USS Jacob Jones (DD-61)

USS "Jacob Jones" (DD-61), named for Commodore Jacob Jones USN (1768 - 1850), was a "Tucker"-class destroyer in the United States Navy, and the first US destroyer ever to be lost to enemy action.

"Jacob Jones" was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey on 3 August 1914; launched on 29 May 1915 by Mrs. Jerome Parker Crittendon, great-granddaughter of Jacob Jones; and commissioned on 10 February 1916, with Lieutenant Commander William S. Pye in command.

After shakedown, "Jacob Jones" began training exercises off the New England coast until entering the Philadelphia Navy Yard for repairs. Upon the outbreak of war between the United States and Germany 6 April 1917, "Jacob Jones" patrolled off the Virginia coast before departing Boston, Massachusetts for Europe on 7 May.

Arriving Queenstown, Ireland, on 17 May, she immediately began patrol and convoy escort duty in waters off the United Kingdom. On 8 July she picked up 44 survivors of the British steamship "Valetta", the victim of a German U-boat. Two weeks later, while escorting British steamship "Dafila", "Jacob Jones" sighted a periscope; but the steamship was torpedoed before an attack on the submarine could be launched. Once again a rescue ship, "Jacob Jones" took on board 26 survivors of the stricken "Dafila".

Throughout the summer, the destroyer escorted supply-laden convoys and continued rescue operations in submarine-infested waters. On 19 October she picked up 305 survivors of torpedoed British cruiser "Orama".

After special escort duty between Ireland and France, she departed Brest, France, on 6 December on her return run to Queenstown. At 16:21, as she steamed independently in the vicinity of the Isles of Scilly, her watch sighted a torpedo wake about a thousand yards distant. Although the destroyer maneuvered to escape, the high-speed torpedo struck her starboard side, rupturing her fuel oil tank. The crew worked courageously to save the ship; but as the stern sank, her depth charges exploded. Realizing the situation hopeless, Commander David W. Bagley reluctantly ordered the ship abandoned. Eight minutes after being torpedoed, "Jacob Jones" sank with 64 men still on board.

The 38 survivors huddled together on rafts and boats in frigid Atlantic waters off the southwest coast of England. Two of her crew were taken prisoner by attacking submarine U-53 commanded by Kapitan Hans Rose. In a humanitarian gesture rare in modern war, Rose radioed the American base at Queenstown the approximate location and drift of the survivors. Throughout the night of 6 December to 7, the British sloop-of-war "Camellia" and British liner "Catalina" conducted rescue operations. By 08:30 the following morning HMS "Insolent" had picked up the last survivors of "Jacob Jones". By coincidence USS Jacob Jones (DD-130) was also torpedoed and sunk by her own depth charges in February 28, 1942

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/j1/jacob_jones-i.htm

External links

* [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/early/ussjacobjones.html USS "Jacob Jones" website] at [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/index.html Destroyer History Foundation]
* [http://scillynews.severecci.net/?p=11110 Scilly News] - Jacob Jones