Clemson Class Destroyer - History

History

Fourteen ships of the class were involved in the Honda Point Disaster in 1923, of which seven were lost.

Most never saw wartime service, as many were decommissioned in 1930 and scrapped as part of the London Naval Treaty. In 1936 only some 169 of the flush deck destroyers would be left, four of them Caldwell class and the rest of them Wickes and Clemson class.

Nineteen were transferred to the Royal Navy in 1940 as part of the Destroyers for Bases Agreement where they became part of the Town class. Others were upgraded or converted to high speed transports or seaplane tenders and served through World War II.

Most ships remaining in service during World War II were rearmed with dual-purpose 3"/50 caliber guns to provide better anti-aircraft protection. The AVD seaplane tender conversions received 2 guns; the APD transport, DM minelayer, and DMS minesweeper conversions received 3 guns, and those retaining destroyer classification received 6. Their original low-angle 4"/50 caliber guns (Mark 9) were transferred to Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships for anti-submarine protection. For the ships converted to minesweepers, the twelve 21-inch (530 mm) torpedo tubes were replaced by minesweeping gear.

USS Stewart (DD-224) was scuttled at Soerabaja on March 2, 1942, following the surrender of the Dutch East Indies to the Japanese. She was raised, repaired and recomissioned as a patrol boat by the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was recaptured by the US Navy following the end of World War II. In addition, 17 Clemson-class destroyers were lost during the war.