom. For the remainder of the war, "Somers" operated along the eastern seaboard and, in July, made one summer cruise to the Caribbean to train midshipmen.

Fate

On 4 August 1945, she put into Charleston, South Carolina, for overhaul and remained until 11 September. Instead of returning to active duty, "Somers" reported to the Commandant, 6th Naval District, for decommissioning and disposal. She decommissioned at Charleston on 28 October 1945 and was retained there until removed by her purchaser, Boston Metals of Baltimore, Md., on 16 May 1947. "Somers" was struck from the Navy list on 28 January 1947.

Honors

"Somers" earned two battle stars during World War II.

ee also

*List of United States Navy destroyers

References

Notes

External links

*http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-s/dd381.htm
*http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/381.htm