USS Ericsson (DD-56)

The second USS "Ericsson" (DD-56) was a "O'Brien"-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War I. "Ericsson" served in the United States Coast Guard as CG-5. She was named in honor of John Ericsson.

"Ericsson" was laid down on 10 November 1913 by the New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey; launched on 22 August 1914, sponsored by Mrs. J. Washington Logue; and commissioned on 14 August 1915, with Lieutenant Commander W. L. Pryor in command.

From October through December 1915, "Ericsson" operated out of New York and Newport, Rhode Island on drills, in training, and on the Neutrality Patrol. With the Torpedo Flotilla of the Atlantic Fleet she sailed on 7 January 1916 for maneuvers in the Caribbean, using Key West and Guantanamo Bay as bases. She returned to Newport on 23 May.

"Ericsson's" neutrality patrols along the east coast intensified, and on 9 October 1916, she sighted a German submarine close by Nantucket Shoal Lightship, with a Dutch merchantman hove to. A few minutes later, a U-boat fired three shots across the bow of a British merchantman, and ordered her to abandon ship. "Ericsson" took off this ship's passengers and crew, while other destroyers rescued the Dutch ship's people and those of three other ships ordered abandoned and then sunk by the U-boat that day.

For the first 3 months of 1917, "Ericsson" again joined in exercises in the Caribbean, then returned to New York City and Newport to prepare for distant service. On 7 May, she sailed from Boston for Queenstown, Ireland, to join the pioneer American destroyer group which had reached Queenstown early in May. She began patrol duty in the war zone on 12 May, and almost at once came upon a surfaced U-boat shelling two sailing ships. She opened fire, forcing the submarine down and preventing further attack, then picked up 37 survivors of the sailing ships. She continued on patrol and escort duty, and on 28 September, at night, sighted a surfaced submarine, at which she fired. "Ericsson" dropped depth charges, but before she could carry out her plan to ram the German U-boat, she lost contact in the darkness.

"Ericsson" continued to sail out of Queenstown on patrol and escorting convoys, many times attacking submarines, standing by damaged ships, and rescuing survivors. After June 1918, she was based at Brest, France; and during that summer, usually sailed about 3 miles ahead of convoys, towing aloft a kite balloon used for observation. At the close of the war, "Ericsson" was overhauled at Liverpool, but returned to Brest in time to take part on 13 December in the welcoming honors rendered for President Woodrow Wilson, arriving in France in the transport "George Washington". On 21 December, she was homeward bound, arriving at New York on 8 January 1919.

In May 1919, "Ericsson" sailed to the Azores to observe and support the historic first aerial crossing of the Atlantic, made by Navy seaplanes. After exercises along the east coast and in the Caribbean, she entered New York Navy Yard for repairs, and there was placed in reserve, still in commission, on 7 August. She was laid up in reduced commission at Philadelphia and Charleston, South Carolina, in the years that followed, and put to sea only during the summer of 1921, when drills and exercises took her to Newport. She was decommissioned at Philadelphia on 16 June 1922.

She was transferred to the Treasury Department to augment the Coast Guard on 7 June 1924. She was homeported in New London, Connecticut. On 11 April 1926, she captured the rum-runner "Atalanta".

Returned to naval custody on 23 May 1932, she was scrapped and her salvaged material sold on 22 August 1934, in accordance with the London treaty reducing naval armaments.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/e4/ericsson-ii.htm