USS Meredith (DD-165)

History
United States
Namesake	Jonathan Meredith
Builder	Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, Massachusetts
Laid down	26 June 1918
Launched	22 September 1918
Commissioned	29 January 1919
Decommissioned	28 June 1922
Stricken	7 January 1936
Fate	Sold for scrapping 29 September 1936
General characteristics
Class and type	Wickes-class destroyer
Displacement	1,202–1,208 long tons (1,221–1,227 t) (standard); 1,295–1,322 long tons (1,316–1,343 t) ( deep load);
Length	314 ft 4 in (95.8 m)
Beam	30 ft 11 in (9.42 m)
Draught	9 ft 10 in (3.0 m)
Installed power	27,000 shp (20,000 kW); 4 water-tube boilers;
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 steam turbines
Speed	35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) (design)
Range	2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) (design)
Complement	6 officers, 108 enlisted men
Armament	4 × single 4-inch (102 mm) guns; 2 × single AA guns; 4 × triple 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 2 × depth charge rails;

USS Meredith (DD-165) was a Wickes-class destroyer built for the United States Navy during World War I. She was the first destroyer in the United States Navy that named for a marine.

Description

The Wickes class was an improved and faster version of the preceding

deep load. They had an overall length of 314 feet 4 inches (95.8 m), a beam of 30 feet 11 inches (9.4 m) and a draught of 9 feet 10 inches (3.0 m). They had a crew of 6 officers and 108 enlisted men.^[2]

Performance differed radically between the ships of the class, often due to poor workmanship. The Wickes class was powered by two

propeller shaft, using steam provided by four water-tube boilers. The turbines were designed to produce a total of 27,000 shaft horsepower (20,000 kW) intended to reach a speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). The ships carried 225 long tons (229 t) of fuel oil which was intended gave them a range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).^[3]

The ships were armed with four

anti-aircraft (AA) guns.^[1] They also carried a pair of depth charge rails. A "Y-gun" depth charge thrower was added to many ships.^[4]

Construction and career

Meredith, named for

Atlantic Fleet, Meredith proceeded to Newport, Rhode Island, for torpedoes and 18 February began a shakedown cruise to Cuba. However, she received orders 22 February to join five other destroyers as escort to George Washington, returning President Woodrow Wilson

from France to Boston. On 26 February, she resumed her shakedown.

Meredith departed New York 1 May for

Navy Curtis flying boats spanned the Atlantic from Long Island to Plymouth, England. Returning to Boston 22 May, Meredith cruised the east and gulf coasts with Destroyer Flotilla 2 until November, then served out of Newport for training, particularly target practice, until November, when she went into repair at Norfolk

.

Rejoining her division at

Philadelphia Navy Yard for inactivation. Decommissioned 28 June 1922, Meredith remained at Philadelphia until, in accordance with the London Naval Treaty

, she was sold for scrapping 29 September 1936.