Decommissioning Party
for USS Elliot (DD-146),
21 September 1945
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USS Elliot (DD-146/ DMS-4/ AG-104) was a Wickes class destroyer that served as a minesweeper around Hawaii, and in the Aleutians, then served as a training ship for the rest of the Second World War.
The Elliot was named after Richard McCall Elliot, who was killed onboard USS Manley (DD-74) on 19 March 1918 when her depth charges exploded after a collision with a merchant ship in her convoy.
The Elliot was launched on 4 July 1918 at Cramps and commissioned on 25 January 1919. Between 28 April and 4 June 1919 she undertook a cruise to the Mediterranean, visiting the Azores, Gibraltar, Malta and Spalato (Split). She then joined the Pacific Fleet, although she joined her new unit, Destroyer Division 13, at New York, where she took part in the celebrations to greet President Wilson as he returned for Paris. She finally reached her new base at San Diego on 7 August 191.
On 25 March 1920 the Elliot left to join the Asiatic Fleet, where she joined Destroyer Division 13. In June 1920 she took Admiral Cleaves, the Commander-in-Chief of the Asiatic Fleet, to investigate the murder of an American missionary on the Yangtze. She helped protect US interests during riots in 1920, and then took part in an intelligence gathering visit to Port Arthur and Darien (the Japanese name for Dalian), to gather intelligence on these Japanese held parts of China. She then underwent an overhaul at Cavite, before returning to the US in the autumn of 1921. She was decommissioned on 22 May 1922.
The Elliot was recommissioned on 8 February 1930, and served with Destroyer Division 11 on the west coast. She was used as a plane guard for carriers taking part in battle practice and fleet problems.
In the spring of 1934 the Elliot moved to the west coast as part of a two-ocean fleet problem.
In 1935 the Elliot became a high speed towing vessel for fleet targets. From 1937 she was also made available for training and experimental services. In 1940 she took part in the Eclipse Expedition to Muleje, Baja California, to observe the total eclipse of 1 October.
On 19 November 1940 the Elliot was reclassified as the high speed minesweeper DMS-4, and based at Pearl Harbor, where she joined Mine Division 6. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the Elliot was at sea, returning from Johnston Island with TF 3 (Indianapolis, Hopkins, Southard, Dorsey, Elliot and Long), where they had been testing out a new type of landing boat. She was immediately allocated to the forces carrying out anti-submarine patrols around Hawaii, and she operated round those islands until 11 July 1942. On 28 January 1942 she was one of four ships that attempted to catch the Japanese submarine I-171 after she sank the transport General Royal T. Frank close to Hawaii. The submarine escaped, and survived until 1 February 1944. In May 1942 the Elliot was used to carry some of the survivors of the USS Lexington back to San Diego and San Francisco.
In July 1942 the Elliot joined the forces heading for the Aleutians. She took part in the bombardment of Kiska on 7 August as part of TG 8.6. She was used on patrol and escort duties in the Aleutians, as well as serving as a minesweeper before and during the invasion of Attu in May 1943.
In June 1943 the Elliot joined the Operational Training Command at San Francisco. She was based at San Diego, where she served as a target tug and training ship. In mid-August 1944 she moved to Pearl Harbor, where she performed the same duties in 22 July 1945.
The Elliot, by now redesignated as AG-104, returned to the US in the autumn of 1945 and was decommissioned on 12 October 1945. She was sold for scrap on 29 January 1946.
The Elliot received one battle star during the Second World War, for the occupation of Attu in the Aleutians.
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 |
4 July 1918 |
Commissioned |
25 January 1919 |
Decommissioned |
12 October 1945 |
Sold for scrap |
29 January 1946 |
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.
