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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.

Topic
  • Boats-Ships--Destroyer
Document Type
  • Monograph-Research Report
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
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Location of Archival Materials

Destroyers Transferred to Great Britain as a Result of the Destroyers for Bases Agreement

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.

[END]

Published: Tue Mar 20 10:33:47 EDT 2018