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USS Maddox (DD-168)
Encyclopedia
USS Maddox (DD–168) was a Wickes class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during the World War I
. She was later transferred to the Royal Navy
as HMS Georgetown (I-40), to the Royal Canadian Navy
as HMCS Georgetown, and then to the Soviet Navy
as Doblestny .
, she was laid down 20 July 1918 by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, Massachusetts
; launched 27 October 1918; sponsored by Mrs. Clarence N. Hinkamp, granddaughter of Captain Maddox; and commissioned 10 March 1919, Comdr. Edward C. S. Parker in command. On 17 July 1920 she was designated DD-168.
Assigned to Division 21, Atlantic Fleet
, Maddox departed Boston 3 May 1919 for Trepassey, Newfoundland
, en route to the Azores
where she became part of a “bridge of ships” assigned to guide Navy flying boats NC-1 and NC-4
across the ocean on the first transatlantic flight
. Returning to Boston on the 22d, the destroyer operated out of there until she sailed for Europe
26 August 1919. Arriving Brest, France
, 19 September, she soon joined an honor escort for George Washington, then bound for Ostend
, Belgium
, to embark the Belgian King and Queen for the United States. Detached on the 25th, Maddox commenced cross-channel service. Until 24 October she escorted ships and carried naval and Army
passengers from Dover
and Harwich
to Boulogne
, France
, and the Hook of Holland. Departing Harwich 25 October, the four stacker proceeded through Kiel Canal
to visit various Baltic
ports.
Returning to the United States 12 February 1920, Maddox operated out of Boston for the next 2 years, off the east coast. Departing Boston 25 February 1922 for Philadelphia, she decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard 14 June 1922.
Inactive for the next 18 years, Maddox recommissioned 17 June 1940. After brief duty on mid-Atlantic Neutrality Patrol
, she departed Newport, Rhode Island
, 16 September 1940 for Halifax, Nova Scotia
, where she decommissioned 23 September 1940. The same day, under the destroyer-naval base agreement
, she was transferred to Great Britain
and commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Georgetown.
, escorting Wasp in May 1942 on her second reinforcement of the spitfire strength on the island of Malta
. In September 1942, she transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy
for convoy escort duties in the western Atlantic. Georgetown was modified for trade convoy escort service by removal of three of the original 4"/50 caliber guns and one of the triple torpedo
tube mounts to reduce topside weight for additional depth charge
stowage and installation of Hedgehog
anti-submarine launcher. Returned to the United Kingdom
in December 1943, she joined the Reserve Fleet.
"Glorious or Valiant").
She was returned to the Royal Navy on 9 September 1952 and scrapped on 16 September 1952.
Wickes class destroyer
The Wickes-class destroyers were a group of 111 destroyers built by the United States Navy in 1917-1919. Along with the 6 preceding Caldwell class and 155 subsequent Clemson-class destroyers, they formed the "flush-deck" or "four-stack" class. Only a few were completed in time to serve in World...
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 the 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 later transferred to the 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...
as HMS Georgetown (I-40), to the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
as HMCS Georgetown, and then to the Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
as Doblestny .
History
Named for William A. T. MaddoxWilliam A. T. Maddox
William A. T. Maddox was an officer in the United States Marine Corps.Born in Charles County, Maryland, in 1814, commanded a volunteer company in the Creek and Seminole Wars in 1836, and was appointed 2d lieutenant in the Marine Corps on October 14, 1837...
, she was laid down 20 July 1918 by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
; launched 27 October 1918; sponsored by Mrs. Clarence N. Hinkamp, granddaughter of Captain Maddox; and commissioned 10 March 1919, Comdr. Edward C. S. Parker in command. On 17 July 1920 she was designated DD-168.
Assigned to Division 21, 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...
, Maddox departed Boston 3 May 1919 for Trepassey, 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...
, en route to the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
where she became part of a “bridge of ships” assigned to guide Navy flying boats NC-1 and NC-4
NC-4
The NC-4 was a Curtiss NC flying boat which was designed by Glenn Curtiss and his team, and manufactured by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. In May 1919, the NC-4 became the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, starting in the United States and making the crossing as far as Lisbon,...
across the ocean on the first transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. A transatlantic flight may proceed east-to-west, originating in Europe or Africa and terminating in North America or South America, or it may go in the reverse direction, west-to-east...
. Returning to Boston on the 22d, the destroyer operated out of there until she sailed for Europe
Europe
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...
26 August 1919. Arriving Brest, France
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, 19 September, she soon joined an honor escort for George Washington, then bound for Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, to embark the Belgian King and Queen for the United States. Detached on the 25th, Maddox commenced cross-channel service. Until 24 October she escorted ships and carried naval and Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
passengers from Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
and Harwich
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
to Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and the Hook of Holland. Departing Harwich 25 October, the four stacker proceeded through Kiel Canal
Kiel Canal
The Kiel Canal , known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal until 1948, is a long canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.The canal links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula....
to visit various Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
ports.
Returning to the United States 12 February 1920, Maddox operated out of Boston for the next 2 years, off the east coast. Departing Boston 25 February 1922 for Philadelphia, she decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard 14 June 1922.
Inactive for the next 18 years, Maddox recommissioned 17 June 1940. After brief duty on mid-Atlantic 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...
, she departed 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...
, 16 September 1940 for Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, where she decommissioned 23 September 1940. The same day, under the destroyer-naval base agreement
Destroyers for Bases Agreement
The Destroyers for Bases Agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom, September 2, 1940, transferred fifty mothballed destroyers from the United States Navy in exchange for land rights on British possessions...
, she was transferred to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Georgetown.
As HMS Georgetown and HMCS Georgetown
As Georgetown, she participated in operation “Bowery”Operation Bowery
Operation Bowery was an Anglo-American operation in World War II to deliver Spitfire fighter aircraft to Malta . The aircraft were desperately needed to bolster the island's defence against strong Axis air raids.-Background:...
, escorting Wasp in May 1942 on her second reinforcement of the spitfire strength on the island of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. In September 1942, she transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
for convoy escort duties in the western Atlantic. Georgetown was modified for trade convoy escort service by removal of three of the original 4"/50 caliber guns and one of the triple 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...
tube mounts to reduce topside weight for additional depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
stowage and installation of Hedgehog
Hedgehog (weapon)
The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
anti-submarine launcher. Returned to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in December 1943, she joined the Reserve Fleet.
As Doblestny
In August 1944 was turned over to the Soviet Navy and renamed Doblestny (rus.Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
"Glorious or Valiant").
She was returned to the Royal Navy on 9 September 1952 and scrapped on 16 September 1952.