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USS Sampson (DD-63)
Encyclopedia
USS Sampson (DD-63) was the lead ship
of her class
of destroyer
s of the United States Navy
. She was the first Navy ship named for Admiral
William T. Sampson
(1840–1902).
Sampson was laid down on 21 April 1915 by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company of Quincy, Massachusetts
, launched
on 4 March 1916, sponsored by Miss Marjorie Sampson Smith, and commissioned
at the Boston Navy Yard
on 27 June 1916, Commander
B. C. Sampson in command.
. After war games off Provincetown, Massachusetts
, she cleared Tompkinsville, New York on 15 May 1917 to join the escort screen of a convoy
which touched at Halifax
and reached Queenstown, Ireland, on 25 May 1917. She reported for duty with the United States Naval Forces operating in European waters and was assigned to convoy escort duty in the approaches to the British Isles
, basing her operations from Queenstown. Two British-type depth charge projectors were installed on her stern; and, on 29 May, she commenced escort duty and protected the troop transports and merchant convoys from hostile submarine
s throughout the remainder of World War I
.
On 18 June 1917, Sampson rescued two small boat loads of survivors of the and the captain and 13 sailors from . The next morning, she picked up another 17 survivors of Elele; and, on the 20th, she landed all at Queenstown. Sampson answered other distress calls before the end of the war, and she made several attacks to drive off submarines reported or seen near her convoys. She steamed from France
with the Queenstown division of destroyers on 29 November 1918 and stood out from Brest
Harbor on 12 December to escort President
Woodrow Wilson
on board into the harbor. Returning to Queenstown on 14 December, she sailed for home on the 26th and arrived at the New York Navy Yard on 7 January 1919.
. She reported to the Inspector of Ordnance for experimental testing of torpedoes and mines, but interrupted this duty in May 1919 to assist in guarding the route of NC-4
during that seaplane
's crossing of the Atlantic, the world's first successful trans-oceanic flight.
Towed to the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Sampson was decommissioned on 15 June 1921. She remained inactive during the years that followed, and on 17 July 1935, was ordered scrapped in accordance with the London Treaty for the reduction of naval armaments
. Her name was struck from the Navy list
on 7 January 1936, and she was sold for scrap on 8 September 1936 to Boston Iron and Metal Company, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland.
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of her class
Sampson class destroyer
The Sampson-class destroyers served in the United States Navy during World War I.Commissioned in 1916 and 1917, the class was a slight modification of the O'Brien-class and Tucker-class...
of destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. She was the first Navy ship named for Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
William T. Sampson
William T. Sampson
William Thomas Sampson was a United States Navy rear admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.-Biography:...
(1840–1902).
Sampson was laid down on 21 April 1915 by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company of Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
, launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 4 March 1916, sponsored by Miss Marjorie Sampson Smith, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
at the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
on 27 June 1916, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
B. C. Sampson in command.
World War I
Torpedo-boat destroyer Sampson was assigned to Division 9 of the Atlantic Destroyer Force and conducted shakedown training out of Narragansett BayNarragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
. After war games off Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...
, she cleared Tompkinsville, New York on 15 May 1917 to join the escort screen of a convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
which touched at Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
and reached Queenstown, Ireland, on 25 May 1917. She reported for duty with the United States Naval Forces operating in European waters and was assigned to convoy escort duty in the approaches to the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, basing her operations from Queenstown. Two British-type depth charge projectors were installed on her stern; and, on 29 May, she commenced escort duty and protected the troop transports and merchant convoys from hostile submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s throughout the remainder of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
On 18 June 1917, Sampson rescued two small boat loads of survivors of the and the captain and 13 sailors from . The next morning, she picked up another 17 survivors of Elele; and, on the 20th, she landed all at Queenstown. Sampson answered other distress calls before the end of the war, and she made several attacks to drive off submarines reported or seen near her convoys. She steamed from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with the Queenstown division of destroyers on 29 November 1918 and stood out from Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
Harbor on 12 December to escort President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
on board into the harbor. Returning to Queenstown on 14 December, she sailed for home on the 26th and arrived at the New York Navy Yard on 7 January 1919.
4th Division, 2nd Flotilla Destroyer Force
After repairs in the New York Navy Yard, Sampson was assigned to the 4th Division, 2d Flotilla, of the Destroyer Force and sailed on 22 March 1919 to base her operations from the Naval Torpedo Station at Newport, Rhode IslandNewport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. She reported to the Inspector of Ordnance for experimental testing of torpedoes and mines, but interrupted this duty in May 1919 to assist in guarding the route of NC-4
NC-4
The NC-4 was a Curtiss NC flying boat which was designed by Glenn Curtiss and his team, and manufactured by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. In May 1919, the NC-4 became the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, starting in the United States and making the crossing as far as Lisbon,...
during that seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
's crossing of the Atlantic, the world's first successful trans-oceanic flight.
Fate
Sampson entered the New York Navy Yard on 1 December 1919 for deactivation overhaul which was completed on 14 February 1921.Towed to the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Sampson was decommissioned on 15 June 1921. She remained inactive during the years that followed, and on 17 July 1935, was ordered scrapped in accordance with the London Treaty for the reduction of naval armaments
London Naval Treaty
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...
. Her name was struck from the Navy list
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 7 January 1936, and she was sold for scrap on 8 September 1936 to Boston Iron and Metal Company, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland.