Allied Warships

USS Warrington (i) (DD 383)

Destroyer of the Somers class

USS Warrington shortly before her loss

Navy	The US Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Somers
Pennant	DD 383
Built by	Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. (Kearny, New Jersey, U.S.A.)
Ordered
Laid down	10 Oct 1935
Launched	15 May 1937
Commissioned	9 Feb 1938
Lost	13 Sep 1944
Loss position	27° 00'N, 73° 00'W

History	USS Warrington (Cdr. Samuel Frank Quarles, USN) was caught in a violent storm in the Atlantic going to Trinidad. 130 knot winds brought the ship to a standstill while waves pounded her hull to pieces. Sea water flooded the engine room, cutting off all power and damaging the steering mechanism. She took a list to starboard and rolled over, sinking stern first about 175 nautical miles east-south-east of Great Abaco Island, Bahamas Islands in position 27º00'N, 73º00'W. Only 73 survivors were found, including the Commanding officer. 248 men were lost.

Commands listed for USS Warrington (i) (DD 383)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

	Commander	From	To
1	Cdr. Leighton Wood, USN	9 Feb 1938	2 Feb 1940
2	Cdr. Frank George Fahrion, USN	2 Feb 1940	22 Apr 1941 (1)
3	Harold Raymond Fitz, USN	22 Apr 1941	6 Dec 1941
4	Lt.Cdr. Harold Raymond Demarest, USN	6 Dec 1941	30 Aug 1943
5	T/Lt.Cdr. Robert Alden Dawes, Jr., USN	30 Aug 1943	15 Aug 1944 (1)
6	T/Cdr. Samuel Frank Quarles, USN	15 Aug 1944	13 Sep 1944

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Notable events involving Warrington (i) include:

13 Dec 1941
Around 1230A/13, the battleship HMS Duke of York (Capt. C.H.J. Harcourt, CBE, RN), with Prime Minister Churchill and staff on board, departed Greenock for Annapolis, Maryland, USA. She was escorted by the destroyers HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN), HMS Foresight (Cdr. J.S.C. Salter, RN) and HMS Matabele (Cdr. A.C. Stanford, DSC, RN).

Due to the bad weather conditions in the North Atlantic it was decided to proceed via the Azores. So the group first proceeded to the Irish Sea.

On the 14th speed had to be much reduced due to the bad weather conditions as otherwise the destroyers could not keep up. This was the same for the 15th.

On the 16th weather improved but due to the bad swell the destroyers still had trouble to keep up.

On the 17th the weather again deteriorated and around mid morning HMS Foresight had to heave to due to defects to her steering engine. She was able to catch up soon afterwards.

Shortly after 1800N/17, the destroyers were detached to fuel at the Azores after they had been relieved by HMS Highlander (Cdr. S. Boucher, RN), HMS Harvester (Lt.Cdr. M. Thornton, DSC, RN) and HMS Lightning (Cdr. R.G. Stewart, RN) coming from the Azores.

Late in the afternoon of 20 December 1941 the destroyers parted company to proceed to Bermuda and HMS Duke of York proceeded unescorted until she was joined late in the afternoon of the following day by the American destroyers USS Warrington (Lt.Cdr. H.R. Demarest, USN), USS Trippe (Lt.Cdr. R.L. Campbell, Jr., USN) and USS Bristol (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Wood, USN) which remained with her until the battleship arrived in Chesapeake Bay in the afternoon of 22 December 1941. The battleship then proceeded to the Norfolk Navy Yard where the passengers were disembarked to attend the Arcadia Conference. (2)

6 Aug 1943
Around 1200K/6, HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. J. Plunkett-Cole, RAN) departed Brisbane to proceed to position 27°00'S, 156°20'E and make rendezvous with the troopship Lurline (American, 18009 GRT, built 1932) and her escort, the destroyer USS Warrington (T/Capt. H.R. Demarest, USN).

Rendezvous was effected around 1440K/7 and HMAS Vendetta joined the two American ships.

They all arrived at Brisbane around 1200K/8. (3)