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USS Montgomery (DD-121)
Encyclopedia
USS Montgomery (DD–121) was a Wickes class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during World War I
, later reclassified DM-17. She was the fifth ship named for Admiral
Richard Montgomery
.
Montgomery was built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, launched 23 March 1918; sponsored by Mrs. Andrew Jones, a descendent of Admiral Montgomery; and commissioned 26 July 1918, Lieutenant Commander
W. R. Purnell in command.
25 August 1918 for her first antisubmarine 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
7 August to join Destroyer Squadron 4, Pacific Fleet. For the next 3 1⁄2 years she took part in fleet operations from Alaska
to Panama
, then on 17 March 1922 began inactivation at San Diego, where she decommissioned 6 June 1922.
Redesignated DM-17, 5 January 1931, Montgomery was converted to a light minelayer
and recommissioned 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 7 December 1937 and go into reserve.
, Montgomery reactivated, recommissioning 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 Japan
ese attack
7 December 1941, Montgomery immediately began antisubmarine patrols in the approaches to the vital base, as well as interisland convoy duty. Departing Hawaii
11 April 1942 for Suva, Fiji, Montgomery began 16 months operating from Suva
, Espiritu Santo
, and Noumea
for escort and minelaying operations in the southwest Pacific
, aiding In the struggle for the Solomons. One interruption to this service was 22 September to 12 November, when she sailed north to lay mines in the Aleutians in preparation for the recapture of Attu
and Kiska
.
While laying a minefield off Guadalcanal
on the night of 24 August to 25 August 1943, Montgomery collided with , losing 20 feet of her bow. She made temporary repairs at Tulagi
and Espiritu Santo, then sailed 1 October for San Francisco, arriving 19 October.
Repairs completed, Montgomery began 10 months of activity which included 2 convoy escort voyages between San Francisco and Hawaii (8 December 1943 to 5 February 1944), defensive minelaying around Kwajalein
(17 March to 4 April), convoy escort to Majuro
(May 1944), and local convoy escort in the Hawaiians. Montgomery attacked an enemy submarine
contact 25 June 1944 without evident result. After an escort voyage to Eniwetok and return (28 June to July 16), she sailed for Guadalcanal to prepare for the invasion of the Palau
s.
Getting underway for the assault 6 September, Montgomery took station off Peleliu
12 September to destroy mines swept from the Japanese minefields. On 17 September she screened transports landing assault troops on Angaur
, and 2 days later sailed for mine destruction and patrol duties at Ulithi
until 14 October. She bombarded Ngulu
15 October and acted as mother ship for small minelayers during the capture of the atoll.
While anchored off Ngulu 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 enginerooms 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 12 January 1945, Montgomery arrived at San Francisco 14 February. There it was recommended that she be decommissioned, which she was 23 April 1945. Montgomery was sold 11 March 1946.
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...
, later reclassified DM-17. She was the fifth ship named for Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Richard Montgomery
Richard Montgomery
Richard Montgomery was an Irish-born soldier who first served in the British Army. He later became a brigadier-general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and he is most famous for leading the failed 1775 invasion of Canada.Montgomery was born and raised in Ireland...
.
Montgomery was built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, launched 23 March 1918; sponsored by Mrs. Andrew Jones, a descendent of Admiral Montgomery; and commissioned 26 July 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...
W. R. Purnell in command.
Service history
Following an east coast shakedown, Montgomery left Hampton RoadsHampton 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...
25 August 1918 for her first antisubmarine patrol, alternating such patrols with coastal escort duty until the close of World War I. She conducted training and fleet maneuvers from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to 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...
until 19 July 1919, when she departed Hampton Roads for west coast duty.
Montgomery arrived at San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
7 August to join Destroyer Squadron 4, Pacific Fleet. For the next 3 1⁄2 years she took part in fleet operations from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, then on 17 March 1922 began inactivation at San Diego, where she decommissioned 6 June 1922.
Redesignated DM-17, 5 January 1931, Montgomery was converted to a light minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
and recommissioned 20 August 1931. In December she sailed to Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, her base until 14 June 1937, when she returned to San Diego, there to decommission 7 December 1937 and go into reserve.
World War II
With world tension increasing on the eve of warWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Montgomery reactivated, recommissioning 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
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
.
At Pearl Harbor during the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese attack
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
7 December 1941, Montgomery immediately began antisubmarine patrols in the approaches to the vital base, as well as interisland convoy duty. Departing Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
11 April 1942 for Suva, Fiji, Montgomery began 16 months operating from Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
, and Noumea
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
for escort and minelaying operations in the southwest Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, aiding In the struggle for the Solomons. One interruption to this service was 22 September to 12 November, when she sailed north to lay mines in the Aleutians in preparation for the recapture of Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
and Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
.
While laying a minefield off Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
on the night of 24 August to 25 August 1943, Montgomery collided with , losing 20 feet of her bow. She made temporary repairs at Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
and Espiritu Santo, then sailed 1 October for San Francisco, arriving 19 October.
Repairs completed, Montgomery began 10 months of activity which included 2 convoy escort voyages between San Francisco and Hawaii (8 December 1943 to 5 February 1944), defensive minelaying around Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
(17 March to 4 April), convoy escort to Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
(May 1944), and local convoy escort in the Hawaiians. Montgomery attacked an 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...
contact 25 June 1944 without evident result. After an escort voyage to Eniwetok and return (28 June to July 16), she sailed for Guadalcanal to prepare for the invasion of the Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
s.
Getting underway for the assault 6 September, Montgomery took station off Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
12 September to destroy mines swept from the Japanese minefields. On 17 September she screened transports landing assault troops on Angaur
Angaur
Angaur or Ngeaur is an island in the island nation of Palau. The island, which forms its own state, has an area of 8 km² . Its population is 188 . State capital is the village of Ngeremasch on the western side...
, and 2 days later sailed for mine destruction and patrol duties at Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
until 14 October. She bombarded Ngulu
Ngulu Atoll
Ngulu Atoll is a coral atoll of three islands in the Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia....
15 October and acted as mother ship for small minelayers during the capture of the atoll.
While anchored off Ngulu 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 enginerooms 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 12 January 1945, Montgomery arrived at San Francisco 14 February. There it was recommended that she be decommissioned, which she was 23 April 1945. Montgomery was sold 11 March 1946.