USS Montgomery (DD-121)

Montgomery (left) alongside one of her sister ships, USS Radford
History
United States
Name	Montgomery
Namesake	John B. Montgomery
Builder	Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company
Laid down	2 October 1917
Launched	5 April 1918
Commissioned	30 September 1918
Decommissioned	6 June 1922
Reclassified	Light minelayer (DM-17), 5 January 1931
Commissioned	20 August 1931
Decommissioned	7 December 1937
Recommissioned	25 September 1939
Decommissioned	23 April 1945
Stricken	28 April 1945
Fate	Sold for scrap 11 March 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)
Complement	113 officers and enlisted
Armament	4 × 4 in (102 mm)/50 guns 2 × 3 in (76 mm)/23 guns 12 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes 1 × depth charge protector 2 × depth charge tracks

USS Montgomery (DD–121) was a

Following an east coast shakedown, Montgomery left Hampton Roads on 25 August 1918 for her first anti-submarine patrol, alternating such patrols with coastal escort duty until the close of World War I. She conducted training and fleet maneuvers from Maine to Cuba until 19 July 1919, when she departed Hampton Roads for west coast duty.

Montgomery arrived at San Diego on 7 August to join Destroyer Squadron 4,

Re-designated DM-17 on 5 January 1931, Montgomery was converted to a light minelayer and recommissioned on 20 August 1931. In December she sailed to Pearl Harbor, her base until 14 June 1937, when she returned to San Diego, there to decommission on 7 December 1937 and go into reserve.

World War II

With world tension increasing on the eve of World War II, Montgomery reactivated, recommissioning on 25 September 1939. She trained for possible war service and completed several towing assignments on the west coast until 3 December 1940 when she sailed for her new home port, Pearl Harbor.

At Pearl Harbor during the Japanese

Getting underway for the assault on 6 September, Montgomery took station off Peleliu on 12 September to destroy mines swept from the Japanese minefields. On 17 September she screened transports landing assault troops on Angaur, and two days later sailed for mine destruction and patrol duties at Ulithi until 14 October. She bombarded Ngulu on 15 October and acted as mother ship for small minelayers during the capture of the atoll.

While anchored off Ngulu on 17 October, with her engines secured, Montgomery sighted a mine floating close aboard to port. The wind swung the ship down onto the mine before she could get underway or destroy it. The resulting explosion flooded both engine rooms and one fireroom, ruptured fuel tanks, and killed four of her crew. Salvage efforts kept her afloat until she could be towed to Ulithi for repairs. Underway on her own power on 12 January 1945, Montgomery arrived at San Francisco on 14 February. There it was recommended that she be decommissioned, which she was on 23 April 1945. Montgomery was sold for scrapping on 11 March 1946.

Awards

Montgomery received four

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
• Hazegrey.org

10°56′N 125°12′E / 10.933°N 125.200°E / 10.933; 125.200