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USS Craven (DD-70)
Encyclopedia
USS Craven (DD-70), a , served in the United States Navy
, and later in the Royal Navy
as HMS Lewes.
The second US Navy ship named for Commander
Tunis Craven
(1813–1864), Craven was launched
on 29 June 1918 by Norfolk Navy Yard, sponsored by Mrs. F. Learned, daughter of Commander Craven, and commissioned
on 19 October 1918, Lieutenant Commander
M. B. McComb in command.
in training, maneuvers, and torpedo
practice, until 3 May 1919 when she sailed from New York for Trepassey Bay, Newfoundland. Here she served on a weather station and observed the flight of Navy seaplane
s in the historic first aerial crossing
of the Atlantic. After overhaul, Craven participated in Army
gun tests at Fort Story
, Virginia
, and had recruiting duty at Hampton Roads, Virginia; Fall River, Massachusetts
, and Newport, Rhode Island
, until placed in reserve at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10 October 1919.
Still in reduced commission, Craven arrived at Charleston, South Carolina
, 10 February 1921. She transported liberty parties between Charleston and Jacksonville, Florida
, and took part in the fleet maneuvers off Virginia and in Narragansett Bay
. Arriving at Philadelphia 29 March 1922, Craven was placed out of commission 15 June 1922. On 12 November 1939, she was renamed Conway for William Conway
.
, 17 October. Here she was decommissioned 23 October 1940 and turned over to British authorities in the land bases for destroyers exchange
. She was commissioned as HMS Lewes (G68) (after Lewes
in East Sussex
) the same day.
Lewes departed Halifax 1 November and arrived at Belfast, Northern Ireland, 9 November, searching for during her passage. She was refitted at Plymouth
, England, and ordered to remain there under the command of Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth. Severely damaged in enemy air raids on 21 and 22 April 1941, she remained out of action until December when she joined the Home Fleet. In February 1942, she joined Rosyth Escort Force, escorting convoy
s between the Thames and the Firth of Forth
, Scotland
. On 9 and 10 November 1942, she engaged German E-boat
s which attacked her convoy off Lowestoft
. Lewes escorted a troop convoy on its way to the Middle East
and arrived at Simonstown, Union of South Africa
, 18 May 1943. As well as serving as target for aircraft during their training, she searched for enemy submarine
s reported rounding Cape of Good Hope
.
In 1944, she joined the Eastern Fleet
as a submarine tender
and torpedo target ship. Lewes departed Durban 13 August and arrived at Ceylon a month later. She was based at Trincomalee
until January 1945, when she was transferred to the British Pacific Fleet
as a target ship for aircraft training. Arriving at Fremantle, Australia, 11 February 1945, she shifted to Sydney
20 February and remained there until the end of hostilities. On 12 October 1945, she was reported as no longer necessary to the fleet, and was ordered scrapped. She was stripped of valuable scrap and the hull scuttled off Sydney on 25 May 1946.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, and later in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as HMS Lewes.
The second US Navy ship named for Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Tunis Craven
Tunis Craven
Tunis Augustus Macdonough Craven was an officer in the United States Navy. His career included service in the Mexican-American War and the Civil War.-Early Life:...
(1813–1864), Craven was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 29 June 1918 by Norfolk Navy Yard, sponsored by Mrs. F. Learned, daughter of Commander Craven, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 19 October 1918, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
M. B. McComb in command.
United States Navy
Craven cruised on the east coast and in the CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
in training, maneuvers, and torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
practice, until 3 May 1919 when she sailed from New York for Trepassey Bay, Newfoundland. Here she served on a weather station and observed the flight of Navy seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s in the historic first aerial crossing
NC-4
The NC-4 was a Curtiss NC flying boat which was designed by Glenn Curtiss and his team, and manufactured by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. In May 1919, the NC-4 became the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, starting in the United States and making the crossing as far as Lisbon,...
of the Atlantic. After overhaul, Craven participated in Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
gun tests at Fort Story
Fort Story
Formerly a sub-installation of Fort Eustis, Fort Story is a sub-installation of the United States Navy and Little Creek Amphibious Base...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and had recruiting duty at Hampton Roads, Virginia; Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
, and Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, until placed in reserve at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
10 October 1919.
Still in reduced commission, Craven arrived at Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, 10 February 1921. She transported liberty parties between Charleston and Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, and took part in the fleet maneuvers off Virginia and in Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
. Arriving at Philadelphia 29 March 1922, Craven was placed out of commission 15 June 1922. On 12 November 1939, she was renamed Conway for William Conway
William Conway (U.S. Navy)
William Conway was a United States Navy quartermaster born in Camden, Maine. At the surrender of Pensacola Navy Yard to the rebels on January 12, 1861, Confederate Lieutenant Frederick B. Kinshaw ordered Conway to lower the American flag...
.
Royal Navy
Recommissioned 9 August 1940, Conway arrived at Halifax, Nova ScotiaCity of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, 17 October. Here she was decommissioned 23 October 1940 and turned over to British authorities in the land bases for destroyers exchange
Destroyers for Bases Agreement
The Destroyers for Bases Agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom, September 2, 1940, transferred fifty mothballed destroyers from the United States Navy in exchange for land rights on British possessions...
. She was commissioned as HMS Lewes (G68) (after Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
) the same day.
Lewes departed Halifax 1 November and arrived at Belfast, Northern Ireland, 9 November, searching for during her passage. She was refitted at Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, England, and ordered to remain there under the command of Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth. Severely damaged in enemy air raids on 21 and 22 April 1941, she remained out of action until December when she joined the Home Fleet. In February 1942, she joined Rosyth Escort Force, escorting convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s between the Thames and the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. On 9 and 10 November 1942, she engaged German E-boat
E-boat
E-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
s which attacked her convoy off Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
. Lewes escorted a troop convoy on its way to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and arrived at Simonstown, Union of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, 18 May 1943. As well as serving as target for aircraft during their training, she searched for enemy submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s reported rounding Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
.
In 1944, she joined the Eastern Fleet
British Eastern Fleet
The British Eastern Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed from 1941 to 1971...
as a submarine tender
Submarine tender
A submarine tender is a type of ship that supplies and supports submarines.Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies, nor to carry a full array of maintenance equipment and...
and torpedo target ship. Lewes departed Durban 13 August and arrived at Ceylon a month later. She was based at Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
until January 1945, when she was transferred to the British Pacific Fleet
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
as a target ship for aircraft training. Arriving at Fremantle, Australia, 11 February 1945, she shifted to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
20 February and remained there until the end of hostilities. On 12 October 1945, she was reported as no longer necessary to the fleet, and was ordered scrapped. She was stripped of valuable scrap and the hull scuttled off Sydney on 25 May 1946.