USS Blakeley (DD-150)

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.

USS Blakeley (DD-150) with damaged bow, 1942
USS Blakeley (DD-150)
with damaged bow, 1942

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.

Port torpedo tubes, USS Blakey (DD-150), 1920s Port torpedo tubes, USS Blakey (DD-150), 1920s

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.

USS Blakeley (DD-150), Charleston, 1945 USS Blakeley (DD-150), Charleston, 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)
35.34kts at 24,610shp at 1,149t on trial (Wickes)

Engine

2 shaft Parsons turbines
4 boilers
24,200shp (design)

Range

3,800nm at 15kts on trial (Wickes)
2,850nm at 20kts on trial (Wickes)

Armour - belt

 

 - deck

 

Length

314ft 4in

Width

30ft 11in

Armaments (as built)

Four 4in/50 guns
Twelve 21in torpedoes in four triple tubes
Two depth charge tracks

Crew complement

114

Launched

19 September 1918

Commissioned

8 May 1919

Decommissioned

21 July 1945

Sold

30 November 1945

U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History, Norman Friedmann . The standard history of the development of American destroyers, from the earliest torpedo boat destroyers to the post-war fleet, and covering the massive classes of destroyers built for both World Wars. Gives the reader a good understanding of the debates that surrounded each class of destroyer and led to their individual features.
cover cover cover

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (13 December 2017), USS Blakeley (DD-150) , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_USS_Blakeley_DD150.html

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