USS Paulding (DD-22)

USS "Paulding" (DD-22) was the lead ship of her class of destroyers in the United States Navy. She served in the United States Coast Guard as CG-17. She was named for Rear Admiral Hiram A. Paulding USN (1797-1878).

"Paulding" was laid down by the Bath Iron Works Corporation at Bath in Maine on 24 July 1909, launched on 12 April 1910 by Miss Emma Paulding and commissioned on 29 September 1910, Lieutenant Commander Yates Stirling, Jr., in command.

Assigned to the Atlantic Torpedo Fleet, "Paulding" operated primarily off the east coast until after the United States entered World War I. During April 1917, she patrolled off the New England coast and in May she prepared for distant service. On 21 May she got underway for the United Kingdom, arriving at Queenstown, Ireland, to commence convoy escort duty in the battle against the German U-boats. On that duty throughout the war, she returned to the United States after the Armistice.

"Paulding" was decommissioned in August 1919 and remained in the Reserve Fleet. From 28 April 1924 until 18 October 1930 she was loaned to the Coast Guard where she served on the Rum Patrol. The vessel was stationed at Boston, Massachusetts.

This vessel was sent to find "CG-238" during a gale in February 1927 off Cape Cod. The 75-footer had already foundered and "Paulding" spent two days in the storm, losing much of her topside equipment, including one of her four stacks. On 17 December 1927 she accidentally rammed and sank the submarine "S-4" while the latter was surfacing. "S-4" sank and her entire crew was lost. An inquiry absolved the Coast Guard of blame.

Returned to the Navy 18 October 1930, she again joined the Reserve Fleet and was laid up at League Island. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 June 1934 and sold for scrap under the terms of the London Naval Treaty.

As of 2005, no other ship in the Navy has been named "Paulding".

ee also

*List of United States Navy destroyers