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USS Dahlgren (DD-187)
Encyclopedia
USS Dahlgren (DD-187/AG-91) was a Clemson-class
destroyer
which served in the United States Navy
during World War II
.
She was named for Rear Admiral
John A. Dahlgren
(1809–1870), and was the second ship of three which served in the US Navy to receive the name.
Dahlgren was launched
20 November 1918 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company
, Newport News, Virginia
; sponsored by Mrs. J. Pierce, daughter of Rear Admiral Dahlgren; and commissioned
6 January 1920, Commander
L. Sahm in command.
waters, off Guantanamo Bay and in the Panama Canal Zone
. She took part in the Presidential Fleet Review at Norfolk, Virginia
in April 1921, and in bombing tests on former German
ships off the Virginia
coast that summer. On 30 June 1922, she was placed out of commission at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
Recommissioned 25 October 1932, Dahlgren stood out of Norfolk 7 November for San Diego, California
, arriving 30 November. Destroyer operations engaged her along the west coast until April 1934 when fleet exercises brought her to the Atlantic. In January 1935 she returned to San Diego. After a period of similar operations on the west coast, she sailed again for the east on 1 July 1937, and having rescued the crew of a Coast Guard
seaplane
in passage, arrived at New York 21 July 1937. She served in engineering experiments until 14 June 1940.
and Newport, Rhode Island
on patrols and escorted submarines in their training, and from January to 1 April 1941 she served in the Patuxent River, Maryland, in experiments in ordnance and submarine detection. Through the summer of 1941, she tested a variable pitch propeller
, and subsequently escorted a new cruiser
during her trials. On 4 January 1942, Dahlgren arrived at Key West
to escort in operations in the Gulf of Mexico
. She returned to New York 8 February for a brief period of coastal patrol, and on 24 March sailed to Key West to serve the Fleet Sonar School
and carry out patrols. During these operations, she rescued 57 survivors of on 15 July 1942, and nine survivors of K-74 on 19 July 1943.
On 11 January 1945, Dahlgren arrived at Charleston, South Carolina
to operate with submarine
s in training until 1 March, when she was reclassified AG-91. She served the Mine Warfare Test Station at Solomons Island, Maryland, until 16 November 1945 when she moored at Philadelphia Navy Yard. There she was decommissioned 14 December 1945, and sold 17 June 1946.
Clemson class destroyer
The Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.The Clemson-class ships were commissioned by the United States Navy from 1919 to 1922, built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, New York Shipbuilding...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
which served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
She was named for Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
John A. Dahlgren
John A. Dahlgren
John Adolphus Bernard Dahlgren was a United States Navy leader. He headed the Union Navy's ordnance department during the American Civil War and designed several different kinds of guns and cannons that were considered part of the reason the Union won the war...
(1809–1870), and was the second ship of three which served in the US Navy to receive the name.
Dahlgren was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
20 November 1918 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company
Northrop Grumman Newport News
Newport News Shipbuilding , originally Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , was the largest privately-owned shipyard in the United States prior to being purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2001...
, Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
; sponsored by Mrs. J. Pierce, daughter of Rear Admiral Dahlgren; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
6 January 1920, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
L. Sahm in command.
Service history
Dahlgren joined the Atlantic Fleet for exercises and training along the east coast, in MexicanMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
waters, off Guantanamo Bay and in the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
. She took part in the Presidential Fleet Review at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
in April 1921, and in bombing tests on former German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
ships off the Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
coast that summer. On 30 June 1922, she was placed out of commission at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
.
Recommissioned 25 October 1932, Dahlgren stood out of Norfolk 7 November for San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, arriving 30 November. Destroyer operations engaged her along the west coast until April 1934 when fleet exercises brought her to the Atlantic. In January 1935 she returned to San Diego. After a period of similar operations on the west coast, she sailed again for the east on 1 July 1937, and having rescued the crew of a Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
in passage, arrived at New York 21 July 1937. She served in engineering experiments until 14 June 1940.
World War II
Dahlgren sailed out of NorfolkNaval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
and Newport, Rhode Island
Naval Station Newport
The Naval Station Newport is a United States Navy base located in the towns of Newport and Middletown, Rhode Island. Naval Station Newport is home to the Naval War College and the Naval Justice School...
on patrols and escorted submarines in their training, and from January to 1 April 1941 she served in the Patuxent River, Maryland, in experiments in ordnance and submarine detection. Through the summer of 1941, she tested a variable pitch propeller
Controllable pitch propeller
A controllable pitch propeller or variable pitch propeller is a type of propeller with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change their pitch...
, and subsequently escorted a new cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
during her trials. On 4 January 1942, Dahlgren arrived at Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
to escort in operations in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. She returned to New York 8 February for a brief period of coastal patrol, and on 24 March sailed to Key West to serve the Fleet Sonar School
Fleet Sonar School
The Fleet Sonar School was a United States Navy facility in Key West, Florida for the training of Service personnel in Sonar techniques and equipment, and Anti-submarine warfare....
and carry out patrols. During these operations, she rescued 57 survivors of on 15 July 1942, and nine survivors of K-74 on 19 July 1943.
On 11 January 1945, Dahlgren arrived at Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
to operate with submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s in training until 1 March, when she was reclassified AG-91. She served the Mine Warfare Test Station at Solomons Island, Maryland, until 16 November 1945 when she moored at Philadelphia Navy Yard. There she was decommissioned 14 December 1945, and sold 17 June 1946.