USS Bristol (DD-453)
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| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Bristol |
| Namesake | Mark Lambert Bristol |
| Builder | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company |
| Laid down | 20 December 1940 |
| Launched | 25 July 1941 |
| Commissioned | 22 October 1941 |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Gleaves-class destroyer |
| Displacement |
|
| Length |
|
| Beam | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Draft |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 37.5 kn (69.5 km/h; 43.2 mph) |
| Range | 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 208 (276 war) |
| Armament |
|
USS Bristol (DD 453) was a
Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs. Powell Clayton.The destroyer was commissioned
on 22 October 1941.
Service history
During her first year of service Bristol operated as a patrol and
Mediterranean where, with the exception of one trip to the Panama Canal Zone
in April 1943, she served exclusively until 13 October 1943.
armed train ("treno armato") T.A. 76/2/T (it
).While on duty in that area, she took part in
armed train ("treno armato") T.A. 76/2/T around the port of Licata
.
At 04:30 on 13 October 1943, while escorting a convoy to
Waldemar Mehl.[1] Bristol was broken in half by the single explosion. No fires resulted, but steam, electrical power, and communications were lost and the ship had to be abandoned. Eight minutes after the explosion the aft section sank, followed four minutes later by the foreparts. Bristol suffered the loss of 52 of her crew; the survivors were rescued by the destroyers Trippe and Wainwright
.
Convoys escorted
| Convoy | Escort Group | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HX 179 | MOEF group A5
|
13–22 March 1942[2] | 21 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland |
ON 81
|
MOEF group A5 | 30 March–9 April 1942[3] | 13 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland |
| AT 17 | 1–12 July 1942[4] | 6 troopships escorted without loss from New York City to Firth of Clyde | |
| UGF 1 | 24 October–8 November 1942[5] | 31 ships escorted without loss from Chesapeake Bay to Operation Torch | |
| UGF 4 | 14–25 January 1943[5] | 21 ships escorted without loss from Chesapeake Bay to Mediterranean Sea | |
| UGF 6 | 5–18 March 1943[5] | 22 ships escorted without loss from Chesapeake Bay to Mediterranean Sea | |
| UGS 6 | battle reinforcement | 20–22 March 1943[6] | Chesapeake Bay to Mediterranean Sea; 3 ships torpedoed & sunk |
| GUF 6 | 25 March–7 April 1943[7] | 15 ships escorted without loss from Mediterranean Sea to Chesapeake Bay | |
| UGS 8A | 17 May–1 June 1943[6] | 80 ships escorted without loss from Chesapeake Bay to Mediterranean Sea |
Awards
Bristol received three
battle stars
for her World War II service.
References
- ^ Lenton, H.T., American Fleet and Escort Destroyers of World War Two (Doubleday, 1971), Volume 1, p. 90.
- ^ "HX convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
- ^ "ON convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
- ^ "AT convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- ^ a b c "UGF convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- ^ a b "UGS convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- ^ "GUF convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
37°19′N 6°19′E / 37.317°N 6.317°E
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in October 1943 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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