USS Winslow (DD-359)

USS Winslow (DD-359) was a Porter class destroyer that served in the South Atlantic from 1942-44 then on the North Atlantic convoy routes in 1944-45.

The Winslow was named after John Ancrum Winslow, who served in the US Navy during the Mexican War and US Civil War, famously sinking the Confederate raider Alabama in a battle off Cherbourg, and retiring as a Rear Admiral, and his second cousion Cameron McRae Winslow, who fought in the Spanish-American War, rising to Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet in 1915-16.

The Winslow was laid down at Camden, New Jersey, on 18 December 1933, laumched on 21 September 1936, when she was sponsored by Miss Mary Blythe Winslow and commissioned on 17 February 1937.

The Winslow’s shakedown cruiser took her to Sweden, Britain, France, Portugal and Africa. Once it was over she was allocated to Battle Force, Destroyers, and passed through the Panama Canal early in 1938 to join Destroyer Squadron 9 at San Diego. She spent the next three years operating in the eastern Pacific. 

1941

In April 1941 the Winslow was moved back to the Atlantic, moved to her new base at Norfolk, Virginia. During the summer she took part in training exercises with US submarines off New England. Later in the summer she moved south to join the neutrality patrol, in particular watching the Vichy French warships trapped at Martinique and Guadeloupe.

USS Winslow (DD-359) from the right

In August the Winslow helped escort President Roosevelt as he moved to Argentia Bay, Newfoundland on the cruiser Augusta (CA-31) to meet with Winston Churchill. The meeting produced the Atlantic Charter, a remarkable document in which the Americans discussed the defeat of the Axis Powers, despite not being at war with them.

After the conference the Winslow escorted troop transports taking reinforcements to Iceland.

Early in November she arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, to form part of the screen for Convoy WS-12X, the first US convoy heading east to Singapore. The convoy left Halifax on 10 November, and had almost reached Capetown when news arrived of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The destroyers were due to turn back at Capetown anyway, so were back in home waters by the end of 1941.

1942-44

The Winslow was allocated to the 4th Fleet (Vice Admiral Jonas H. Ingrain), which had replaced the South Atlantic Neutrality Patrols. From the start of 1942 until April 1944 the Winslow operated in the South Atlantic, between Brazil and Africa, hunting for U-boats and blockade runners. In June 1942 and October 1943 she returned to Charleston for brief repairs.

On 5 January 1944 the cruiser Omaha (CL-4) sank the German blockade runner Burgenland, about 50-60 miles off the coast of Brazil. The cruiser then departed to avoid any chance of attack by submarines, leaving destroyers to come and pick up the survivors. Three days later, on 8 January, the Wimslow rescued 35 of her survivors.

In April 1944 the Winslow began the first of three trips escorting newly constructed warships from Boston to Norfolk then the West Indies.

In August 1944, after the third of these trips she began a period escort convoys from New York to Britain.

USS Winslow (DD-359) at Rio, December 1942

After leaving the convoy at Capetown, Winslow returned to the United States where she was assigned to Vice Admiral Jonas H. Ingrain's 4th Fleet, which had grown out of the South Atlantic neutrality patrols. The warship patrolled the area between Brazil and Africa, hunting German submarines and blockade runners until April 1944. On two occasions during that period, she returned briefly to the United States-in June 1942 and in October 1943 to undergo repairs at Charleston, S.C.

In April 1944, the warship began escorting newly constructed warships from Boston, via Norfolk, to the West Indies. On one of those voyages she escorted the new battleship Wisconsin (BB-64) from Norfolk, Virginia to Trinidad. After three such voyages, she began escorting convoys from New York to England and Ireland in August. She made five round-trip voyages across the Atlantic

1945

The Winslow completed five round trip voyages across the Atlantic escorting convoys, before in March 1945 she arrived at Charleston for a four month overhaul. While she was there her single purpose 5in guns were replaced with five dual purpose 5in guns, her torpedo tubes were removed and she was also give 16 40mm and four 20mm anti-aircraft guns, to prepare her for service in the Pacific, where anti-aircraft fire was essential.

However by the time the overhaul and her post-refit training was complete the war was over. The Winslow then took part in experimental work with anti-aircraft ordnance, becoming AG-127 on 17 September 1945. She worked with the Operational Development Force until she was decommissioned on 28 June 1950.

The Winslow was kept in the reserve for most of the 1950s, until she was declared unfit for naval service on 5 December 1957. She was struck off the Navy List on the same day and sold for scrap on 23 February 1959.

Anyone who served on her between 6-13 August 1941, 8 September-8 October 1941 and 29 November-7 December 1941 qualified for the American Defense Service Medal.

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.

Help - F.A.Q. - Contact Us - Search - Recent - About Us - Privacy