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USS Goff (DD-247)
Encyclopedia
USS Goff (DD-247) was a Clemson-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during World War II
. She was named for Secretary of the Navy
Nathan Goff, Jr.
Goff, built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, was launched 2 June 1920; sponsored by Mrs. Nathan Goff, widow of the former Secretary of the Navy; and commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 19 January 1921, Lieutenant, junior grade
Rodman D. deKay in command.
fleet maneuvers as well as off the East Coast. In September 1922, the destroyer was detached from this duty and assigned to the Atlantic Fleet
, European Waters. Departing Norfolk, Virginia
on 14 October 1922, she cruised primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, putting in at ports in Turkey
, Bulgaria
, Russia, Egypt
, Palestine
, Syria
, Greece, and Romania
. It was a period of great unrest in the Balkans
and eastern Mediterranean: Greece and Turkey were at war, various powers were scrambling to consolidate after World War I
and gain control over the now-defunct Ottoman empire
, and Russia, although still wracked by the Russian Revolution
and its aftermath, was seeking further territory and an outlet to the Mediterranean. The presence of American men-of-war amidst this tension assisted various relief agencies working to mitigate the damage from past and present wars as well as protect American lives, interests, and property. Refugees from the Greek and Turkish conflict were frequently evacuated and cared for by the American fleet, and Goff participated in this humanitarian service, particularly at Marsina, where from 18 to 20 July 1923 she supervised evacuation of hundreds of Turkish refugees.
Returning to the United States on 11 August, Goff engaged in battle problems and tactical exercises off the East Coast and then on 3 January 1924 joined the Scouting Fleet for winter battle practice with the combined fleets in the Caribbean, Goff returned to Norfolk, Virginia
for further exercises and on 5 January 1925 sailed for Pearl Harbor
, arriving 24 April for fleet battle exercises. She returned to New York 17 July. This established pattern of coastwise exercises and fleet maneuvers was broken in the fall of 1926, as Goff and engaged in rescue work on the Isle of Pines
, Cuba, which had been devastated by the hurricane of 19–20 October. Flying in stores via Milwaukee's planes and sending their own doctors and medical supplies ashore, the two American ships gave aid to the stricken island and its predominantly American population.
After overhaul, Goff returned to the Caribbean in January 1927 with the Special Service Squadron
. Civil war was underway in Nicaragua
, and ships of the American fleet cruised along the coast to protect American lives and property, and to evacuate American citizens if necessary. From Nicaragua, Goff returned to her regular routine along the Atlantic coast, tactical exercises spiced by winter maneuvers in the Caribbean, a pattern to which she held for several years.
Routine was interrupted by occasional special tasks, the most notable of which came in June 1927. Goff was part of the flotilla which steamed out from the East Coast to greet and escort and her special passenger, Charles Lindbergh
, as he returned from his transatlantic flight to a hero's welcome in New York. Goff also in June 1930 carried the President-elect of Colombia
from Newport, Rhode Island
to West Point
. She decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 13 January 1931.
Recommissioning 2 March 1932, Lieutenant Commander
Walter M. Wynne commanding, Goff spent the following year cruising along the East Coast training naval reserve
crews. Revolution again flared up in the Caribbean, and Goff returned there 5 October 1933 to protect Americans in Cuba, where the conflict was located. Departing Cuba 2 April 1934, Goff resumed maneuvers along the East Coast until 9 November 1935, when she joined the Pacific Fleet at San Diego, California
. She remained in the Pacific, operating along the coast and taking part in Hawaiian exercises, until 4 January 1939, when she departed San Diego for New York. Arriving there 20 April, Goff again cruised the East Coast training reserves until 8 September, when she entered New England
waters on Neutrality Patrol
.
After overhaul and refitting for European duty at New York, Goff joined Destroyer Division 55 at Ponta Delgada, Azores, on 29 June 1940 to take her place as flagship
of the division. Cruising to Portugal, Goff and her division operated out of Lisbon
, engaging in various exercises before returning to Norfolk 21 September.
to Balboa
, Panama Canal Zone
, arriving 31 October to take up Caribbean patrol and guard duty for the Panama Canal. After America's entry into the war in December 1941, Goff remained in the Caribbean to do double duty, as both a convoy escort and patrol vessel. This area was heavily trafficked by German U-boat
s, and the undermanned Allied convoys (as many as 25 merchantmen with only four escorts) frequently provided easy targets. Night attacks by German submarines cost convoys which Goff was escorting a total of eight merchantmen sunk and several others seriously damaged. The destroyer was worked hard: she was out on patrol and convoy duty 10 days at a time and then in port only long enough to refuel and resupply; when this could be done at sea, it was. Escorts were at a premium as the Allies struggled to maintain their supply lines.
Goff finally had her chance to inflict real damage on the German U-boats as she left the Caribbean on 16 June 1943 and put in at New York for a long-needed overhaul. At Norfolk on 27 July, she joined , and to form an offensive antisubmarine patrol which conducted two highly successful patrols across the Atlantic. The close coordination between the carrier's planes and her destroyer screen was effective, during the period Goff was with the carrier, 27 July-9 November 1943, they made two voyages from Norfolk to Casablanca
and were credited with sinking no fewer than eight U-boats. These patrols came to a dramatic conclusion when on 1 November Borie rammed and sunk a U-boat, but was herself fatally damaged in the process. For these two patrols Goff was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation (US)
.
After brief overhaul at New York, Goff returned to Atlantic escort duty as on 28 November she and Barry convoyed , loaded with aeronautical supplies and personnel, from Norfolk to Casablanca and then on to Reykjavík
, Iceland
, returning to New York on 31 December. Goff spent the first 7 months of 1944 with Albemarle, shepherding the tender safely to San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago
, Casablanca, Recife
, Brazil
, and Avonmouth
, England, before putting in at Boston, Massachusetts on 13 July 1944 for overhaul.
Repairs completed, Goff engaged in antisubmarine practice at Casco Bay, Maine, and then on 28 August sailed for Key West, arriving 3 days later. At the Florida port she was attached to the Fleet Sound School and served in a variety of duties, including antisubmarine work, harbor guard, and target vessel for ships and planes in training. The destroyer departed Key West for Philadelphia on 9 June 1945, arriving there 2 days later.
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...
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 Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
Nathan Goff, Jr.
Nathan Goff, Jr.
Nathan Goff, Jr. was a member of the United States Congress from West Virginia, who also served briefly as United States Secretary of the Navy during the Rutherford B. Hayes administration, and as a United States federal judge.-Biography:Goff was born at The Waldomore in Clarksburg, Harrison...
Goff, built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, was launched 2 June 1920; sponsored by Mrs. Nathan Goff, widow of the former Secretary of the Navy; and commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 19 January 1921, Lieutenant, junior grade
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...
Rodman D. deKay in command.
Service history
For the first 2 years of her long service, Goff operated along the Atlantic coast, conducting battle practice and exercises in the yearly CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
fleet maneuvers as well as off the East Coast. In September 1922, the destroyer was detached from this duty and assigned to the Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
, European Waters. Departing 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....
on 14 October 1922, she cruised primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, putting in at ports in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Russia, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Greece, and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. It was a period of great unrest in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and eastern Mediterranean: Greece and Turkey were at war, various powers were scrambling to consolidate after 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...
and gain control over the now-defunct Ottoman empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and Russia, although still wracked by the Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
and its aftermath, was seeking further territory and an outlet to the Mediterranean. The presence of American men-of-war amidst this tension assisted various relief agencies working to mitigate the damage from past and present wars as well as protect American lives, interests, and property. Refugees from the Greek and Turkish conflict were frequently evacuated and cared for by the American fleet, and Goff participated in this humanitarian service, particularly at Marsina, where from 18 to 20 July 1923 she supervised evacuation of hundreds of Turkish refugees.
Returning to the United States on 11 August, Goff engaged in battle problems and tactical exercises off the East Coast and then on 3 January 1924 joined the Scouting Fleet for winter battle practice with the combined fleets in the Caribbean, Goff returned to 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....
for further exercises and on 5 January 1925 sailed for Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, arriving 24 April for fleet battle exercises. She returned to New York 17 July. This established pattern of coastwise exercises and fleet maneuvers was broken in the fall of 1926, as Goff and engaged in rescue work on the Isle of Pines
Isle of Youth
Isla de la Juventud is the second-largest Cuban island and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies . The island has an area and is 100 km south of the island of Cuba, across the Gulf of Batabanó...
, Cuba, which had been devastated by the hurricane of 19–20 October. Flying in stores via Milwaukee's planes and sending their own doctors and medical supplies ashore, the two American ships gave aid to the stricken island and its predominantly American population.
After overhaul, Goff returned to the Caribbean in January 1927 with the Special Service Squadron
Special Service Squadron
The Special Service Squadron was a component of the United States Navy during the 1920s and 1930s.Under the United States Fleet, the squadron patrolled the Caribbean Sea as an instrument of gunboat diplomacy. It was headquartered in Balboa, Panama Canal Zone.-Commanders:* C.H. Hockson 1907 * Henry...
. Civil war was underway in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, and ships of the American fleet cruised along the coast to protect American lives and property, and to evacuate American citizens if necessary. From Nicaragua, Goff returned to her regular routine along the Atlantic coast, tactical exercises spiced by winter maneuvers in the Caribbean, a pattern to which she held for several years.
Routine was interrupted by occasional special tasks, the most notable of which came in June 1927. Goff was part of the flotilla which steamed out from the East Coast to greet and escort and her special passenger, Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
, as he returned from his transatlantic flight to a hero's welcome in New York. Goff also in June 1930 carried the President-elect of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
from Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
to West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
. She decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 13 January 1931.
Recommissioning 2 March 1932, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Walter M. Wynne commanding, Goff spent the following year cruising along the East Coast training naval reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
crews. Revolution again flared up in the Caribbean, and Goff returned there 5 October 1933 to protect Americans in Cuba, where the conflict was located. Departing Cuba 2 April 1934, Goff resumed maneuvers along the East Coast until 9 November 1935, when she joined the Pacific Fleet at 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...
. She remained in the Pacific, operating along the coast and taking part in Hawaiian exercises, until 4 January 1939, when she departed San Diego for New York. Arriving there 20 April, Goff again cruised the East Coast training reserves until 8 September, when she entered New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
waters 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...
.
After overhaul and refitting for European duty at New York, Goff joined Destroyer Division 55 at Ponta Delgada, Azores, on 29 June 1940 to take her place as flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the division. Cruising to Portugal, Goff and her division operated out of Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, engaging in various exercises before returning to Norfolk 21 September.
World War II
Joining DesDiv 67 as flagship, Goff escorted from New London, ConnecticutNew London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
to Balboa
Balboa, Panama
Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.- History :The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish conquistador credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean...
, 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...
, arriving 31 October to take up Caribbean patrol and guard duty for the Panama Canal. After America's entry into the war in December 1941, Goff remained in the Caribbean to do double duty, as both a convoy escort and patrol vessel. This area was heavily trafficked by German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s, and the undermanned Allied convoys (as many as 25 merchantmen with only four escorts) frequently provided easy targets. Night attacks by German submarines cost convoys which Goff was escorting a total of eight merchantmen sunk and several others seriously damaged. The destroyer was worked hard: she was out on patrol and convoy duty 10 days at a time and then in port only long enough to refuel and resupply; when this could be done at sea, it was. Escorts were at a premium as the Allies struggled to maintain their supply lines.
Goff finally had her chance to inflict real damage on the German U-boats as she left the Caribbean on 16 June 1943 and put in at New York for a long-needed overhaul. At Norfolk on 27 July, she joined , and to form an offensive antisubmarine patrol which conducted two highly successful patrols across the Atlantic. The close coordination between the carrier's planes and her destroyer screen was effective, during the period Goff was with the carrier, 27 July-9 November 1943, they made two voyages from Norfolk to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
and were credited with sinking no fewer than eight U-boats. These patrols came to a dramatic conclusion when on 1 November Borie rammed and sunk a U-boat, but was herself fatally damaged in the process. For these two patrols Goff was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation (US)
Presidential Unit Citation (US)
The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
.
After brief overhaul at New York, Goff returned to Atlantic escort duty as on 28 November she and Barry convoyed , loaded with aeronautical supplies and personnel, from Norfolk to Casablanca and then on to Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, 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...
, returning to New York on 31 December. Goff spent the first 7 months of 1944 with Albemarle, shepherding the tender safely to San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago
San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago
San Juan is a town in Trinidad and Tobago. It lies in North Eastern Trinidad, between Barataria and St. Joseph.It is a busy town in the East-West Corridor; the centre of town is known as the Croisee. Population is 54,900 , and it is the third city of the country, larger than the capital. San Juan...
, Casablanca, Recife
Recife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
, England, before putting in at Boston, Massachusetts on 13 July 1944 for overhaul.
Repairs completed, Goff engaged in antisubmarine practice at Casco Bay, Maine, and then on 28 August sailed for Key West, arriving 3 days later. At the Florida port she was attached to the Fleet Sound School and served in a variety of duties, including antisubmarine work, harbor guard, and target vessel for ships and planes in training. The destroyer departed Key West for Philadelphia on 9 June 1945, arriving there 2 days later.
Fate
Goff decommissioned at Philadelphia on 21 July 1945, after 24 years of service, and was struck from the Navy Register on 13 August 1945. Sold to the Boston Metal Salvage Company, Baltimore, Maryland, on 30 November 1945, she was resold to the Northern Metal Company, Philadelphia, on 31 December 1945 and scrapped in November 1947.External links
- http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/247.htm