USS Belknap (DD-251)
![]() | |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Namesake | George Belknap |
Builder | Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy |
Cost | $1,233,888.43 (hull and machinery)[1] |
Laid down | 31 July 1918 |
Launched | 14 January 1919 |
Commissioned | 28 April 1919 |
Decommissioned | 4 August 1945 |
Stricken | 13 August 1945 |
Fate | Sold for scrap, 30 November 1945 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Clemson-class destroyer |
Displacement | 1,215 tons |
Length | 314 ft 4 in (95.8 m) |
Beam | 31 ft 8 in (9.7 m) |
Draft | 9 ft 10 in (3.0 m) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 35 knots (65 km/h) |
Range | 4,900 nmi (9,100 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
Complement | 130 officers and enlisted |
Armament |
|
USS Belknap (DD-251/AVD-8/DD-251/APD-34) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Rear Admiral George Belknap.
History
Belknap was launched 14 January 1919 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation; sponsored by Miss Frances Georgiana Belknap, granddaughter of Admiral Belknap; and commissioned 28 April 1919.
Following her shakedown cruise, Belknap joined US naval forces in the eastern Mediterranean. After several months she returned to the United States and served with Division 28,
World War II
During 1940 Belknap was converted into a
Conversion completed, Belknap arrived in the Pacific during September 1944. During 18–22 October she served as a screen ship during the Leyte invasion and during 3–11 January 1945 as a shore bombardment and beach reconnaissance vessel at the Lingayen Gulf landings. On 11 January she trained all her guns on a Japanese kamikaze which eventually crashed into Belknap's number two stack, crippling her engines, killing 38 and wounding 49 including the UDTs on board. UDT 9 was on board when she was hit. It cost the team one officer, 7 enlisted, 3 MIA and 13 wounded. The ship remained at Lingayen for emergency repairs until 18 January when USS Hidatsa, ATF-102 towed her to Manus, Admiralty Islands. Following temporary repairs at Manus, Belknap proceeded to Philadelphia Navy Yard via the west coast, arriving 18 June. Decommissioned 4 August 1945, Belknap was sold 30 November 1945 for scrapping. In addition to her Presidential Unit Citation, Belknap received three
References
- ^ "Table 21 – Ships on Navy List June 30, 1919". Congressional Serial Set. U.S. Government Printing Office: 762. 1921.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.