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USS Stoddert (DD-302)
Encyclopedia
USS Stoddert (DD-302/AG-18) was a Clemson-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
following World War I. It was named for Benjamin Stoddert
.
, by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
; launched on 8 January 1919; sponsored by Mrs. Gavin McNab; and commissioned on 30 June 1920, Lieutenant Commander Norman Scott in command.
Stoddert joined Division 33 of the Reserve Destroyer Squadron, Pacific Fleet, and completed fitting-out at Mare Island Navy Yard. Between 14 August 1920 and 7 January 1921, it operated along the coast of California
, participating in tactical exercises with Battleship Squadron 5 and the cruiser
. It also engaged in antiaircraft practice, target towing, and gun drills off Coronado Island with its own division. On 7 January 1921, it departed San Diego with the Pacific Fleet to join the Atlantic Fleet
in the Panama Canal Zone
for winter maneuvers farther south. From 22 January to 15 February, the combined fleets held strategic, tactical, and gunnery exercises on a cruise to Valparaíso
, Chile
, and back to Panama
. Following the inter-fleet championships conducted at Balboa
, Stoddert headed north and, on 5 March, reached San Diego, California
where it resumed normal operations with Division 33.
In July, it steamed farther north to the state of Washington where it exercised with . After maneuvers off the coasts of Oregon
and California, it entered Puget Sound Navy Yard on 15 December; completed overhaul on 7 February 1922; and, four days later, joined Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 32. It resumed operations along the west coast. Proceeding to the south on 8 February 1923 with the Battle Fleet
and Fleet Base Force, Stoddert took part in maneuvers en route to the Panama Canal Zone to conduct fleet problems to test the defense of the strategic canal. While in Panama during the month of March, the fleet engaged in combined tactical and strategic maneuvers, held experimental torpedo practice, carried out various experimental firings against and finally sank Coast Battleship No. 4, the former . Upon the completion of the combined maneuvers on 30 March, Stoddert returned to the Bremerton Navy Yard on 22 April.
The destroyer cruised the Washington coastline until the end of August, visiting Astoria
, Tacoma, Seattle, Bellingham
, Port Angeles, and Port Townsend. In July, it escorted , in which President Warren G. Harding
was embarked. In September, it steamed south to San Diego Harbor where the destroyers of its division formed a circle and scattered flowers on the water in commemoration of the men lost in the Honda Point Disaster
.
From 22 October 1923 until 2 January 1924, Stoddert took part in fleet maneuvers and torpedo exercises at San Diego, sailing to the south on 16 January. Transiting the Panama Canal with the Battle Fleet from 18 January to 25 January, it was engaged with the Scouting Fleet
in maneuvers designed to test the defenses and facilities of the Canal Zone. During the winter, the combined fleets were based at Culebra
, and on 22 April 1924, Stoddert arrived back at San Diego with the Battle Fleet.
Cruising with Battle Fleet destroyer squadrons, Stoddert operated along the west coast, principally at San Diego, San Pedro, Port Angeles, Tacoma, Seattle, and San Francisco, until 27 April 1925, on which date it arrived in Hawaii for exercises with United States Fleet
. En route, the fleet engaged in a joint Army
and Navy problem which simulated an attack on the Hawaiian Islands by a large overseas force and was designed to test to the fullest extent the defenses of the Hawaiian Islands.
On 1 July 1925, the destroyer sailed from Pearl Harbor
with the Battle Fleet on a good will cruise via Samoa
to Australia and New Zealand. The ships visited Melbourne
, Dunedin
, and Lyttelton
, and the officers and men were extensively entertained in all these ports. This visit furthered the amicable relations existing between the United States and Australia and New Zealand. Stoddert returned to its base at San Diego on 26 September.
It resumed operations with the Battle Fleet along the west coast, taking time to attend the Navy Day celebration at San Diego from 21 October to 27 October 1925 and the Founders Day festivities held at Astoria, Oregon
, between 20 July and 23 July 1926. After an overhaul at the Bremerton Navy Yard, it again sailed south, via San Diego, arriving on 22 March 1927 at Balboa where it and joined the Battle Fleet. Maneuvering with the fleet at Guantanamo Bay
, Gonaïves
, and New York, it went on alone to the Boston Navy Yard
for repairs on its way to Hampton Roads
where it took part in a presidential review and rejoined its fleet. Transiting the canal between 11 June and 17 June, Stoddert arrived back in San Diego on 25 June for exercises with Destroyer Squadron 11. For the remainder of 1927 and until the end of April 1928, it operated along the west coast, principally at San Diego, San Pedro, Tacoma, Port Townsend, Bremerton, and Port Angeles.
Its one special assignment took it to Honolulu for emergency assistance to the Dole flight
, a non-stop airplane race between San Francisco and Honolulu, starting on 16 August 1927. Upon receipt of reports of planes missing, an extensive search was started under the direction of the Commander in Chief, Battle Fleet; Commandant, 12th Naval District; and Commandant, 14th Naval District. A total of 54 ships of the Battle Fleet took part in this search between 17 August and 5 September, covering approximately 350000 square miles (906,495.8 km²).
On 28 April 1928, Stoddert arrived at Honolulu, via San Francisco, for Battle Fleet exercises at Lahaina, Pearl Harbor, and Hilo with Submarine Divisions 9 and 14. Returning to San Diego on 23 June 1928, it cruised and maneuvered between its customary ports along the Pacific Coast, deviating from its exercises on 18 November and 19 November 1928 to act as part of the honor escort for President-elect Herbert Hoover on board battleship from San Diego to Los Angeles.
Under terms of the London Treaty for Reduction of Naval Armament
, Stoddert was decommissioned on 20 May 1930 and delivered to the Mare Island Navy Yard for retention by conversion to a radio-controlled target ship. This was in accordance with the Navy's decision to fit out a unit of three destroyers as radio-controlled light targets for the purpose of conducting Fleet exercises requiring' the use of high speed targets. Stoddert, designated Light Target No. 1, received the initial installation. Its experimental radio control apparatus paved the way for later fitting out of remote-controlled and , and pointed the way for the more elaborate equipment of the famous radio-controlled target ship .
It was recommissioned on 6 April 1931; reclassified as miscellaneous auxiliary, AG-18, on 30 June 1931 and redesignated DD-302 on 16 April 1932. After experimental operations, it became an element of Mobile Target Division 1. From its base at San Diego, Stoddert was the target for dive bombing, aerial torpedo
es, and fleet gunnery exercises along the coast of California. It spent much of its time as the dive-bombing and torpedo attack target ship for the aircraft of .
on 5 June 1935, and it was sold for scrapping on 30 August 1935.
Clemson class destroyer
The Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.The Clemson-class ships were commissioned by the United States Navy from 1919 to 1922, built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, New York Shipbuilding...
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...
following World War I. It was named for Benjamin Stoddert
Benjamin Stoddert
Benjamin Stoddert was the first United States Secretary of the Navy from May 1, 1798 to March 31, 1801.-Early life:...
.
History
Stoddert was laid down on 4 July 1918 at San Francisco, CaliforniaSan 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...
, by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Bethlehem Steel Corporation Shipbuilding Division was created in 1905 when Bethlehem Steel Corporation acquired the San Francisco shipyard Union Iron Works in 1905...
; launched on 8 January 1919; sponsored by Mrs. Gavin McNab; and commissioned on 30 June 1920, Lieutenant Commander Norman Scott in command.
Stoddert joined Division 33 of the Reserve Destroyer Squadron, Pacific Fleet, and completed fitting-out at Mare Island Navy Yard. Between 14 August 1920 and 7 January 1921, it operated along the coast of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, participating in tactical exercises with Battleship Squadron 5 and the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
. It also engaged in antiaircraft practice, target towing, and gun drills off Coronado Island with its own division. On 7 January 1921, it departed San Diego with the Pacific Fleet to join the Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
in the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
for winter maneuvers farther south. From 22 January to 15 February, the combined fleets held strategic, tactical, and gunnery exercises on a cruise to Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and back 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...
. Following the inter-fleet championships conducted at Balboa
Balboa, Panama
Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.- History :The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish conquistador credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean...
, Stoddert headed north and, on 5 March, reached San Diego, California
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...
where it resumed normal operations with Division 33.
In July, it steamed farther north to the state of Washington where it exercised with . After maneuvers off the coasts of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and California, it entered Puget Sound Navy Yard on 15 December; completed overhaul on 7 February 1922; and, four days later, joined Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 32. It resumed operations along the west coast. Proceeding to the south on 8 February 1923 with the Battle Fleet
Battle Fleet
The United States Battle Fleet or Battle Force was part of the organization of the United States Navy from 1922 to 1941.The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet, with the Battle Fleet as the Pacific presence. This fleet comprised the main body of ships in the Navy,...
and Fleet Base Force, Stoddert took part in maneuvers en route to the Panama Canal Zone to conduct fleet problems to test the defense of the strategic canal. While in Panama during the month of March, the fleet engaged in combined tactical and strategic maneuvers, held experimental torpedo practice, carried out various experimental firings against and finally sank Coast Battleship No. 4, the former . Upon the completion of the combined maneuvers on 30 March, Stoddert returned to the Bremerton Navy Yard on 22 April.
The destroyer cruised the Washington coastline until the end of August, visiting Astoria
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
, Tacoma, Seattle, Bellingham
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
, Port Angeles, and Port Townsend. In July, it escorted , in which President Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
was embarked. In September, it steamed south to San Diego Harbor where the destroyers of its division formed a circle and scattered flowers on the water in commemoration of the men lost in the Honda Point Disaster
Honda Point Disaster
The Honda Point Disaster was the largest peacetime loss of U.S. Navy ships. On the evening of September 8, 1923, seven destroyers, while traveling at 20 knots , ran aground at Honda Point, a few miles from the northern side of the Santa Barbara Channel off Point Arguello on the coast in Santa...
.
From 22 October 1923 until 2 January 1924, Stoddert took part in fleet maneuvers and torpedo exercises at San Diego, sailing to the south on 16 January. Transiting the Panama Canal with the Battle Fleet from 18 January to 25 January, it was engaged with the Scouting Fleet
Scouting Fleet
The Scouting Fleet was part of the United States Fleet in the United States Navy, and renamed the Scouting Force in 1930.Established in 1922, the fleet consisted mainly of older battleships and initially operated in the Atlantic...
in maneuvers designed to test the defenses and facilities of the Canal Zone. During the winter, the combined fleets were based at Culebra
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Isla Culebra is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico originally called Isla Pasaje and Isla de San Ildefonso. It is located approximately east of the Puerto Rican mainland, west of St. Thomas and north of Vieques. Culebra is spread over 5 wards and Culebra Pueblo...
, and on 22 April 1924, Stoddert arrived back at San Diego with the Battle Fleet.
Cruising with Battle Fleet destroyer squadrons, Stoddert operated along the west coast, principally at San Diego, San Pedro, Port Angeles, Tacoma, Seattle, and San Francisco, until 27 April 1925, on which date it arrived in Hawaii for exercises with United States Fleet
United States Fleet
The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The abbreviation CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet. This title was disposed of and officially replaced by COMINCH in December 1941 . This...
. En route, the fleet engaged in a joint 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...
and Navy problem which simulated an attack on the Hawaiian Islands by a large overseas force and was designed to test to the fullest extent the defenses of the Hawaiian Islands.
On 1 July 1925, the destroyer sailed from 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...
with the Battle Fleet on a good will cruise via Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
to Australia and New Zealand. The ships visited Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, and Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
, and the officers and men were extensively entertained in all these ports. This visit furthered the amicable relations existing between the United States and Australia and New Zealand. Stoddert returned to its base at San Diego on 26 September.
It resumed operations with the Battle Fleet along the west coast, taking time to attend the Navy Day celebration at San Diego from 21 October to 27 October 1925 and the Founders Day festivities held at Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
, between 20 July and 23 July 1926. After an overhaul at the Bremerton Navy Yard, it again sailed south, via San Diego, arriving on 22 March 1927 at Balboa where it and joined the Battle Fleet. Maneuvering with the fleet at Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
, Gonaïves
Gonaïves
Gonaïves is a city in northern Haiti, the capital of the Artibonite Department. It has a population of about 104,825 people . The city's name derives from the original Amerindian name of Gonaibo. It is also known as Haïti's "independence city"...
, and New York, it went on alone to the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
for repairs on its way 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...
where it took part in a presidential review and rejoined its fleet. Transiting the canal between 11 June and 17 June, Stoddert arrived back in San Diego on 25 June for exercises with Destroyer Squadron 11. For the remainder of 1927 and until the end of April 1928, it operated along the west coast, principally at San Diego, San Pedro, Tacoma, Port Townsend, Bremerton, and Port Angeles.
Its one special assignment took it to Honolulu for emergency assistance to the Dole flight
Dole Air Race
The Dole Air Race, also known as the Dole Derby, was a tragic air race to cross the Pacific Ocean from northern California to the Territory of Hawaii in August 1927. Of the 15-18 entrant airplanes, 11 were certified to compete but three crashed before the race, resulting in three deaths...
, a non-stop airplane race between San Francisco and Honolulu, starting on 16 August 1927. Upon receipt of reports of planes missing, an extensive search was started under the direction of the Commander in Chief, Battle Fleet; Commandant, 12th Naval District; and Commandant, 14th Naval District. A total of 54 ships of the Battle Fleet took part in this search between 17 August and 5 September, covering approximately 350000 square miles (906,495.8 km²).
On 28 April 1928, Stoddert arrived at Honolulu, via San Francisco, for Battle Fleet exercises at Lahaina, Pearl Harbor, and Hilo with Submarine Divisions 9 and 14. Returning to San Diego on 23 June 1928, it cruised and maneuvered between its customary ports along the Pacific Coast, deviating from its exercises on 18 November and 19 November 1928 to act as part of the honor escort for President-elect Herbert Hoover on board battleship from San Diego to Los Angeles.
Under terms of the London Treaty for Reduction of Naval Armament
London Naval Treaty
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...
, Stoddert was decommissioned on 20 May 1930 and delivered to the Mare Island Navy Yard for retention by conversion to a radio-controlled target ship. This was in accordance with the Navy's decision to fit out a unit of three destroyers as radio-controlled light targets for the purpose of conducting Fleet exercises requiring' the use of high speed targets. Stoddert, designated Light Target No. 1, received the initial installation. Its experimental radio control apparatus paved the way for later fitting out of remote-controlled and , and pointed the way for the more elaborate equipment of the famous radio-controlled target ship .
It was recommissioned on 6 April 1931; reclassified as miscellaneous auxiliary, AG-18, on 30 June 1931 and redesignated DD-302 on 16 April 1932. After experimental operations, it became an element of Mobile Target Division 1. From its base at San Diego, Stoddert was the target for dive bombing, aerial torpedo
Aerial torpedo
The aerial torpedo, airborne torpedo or air-dropped torpedo is a naval weapon, the torpedo, designed to be dropped into water from an aircraft after which it propels itself to the target. First used in World War I, air-dropped torpedoes were used extensively in World War II, and remain in limited...
es, and fleet gunnery exercises along the coast of California. It spent much of its time as the dive-bombing and torpedo attack target ship for the aircraft of .
Fate
The destroyer was decommissioned at San Diego on 10 January 1933, many of its officers and crew transferring to mobile target ship . Its name was struck from the Navy ListNaval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 5 June 1935, and it was sold for scrapping on 30 August 1935.