.gif)
USS Kalk (DD-170)
Encyclopedia
The first USS Kalk (DD–170) was a Wickes class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during the World War I
, later transferred to the Royal Navy
as HMS Hamilton (I-24) and then into the Royal Canadian Navy
as HMCS Hamilton (I-24).
, Kalk, laid down as Rodgers 4 March 1917, was launched 21 December 1918, by the Fore River Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, Massachusetts
; sponsored by Mrs. Flora Stanton Kalk, mother of Lieutenant Kalk; renamed Kalk 23 December 1918; and commissioned at Boston 29 March 1919, Lieutenant Commander N. R. Van der Veer in command.
After shakedown off Newport
, Kalk departed Boston 3 May for Newfoundland
. Arriving Trespassey 5 May, she sailed 3 days later for the mid-Atlantic to provide rescue cover during the pioneer flight of Navy seaplane NC-4
from Newfoundland to the Azores
16 to 17 May. After returning to Boston 20 May, she sailed for Europe
10 July, arriving Brest
, France
, 21 July. Proceeding via England
to Hamburg
, Germany
, she arrived 27 July to begin a 3-week cruise through the Baltic Sea
, visiting Baltic and Scandinavia
n countries on American Relief Administration
operations. She returned to Brest 23 August to serve as a dispatch and escort ship until departing for the United States 25 January 1920.
Arriving Boston 12 February, she trained reserves of the 1st Naval District and operated with DesRon 3 along the Atlantic Coast from Cape Cod
to Charleston
. As a result of the Five Power Naval Treaty, which was signed at the Washington Conference
6 February 1922, Kalk departed Boston 10 May for Philadelphia, where she decommissioned 10 July and was placed in reserve.
When war in Europe threatened the security of the entire world, Kalk recommissioned 17 June 1940, Lt. T. P. Elliott in command; departing Philadelphia 26 July, she arrived Charleston the 31st for duty with the Neutrality Patrol
in the Atlantic. Kalk was one of 50 overage 4-pipers turned over to Britain in exchange for strategic bases in the Atlantic under terms of the "Destroyers for Bases Agreement
" of 2 September. She cleared Charleston 7 September and steamed via Hampton Roads
and Newport to Halifax, Nova Scotia
, arriving 18 September. Kalk decommissioned 23 September and was turned over to the British the same day.
. Proceeding to Saint John, New Brunswick
, for repairs, she went aground and suffered extensive damage. Because of a British manpower shortage, she was manned by Canadians
during and after repair operations. Hamilton was modified for trade convoy escort service by removal of three of the original 4"/50 caliber guns and one of the triple torpedo
tube mounts to reduce topside weight for additional depth charge
stowage and installation of hedgehog
anti-submarine weapon.
of Labrador
.
Throughout her active service, she remained in North American waters, protecting convoys from St. John's to New York. On 2 August 1942, she sighted and attacked a German U-boat
and, by forcing it to submerge, prevented an attack on the convoy. Declared unfit for operations 11 August 1943, she became a tender to HMCS Cornwallis at Annapolis, Nova Scotia
. Declared surplus 1 April 1945, she decommissioned 8 June at Sydney, Nova Scotia
. HMCS Hamilton departed Sydney 6 July under tow for Baltimore, Maryland, where she sold for scrapping by the Boston Iron & Metal Company, but was lost while being towed to Boston.
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 the 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...
, later transferred to 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 Hamilton (I-24) and then into the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
as HMCS Hamilton (I-24).
As USS Kalk
Named for Stanton Frederick KalkStanton Frederick Kalk
Stanton Frederick Kalk was an officer in the United States Navy during World War I. He received the Navy's Distinguished Service Medal for his actions after his ship was torpedoed by a German submarine.-Biography:...
, Kalk, laid down as Rodgers 4 March 1917, was launched 21 December 1918, by the Fore River Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
; sponsored by Mrs. Flora Stanton Kalk, mother of Lieutenant Kalk; renamed Kalk 23 December 1918; and commissioned at Boston 29 March 1919, Lieutenant Commander N. R. Van der Veer in command.
After shakedown off Newport
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...
, Kalk departed Boston 3 May for Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
. Arriving Trespassey 5 May, she sailed 3 days later for the mid-Atlantic to provide rescue cover during the pioneer flight of Navy seaplane 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,...
from Newfoundland to 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...
16 to 17 May. After returning to Boston 20 May, she sailed for Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
10 July, arriving 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...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 21 July. Proceeding via England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
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...
, she arrived 27 July to begin a 3-week cruise through the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, visiting Baltic and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n countries on American Relief Administration
American Relief Administration
American Relief Administration was an American relief mission to Europe and later Soviet Russia after World War I. Herbert Hoover, future president of the United States, was the program director....
operations. She returned to Brest 23 August to serve as a dispatch and escort ship until departing for the United States 25 January 1920.
Arriving Boston 12 February, she trained reserves of the 1st Naval District and operated with DesRon 3 along the Atlantic Coast from Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
to 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...
. As a result of the Five Power Naval Treaty, which was signed at the Washington Conference
Washington Conference
Several significant conferences have been held in Washington:*Washington Naval Conference: meeting between representatives of 9 nations with interests in the Pacific; November, 1921 and February, 1922....
6 February 1922, Kalk departed Boston 10 May for Philadelphia, where she decommissioned 10 July and was placed in reserve.
When war in Europe threatened the security of the entire world, Kalk recommissioned 17 June 1940, Lt. T. P. Elliott in command; departing Philadelphia 26 July, she arrived Charleston the 31st for duty with the Neutrality Patrol
Neutrality Patrol
At the beginning of World War II, when Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 started the hostilities in Europe, President Franklin D...
in the Atlantic. Kalk was one of 50 overage 4-pipers turned over to Britain in exchange for strategic bases in the Atlantic under terms of the "Destroyers for Bases Agreement
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...
" of 2 September. She cleared Charleston 7 September and steamed via 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...
and Newport to Halifax, Nova Scotia
City 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...
, arriving 18 September. Kalk decommissioned 23 September and was turned over to the British the same day.
As HMS Hamilton
Commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Hamilton, which was a placename common to both the UK and US, she collided with HMS Georgetown (formerly Maddox, DD-168) at St. John's, Newfoundland, 1 October while en route to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Proceeding to Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, for repairs, she went aground and suffered extensive damage. Because of a British manpower shortage, she was manned by Canadians
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during and after repair operations. Hamilton was modified for trade convoy escort service by removal of three of the original 4"/50 caliber guns and one of the triple 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...
tube mounts to reduce topside weight for additional depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
stowage and installation of hedgehog
Hedgehog (weapon)
The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
anti-submarine weapon.
As HMCS Hamilton
Late in June 1941 she commissioned in the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS Hamilton fitting within the Canadian practice of naming destroyers after Canadian rivers -- the Hamilton RiverChurchill River (Atlantic)
The Churchill River is a river in Newfoundland and Labrador which flows east from the Smallwood Reservoir in Labrador into the Atlantic Ocean via Lake Melville. The river is long and drains an area of ; it is the longest river in the province...
of Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
.
Throughout her active service, she remained in North American waters, protecting convoys from St. John's to New York. On 2 August 1942, she sighted and attacked a German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
and, by forcing it to submerge, prevented an attack on the convoy. Declared unfit for operations 11 August 1943, she became a tender to HMCS Cornwallis at Annapolis, Nova Scotia
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Annapolis Royal is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St...
. Declared surplus 1 April 1945, she decommissioned 8 June at Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
. HMCS Hamilton departed Sydney 6 July under tow for Baltimore, Maryland, where she sold for scrapping by the Boston Iron & Metal Company, but was lost while being towed to Boston.