USS ''Lamson'' (DD–18) was a in the United States Navy during World War I. She was the first ship named for

Roswell Lamson Roswell Hawkes Lamson (30 March 1838 – 14 August 1903) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. Biography Born in Burlington, Iowa, Lamson accompanied his natal family as Oregon Trail pioneers of 1847. He was appoi ...

Construction

''Lamson'' was laid down on 18 March 1908, by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, launched on 16 June 1909, sponsored by Mrs. Henry S. Grove, and commissioned on 10 February 1910.

Service history

Pre-World War I

Assigned to the Atlantic Squadron, ''Lamson'' operated along the east coast and in the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

from 1910 to 1916 participating in torpedo exercises, fleet maneuvers, and coastal patrol. Departing

Key West, Florida Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...

on 7 May 1916, the destroyer arrived Dominican Republic two days later to support the Marines sent by President Woodrow Wilson to protect American interests during the Dominican revolt. She returned to Key West in mid-June before sailing on the 28th for

Vera Cruz Veracruz is a state in Mexico. Veracruz or Vera Cruz (literally "True Cross") may also refer to: People * María González Veracruz (born 1979), Spanish politician * Philip Vera Cruz (1904–1994), Filipino American labor leader * Tomé Vera Cruz ...

. She joined other American ships in

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

waters, as the Mexican political situation was still in turmoil. Following her return to Key West on 11 July, ''Lamson'' operated along the east coast and in the Gulf of Mexico until the United States entered World War I.

World War I

During the early months of the war, she patrolled the coastline before preparing for oversea service. Arriving Ponta Delgada, Azores on 26 July 1917, the destroyer performed escort and patrol duty for the next three months. ''Lamson'' departed the Azores on 6 October for escort operations out of Brest, France. She assisted survivors of ''Finland'' on 28 October after the merchant ship had been torpedoed by a German

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 ...

. The destroyer continued escort and patrol operations for the rest of the war, and aided in the victory of Allied forces by neutralizing the German U-boat threat to convoys. After the Armistice, ''Lamson'' departed Brest on 11 December 1918 and arrived at

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

on 31 December. She decommissioned on 15 July 1919 and was sold on 21 November.

Noteworthy commanding officers

* Lieutenant Herbert F. Leary (23 March 1911-Unknown) (Later Vice admiral) * Lieutenant Harold Rainsford Stark (September 1912-7 June 1913) (Later

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

and

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...

) * Lieutenant commander William R. Purnell (30 April 1917 – 14 June 1918) (Later

Rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

) * Lieutenant commander

Donald B. Beary Donald Bradford Beary (4 December 1888 – 7 March 1966) was a vice admiral of the United States Navy. His career included service in both World War I and World War II and a tour as President of the Naval War College. He commanded a wide vari ...

(14 June 1918 – 15 July 1919) (Later Vice admiral)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lamson (DD-18) Smith-class destroyers World War I destroyers of the United States Ships built by William Cramp & Sons 1909 ships