The first USS ''McCalla'' (DD-253) was a in the United States Navy. She transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS ''Stanley'' (I73) during World War II.

Service history

As USS ''McCalla''

Named for

Bowman H. McCalla Rear Admiral Bowman Hendry McCalla (June 19, 1844 – May 6, 1910) was an officer in the United States Navy, who was noted for his roles in the Spanish–American War and putting down the Boxer Rebellion. Biography Bowman H. McCalla was born in ...

, she was laid down 25 September 1918 and launched 18 February 1919 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation; sponsored by Mrs. Elizabeth McCalla Miller, daughter of Rear Admiral McCalla, and commissioned 19 May 1919. ''McCalla'' remained in active status for less than 7 months. On 26 November 1919 she went into reserve at the Norfolk Navy Yard and decommissioned 30 June 1922. After war broke out in Europe, the destroyer recommissioned 18 December 1939 and prepared for turnover to Great Britain.

As HMS ''Stanley''

She decommissioned and became a ship of the Royal Navy 23 October 1940 at Halifax, Nova Scotia as one of the destroyers transferred to England in exchange for bases in the West Indies. Commissioned as HMS ''Stanley'' (I73) she was designated for service in the Fourth "Town" Flotilla and departed Halifax 1 November. At St. John's on the 5th, when the German pocket battleship attacked a convoy underway for the United Kingdom, sinking six ships, ''Stanley'' was dispatched to escort the convoy back to Nova Scotia. She rendezvoused with ships out and escorted 15 vessels to Trinity Harbour. Delayed further for repairs, she finally got underway 14 December, arriving at

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

, England, 2 January 1941. ''Stanley'' was modified for long range trade convoy escort service by removal of the two forward boilers and substitution of additional fuel tanks. This modification improved endurance but reduced top speed to . Three of the original

4"/50 caliber gun The 4″/50 caliber gun (spoken "four-inch-fifty-caliber") was the standard low-angle, quick-firing gun for United States, first appearing on the monitor and then used on "Flush Deck" destroyers through World War I and the 1920s. It was also the ...

s and one of the triple torpedo tube mounts were removed to reduce topside weight for additional

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...

stowage and installation of Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar.Lenton&Colledge (1968) pp.92-94 Ready for service by August, ''Stanley'' was assigned first to the Western Approaches Command and then to the 40th Escort Group. One of her first convoys took her to Freetown, Sierra Leone, escorting ships carrying troops and equipment for Commonwealth units in the Middle East. On the return voyage she escorted a merchant convoy, departing 30 November. At

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

in mid-December she joined

Convoy HG-76 HG 76 (19 to 23 December 1941) was an Allied convoy of the HG (Homeward from Gibraltar) series, during the Second World War. It was notable for the destruction of five German U-boats (the true total was not known to the British until after t ...

, departing 14 December for Britain. On 17 December one of the

escort carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft ...

s aircraft sighted a

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

on the port beam of the convoy. ''Stanley'' and four other escorts quickly established contact, sank , and picked up 55 survivors. The next day, ''Stanley'', with , scored another success, sinking and picking up 42 of her crew. On 19 December 1941, success ran out. ''Stanley'', on station astern of the convoy, reported the presence of another U-boat. Half an hour later scored a direct hit; ''Stanley'' exploded and sank () with the loss of all but 25 of her crew. Within 12 minutes, however, the

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

responded and sank the submarine; 16 survivors were picked up.

Notes

References

* *

External links

*http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/253.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Mccalla (Dd-253) Clemson-class destroyers Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts 1919 ships Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the Royal Navy Town-class destroyers of the Royal Navy Town-class destroyers converted from Clemson-class destroyers World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean Maritime incidents in December 1941 Naval magazine explosions