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USS Hambleton (DD-455)
Encyclopedia
USS Hambleton (DD-455/DMS-20) was a of the United States Navy
, named for Purser Samuel Hambleton (1777–1851).
Hambleton was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J.
, on 16 December 1940, launched on 26 September 1941, sponsored by Mrs. Nannie Hambleton Martin, great grandniece of Samuel Hambleton; and commissioned
on 22 December 1941, Commander
Forrest Close in command.
on 31 January 1942, in company with , Hambleton began a shakedown, unique in wartime, that took her through the Panama Canal
to Callao
, Peru
; Valparaiso
, Chile
; Guayaquil
, Ecuador
; Cartagena, Colombia
; and Balboa
, C.Z.
She was diverted for antisubmarine search north of Cuba
in early March, and on 15 March 1942 rescued six men on a life raft who had survived the torpedoing of . After antisubmarine patrol along the East Coast and intensive training in Casco Bay
, Maine
, Hambleton sailed as escort to and on 14 April. Reaching Africa's Gold Coast 10 May, Ranger launched her cargo of Curtiss P-40
s for the North African fighting and headed back to the West Indies. In heavy rain and low visibility on 17 May, Hambleton collided with and had to proceed to San Juan
and then Charleston Navy Yard for repairs.
Hambleton joined a fast troop transport out of New York
on 1 July, sailed for Ireland and arrived on 11 July. Immediately she reported for duty with the Joint British and American Naval Forces In Europe. With Royal Navy
personnel on board as communications liaison, she conducted antisubmarine patrols and served as plane guard for through August. She then returned to the United States for duty along the coast in preparation for Operation Torch
, the forthcoming invasion of North Africa.
Hambleton joined the invasion fleet on 28 October, and as part of Admiral
H. Kent Hewitt's Western Naval Task Force, she screened during operations against airfields in French Morocco
on D-Day
, 8 November. As she lay anchored by off Fedala
in the evening of 11 November 1942, Hambleton was struck amidships on the port side by a U-boat
torpedo
. With all power gone, the destroyer took a 12 degree list to starboard as her damage control parties worked swiftly to jettison topside weights and shore up weakened bulkheads. The crippled ship was towed to Casablanca
for temporary repairs. Seabees there cut the ship in two, removed a 40 feet (12.2 m) section of her damaged hull, then joined the two remaining halves together. Escorted by a tug, Hambleton reached Boston
28 June 1943 for permanent repairs.
in April 1944, and began to prepare for her role in the Normandy invasion. Operating in the Western Mediterranean with seven other destroyers and British scout planes, she sank U-616 on 17 May after an intensive 4-day pursuit of the German marauder. From the Mediterranean Hambleton sailed to Plymouth
, England, staging area for the epochal invasion. She escorted a large convoy of LSTs to the landing areas on 7 June, D-Day plus 1, and remained off Omaha Beach
for critical shore bombardment and screening duties. In the early morning hours of 9 June, Hambletons radar picked up several contacts, soon determined to be Nazi E-boat
s. Her guns blazing, Hambleton set out after the enemy. In a 4-hour running gun battle, she sank one and severely damaged another of the five German boats. After returning for provisions at Portland
, England, Hambleton was back on the line for the Bombardment of Cherbourg
25 June.
Hambleton departed Belfast
, Northern Ireland
on 4 July, and steamed to the Mediterranean, touching Oran, Algeria
, 10 July and reaching Naples
, Italy, on 15 July. On 11 August, she participated in the bombardment of shore positions on the southern coast of France prior to Operation Anvil
, the invasion of that vital area. Hambleton remained in the Mediterranean for patrol and screening duty until sailing to Boston on 25 October. Arriving Boston on 8 November, the battle-training destroyer was converted into a high speed minesweeper and redesignated DMS-20 on 15 November.
, and Eniwetok, she arrived Ulithi
9 March 1945, to prepare for the invasion of Okinawa
, the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific. Departing on 19 March, she arrived off Okinawa, the gateway to the heart of the Japanese Empire, 23 March. Prior to the invasion 1 April, she cleared channels and anchorages for the 1,200 ships taking part in the invasion. During the long campaign that followed, she operated off Okinawa to sweep, screen, patrol, and provide fire support. She was under almost constant attack from the air. Although damaged on 3 April by a kamikaze
, which splashed close aboard her port quarter, Hambleton remained on duty as part of the mighty fleet that had come to the Ryukyu Islands
to stay, despite all the Japanese could unleash.
With Okinawa nearly secured, Hambleton and her sister ships deployed to the East China Sea
in mid-July to begin massive sweeping of this area. In a month they cleared more than 600 miles (965.6 km) from the 7200 square miles (18,647.9 km²) area in one of the largest sweep operations yet launched. Hambleton was in the East China Sea for a second such mission when Japanese acceptance of peace terms was announced 15 August. Joining Admiral William F. Halsey's 3rd Fleet off Tokyo, Hambleton steamed into Tokyo Bay
28 August to clear the way for the occupation forces. In the next few months Hambleton swept a total of 184 mines from Japanese minefields in various straits and channels. During this period she rode out four typhoons, one of which battered her with 60 feet (18.3 m) waves. Departing Japanese waters 20 November, Hambleton steamed via Eniwetok, Pearl Harbor, and San Diego to Norfolk arriving late December.
After returning to Charleston from her third Mediterranean cruise on 6 July 1954, Hambleton decommissioned on 15 January 1955, and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She was reclassified DD-455 the same day.
Hambleton was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 June 1971. She was sold 22 November 1972 and broken up for scrap.
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...
, named for Purser Samuel Hambleton (1777–1851).
Hambleton was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J.
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
, on 16 December 1940, launched on 26 September 1941, sponsored by Mrs. Nannie Hambleton Martin, great grandniece of Samuel Hambleton; 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...
on 22 December 1941, 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...
Forrest Close in command.
1942-1943
Departing 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...
on 31 January 1942, in company with , Hambleton began a shakedown, unique in wartime, that took her through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
to Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
; Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
; Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
; Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
; and 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...
, C.Z.
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 was diverted for antisubmarine search north of 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...
in early March, and on 15 March 1942 rescued six men on a life raft who had survived the torpedoing of . After antisubmarine patrol along the East Coast and intensive training in Casco Bay
Casco Bay
Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Hambleton sailed as escort to and on 14 April. Reaching Africa's Gold Coast 10 May, Ranger launched her cargo of Curtiss P-40
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
s for the North African fighting and headed back to the West Indies. In heavy rain and low visibility on 17 May, Hambleton collided with and had to proceed to San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
and then Charleston Navy Yard for repairs.
Hambleton joined a fast troop transport out of 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...
on 1 July, sailed for Ireland and arrived on 11 July. Immediately she reported for duty with the Joint British and American Naval Forces In Europe. With Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
personnel on board as communications liaison, she conducted antisubmarine patrols and served as plane guard for through August. She then returned to the United States for duty along the coast in preparation for Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the forthcoming invasion of North Africa.
Hambleton joined the invasion fleet on 28 October, and as part of Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
H. Kent Hewitt's Western Naval Task Force, she screened during operations against airfields in French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
on D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, 8 November. As she lay anchored by off Fedala
Mohammedia
Mohammedia is a port city on the west coast of Morocco located between Casablanca and Rabat in the region of Greater Casablanca. It hosts the most important oil refinery of Morocco, Samir, which makes it the center of the Moroccan petrol...
in the evening of 11 November 1942, Hambleton was struck amidships on the port side by a 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...
torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
. With all power gone, the destroyer took a 12 degree list to starboard as her damage control parties worked swiftly to jettison topside weights and shore up weakened bulkheads. The crippled ship was towed 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...
for temporary repairs. Seabees there cut the ship in two, removed a 40 feet (12.2 m) section of her damaged hull, then joined the two remaining halves together. Escorted by a tug, Hambleton reached Boston
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
28 June 1943 for permanent repairs.
1944
After a second shakedown in the Caribbean and training along the East Coast, Hambleton escorted a convoy to OranOran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
in April 1944, and began to prepare for her role in the Normandy invasion. Operating in the Western Mediterranean with seven other destroyers and British scout planes, she sank U-616 on 17 May after an intensive 4-day pursuit of the German marauder. From the Mediterranean Hambleton sailed to Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, England, staging area for the epochal invasion. She escorted a large convoy of LSTs to the landing areas on 7 June, D-Day plus 1, and remained off Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
for critical shore bombardment and screening duties. In the early morning hours of 9 June, Hambletons radar picked up several contacts, soon determined to be Nazi E-boat
E-boat
E-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
s. Her guns blazing, Hambleton set out after the enemy. In a 4-hour running gun battle, she sank one and severely damaged another of the five German boats. After returning for provisions at Portland
Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid reference: .-History:...
, England, Hambleton was back on the line for the Bombardment of Cherbourg
Bombardment of Cherbourg
The Bombardment of Cherbourg was undertaken by ships of the United States Navy and Royal Navy on June 25, 1944 to support United States Army units engaged in the Battle of Cherbourg. The Allied force attacked the German fortifications near the city and engaged in a duel with coastal batteries...
25 June.
Hambleton departed Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
on 4 July, and steamed to the Mediterranean, touching Oran, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, 10 July and reaching Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy, on 15 July. On 11 August, she participated in the bombardment of shore positions on the southern coast of France prior to Operation Anvil
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, the invasion of that vital area. Hambleton remained in the Mediterranean for patrol and screening duty until sailing to Boston on 25 October. Arriving Boston on 8 November, the battle-training destroyer was converted into a high speed minesweeper and redesignated DMS-20 on 15 November.
1945
Hambleton emerged from the yard 13 December and sailed for the Pacific 30 December. Steaming via San Diego, Pearl HarborPearl 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...
, and Eniwetok, she arrived Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
9 March 1945, to prepare for the invasion of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
, the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific. Departing on 19 March, she arrived off Okinawa, the gateway to the heart of the Japanese Empire, 23 March. Prior to the invasion 1 April, she cleared channels and anchorages for the 1,200 ships taking part in the invasion. During the long campaign that followed, she operated off Okinawa to sweep, screen, patrol, and provide fire support. She was under almost constant attack from the air. Although damaged on 3 April by a kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
, which splashed close aboard her port quarter, Hambleton remained on duty as part of the mighty fleet that had come to the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
to stay, despite all the Japanese could unleash.
With Okinawa nearly secured, Hambleton and her sister ships deployed to the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
in mid-July to begin massive sweeping of this area. In a month they cleared more than 600 miles (965.6 km) from the 7200 square miles (18,647.9 km²) area in one of the largest sweep operations yet launched. Hambleton was in the East China Sea for a second such mission when Japanese acceptance of peace terms was announced 15 August. Joining Admiral William F. Halsey's 3rd Fleet off Tokyo, Hambleton steamed into Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
28 August to clear the way for the occupation forces. In the next few months Hambleton swept a total of 184 mines from Japanese minefields in various straits and channels. During this period she rode out four typhoons, one of which battered her with 60 feet (18.3 m) waves. Departing Japanese waters 20 November, Hambleton steamed via Eniwetok, Pearl Harbor, and San Diego to Norfolk arriving late December.
1946–1955
Based at Charleston, South Carolina, the veteran minesweeper maintained an operational pattern that kept her prepared for the emerging cold war struggle. During the next decade Hambleton participated in fleet and tactical exercises in the Caribbean and along the East Coast. In 1949, 1952, and 1954 she deployed to the Mediterranean and operated with the 6th Fleet from the shores of North Africa to the turbulent Middle East.After returning to Charleston from her third Mediterranean cruise on 6 July 1954, Hambleton decommissioned on 15 January 1955, and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She was reclassified DD-455 the same day.
Hambleton was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 1 June 1971. She was sold 22 November 1972 and broken up for scrap.