USS Jenkins (DD-42)
Encyclopedia
The first USS Jenkins (DD-42) was a modified in the United States Navy
during World War I
. She was named for Rear Admiral Thortan A. Jenkins.
Jenkins was laid down on 24 March 1911 by Bath Iron Works
, Bath, Maine
; launched on 29 April 1912; sponsored by Miss Alice Jenkins, daughter of Rear Admiral Jenkins; and commissioned on 15 June 1912, Lieutenant Commander E. H. Delany in command.
, trained with the Atlantic Fleet
, sailing to the Caribbean
for winter maneuvers operating along the East Coast in summer. In addition, she sailed to Tampico, Mexico in mid-April 1914 to support the American occupation of Veracruz.
, Jenkins continued patrol operations along the North American coast in search of possible German
U-boat
s. The patrols and maneuvers sharpened her war-readiness, so that she was ready for any eventuality when she sailed for Europe on 26 May 1917.
Based at Queenstown, Ireland
, Jenkins and her sister destroyers patrolled the eastern Atlantic, escorting convoys and rescuing survivors of sunken merchantmen. She continued escort and patrol duty for the duration of the war. Though she made several submarine contacts, no results were determined. Following the signing of the Armistice
on 11 November 1918, Jenkins sailed for home, arriving Boston
, Massachusetts
on 3 January 1919.
on 20 July. She remained there until decommissioning on 31 October. Jenkins was scrapped in 1935 in accordance with the London Naval Treaty
.
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 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 Rear Admiral Thortan A. Jenkins.
Jenkins was laid down on 24 March 1911 by Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
, Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
; launched on 29 April 1912; sponsored by Miss Alice Jenkins, daughter of Rear Admiral Jenkins; and commissioned on 15 June 1912, Lieutenant Commander E. H. Delany in command.
Pre-World War I
In the years that preceded World War I, Jenkins, based at Newport, Rhode IslandNewport, 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...
, trained with the Atlantic Fleet
United States Fleet Forces Command
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...
, sailing to the Caribbean
Caribbean
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...
for winter maneuvers operating along the East Coast in summer. In addition, she sailed to Tampico, Mexico in mid-April 1914 to support the American occupation of Veracruz.
World War I
As the war raged in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Jenkins continued patrol operations along the North American coast in search of possible 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...
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. The patrols and maneuvers sharpened her war-readiness, so that she was ready for any eventuality when she sailed for Europe on 26 May 1917.
Based at Queenstown, Ireland
Cobh
Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
, Jenkins and her sister destroyers patrolled the eastern Atlantic, escorting convoys and rescuing survivors of sunken merchantmen. She continued escort and patrol duty for the duration of the war. Though she made several submarine contacts, no results were determined. Following the signing of the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
on 11 November 1918, Jenkins sailed for home, arriving 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...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
on 3 January 1919.
Inter-war period
The destroyer operated along the Atlantic coast until arriving at Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
on 20 July. She remained there until decommissioning on 31 October. Jenkins was scrapped in 1935 in accordance with the London Naval Treaty
London Naval Treaty
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...
.