USS Hambleton (DD 455)
American Destroyer
| Name | USS Hambleton (DD 455) | ||
| Type: | Destroyer (Gleaves) | ||
| Tonnage | 1,630 tons | ||
| Completed | 1941 - Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co, Kearny NJ | ||
| Owner | United States Navy | ||
| Homeport | |||
| Date of attack | 11 Nov 1942 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Damaged by U-173 (Hans-Adolf Schweichel) | ||
| Position | 33° 40'N, 7° 35'W - Grid DJ 2519 | ||
| Complement | ? men (? dead and ? survivors). | ||
| Convoy | UGF-1 | ||
| Route | |||
| Cargo | |||
| History | Completed in December 1941. On 19 Mar 1942, USS Hambleton (DD 455) rescued six survivors from the Ceiba, which had been sunk by U-124 (Mohr) two days earlier. In June 1944 USS Hambleton (DD 455) took part in the Normandy landings (is credited with sinking one E-boat and one damaged) and later the landings in Southern France. On 15 Nov 1944, the ship was converted to the high speed minesweeper USS Hambleton (DMS 20) and took part in the Okinawa landings in 1945. During the operations she was damaged by a Kamikaze, which crashed close to her into the sea. From 28 August to 20 November 1945, the minesweeper swept 184 mines in the Tokyo Bay. Post-war: 1955 decommissioned and scrapped in November 1972. USS Hambleton (DD 455) received seven battle stars for her World War 2 service. | ||
| Notes on event | USS Hambleton (DD 455) (Cdr Forrest Close) was part of the Western Naval Task Force for Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa and screened USS Sangamon (CVE 26) in the Task Group 34.8. At 19.56 hours on 11 Nov 1942, U-173 fired torpedoes at the anchored ships from convoy UGF-1 on the Fedhala roads and heard three detonations. Schweichel thought that they have sunk one ship, because no visual observations were made due to A/S activity. In fact, USS Joseph Hewes (AP 50) was sunk and USS Winooski (AO 38) and USS Hambleton (DD 455) were damaged. USS Hambleton (DD 455) laid anchored off Fedhala and was struck by one torpedo amidships. The vessel lost all power and took a 12° list to starboard, but did not sink. The destroyer was later towed to Casablanca for temporary repairs. Seabees there cut the ship in two, removed a 40-foot section of her damaged hull, then joined the two remaining halves together. On 28 June, USS Hambleton (DD 455), accompanied by a tug, reached Boston for permanent repairs and returned to service. | ||
| On board | We have details of 22 people who were on board. | ||
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