USS Sproston (DD-173)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Sproston.

History
United States
Namesake	John G. Sproston
Builder	Union Iron Works, San Francisco,  California
Laid down	20 April 1918
Launched	10 August 1918
Commissioned	12 July 1919
Reclassified	Light minelayer, DM-13, 17 July 1920
Decommissioned	15 August 1922
Stricken	1 December 1936
Fate	Sunk as target 20 July 1937
General characteristics
Class and type	Wickes-class destroyer
Displacement	1,202–1,208 long tons (1,221–1,227 t) (standard) 1,295–1,322 long tons (1,316–1,343 t) (deep load)
Length	314 ft 4 in (95.8 m)
Beam	30 ft 11 in (9.42 m)
Draught	9 ft 10 in (3.0 m)
Installed power	27,000  shp (20,000 kW) 4 water-tube boilers
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 steam turbines
Speed	35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) (design)
Range	2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) (design)
Complement	6 officers, 108 enlisted men
Armament	4 × single 4-inch (102 mm) guns 2 × single 1-pounder AA guns 4 × triple 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 2 × depth charge rails

USS Sproston (DD-173) was a Wickes-class destroyer built for the United States Navy during World War I.

Description

The Wickes class was an improved and faster version of the preceding Caldwell class. Two different designs were prepared to the same specification that mainly differed in the turbines and boilers used. The ships built to the Bethlehem Steel design, built in the Fore River and Union Iron Works shipyards, mostly used Yarrow boilers that deteriorated badly during service and were mostly scrapped during the 1930s. ^[1] The ships displaced 1,202–1,208 long tons (1,221–1,227 t) at standard load and 1,295–1,322 long tons (1,316–1,343 t) at deep load. They had an overall length of 314 feet 4 inches (95.8 m), a beam of 30 feet 11 inches (9.4 m) and a draught of 9 feet 10 inches (3.0 m). They had a crew of 6 officers and 108 enlisted men. ^[2]

Performance differed radically between the ships of the class, often due to poor workmanship. The Wickes class was powered by two steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four water-tube boilers. The turbines were designed to produce a total of 27,000 shaft horsepower (20,000 kW) intended to reach a speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). The ships carried 225 long tons (229 t) of fuel oil which was intended gave them a range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). ^[3]

The ships were armed with four 4-inch (102 mm) guns in single mounts and were fitted with two 1-pounder guns for anti-aircraft defense. Their primary weapon, though, was their torpedo battery of a dozen 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes in four triple mounts. In many ships a shortage of 1-pounders caused them to be replaced by 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft (AA) guns. ^[1] They also carried a pair of depth charge rails. A "Y-gun" depth charge thrower was added to many ships. ^[4]

Construction and commissioning

Sproston, named for John G. Sproston, was laid down on 20 April 1918 by Union Iron Works at San Francisco, California. She was launched on 10 August 1918; sponsored by Mrs. George J. Dennis, and commissioned on 12 July 1919.

Service history

Sproston proceeded to Hawaii and was assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the fall of 1919. On 17 July 1920, she was reclassified as a light minelayer and given the new hull number DM-13. She continued to operate from Pearl Harbor until 1922.

On 15 August 1922, Sproston was decommissioned at Pearl Harbor and attached to the reserve fleet. She was struck from the Navy list on 1 December 1936 and sunk as a target on 20 July 1937.

Notes

1. Gardiner & Gray, p. 124
2. Friedman, pp. 401–03
3. Friedman, pp. 39–42, 401–03
4. Friedman, p. 45

References

• Friedman, Norman (1982). U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   0-87021-733-X.
• Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   0-85177-245-5.
• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.

External links

• NavSource Photos