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USS Harding (DD-91)
Encyclopedia
USS Harding (DD-91) was a Wickes-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during World War I
. She was the first ship named in honor of Seth Harding
.
Harding was launched 4 July 1918 by Union Iron Works
, San Francisco
, sponsored by Mrs. George A. Armes, and commissioned 24 January 1919, Commander
Henry D. Cooke
in command.
, via Santa Cruz, California
and the Panama Canal
. Arriving 18 February, she shifted to Boston two days later and stood out of the harbor 21 February to escort , carrying President Woodrow Wilson
back to the United States
from the Versailles Conference. Harding participated in the ceremonies in Boston harbor following the berthing of George Washington 23 February.
After repairs, Harding departed Norfolk
8 March for fleet exercises in Cuba
n waters, then steamed to New York; arriving 14 April. She departed New York again 1 May as part of the destroyer group acting as guide for the historic flight of Navy Curtiss NC
seaplane
s across the Atlantic
. Harding and the other destroyers made smoke by day and provided searchlight illumination by night during the first long leg of the flight; NC-1 and NC-3 made forced landings near the Azores
and Harding rendered assistance to NC-1 before it sank. NC-4
, the remaining seaplane, arrived at Ponta Delgada
20 May and as she took off for the last leg of her journey, Harding got underway to provide radio compass signals at sea. After the seaplanes landed at Plymouth
, England
, to complete the flight 31 May 1919, Harding visited Brest
and the Azores before returning to Newport 18 June.
For the next few months Harding trained out of Newport and Norfolk, reporting to the Philadelphia Navy Yard 13 December 1919 for conversion to seaplane tender. She completed the conversion at Charleston Navy Yard and sailed 20 May 1920 for duty at Pensacola Naval Air Station. Before she could take up her new duties, however, Harding was ordered to Veracruz
, Mexico
, with urgently needed medical supplies for the American Red Cross
. Reaching Veracruz 9 June 1920, she unloaded her precious bubonic plague
serum and other supplies, touched at Tampico
, and returned to Pensacola
13 June. Harding's fast response had helped to save many lives.
Hardings role at the burgeoning Pensacola Naval Base was a key part of the training program for seaplane pilots. She remained there until 4 August, after which she operated in the Caribbean
area tending seaplanes until 23 February 1921. She then arrived at Key West
, and after a short period at Philadelphia proceeded to Hampton Roads
to take part in the bombing tests on U-117
. Steaming from Norfolk 21 June, Harding spent the next month witnessing the important experiments that gave much valuable information on the effects of bomb explosions on warships. The tests came to a climax with the controversial sinking of ex-German
battleship
Ostfriesland 21 July 1921, and Harding was detached from duty 22 July.
Harding subsequently trained out of Newport and other Atlantic ports until 27 December 1921, when she arrived at Charleston
. Remaining there until 3 April 1922, she sailed to Philadelphia where she decommissioned 1 July 1922. Harding was sold for scrap 29 September 1936 to Schiavone-Bonomo Corporation, New York City.
Wickes class destroyer
The Wickes-class destroyers were a group of 111 destroyers built by the United States Navy in 1917-1919. Along with the 6 preceding Caldwell class and 155 subsequent Clemson-class destroyers, they formed the "flush-deck" or "four-stack" class. Only a few were completed in time to serve in World...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
in the United States Navy
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...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. She was the first ship named in honor of Seth Harding
Seth Harding
Seth Harding was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Revolutionary War.-Biography:Harding was born at Eastham, Massachusetts...
.
Harding was launched 4 July 1918 by Union Iron Works
Union Iron Works
Union Iron Works, located in San Francisco, California, on the southeast waterfront, was a central business within the large industrial zone of Potrero Point, for four decades at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries.-History:...
, San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, sponsored by Mrs. George A. Armes, and commissioned 24 January 1919, 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...
Henry D. Cooke
Henry D. Cooke
Henry David Cooke was an American financier, journalist, railroad executive, and politician. He was the younger brother of Philadelphia financier Jay Cooke. A member of the Republican political machine in post-Civil War Washington, D.C., Cooke was appointed first territorial governor of the...
in command.
Service history
Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, Harding sailed 3 February 1919 for Newport, Rhode IslandNewport, 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...
, via Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
and the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. Arriving 18 February, she shifted to Boston two days later and stood out of the harbor 21 February to escort , carrying President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from the Versailles Conference. Harding participated in the ceremonies in Boston harbor following the berthing of George Washington 23 February.
After repairs, Harding departed Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
8 March for fleet exercises in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n waters, then steamed to New York; arriving 14 April. She departed New York again 1 May as part of the destroyer group acting as guide for the historic flight of Navy Curtiss NC
Curtiss NC
-References:NotesBibliography* Holmes, Tony. Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide. London: Harper Collins, 2005. ISBN 0-0071-9292-4.* Steirman, Hy and Glenn D. Kittler. The First Transatlantic Flight, 1919, . New York: Richardson & Sterman, 1986. ISBN 0-931933-19-0.* Wagner, Ray. American...
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 across the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Harding and the other destroyers made smoke by day and provided searchlight illumination by night during the first long leg of the flight; NC-1 and NC-3 made forced landings near the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
and Harding rendered assistance to NC-1 before it sank. NC-4
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,...
, the remaining seaplane, arrived at Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada is a city and municipality on the island of São Miguel in the archipelago of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. It includes 44,403 residents in the urban area, and approximately 20,113 inhabitants in the three central parishes that comprise the historical city: São Pedro,...
20 May and as she took off for the last leg of her journey, Harding got underway to provide radio compass signals at sea. After the seaplanes landed 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
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, to complete the flight 31 May 1919, Harding visited Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
and the Azores before returning to Newport 18 June.
For the next few months Harding trained out of Newport and Norfolk, reporting to the Philadelphia Navy Yard 13 December 1919 for conversion to seaplane tender. She completed the conversion at Charleston Navy Yard and sailed 20 May 1920 for duty at Pensacola Naval Air Station. Before she could take up her new duties, however, Harding was ordered to Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, with urgently needed medical supplies for the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
. Reaching Veracruz 9 June 1920, she unloaded her precious bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
serum and other supplies, touched at Tampico
Tampico
Tampico is a city and port in the state of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, directly north across the border from Veracruz. Tampico is the third largest city in Tamaulipas, and counts with a population of 309,003. The Metropolitan area of...
, and returned to Pensacola
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
13 June. Harding's fast response had helped to save many lives.
Hardings role at the burgeoning Pensacola Naval Base was a key part of the training program for seaplane pilots. She remained there until 4 August, after which she operated in the Caribbean
Caribbean
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...
area tending seaplanes until 23 February 1921. She then arrived at Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
, and after a short period at Philadelphia proceeded to Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
to take part in the bombing tests on U-117
SM U-117
SM U-117 was a Type UE II long-range minelayer submarine of the Imperial German Navy. It was laid down in 1917 at Hamburg, Germany, by Aktiengesellschaft Vulcan and launched on 10 December 1917. It was commissioned in the Imperial German Navy on 28 March 1918 with Kapitänleutnant Otto Dröscher in...
. Steaming from Norfolk 21 June, Harding spent the next month witnessing the important experiments that gave much valuable information on the effects of bomb explosions on warships. The tests came to a climax with the controversial sinking of ex-German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
Ostfriesland 21 July 1921, and Harding was detached from duty 22 July.
Harding subsequently trained out of Newport and other Atlantic ports until 27 December 1921, when she arrived at Charleston
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...
. Remaining there until 3 April 1922, she sailed to Philadelphia where she decommissioned 1 July 1922. Harding was sold for scrap 29 September 1936 to Schiavone-Bonomo Corporation, New York City.