USS Long
 USS Long (DD-209) underway during an Alaskan cruise, circa 1937
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Long |
| Namesake | John Davis Long |
| Builder | William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia |
| Yard number | 475 |
| Laid down | 23 September 1918 |
| Launched | 26 April 1919 |
| Commissioned | 20 October 1919 |
| Decommissioned | 30 December 1922 |
| Recommissioned | 29 March 1930 |
| Reclassified | Destroyer minesweeper, DMS-12, 19 November 1940 |
| Fate | Sunk by kamikazes in Lingayen Gulf, 6 January 1945[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Clemson-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 1,190 tons |
| Length | 314 ft 5 in (95.8 m) |
| Beam | 31 ft 9 in (9.7 m) |
| Draft | 9 ft 3 in (2.8 m) |
| Speed | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
| Complement | 101 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
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USS Long (DD-209/DMS-12), named for
.Construction and commissioning
Long was laid down by the William Cramp & Sons at Philadelphia on 23 September 1918, launched on 26 April 1919 by Mrs. Arnold Knapp (née Julia James Long) and commissioned on 20 October 1919.
Service history
After shakedown along the
Long recommissioned at San Diego 29 March 1930. Operating out of San Diego during the next decade, Long cruised primarily in the Pacific off North and Central America for division exercises and screen and plane guard duty. Between 1933 and 1935 she twice entered the rotating Reserve as part of Destroyer Squadron 20.
In 1940, she was converted to destroyer minesweeper, and reclassified DMS-12 on 19 November 1940.
World War II
Long operated along the
Long left Pearl Harbor 30 June for patrol and escort duty in Alaskan waters. After colliding with
Alaska
Long took part in the unopposed occupation of
Long continued escort and patrol operations for the occupations of Attu and
Hollandia and Marianas
On 18 April, Long sailed for the invasion of the
Palaus
Long sortied for the assault on the
Philippines
Leaving
, she patrolled and served as smokescreen ship in Leyte Gulf until 23 October, when the destroyer joined the transport screen and steamed in convoy for Manus, arriving on 29 October.Sunk by kamikazes at Lingayen Gulf
After repairs and training at Manus, Long departed 23 December to sweep for the landings at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon; her group was attacked 2 January 1945 in the
Long went to 25 knots and opened fire, but a kamikaze crashed into her portside below the bridge about 1 foot above the waterline. With fires and explosions amidships, Long lost power and internal communications, and was unable to fight fires forward. Her commanding officer, Lieutenant Stanley Caplan, fearing an explosion in the forward magazine, gave permission for men trapped on the forecastle to leave the ship, but through a misunderstanding, the crew aft abandoned ship. All were quickly rescued by Hovey standing by to aid the burning but still seaworthy ship, in fact a total of 149 of Long's crew were picked up by the Hovey.
Lieutenant Caplan prepared to lead a salvage party and board Long from Apache, but continuing heavy air attacks prevented firefighting and salvage attempts. Later that afternoon a second plane attacked Long and exploded at the same spot, destroying the bridge and breaking the ship's back. Long capsized and sank the following morning, January 7. Around eighteen of the survivors rescued from the Long by Hovey perished when Hovey herself received an aerial torpedo to her aft engine room on January 7 around 450. Most of Hovey's survivors were rescued by the USS Chandler.
Awards
Long received nine
Citations
- ^ Brown p. 136
References
- Brown, David. Warship Losses of World War Two. Arms and Armour, London, Great Britain, 1990. ISBN 0-85368-802-8.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
- Photo gallery at Navsource.org
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in January 1945 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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