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USS William Jones (DD-308)
Encyclopedia
USS William Jones (DD-308), a Clemson-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
, named for William Jones
.
, by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. She was launched
on 9 April 1919, sponsored by Mrs. Ernest P. McRitchie, the wife of the assistant naval architect at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, and was commissioned
at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
, Vallejo, California
, on 30 September 1920, with Lieutenant Commander C. E. Rosendahl in temporary command. Lt. Comdr. J. G. B. Gromer took command on 16 November.
Initially assigned to Division 34, Squadron 12, Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet, William Jones operated off the west coast on duty in connection with the Officers' Engineering School until October 1921, cruising as far north as Seattle, Washington
and as far south as the waters off the Panama Canal Zone
. Assigned to Destroyer Squadrons, Battle Fleet
, early in 1922, the destroyer operated with this force over the next seven years. Her operations took the ship up and down the west coast from Puget Sound
to the Panama Canal. She took part in fleet maneuvers, exercises in torpedo firing and gunnery, and battle practices. In March 1925, she joined the Fleet for Fleet Problem V during which she screened the Battle Fleet units off Baja California
, as they carried out maneuvers designed to practice protective screening, seizing and occupying a lightly defended position, and fueling at sea.
Later that summer, William Jones served as one of the ships plane-guarding for the PN-9 flying boat flight to Hawaii
. None of the planes actually flew all the way to Hawaii due a variety of mishaps. One, PN-9 number 3, was forced down by a malfunctioning fuel line. William Jones located her and went to her assistance, later towing her into San Francisco harbor on 1 September. PN-9 number 1, flown by Commander John Rodgers
, did eventually reach Hawaii after a remarkable voyage in which her enterprising crew stripped the fabric from one wing and used it to fabricate a sail which propelled the floating aircraft to Oahu
.
From 5 September to 15 September, William Jones participated in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations at San Francisco before resuming her operations and exercises off the west coast. She worked along the Pacific coast until 3 March and 4 March 1926, when she transited the Panama Canal to take part in maneuvers with the Fleet in the Atlantic Ocean
. She visited a succession of east coast ports and returned to the west coast on 30 June, when she moored again at San Diego, California
.
William Jones conducted a reserve training cruise to Alaskan waters from 7 July to 21 July 1928, pausing at Ketchikan, Juneau, and Sitka. After the ship's return to San Diego, she participated in tactical exercises off Point Loma and, later, in joint Army
-Navy maneuvers off Port Angeles, Washington
, in July 1929.
, the warship was struck from the Navy list on 13 August 1930 and sold for scrap on 25 February 1932.
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...
, named for William Jones
William Jones (statesman)
William Jones was an American politician.Jones was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1760. Apprenticed in a shipyard, during the American War of Independence he saw combat in the battles of Trenton and Princeton and later served at sea. In the decades that followed the war, he was a successful...
.
History
William Jones was laid down on 2 October 1918, at San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 9 April 1919, sponsored by Mrs. Ernest P. McRitchie, the wife of the assistant naval architect at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, and was 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...
at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
, Vallejo, California
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
, on 30 September 1920, with Lieutenant Commander C. E. Rosendahl in temporary command. Lt. Comdr. J. G. B. Gromer took command on 16 November.
Initially assigned to Division 34, Squadron 12, Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet, William Jones operated off the west coast on duty in connection with the Officers' Engineering School until October 1921, cruising as far north as Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and as far south as the waters off the 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...
. Assigned to Destroyer Squadrons, Battle Fleet
Battle Fleet
The United States Battle Fleet or Battle Force was part of the organization of the United States Navy from 1922 to 1941.The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet, with the Battle Fleet as the Pacific presence. This fleet comprised the main body of ships in the Navy,...
, early in 1922, the destroyer operated with this force over the next seven years. Her operations took the ship up and down the west coast from Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
to the Panama Canal. She took part in fleet maneuvers, exercises in torpedo firing and gunnery, and battle practices. In March 1925, she joined the Fleet for Fleet Problem V during which she screened the Battle Fleet units off Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, as they carried out maneuvers designed to practice protective screening, seizing and occupying a lightly defended position, and fueling at sea.
Later that summer, William Jones served as one of the ships plane-guarding for the PN-9 flying boat flight to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. None of the planes actually flew all the way to Hawaii due a variety of mishaps. One, PN-9 number 3, was forced down by a malfunctioning fuel line. William Jones located her and went to her assistance, later towing her into San Francisco harbor on 1 September. PN-9 number 1, flown by Commander John Rodgers
John Rodgers
John Rodgers may refer to:*John Rodgers , Colonel during the Revolutionary War and owner of Rodgers Tavern, Perryville, Maryland...
, did eventually reach Hawaii after a remarkable voyage in which her enterprising crew stripped the fabric from one wing and used it to fabricate a sail which propelled the floating aircraft to Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
.
From 5 September to 15 September, William Jones participated in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations at San Francisco before resuming her operations and exercises off the west coast. She worked along the Pacific coast until 3 March and 4 March 1926, when she transited the Panama Canal to take part in maneuvers with the Fleet in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. She visited a succession of east coast ports and returned to the west coast on 30 June, when she moored again 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...
.
William Jones conducted a reserve training cruise to Alaskan waters from 7 July to 21 July 1928, pausing at Ketchikan, Juneau, and Sitka. After the ship's return to San Diego, she participated in tactical exercises off Point Loma and, later, in joint 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...
-Navy maneuvers off Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles is a city in and the county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 19,038 at the 2010 census. The area's harbor was dubbed Puerto de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles by Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza in 1791, but by the mid-19th century the name had...
, in July 1929.
Fate
Upon the conclusion of the joint exercises, the destroyer arrived at San Diego late in August 1929 and remained inactive there until decommissioned on 24 May 1930. In accordance with the London treaty for the limitation and reduction of naval armamentsLondon 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...
, the warship was struck from the Navy list on 13 August 1930 and sold for scrap on 25 February 1932.
External links
- http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/308.htm