USS Smith Thompson

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Smith Thompson in the summer of 1935
History
United States
NamesakeSmith Thompson
BuilderWilliam Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia
Yard number478
Laid down24 March 1919
Launched14 July 1919
Commissioned10 December 1919
Decommissioned15 May 1936
Stricken19 May 1936
FateDeemed beyond repair due to collision; sunk as a target, 25 July 1936
General characteristics
Class and type
Clemson-class destroyer
Displacement1,215 tons
Length314 feet 4+1⁄2 inches (95.822 m)
Beam31 feet 8 inches (9.65 m)
Draft9 feet 4 inches (2.84 m)
Propulsion
  • 26,500 shp (20 MW);
  • geared turbines,
  • 2 screws
Speed35 knots (65 km/h)
Complement121 officers and enlisted
Armament4 ×
21 inch (533 mm)
TT.

USS Smith Thompson (DD-212) was a

Clemson-class destroyer in service with the United States Navy from 1919 to 1936. She was intentionally sunk following a collision with USS Whipple (DD-217)
, in July 1936.

History

Smith Thompson named for Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson. She was laid down on 24 March 1919 by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia; launched on 14 July 1919; sponsored by Mrs. Kate E. Lloyd, granddaughter of Secretary Thompson; and commissioned on 10 December 1919.

After shakedown along the

Mark L. Bristol commanding, the destroyer operated in the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea for over a year, visiting ports in Turkey, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Syria, Greece, Egypt and Palestine. Due to warfare in Turkey and Russia, Admiral Bristol's ships were frequently assigned unusual tasks, including maintenance of radio, mail, and passenger service; carrying State Department representatives and officials of recognized philanthropic societies to various ports; and evacuation of Americans, non-combatants, and the sick and wounded from ports threatened by warfare, particularly in southern Russia. Rear Admiral Newton A. McCully, on a mission to south Russia as a special agent of the State Department for observation purposes, received assistance from the naval forces; and, on several occasions, Smith Thompson acted as his flagship
.

On 2 May 1921, Smith Thompson sailed from Constantinople with her division for the

Asiatic Station, arriving at Cavite, Philippines
, on 29 June. For the next four years, she cruised among the Philippine Islands, along the coast of China, and in Japanese waters, protecting American lives and property and carrying out peacetime training.

In early September 1923, when he learned that

San Diego, California
and the Panama Canal, arriving in Hampton Roads on 16 July.

After overhaul, Smith Thompson joined Destroyer Squadrons, Scouting Fleet, and cruised along the U.S. East Coast and in the Caribbean on training exercises. During September and October 1926 and January 1927, the destroyer was temporarily attached to the U.S. Special Service Squadron for duty on the coast of Nicaragua, observing conditions in that country during a revolutionary outbreak, protecting American interests, and furnishing transportation to Naval and Marine Corps personnel.

Between June 1927 and January 1928, Smith Thompson cruised in the Mediterranean and the

Yangtze River Patrol and the South China Patrol. On 1 February 1932, she, with other units of the Asiatic Fleet, was rushed to Shanghai
to protect the international settlement there after the Japanese launched an air and sea attack on the Chinese portion of the city. On this occasion, Smith Thompson remained on special patrols along the China coast until 28 May.

Fate

On 14 April 1936, Smith Thompson, while en route from Manila to Shanghai, was rammed amidships by

Barker (DD-213), arriving in Subic Bay on 17 April. Inspection showed the ship not worth repair, and Smith Thompson was decommissioned at Olongapo on 15 May, struck from the Navy list
on 19 May, and sunk at sea off Subic Bay on 25 July 1936.

As of 2019, no other ships have been named Smith Thompson.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Smith Thompson (DD-212).

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