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Agreement, 2 Sep. 1940
Source: Hague, Arnold. Destroyers
for Great Britain: A History of 50 Town Class Ships Transferred
from the United States to Great Britain in 1940. Annapolis
MD: Naval Institute Press, 1990.
Destroyers Transferred to Great
Britain as a Result of the Destroyers for Bases Agreement: The
50 Ships Including their Royal Navy Names, Pennant Numbers and
Subsequent Disposition.
USS Aaron Ward (DD-132), commissioned as HMS Castleton
(I-23) on 9 Sep. 1940; scrapped 2 Jan. 1948.
USS Abbot (DD-184), commissioned as HMS Charlestown
(I-21) on 23 Sep. 1940; scrapped 3 Dec. 1948.
USS Aulick (DD-258), commissioned as HMS Burnham
(H-82) on 8 Oct. 1940; scrapped 2 Dec. 1948.
USS Bailey (DD-269), commissioned as HMS Reading
(G-71) on 26 Nov. 1940, scrapped 24
Jul. 1945.
USS Bancroft (DD-256), commissioned as HMCS St Francis
(I-93) on 24 Sep. 1940; wrecked while being towed for scrapping
on 14 Jul. 1945.
USS Branch (DD-197), commissioned as HMS Beverley
(H-64) on 8 Oct. 1940; attacked and sank U-187 on 4 Feb.
1942; Beverley was torpedoed by U-188 on 11 Apr.
1943 and was sunk with the loss of all but four of the ship's
company of 152.
USS Buchanan (DD-131), commissioned as HMS Campbeltown
(I-42) on 9 Sep. 1940; fitted with a large demolition charge,
Campbeltown rammed the Normandie Lock in St. Nazaire, France
to destroy the only drydock on the Atlantic coast capable of accepting
the German battleship Tirpitz; the charge detonated on
29 Mar. 1942, breaching the drydock and destroying Campbeltown.
USS Claxton (DD-140), commissioned as HMS Salisbury
(I-52) on 5 Dec. 1940; employed as a special escort for specific
convoys, including escorting USS Wasp during the supply
of Spitfires to Malta; scrapped in the US in Apr. 1945.
USS Conner (DD-72), commissioned as HMS Leeds (G-27)
on 23 Oct. 1940; scrapped 19 Jan. 1949.
USS Conway (DD-70), commissioned as HMS Lewes (G-68)
on 23 Oct. 1940; outlived all of her
sisters in British service; stripped of valuable scrap and scuttled
off Sydney, Australia 25 May 1946.
USS Crowninshield (DD-134), commissioned as HMS Chelsea
(I-35) on 9 Sep. 1940; transferred to Russia as Dzerki on
16 Jul. 1944; returned to the Royal Navy on 24 Jun. 1949; scrapped
27 Jul. 1949.
USS Cowell (DD-167), commissioned as HMS Brighton
(I-08) on 23 Sept. 1940; transferred to Russia as Zharki
on 16 Jul. 1944; returned to the Royal Navy on 4 Mar. 1949; scrapped
18 May 1949.
USS Doran (DD-185), commissioned as HMS St Marys
(I-12) on 23 Sep. 1940; scrapped in Dec. 1945.
USS Edwards (DD-265), commissioned as HMS Buxton
(H-96) on 8 Oct. 1940; scrapped 21 Mar. 1946.
USS Evans (DD-78), commissioned as HMS Mansfield
(G-76) on 23 Oct. 1940; heavily involved in the critical convoy
actions of Mar. 1943 with convoy HS229, landing survivors in the
United Kingdom; sold 24 Oct. 1944 for scrapping.
USS Fairfax (D-93), commissioned as HMS Richmond
(G-88) on 26 Nov. 1940; transferred to Russia as Zhivuchi
on 16 Jun. 1944; returned to the Royal Navy on 26 Jun. 1949; scrapped
29 Jun. 1949.
USS Foote (DD-169), commissioned as HMS Roxborough (I-07)
on 23 Sep. 1940; while with convoy HX222 Roxborough met
with such heavy weather that the entire bridge structure was crushed,
with eleven dead, including the Commanding Officer and 1st Lieutenant;
the sole surviving executive officer managed to regain control
of the ship, and under hand steering from aft, she made St. Johns,
Newfoundland; was transferred to Russia as Doblestnyi on
10 Aug. 1944; returned to the Royal Navy on 7 Feb. 1949; scrapped
14 May 1949.
USS Hale (DD-133), commissioned as HMS Caldwell
(I-20) on 9 Sep. 1940; scrapped 7 Jun. 1945.
USS Haraden (DD-183), commissioned as HMCS Columbia
(I-49) on 24 Sep. 1940; scrapped 7 Aug. 1945.
USS Herndon (DD-198), commissioned as HMS Churchill
(I-45) on 9 Sep. 1940; transferred to Russia as Dyatelnyi
on 30 May 1944; torpedoed and sunk by U-956 on 16 Jan.
1945 while escorting a White Sea convoy; the last war loss of
the class and the only one of the destroyers transferred to Russia
to be lost.
USS Hopewell (DD-181), commissioned as HMS Bath
(I-17) on 23 Sep. 1940; while escorting her sixth convoy (OG71)
between Liverpool and Gibraltar, Bath was torpedoed by
U-204 on 19 Aug. 1941 and sank rapidly.
USS Hunt (DD-194), commissioned as HMS Broadway
(H-90) on 8 Oct. 1940; while escorting convoy OB318, Broadway
took part in the attack on U-110 on 9 May 1941; abandoned
by its crew, U-110 was boarded and taken in tow. Escorting
convoy HX 237, Broadway located and sank U-89 in
the North Atlantic on 14 May 1943; allocated for scrapping in
Mar. 1948.
USS Kalk (DD-170), commissioned as HMCS Hamilton (I-24)
on 23 Sep. 1940. Hamilton was apparently lost while being
towed to Boston for scrapping in 1945.
USS Laub (DD-263), commissioned as HMS Burwell (H-94)
on 8 Oct. 1940; one of the ships involved in the recovery of U-570
after its surrender to an RAF aircraft; consigned for scrapping
in Mar. 1947.
USS Mackenzie (DD-175), commissioned as HMCS Annapolis
(I-04) on 29 Sep. 1940; towed to Boston for scrapping on 22 Jun.
1945.
USS Maddox (DD-168), commissioned as HMS Georgetown
(I-40) on 23 Sep. 1940; transferred to Russia as Zhostki
in Aug. 1944; returned to the Royal Navy on 9 Sep. 1952; scrapped
on 16 Sep. 1952.
USS Mason (DD-191), commissioned as HMS Broadwater (H-81)
on 2 Oct. 1940; escorting convoy SC48 between St. John's Newfoundland
and Iceland, Broadwater was torpedoed by U- 101
and sunk on 19 Oct. 1941.
USS McCalla (DD-253), commissioned as HMS Stanley
(I-73) on 23 Oct. 1940; escorting convoy HG76 from Gibraltar,
Stanley and accompanying vessels sank U-131 on 17
Dec. 1941 and U-434 on the following day; Stanley
was sunk by U-574 on 19 Dec. with the loss of all but 25
of her crew.
USS McCook (DD-252), commissioned as HMCS St Croix
(I-81) on 24 Sep. 1940; escorting convoy ON113 she attacked and
sank U-90 on 27 Jul. 1942; escorting convoy KMS10, St
Croix and Shediac sank U-87; while escorting
the combined convoys ON202 and ONS18, St Croix was twice
torpedoed by U-305 and sunk on 20 Sep. 1940; survivors
were taken aboard the frigate Itchen, which was sunk on
22 Sep. with very heavy loss of life; only one of St Croix's
crew of 147 survived.
USS McLanahan (DD-264), commissioned as HMS Bradford
(H-72) on 8 Oct. 1940; consigned for scrapping in Aug. 1946.
USS Meade (DD-274), commissioned as HMS Ramsey (G-60)
on 26 Nov. 1940; scrapped Jul. 1947.
USS Philip (DD-76), commissioned as HMS Lancaster
(G-05) on 23 Oct. 1940; scrapped 30 May 1947.
USS Ringgold (DD-89), commissioned as HMS Newark
(G-08) on 5 Dec. 1940; consigned for scrapping 18 Feb. 1947.
USS Robinson (DD-88), commissioned as HMS Newmarket
(G47) on 5 Dec. 1940; scrapped 21 Sep. 1945.
USS Rodgers (DD-254), commissioned as HMS Sherwood
(I-80) on 23 Oct. 1940; stripped of usable parts, Sherwood
was beached on 3 Oct. 1943 as a target for RAF rocket-equipped
Beaufighters.
USS Satterlee (DD-190), commissioned as HMS Belmont
(H-46) on 8 Oct. 1940; while escorting troop convoy NA2 from St,
John's, Newfoundland, Belmont was torpedoed by U-81
on 31 Jan. 1942 and sank with the loss of her entire ship's company.
USS Shubriak (DD-268), commissioned as HMS Ripley
(G-79) on 26 Nov. 1940; consigned for scrapping 10 Mar. 1945.
USS Sigourney (DD-81), commissioned as HMS Newport
(G-54) on 5 Dec. 1940; scrapped 18 Feb. 1947.
USS Stockton (DD-73), commissioned as HMS Ludlow
(G-57) on 23 Oct. 1940; stripped and beached as a target for rocket
firing aircraft off Fidra Island, United Kingdom.
USS Swasey (DD-273), commissioned as HMS Rockingham
(G-58) on 26 Nov. 1940; while returning to Aberdeen on 27 Sep.
1944, poor navigation brought her into the defensive minefields
off the east coast of the United Kingdom, and after striking a
mine Rockingham was abandoned and sank with the loss of
one life.
USS Thatcher (DD-162), commissioned as HMCS Niagara
(I-57) on 26 Sep. 1940; on 28 Aug. 1941 Niagara was involved
in the capture of U-570, which had surrendered to an RAF
Hudson the previous day; scrapped by the end of 1947.
USS Thomas (DD-182), commissioned as HMS St Albans
(I-15) on 23 Sep. 1940; while with convoy SCL81, St Albans
took part in the sinking of U-401 on 3 Aug. 1941; encountered
the Polish submarine Jastrzab, and in company with Seagull,
attacked and sank it in early 1942; transferred to Russia as
Dostoinyi on 16 Jul. 1944; returned to the Royal Navy on 28
Feb. 1949; towed for scrapping 18 May 1949.
USS Tillman (DD-135), commissioned HMS Wells (I-95)
on 5 Dec. 1940; scrapped Feb. 1946.
USS Twiggs (DD-127), commissioned as HMS Leamington
(G-19) on 23 Oct. 1940; during the fighting around convoy SC42
in the North Atlantic Leamington shared in the sinking
of U-207 on 11 Sep. 1941; while covering convoy WS17 in
the UK approaches, sank U-587 on 27 Mar. 1942; transferred
to Russia as Zhguchi on 17 Jul. 1944; returned on 15 Nov.
1950; hired for the film The Gifthorse, the last Town class
destroyer at sea under her own power; scrapped 3 Dec. 1951,
USS Abel P. Upshur (DD-193), commissioned as HMS Clare
(I-14) on 9 Sep. 1940; scrapped 18 Feb. 1947.
USS Welles (DD-257), commissioned as HMS Cameron
(I-05) on 9 Sep. 1940; Cameron never reached operational
service; hit and set on fire by an air raid in Portsmouth on 5
Dec. 1940, she was considered by the U.S. Navy as the worst damaged
but surviving destroyer available and was extensively studied
for explosive effects and damage control; consigned for scrapping
1 Dec. 1944.
USS Welborn C. Wood (DD-195), commissioned as HMS Chesterfield
(I-28) on 9 Sep. 1940; scrapped 3 Dec. 1948.
USS Wickes (DD-75), commissioned as HMS Montgomery
(G-95) on 25 Oct. 1940; on convoy escort Montgomery rescued
the survivors of Scottish Standard on 21 Feb. 1941 and
sank the Italian submarine Marcello the next day; scrapped
10 Apr. 1945.
USS Williams (DD-108), commissioned as HMCS St Clair
(I-65) on 29 Sep. 1940; scrapped 5 Mar. 1946.
USS Yarnell (DD-143), commissioned as HMS Lincoln
(G-42) on 23 Oct. 1940; transferred to Russia as Druzhny
on 26 Aug. 1944; returned to the Royal Navy on 24 Aug. 1952; scrapped
3 Sep. 1952.
Notes:
For diplomatic documents relating to the Destroyers for Bases
Agreement see:
US Dept. of State. The British Commonwealth, The Soviet Union,
the Near East and Africa. vol.3 of Foreign Relations of
the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1940. Washington; Government
Printing Office, 1958.
For the history of the destroyers while in US Navy service, see
Dictionary of American Naval
Fighting Ships.
3 November 1999