USS Tucker (DD-57),
Charlestown Navy Yard,
Boston
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USS Tucker (DD-57) was the name ship of the Tucker class of destroyers and served at Queenstown in 1917-18 and Brest from June 1918.
The Tucker was named after Samuel Tucker, an American naval leader during the War of Independence who spent most of the war operating as a commerce raider, although he also achieved some success against British warships. He returned to action during the War of 1812, this time operating against British commerce raiders.
The Tucker was laid down by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company at Quincy, Mass, on 9 November 1914, launched on 4 May 1915 and commissioned on 11 April 1916. She reached 30.30 knots on trials on 19 March 1916.
She joined Division 8, Destroyer Force, United States Atlantic Fleet, and spent the last period before the US entry into the First World War operating in Cuban waters and around the US south-east.
The Tucker was operating independently in the West Indies when the US entered the war on 6 April 1917. She returned to the fleet in the York River, and then joined the second group of US destroyers to be sent to European Waters (Cassin (DD-43), Winslow (DD-53), Tucker (DD-57), Ericsson (DD-56), Jacob Jones (DD-61) and Rowan (DD-64)). The group left the US on 7 May and reached Queenstown on 17 May 1917.
The Tucker was used for a mix of anti-submarine patrols, rescue missions and escort duties, starting with individual ships then moving onto convoy escort duties.
On 12 June she rescued 47 survivors from the SS Poluxena.
On 1 August 1917 she rescued 39 men from the SS Karina, sunk by torpedoes.
In June 1918 the Tucker moved from Queenstown to Brest, to escort convoys on the last stage of the voyage from the US to France.
On 1 August 1918 the French cruiser Dupetit-Thuoars was sunk by a U-boat while escorting an inbound convoy. The Tucker was on the way to join the escort, and was able to rescue a number of survivors from the cruiser. She was rewarded with a commendation from the Prefet Maritime.
On 8 August the Tucker carried out a depth charge attack on a U-boat, and was credited with a 'possibly sunk' by the Admiralty. Like so many possible kills during this period, this can't be tied to any U-boat losses.
Anyone who served on her between 21 May 1917 and 11 November 1918 qualified for the First World War Victory Medal.After the end of the war the Tucker was used to carry post between Britain and France. She then returned to the US for repairs at Boston Navy Yard. These were completed by July 1919, and she spent the next few months on a recruiting cruise in Massachusetts and Maine. She was placed in reserve in October 1919 and decommissioned on 16 May 1921.
On 25 March 1926 the Tucker was transferred to the Coast Guard, where she served as CG-23. Her main role was to take part in the 'Rum Patrol'. She also helped rescue survivors from the crash of the airship Akron(ZRS-4), which crashed with the loss of 73 men off New Jersey on 4 April 1933. The Tucker found three survivors who had been picked up by the German motors ship Phoebus, and took them back to New York.
The Tucker was returned to the Navy on 30 June 1933. She lost her name on 1 November 1933 to all it to be used on USS Tucker (DD-374). She was used as a Sea Scout training ship at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, but was eventually struck off on 24 October 1936 and sold on 11 December 1936.
Displacement (design standard) |
1,090t (DD-57 to DD-59) |
Displacement (loaded) |
1,205t |
Top Speed |
29.5kts at 17,000-18,000shp |
Engine |
2-shaft Curtis turbines |
Range |
2,500nm at 20kts (design) |
Length |
315ft 3in |
Width |
30ft 6in (DD-58, DD-59, DD-51) |
Armaments |
Four 4in/50 guns |
Crew complement |
99 |
Launched |
4 May 1915 |
Commissioned |
11 April 1916 |
Fate |
Sold 1936 |
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.
