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USS Blakeley (DD-150) was a Wickes class destroyer that survived having her bows blown off by a U-boat, and spent most of the Second World War serving in the Caribbean.
The Blakeley was named after Johnston Blakeley, a US naval officer who served during the War with Tripoli and the War of 1812, but was lost when USS Wasp disappeared with all hands somewhere in the Atlantic.
The Blakeley was launched on 19 September 1918 at Cramps, and commissioned on 8 May 1919. She joined the Atlantic Fleet and spent the next three years operating off the US East Coast, before being decommissioned on 29 June 1922.
The Blakeley was recommissioned in 1932 and joined the Scouting Force. She operated with that force until 1937, when she was decommissioned for a second time.
The Blakeley was recommissioned for the second time on 16 October 1939. She was allocated to the Caribbean Sea Frontier, and began patrol and convoy escort duties in the Caribbean,. In February 1942 she escorted the troop convoy heading to Curacao in the Dutch West Indies, which was to be garrisoned by the Americans.
In May 1942 she was patrolling off Martinique, then occupied by the Vichy French. On 25 May she was hit by a torpedo fired from U-156. Six men were killed and twenty-one wounded, and she lost 60 feet off her bow. Her crew managed to keep her afloat, and she reached Fort de France in Martinique where emergency repairs were carried out (without Vichy interference). She then reached Port Castries on Santa Lucia in the British West Indies, for more repairs. After further work at San Juan on Puerto Rico, she reached Philadelphia for full repairs. She was given the bow from her sister ship USS Taylor (DD-94), then serving as a training hulk for damage control parties.
The Blakeley returned to duty in September 1942, and remained with the Caribbean Sea Frontier until February 1945. She only ventured outside this area twice - once between 1 January and 23 February 1943 when she served with the hunter-killer group TG 21.13 and once when she escorted convoy UGS-37 to Bizerta (24 March-11 May 1943).
Between March and June 1945 she was used to help train submarine crews in Long Island Sound. She was decommissioned on 21 July 1945 and sold on 30 November 1945.
The Blakeley earned one battle star during the Second World War, for the defence of Convoy UGS-37 on 11-12 April 1944.
Displacement (standard) |
1,160t (design) |
Displacement (loaded) |
|
Top Speed |
35kts (design) |
Engine |
2 shaft Parsons turbines |
Range |
3,800nm at 15kts on trial (Wickes) |
Armour - belt |
|
- deck |
|
Length |
314ft 4in |
Width |
30ft 11in |
Armaments (as built) |
Four 4in/50 guns |
Crew complement |
114 |
Launched |
19 September 1918 |
Commissioned |
8 May 1919 |
Decommissioned |
21 July 1945 |
Sold |
30 November 1945 |