USS Lansdale (DD-426)

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The USS Lansdale (DD-426) in October 1943
The USS Lansdale (DD-426) in October 1943
Overview
Keel laying December 19, 1938
Launch October 30, 1939
1. Period of service flag
Commissioning 17th September 1940
Decommissioning April 20, 1944
Whereabouts sunk by aircraft attack
Technical specifications
displacement

1,620 tons

length

106.05 meters

width

11 meters

Draft

3.58 meters

crew

191

drive

2 propellers, driven by 2 geared turbines; 50,000 hp

speed

33 knots

Armament

The USS Lansdale (DD-426) was a destroyer entered into service with the United States Navy in September 1940 . The ship belonged to the Benson class and was in service during World War II before it was sunk on April 20, 1944 by a German air raid off the coast of Algeria . 74 crew members were killed.

history

The Lansdale was laid down on December 19, 1938 in the shipyard of the Boston Naval Shipyard and was launched on October 30, 1939. Godmother was Ethel S. Lansdale, widow of the namesake Officer Philip Lansdale (1858-1899). The destroyer was commissioned on September 17, 1940 under the command of Lieutenant Commander John D. Connor.

After sea trials in the Caribbean, the Lansdale remained in the same waters for neutrality patrols from January 1941 . After completion of this mission in March, the ship accompanied convoy on the way from Charleston (South Carolina) to Naval Station Argentia near Placentia . This was followed by further convoy trips to Newfoundland and Iceland . After the United States entered the war in December 1941, the destroyer returned to Boston .

The first war effort of the Lansdale was the escort of seven troop carriers from New York City to Key West in January 1942. In February the ship was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7) for anti-aircraft defense . In the following six months, patrols to defend against submarines followed in various waters, including in May 1942 together with the cruisers USS Savannah (CL-42) and USS Juneau (CL-52) between Puerto Rico and Bermuda . From August 1942, journeys in convoys followed, including in October to escort the battleship USS Arkansas (BB-33) to North Africa, where the destroyer went on patrol between Safi and Casablanca after its arrival .

After an overhaul in New York, the Lansdale spent the entire year 1943 escorting convoys from February onwards. This included a fleet of tankers that left the UK on February 15. On February 23, the convoy was off the Azores when an attack by about six to ten German submarines took place (also known as pack tactics ). Three tankers were sunk and two others were damaged. The Lansdale took action against the submarines. However, it is unclear whether one of the German units was damaged.

1944 spent the Lansdale with other escorts in the Mediterranean. On April 10, the ship at Oran became part of the convoy UGS 37 , consisting of 60 merchant ships, 6 landing ships and several destroyers as escorts. On April 11, the convoy in front of Cap Bengut on the Algerian coast was attacked by 16 to 25 German aircraft made by Dornier and Junkers with bombs and torpedoes. The USS Holder (DE-401) was damaged by a torpedo while the German side lost four aircraft.

During convoy UGS 38 on April 20 , the Lansdale got into a battle with German aircraft again off Cap Bengut. Shortly after 9 p.m. local time, bombers from Junkers and Heinkel attacked the convoy. Several Junkers Ju 88 machines damaged the merchant ship Samite with torpedoes and sank the Liberty freighter Paul Hamilton after it exploded from a hit in an ammunition chamber. All 580 people on board were killed. Two more merchant ships were then damaged.

The Lansdale was then machines of the type Heinkel He 111 of III./KG 26 and the I. and 77 III./KG attacked. A torpedo hit on the starboard side at 21.06 hrs caused the ship to list heavily. Despite the situation, the destroyer managed to shoot down one of the Heinkel machines. After the list got stronger and stronger until 9:20 p.m., the commandant Lieutenant Commander M. Swift decided to evacuate the Lansdale . At 9:35 p.m. the ship broke in two. While the stern section immediately sank, the bow section stayed afloat for another 20 minutes before it also went under. The survivors were rescued by destroyers escort USS Menges (DE-320) and USS Newell (DE-322) , including the ship's commander. 74 crew members were killed in the sinking of the Lansdale .

The Lansdale received four Battle Stars for their services during the war .

Web links

Commons : USS Lansdale  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jürgen Rohwer , Gerhard Hümmelchen : Chronicle of the Sea War 1939–1945, April 1944. Retrieved on December 2, 2017 .