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USS Fanning (DD-37) 

Please see below for item level images and donated collections containing photographs of USS Fanning (DD-37) 

USS Fanning (DD-37) was laid down on 6 December 1910 at Newport News, Va., by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co.; launched on 11 January 1912 and sponsored by Mrs. Kenneth McAlpine, wife of Capt. Kenneth McAlpine, Inspector of Machinery for the U.S. Navy at Newport News. Accepted by the Navy on 20 June 1912, USS Fanning (DD-37) was commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va., on 21 June 1912, Ens. John Borland in command.

Attached to the Fifth Division of the Atlantic Fleet’s Destroyer Force, USS Fanning (DD-37) spent her early years engaged in trial runs and training, with her crew learning ship handling. Clearing Norfolk on 8 January 1916, USS Fanning (DD-37) reached Culebra, Puerto Rico, a week later, on the 15th, to carry out winter maneuvers in the Caribbean. In addition, she carried out reconnaissance of the coasts of San Domingo and Haiti. 

Standing in to Newport harbor on 1 October 1916, USS Fanning (DD-37) conducted torpedo proving practice daily over the ensuing days. On 8 October 1916, USS Fanning (DD-37) cast off and stood out to sea to proceed to those waters, and reached the scene at 5:30, the destroyer sighting U-53 and the Dutch steamer Blommersdijk hove-to nearby about a mile to the east, and the British passenger ship Stephano three miles to the northeastward. Following an experimental oiling at sea, replenishing her bunkers from Jason (Fuel Ship No. 12) (14-25 October 1916), USS Fanning (DD-37) resumed torpedo practice in the waters of Menemsha Bight, after which she put in to Newport. 

Fanning was escorting convoy H. S. 12 on 18 October 1917, which included in its company the British steamship Madura – bound, ultimately, for France with a varied cargo that ranged from locomotives to lumber – that fell behind the other ships. Almost exactly a month later, however, on 17 November 1917, USS Fanning (DD-37) was escorting convoy O.Q. 20 in waters south of Ireland. Following a drydocking at Birkenhead (15-22 February 1918), USS Fanning (DD-37) did not encounter the undersea enemy for almost three months. On 4 June 1918, USS Fanning (DD-37) escorted a convoy to Brest, France, arriving there on the 8th, and would operate thence into the autumn. USS Fanning (DD-37) received orders on 20 June 1927 assigning her temporarily to Division Three as a replacement for USS Wainwright (CG-24) which was undergoing overhaul. Upon USS Wainwright’s return to duty, Fanning returned to Division Four.

USS Fanning (DD-37) was ordered, on 30 January 1930, to be laid up in ordinary at New London, Conn., after her return from target practice. She, however, became unavailable on 27 February after colliding with the British steamer Alpaca and suffering her stem and bow plating being badly twisted, leading to the recommendation that she be laid up at once.  The Coast Guard decommissioned USS Fanning (DD-37) at New London on 1 April 1930. Ordered to be towed to Philadelphia Navy Yard on 12 August, she was turned over to the Coast Guard representative there and returned to the Navy Department on 24 November.

For a complet history of USS Fanning (DD-37) please see its DANFS page.