Allied Warships

USS Clemson (AVD 4)

Destroyer of the Clemson class

Navy	The US Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Clemson
Pennant	AVD 4
Mod	Sea plane tender
Built by	Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. (Newport News, Virginia, U.S.A.)
Ordered
Laid down	11 May 1918
Launched	5 Sep 1918
Commissioned	29 Dec 1919
End service	12 Oct 1945
History	Decommissioned on 30 June 1922 Reclassified as sea plane tender AVP-17 on 15 November 1939 Recommissioned on 12 July 1940 Classification changed to AVD-4 on 24 August 1940 Converted back into a destroyer during March-May 1943. Reclassified back to DD-186 on 1 December 1943 Converted to High Speed Transport and reclassified APD-31 on 1 May 1944 Reclassified back to Destroyer DD-186 on 16 July 1945 Decommissioned on 12 October 1945 Stricken on 24 October 1945 Sold to be broken up for scrap on 21 November 1946

Commands listed for USS Clemson (AVD 4)

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	Lt.Cdr. John Perry Whitney, USN	12 Jul 1940	28 Feb 1942
2	T/Lt.Cdr. William Mason Walsh, USN	28 Feb 1942	3 Mar 1942
3	Cdr. John Perry Whitney, USN	3 Mar 1942	22 Apr 1942 (1)
4	T/Lt.Cdr. William Mason Walsh, USN	22 Apr 1942	9 Feb 1943
5	T/Cdr. Evan White Yancey, USN	9 Feb 1943	3 Sep 1943
6	Lt. William Francis Moran, USNR	3 Sep 1943	4 Mar 1945
7	Arthur H. Hardy, Jr., USNR	4 Mar 1945	21 Sep 1945
8	James Howard Robertson, USNR	21 Sep 1945	12 Oct 1945

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Notable events involving Clemson include:

5 Nov 1943

Convoy UT 4A.

The New York section of this convoy departed on 5 November 1943.

It was made up of the following (troop) transports; Brazil (American, 20614 GRT, built 1929), Examiner (American, 6737 GRT, built 1942), Frederick Lykes (American, 7773 GRT, built 1940) and Ocean Mail (American, 7842 GRT, built 1941).

The escort carrier (in an aircraft ferry role) HMS Khedive (A/Capt. H.J. Haynes, DSO, DSC, RN) and the tanker USS Salamonie (T/Capt. L.J. Johns, USN) were also part of the New York Section of the convoy.

The New York Section of the convoy was escorted by the destroyers USS Frankford (T/Cdr. T.J. Thornhill, Jr., USN, with COMDESRON 18, T/Capt. W.K. Mendenhall, Jr, USN, on board), USS Carmick (T/Cdr. R.O. Beer, USN), USS Doyle (T/Cdr. C.E. Boyd, USN), USS Endicott (T/Cdr. W.S. Heald, USN), USS McCook (T/Cdr. S.C. Anderson, USN) and the destroyer escort USS Ira Jeffery (Lt.Cdr. R.A. Fitch, USNR).

The Boston section of this convoy also departed on 5 November 1943.

It was made up of the following (troop) transports; Explorer (American, 6736 GRT, built 1939) and General George W. Goethals (American, 12093 GRT, built 1942).

The Boston Section of the convoy was escorted by the destroyers USS Decatur (T/Cdr. J.B. Williams, USN, with COMDESDIV 53, T/Capt. B.S. Copping, USN), USS Clemson (Lt. W.F. Moran, USNR) and USS Greer (Lt. M.D. Cooper, USNR). These three destroyers did not join the convoy.

The two sections merged on 7 November 1943. Also joining on 7 November 1943 was the escort destroyer USS Lee Fox (Lt.Cdr. W.C. Jennings, USNR) which had been delayed due to engine trouble and could not sail with the New York Section on the 5th.

On 11 November 1943, USS Carmick and USS Lee Fox were detached to the Azores to fue. Refueling at sea had been impossible in the weather conditions that had been encountered.

On 12 November 1943, fuelling at sea was possible, so USS Doyle, USS Endicott, USS McCook and USS Frankford fuelled from USS Salamonie.

On 13 November 1943, USS Ira Jeffery fuelled from USS Salamonie.

The convoy arrived in U.K. waters on 16 November 1943. USS Carmick and USS Lee Fox had been unable to rejoin the convoy before it's arrival.

13 Dec 1943
German U-boat U-172 was sunk on 13 December 1943 in the mid-Atlantic after a 27 hour fight west of the Canary Islands, in position 26°29'N, 29°58'W, by depth charges and Fido homing torpedoes from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft (VC-19) of the American escort carrier USS Bogue and by some 200 depth charges from the US destroyers USS George E. Badger, USS Clemson, USS Osmond Ingram and USS Du Pont.