Admiral David W. Bagley-- Part 3: World War I and the Sinking of the USS Jacob Jones

During the first month of 1917, Bagley  moved from the command of the USS Drayton (DD-23) to the USS Jacob Jones (DD-61).  By May 1917, his ship was conducting anti-submarine patols and convoy escort duties in the western approaches to the British Islands.  Later, his area of operations widened to include the Irish Sea and English Channel.

In December 6, 1917, the Jacob Jones left Brest Harbor, France,   At about 1621 that afternoon, the watch spotted a torpedo wake.  The destroyer tried to avoid it, but it struck the ship's starboard side and pierced the fuel oil tank.

Though Bagley and his crew worked frantically to save the ship, it went down within eight minutes, carrying 64 out of 99 crewmen with it.  Bagley and 37 others made it into the icy waters in boats and rafts. Thanks to the humanitarian effort by the German U-boat skipper Hans Rose, who radioed their location to Queenstown, they were picked up by December 8.

Bagley was given the Navy Distinguished Service Cross for his role.

--Cooter

USS Jacob Jones (DD-61)-- Part 4: The Sinking

In early December, the Jacob Jones helped escort a convoy to Brest, France, with five other Queenstown-based destroyers.  The last to depart from Brest and return to Ireland was the Jones and was steaming alone along a zig-zag pattern when she was spotted by  the German submarine U-53.  At 16:20 on December 6, 1917,  lookouts on the American ship spotted a torpedo 800 yards distant headed for the ship's starboard side.

Despite having her rudder put hard left and emergency speed rung up, the Jones was unable to move out of the way and the torpedo struck her rudder.  Even though the depth charges did not explode, the ship went adrift.  The jolt had knocked out the power, so the destroyer was unable to  send a distress signal since she was steaming alone.

No other ship was present that would know of the Jacob Jones' predicament.

--Cooter

USS Jacob Jones (DD-61)-- Part 2: Early War Activity

The Jacob Jones was launched 29 May, 1915  by sponsor  Mrs. Jerome  Parker Crittenden, a great-granddaughter of the ship's namesake Commodore Jacob Jones (1768-1815), a U.S. naval officer during the War of 1812.

The USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) was commissioned  on 10 November 1916 under the command of Lieutenant Commander  William S. Pye.  He is perhaps best-known for his remark on December 6, 1941:  "The Japanese will not go to war with the United States.  We are too big, too powerful, and too strong."

Following commission, the Jones conducted training exercises off the New England coast then entered Philadelphia Navy Yard for repairs.

On 3 February 1917, the day the United States broke diplomatic relations with Germany, the Jones  nearly sank in the navy yard.  Contemporary reports said it might have been an act of sabotage.  Upon the U.S. entry into the war on  6 April 1917, the ship patrolled off  the coast of Virginia.

She and a group of destroyers sailed from Boston for Europe on  7 May and arrived at  Queenstown, Ireland, on 17 May.

The Jacob Jones' duties involved patrolling and escorting convoys in the Irish Sea and occasionally rescuing crews of sunken ships.

--Cooter

Wreck of First U.S. Destroyer Lost to Enemy Action Found: The USS Jacob Jones

From the August 19, 2022, Chicago Tribune "WW I Navy destroyer."

The wreck of the first U.S. Navy destroyer lost to enemy action has been found off the coast of southwest England, 105 years after it was sunk by a German submarine.

A team of British divers announced the find on Facebook last week saying it was thrilled to have located the World War I ship, the USS Jacob Jones, about sixty nautical miles south of Newlyn, a fishing harbor in Cornwall.

More than a century ago, in 1917, after the United States entered World War I against Germany, the Jacob Jones left Boston for Ireland, whetre it performed rescue operations, picking up survivors from British steamships that had been hit by German submarines and escorting convoys through dangerous waters.

On December 6, 1917, the Jacob Jones left Brest, France, for Queenstown, Ireland, according to U.S. Naval records.  About 20 miles off the coast of southern England, a German submarine torpedoed the Jones.  There were seven officers and 103 crew members aboard the ship.  Eight minutes later, the ship sank, and 64 men  lost their lives.

--Cooter

USS McCall (DD-28)-- Part 3: The Neutrality Patrol, World War I, Coast Guard and Rum Patrol

After commissioning, the McCall was  attached to the  Torpedo Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet,  and operated along the Atlantic coast, primarily out of Newport, Rhode Island and the Chesapeake Bay area.  Each winter found her in Cuban waters for maneuvers.

In 1916, the McCall made Neutrality Patrols off New York and along the New England coast.  On 14 June 1917, following overhaul in Philadelphia,  she steamed to New York  to escort a troop convoy to Europe.  

The McCall continued escort duties in the western Atlantic until January 1918 when she sailed for Queenstown, Ireland.  Arriving there on 22 February, she provided escort and rescue services until 16 December.

Upon return to the United States in January 1918,  she resumed east coast operations until decommissioned in Philadelphia on 12 December 1919 and placed in the reserve fleet.

She was transferred to the United States Coast Guard on 7 June 1924 and commissioned into service 17 June 1925 after a lengthy overhaul.  Stationed at New London, Connecticut, she was part of the Rum Patrol.

The Coast Guard decommissioned her 12 August 1930.  She was returned to the Navy on 18 October and was scrapped and sold on 2 May 1934, in accordance with the London Naval  Treaty.

--Cooter

USCG Cutter Tampa-- Part 5: Its Sinking With All Hands Lost

During the late afternoon of  26 September 1918, the Tampa parted company with Convoy HG-107 which she had just escorted into the Irish Sea from Gibraltar.  The ship was ordered to Wales and proceeded independently there.

At 1930 that evening, in the Bristol Channel she was spotted by bu UB-91.  The U-boat dove and maneuvered into attack position. and fired one torpedo out of its stern at 2015 at a range of about 550 meters.

Minutes later, it hit the Tampa portside amidships, throwing up a huge column of water.  The cutter sank with all hands.:  111 Coast Guard, 4 U.S. navy and  16 passengers, consisting of  11 British navy personnel and 5 civilians.

A search and rescue operation soon commenced and lasted three days turning up just some wreckage and a single, unidentified body.  Three bodies were later recovered.

USCG Cutter Tampa-- Part 4: Convoy Duty Between Gibraltar and England

The Tampa was then ordered to duty overseas.  On September 29, 1917, the Tampa departed New York in the company of the USS Paducah, USS Hubbard and five French-manned, American-made submarine chasers in tow., reaching Gibraltar  27 October.

War service for the Tampa lasted just eleven months. where she protected convoys from U-boats from Gibraltar to the southern coast of England.  Between  27 October and 31 July 1918,  eighteen convoys were escorted with two ships lost.

--Cooter

USS San Diego Hits Mine-- Part 2: Off the U.S. Coast

The USS San Diego was recommissioned April 7 for use in World War I.  At first it operated in the Pacific before being ordered to the Atlantic.  Once there, the main job of the ship was to escort convoys across the North Atlantic to Europe.Ir was based out of Tompkinsville, New York, (Staten island) and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

An 18 July 1918, the San Diego was going to escort a convoy to France and its commander, Captain Harley H. Christy, ordered a zig-zag course with everyone on full alert for a submarine attack.  At 11:05 the next day, the ship was off Fire Island Lightship, N/Y/, when there was an explosion on the port side , well below the waterline.

Captain Christy thought his ship had been struck by a torpedo.  The San Diego began sinking rapidly and went below the water in 28 minutes.  Six men were killed.

--Cooter

--

The Sinking of the USS President Lincoln-- Part 3: Part of a Convoy

Continued from June 15.

The troop transport USS President Lincoln left Brest, France on May 29, 1918 with three other naval transports, the Susquehanna, Antigone and Ryndam and was escorted by French and American destroyers until dark on May 30 when they left to join a large convoy heading to France.

The American ships were hoping to pass safely through the war zone under cover of darkness.  That meant avoiding U-boats.

On the afternoon of May 30th, Memorial Day services were held.

The crew added to their vigil after the destroyers left.

--Cooter

DeKalb Soldier Sees the Sinking of the Tuscania

From the March 28, 2018, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1918, 100 Years Ago.

"  The sinking of the Tuscania was viewed by one DeKalb soldier, James Ellwood Lewis, who has written meager news to the effect that he was with the convoy of the ill-fated ship."

--Cooter

World War I Chronology, June 1917-- Part 2: American Doughboys Arrive

JUNE 26--

A Naval convoy bringing the first United States troops to France successfully withstands submarine attacks.

JUNE 26--

First U.S. Ground Combat Troops Land at St. Nazaire, France.

13,000 members of the 1st Infantry Division (ID) and 2,759 men of the 5th Marine regiment arrive.

H Company, 28th Infantry lands first.

Doughboys must be a "distinct and separate component of the combined force, the identity of which must be preserved."

Our troops would operate on their own and not be added to British and French units.

--Cooter

Presidential Yacht Mayflower-- Part 2: World War II and Israel Service

During World War II, it was purchased by the War Shipping Administration from Broadfoot Iron Works in Wilmington, North Carolina on July 31, 1942 and renamed the USS Butte.  It was transferred to the Coast guard and patrolled the Atlantic Coast operating against U-boats and escorted coastal shipping.

It was also used as a radar training ship.

After the war, the ship was owned by several interests before being purchased by Israel in 1950.  It was decommissioned and broken up in 1955.

--DaCoot

Japanese Battlecruiser Ibuki

From Wikipedia.  While researching Herbert Leach's transportation to war, the HMAT Hororata, I came across a photo of that ship with this ship in the background.  Had this been World War II, the two ships would have been engaged in battle, but being the previous war, japan was an ally.

The Ibuki was commissioned in 1907 and mounted four 12-inch guns and eight 8-inch ones.

During World War I, it escorted Commonwealth convoys to the front.  It participated in the hunt for the German light cruiser raider SMS Emden.

It escorted a convoy of ten troopships carrying the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to Australia and then met up with the HMS Pyramus and Minotaur.  They then left Western Australia with ANZACs in a 36-ship convoy carrying 20,000 men and 7,500 horses across the Indian Ocean.  Perhaps this was Herbert Leach's convoy to war?

The ship fell victim to the Washington Naval Treaty after the war and was sold for scrap.

Allies Back Then.  --DaCoot