USS Turner (DD-259)

	USS Turner (DD-259), 1919-1921
History
United States
Name	USS Turner
Namesake	Daniel Turner
Builder	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts
Laid down	19 December 1918
Launched	17 May 1919
Commissioned	24 September 1919
Decommissioned	7 June 1922
United States
Name	YW-56
In service	October 1936
Out of service	13 February 1943
United States
Name	USS Moosehead
Namesake	Moosehead Lake region of Maine
Commissioned	5 April 1943
Decommissioned	19 March 1946
Stricken	17 April 1946
Fate	Sold for scrapping 20 February 1947
General characteristics
Class and type	Clemson-class destroyer
Displacement	1,868 tons
Length	314 ft 4 in (95.81 m)
Beam	31 ft 8 in (9.65 m)
Draft	11 ft 2 in (3.40 m)
Propulsion	26,500 shp (19,800 kW); Geared turbines; 2 screws;
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Range	4,900 nmi (9,100 km; 5,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	197 officers and enlisted
Armament	2 x 3 in (76 mm) guns; 4 x 20 mm guns.; 4 dcp., 2 rkt.;

Last updated September 24, 2024

The first USS Turner (DD-259) was a Clemson-class destroyer in commission in the United States Navy from 1919 to 1922. She served in a non-commissioned status as the water lighter YW-56 from 1936 to 1943, and was in commission as a miscellaneous auxiliary, the second USS Moosehead (IX-98), from 1943 to 1946.

As Turner

Named for Daniel Turner, the destroyer was laid down by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts on 19 December 1918. Turner was launched on 17 May 1919, sponsored by Mrs. Leigh C. Palmer. The ship was commissioned at Boston on 24 September 1919.

After duty along the east and west coasts, Turner decommissioned at San Diego, California on 7 June 1922, and she was placed in reserve. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 5 August 1936.

Conversion to YW-56

On 28 September 1936 the four-stack destroyer was authorized for conversion to a self-propelled water barge. Converted at San Diego in October, she was re-classified to YW-56 and began operations in the San Diego area. The water lighter was assigned to the 11th Naval District 17 October 1940, and in May 1942 she was given additional duty as a ferry between San Diego and San Clemente Island.

As Moosehead

YW-56 was renamed Moosehead, the second U.S. Navy ship of that name, and reclassified IX-98 on 13 February 1943. Following installation of sonar and radar equipment, she commissioned at San Diego on 5 April 1943. She reported for duty with the Operational Training Command, Pacific Fleet, 11 April, and on 23 April she became the flagship of Rear Admiral Frank A. Braisted, COTCPac. During the remaining years of World War II Moosehead operated out of San Diego.

Between May 1943 and December 1944 Moosehead made an average of 11 round trips a month to San Clemente Island carrying passengers, mail, and cargo for the 11th Naval District. From August 1944 until early in 1945 she towed targets for battleships, cruisers, and destroyers and served as a torpedo target for destroyers and torpedo planes. In addition Moosehead screened battleships and cruisers during training exercises.

Moosehead carried out her most important service as an at-sea platform for training officers and men of Combat Information Center crews. She carried the latest radar and sonar equipment as well as a CIC classroom and berthing facilities. In July 1943 she began training CIC crews of escort carriers. During the next two and a half years she trained CIC teams for all escort carriers of the Casablanca and Commencement Bay classes. Early in 1944 she broadened the scope of her training to include CIC teams from APAs, AKAs, DEs, ADs, and PCEs. In addition, she served as a test and evaluation ship for experimental rockets, radar equipment, and radio jamming devices.

Although Moosehead operated along the coast of southern California during her entire career under that name, she steamed more than 100,000 miles (160,000 km) and trained more than 4,200 officers and men. Following the end of World War II, she continued training duty as flagship for commander, Training Command, West Coast. On 24 December 1945 she reported to the 11th Naval District for disposal.

She decommissioned at San Diego 19 March 1946, and her name was struck from the Navy list 17 April. She was released to the Maritime Commission 20 February 1947 and sold the same day to Hugo Neu for scrapping.

Related Research Articles

<i>Mahan</i>-class destroyer Former class of US Navy destroyers

Mahan-class destroyers of the United States Navy were a series of 18 destroyers of which the first 16 were laid down in 1934. The last two of the 18, Dunlap and Fanning, are sometimes considered a separate ship class. All 18 were commissioned in 1936 and 1937. Mahan was the lead ship, named for Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan, an influential historian and theorist on sea power.

USS Breckinridge (DD–148) was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II, later reclassified as AG-112. She was named for Ensign Joseph Breckinridge.

USS Crosby (DD–164) was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II, later reclassified as APD-17. She was named for Admiral Peirce Crosby.

USS Agerholm (DD-826) was a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was the only ship named for Harold Crist Agerholm, a Private First Class (Pfc.) in the 2nd Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps. He was killed during the assault on Saipan, and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

USS Kimberly (DD-521) was a Fletcher-class destroyer in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1947, then from 1951 to 1954. In 1967, she was transferred to the Republic of China Navy where she served as ROCS An Yang (DD-18/DDG-918) until 1999. The destroyer was sunk as a target in 2003.

USS Robinson (DD-562), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain Isaiah Robinson, who served in the Continental Navy.

USS Willard Keith (DD-775), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, is currently the only completed ship of the United States Navy ever named for Willard Keith, a United States Marine Corps captain who died in combat during the campaign for Guadalcanal. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions.

USS Mannert L. Abele (DD-733), was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer of the United States Navy. The destroyer was sunk on April 12, 1945, near Okinawa with 84 casualties. It was the first US warship to be damaged or sunk by the rocket powered Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka suicide flying bomb.

USS John W. Thomason (DD-760), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for John William Thomason, Jr., a USMC officer who was awarded the Navy Cross for bravery during World War I.

USS Prichett (DD-561), was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy.

USS Currier (DE-700) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1960. She was sunk as a target in 1967.

USS Watts (DD-567) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy.

USS Solar (DE-221), a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Boatswain's Mate First Class Adolfo Solar (1900–1941), who was killed in action during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.

USS Turner (DD/DDR-834) was a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy, the third Navy ship named for Captain Daniel Turner (1794?–1850).

USS Shea (DD-750/DM-30/MMD-30) was a Robert H. Smith-class destroyer minelayer in the United States Navy.

USS Sturtevant (DE-239) was an Edsall class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946 and from 1951 to 1960. She was scrapped in 1973.

USS Ramsden (DE-382) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. Post-war, she performed other tasks with the U.S. Coast Guard and with the U.S. Navy as a radar picket ship.

USS Maurice J. Manuel (DE-351) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket.

USS Albert T. Harris (DE-447) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket. Post-war she returned home with two battle stars to her credit.

USS Wiseman (DE-667) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy for several periods between 1944 and 1973. She was scrapped in 1974.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.

External links

Navsource

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.