USS Crosby

	Mare Island Navy Yard, California on 24 February 1943, following conversion to a high-speed transport
History
United States
Name	Crosby
Namesake	Peirce Crosby
Builder	Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts
Laid down	23 June 1918
Launched	28 September 1918
Commissioned	24 January 1919
Decommissioned	7 June 1922
Identification	DD-164
Recommissioned	18 December 1939
Decommissioned	28 September 1945
Reclassified	APD-17, 22 February 1943
Stricken	24 October 1945
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 23 May 1946
General characteristics
Class and type	Wickes-class destroyer
Displacement	1,060 tons
Length	314 ft 5 in (95.8 m)
Beam	31 ft 8 in (9.7 m)
Draft	8 ft 8 in (2.6 m)
Speed	35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Complement	113 officers and enlisted
Armament	4 × 4 in (102 mm)/50 guns; 2 × 3 in (76 mm)/23 guns; 12 x 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 1 × depth charge projector; 2 × depth charge tracks;

USS Crosby (DD–164) was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II, later reclassified as APD-17. She was named for Admiral Peirce Crosby.

Construction and commissioning

Crosby was launched on 28 September 1918 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, sponsored by Mrs. C. Tittman. The ship was commissioned on 24 January 1919.

Service history

After commissioning, Crosby reported to the

Navy seaplanes, the first aerial crossing of the Atlantic

.

On 1 July 1919, Crosby was assigned to the

Seattle, Washington, then was placed in reserve status with reduced complement at San Diego on 30 January 1920. She continued in reserve and was decommissioned

on 7 June 1922.

World War II

Recommissioned on 18 December 1939, Crosby sailed on

11th Naval District

Defense Forces, and after a reserve training cruise resumed her patrols and provided services to Destroyer Base, San Diego for the training of destroyer crews.

With the entry of the United States into the war, Crosby continued to patrol the waters of the 11th Naval District and to escort convoys locally until 1 February 1943 when she entered

Mare Island Navy Yard for conversion to a high-speed transport

. She was reclassified APD-17 on 22 February 1943.

Clearing

Milne Bay, New Guinea on 12 December. She trained Army and Marine personnel in amphibious landings, then landed troops at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, between 24 and 29 December 1943 and at Dekays Bay

, New Guinea on 2 January 1944.

Clearing Milne Bay on 6 January 1944, Crosby escorted

Humboldt Bay from 31 May to 6 July. Following a brief overhaul at Manus, she landed troops on Cape Sansapor on 30 July, then sailed to Sydney, Australia, for replenishment and repairs. She returned to Humboldt Bay on 30 August and landed troops on Morotai

on 15 September to complete her operations in the New Guinea area.

Crosby put out from Humboldt Bay on 12 October 1944 and put men of the 6th Rangers ashore on

Mariveles on 15 February; and Corregidor on 17 February. On 25 February she cleared for Ulithi

and an overhaul.

Crosby arrived at

Okinawa on 18 April and for antisubmarine patrol and radar picket

duty, narrowly escaping damage from a kamikaze on 13 May. She stood out for San Francisco 18 May and arrived 19 June. Overage and badly battered from her long and strenuous service, it was considered unfeasible to repair her. Crosby was decommissioned 28 September 1945 and sold 23 May 1946, to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore Maryland.

Awards

In addition to her Navy Unit Commendation, Crosby earned 10

battle stars

for World War II service.

As of 2004, no other ship in the United States Navy has borne this name.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

NavSource Photos

v t e "Flush-decker" destroyer high speed transport conversions
Caldwell-class conversion	Manley
Wickes-class conversions	Colhoun Gregory Little McKean Stringham Talbot Waters Dent Schley Kilty Ward Crosby Tattnall Roper Dickerson Herbert Rathburne
Clemson-class conversions	Brooks Gilmer Humphreys Sands Kane Overton Noa McFarland ^X Williamson Hulbert ^X Barry Decatur^X Clemson Goldsborough George E. Badger Belknap Osmond Ingram Greene
Preceded by: None Followed by: Charles Lawrence class
X Planned conversion to high speed transport cancelled
List of United States Navy amphibious warfare ships