The third USS Decatur (DD-341) was a Clemson-class

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...

 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...

 following World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. She was named for Stephen Decatur

Stephen Decatur

Stephen Decatur, Jr. , was an American naval officer notable for his many naval victories in the early 19th century. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester county, the son of a U.S. Naval Officer who served during the American Revolution. Shortly after attending college Decatur...

.

History

The third Decatur (DD-341) was launched 29 October 1921 by Mare Island Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. J. S. McKean; and commissioned 9 August 1922, Lieutenant

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...

 C. K. Osborne in command.

After completing her trials Decatur sailed to San Diego where she was placed out of commission 17 January 1923. She was recommissioned 26 September 1923 and became flagship of Destroyer Squadron 11, Battle Fleet. Until 1937 she operated along the western seaboard, and in Caribbean and Hawaiian waters. From April to September 1925 she cruised to Samoa, New Zealand, and Australia, and in April 1926 made an extensive survey of the Mexican coast. She embarked Secretary of the Navy C. D. Wilbur at Bremerton, Wash., 28 July 1926 and cruised for official visits at Alaskan ports, returning to Bremerton 6 August. She transported the Haitian Commission to Santiago, Cuba, arriving 14 March 1930, then visited New York and Chesapeake Bay for the Presidential Fleet Review of 19 May before returning to the west coast in June.

Decatur arrived at Norfolk 22 February 1937 for duty with the Training Detachment of the U.S. Fleet. She escorted President F. D. Roosevelt in to New Orleans and Texas, then served in Midshipman and Naval Reserve training cruises and on Neutrality patrol

Neutrality Patrol

At the beginning of World War II, when Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 started the hostilities in Europe, President Franklin D...

 along the eastern seaboard to Cuba until September 1941.

World War II

Arriving at Argentia, Newfoundland, 14 September 1941, Decatur served on convoy escort and patrol to ports in Iceland until returning to Boston 17 May 1942. From 4 June to 25 August she operated on convoy duty between Norfolk and Key West, then between New York and Guantanamo Bay from 30 August to 13 October. Until 14 January 1943 she escorted ships out to sea and to Boston from New York, then departed 11 February for the Mediterranean sailing by way of and returning to Aruba, Netherlands West Indies. She made four more voyages from New York and Aruba to the Mediterranean until 1 October.

Decatur joined the task group centered about USS Card and sailed from Norfolk 24 November 1943 for an antisubmarine sweep, returning to New York 3 January 1944. From 26 January to 17 February she escorted a convoy to Panama, returning with another to Hampton Roads. On 13 March she cleared Norfolk as flagship of TF 64, escorting a large convoy to Bizerte, Tunisia. On the last day of March while sailing between Oran and Algiers, the force successfully repelled a coordinated strike of German submarines and planes, to arrive at its destination 3 April. Eight days later Decatur was en route to the United States, arriving at Boston 2 May, for brief overhaul and refresher training.

Fate

Arriving at Norfolk 2 July 1944 Decatur sailed from this port on escort and training duty in the Caribbean Sea until the last day of June 1945 when she entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for inactivation. She was decommissioned there 28 July 1945 and sold 30 November 1945.

Cruises

• April - September 1925 - cruised to Samoa
  Samoa
  Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
  
  , New Zealand
  New Zealand
  New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
  
  , and Australia
  Australia
  Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
  
  
• April 1926 - Surveyed Mexican
  Mexico
  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...
  
   coast
• 28 July 1926 - Embarked Secretary of the Navy Curtis D. Wilbur
  Curtis D. Wilbur
  Curtis Dwight Wilbur was born in Iowa. He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1884. Shortly after graduation, Curtis Wilbur resigned his commission, a common practice at the time, and moved to Riverside, California. He was admitted to the California bar in 1890 and served as Los...
  
   at Bremerton, Washington
  Bremerton, Washington
  Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
  
  , began official visits to Alaska
  Alaska
  Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
  
  n ports, returning to Bremerton 6 August 1926
• 14 March 1930 - Arrived in Santiago, Cuba, transporting the Haitian Commission; visited New York and Chesapeake Bay for the Presidential Fleet Review, 19 May
• June 1930 - Returned to West Coast
• 22 February 1937 Arrived at Norfolk
  Norfolk Naval Shipyard
  The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
  
   for duty with US Fleet Training Detachment; escorted President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Potomac to New Orleans and Texas
  Texas
  Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
  
  ; served in Midshipman and Naval Reserve training cruises and on Neutrality Patrol
  Neutrality Patrol
  At the beginning of World War II, when Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 started the hostilities in Europe, President Franklin D...
  
   along the Eastern Seaboard to Cuba
  Cuba
  The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
  
   until September 1941
• 14 September 1941 - Arrived at NS Argentia
  Naval Station Argentia
  Naval Station Argentia is a former base of the United States Navy that operated from 1941-1994. It was established in the community of Argentia in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland, which later became the tenth Canadian province .-Construction:Established under the British-U.S...
  
  , Newfoundland
  Dominion of Newfoundland
  The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
  
  , served as convoy escort and patrol to ports in Iceland; returned to Boston
  Boston
  Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
  
   17 May 1942
• 4 June – 25 August 1942 - Operated on convoy duty between Norfolk and 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....
  
  
• 30 August – 13 October 1942 - Operated on convoy duty between New York
  New York
  New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
  
   and Guantanamo Bay
  Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
  Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
  
  ; until 14 January 1943 escorted ships out to sea and to Boston from New York
• 11 February 1943 - Departed for the Mediterranean sailing by way of and returning to Aruba
  Aruba
  Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
  
  , Netherlands West Indies; made four more voyages from New York and Aruba to the Mediterranean until 1 October
• 24 November 1943 - Sailed from Norfolk in task group centered about Card for an antisubmarine sweep; returned to New York 3 January 1944.
• 26 January – 17 February 1944 - escorted a convoy to Panama
  Panama
  Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
  
  , returning with another to Hampton Roads
  Hampton Roads
  Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
  
  .
• 13 March 1944 - Left Norfolk as flagship of TF 64, escorting a large convoy to Bizerte, Tunisia; March while sailing between Oran and Algiers, the force successfully repelled a coordinated strike of German submarines and planes on 30 March to arrive at its destination 3 April;
• 11 April – 2 May 1944 - Cruised from Bizerte to Boston for brief overhaul and refresher training
• 2 July 1944 - Arrived at Norfolk for escort and training duty in the Caribbean Sea
• 30 June 1945 - Entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
  Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
  The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
  
   for inactivation

Convoys escorted

Convoy	Escort Group	Dates	Notes
HX 151 HX convoys The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom...		24 Sept-1 Oct 1941	from Newfoundland Dominion of Newfoundland The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...  to Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...  prior to US declaration of war
ON 24 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:...		13-15 Oct 1941	from Iceland to Newfoundland prior to US declaration of war
SC 48 Convoy SC 48 SC 48 was a North Atlantic convoy of the SC series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II.It was notable for being the occasion of the Kearny incident, which brought the United States one step closer to war with Germany.-Prelude:...		16-17 Oct 1941	battle reinforcement prior to US declaration of war
HX 159 HX convoys The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom...		10-19 Nov 1941	from Newfoundland to Iceland prior to US declaration of war
ON 39 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:...		29 Nov-4 Dec 1941	from Iceland to Newfoundland prior to US declaration of war
HX 166 HX convoys The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom...		21-31 Dec 1941	from Newfoundland to Iceland
ON 53 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:...		9-19 Jan 1942	from Iceland to Newfoundland
HX 173 HX convoys The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom...		3-10 Feb 1942	from Newfoundland to Iceland
HX 175 HX convoys The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom...		15-23 Feb 1942	from Newfoundland to Iceland
SC 77 SC convoys The SC convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys that ran during the battle of the Atlantic during World War II.They were east-bound slow convoys originating in Sydney, Cape Breton ; from there they sailed to ports in the UK, mainly Liverpool.For a time after the entry of the...		11-14 April 1942	from Newfoundland to Iceland
ON 86 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:...	MOEF group A4 Mid-Ocean Escort Force Mid-Ocean Escort Force referred to the organization of anti-submarine escorts for World War II trade convoys between Canada and the British Isles...	15-17 April 1942	from Iceland to Newfoundland
ON 91 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:...	MOEF group A2 Mid-Ocean Escort Force Mid-Ocean Escort Force referred to the organization of anti-submarine escorts for World War II trade convoys between Canada and the British Isles...	1-5 May 1942	from Iceland to Newfoundland

Honors

She received two battle stars for World War II service, and was sold for scrap 30 November 1945.

External links

• http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/341.htm