USS Alden (DD-211)
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USS ''Alden'' (DD-211) was a of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
(USN). Serving during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, ''Alden'' is the only ship of the US Navy to have been named for
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 ...
James Alden, Jr. (1810–1877).


Construction

''Alden'' was laid down on 24 October 1918 and launched on 14 May 1919 by
William Cramp & Sons William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company (also known as William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Company) of Philadelphia was founded in 1830 by William Cramp, and was the preeminent U.S. iron shipbuilder of the late 19th century. Company hi ...
, sponsored by Miss Sarah Alden Dorsey, a niece of the late Rear Admiral Alden, and commissioned on 24 November 1919.


Service history


Inter War-Period


1920–23

Following shakedown training and post-shakedown repairs and alterations, ''Alden'', subsequently her classification changed from "Destroyer No 211" to DD-211 during the flee- wide assignment of alphanumeric hull numbers on 17 July 1920, sailed on 5 December 1919 for duty in European waters, proceeding to
Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
, and then to
Samsun, Turkey Samsun, historically known as Sampsounta ( gr, Σαμψούντα) and Amisos (Ancient Greek: Αμισός), is a List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, city on the north coast of Turkey and is a major Black Sea port. In 2021, Samsun reco ...
. ''Alden'' visited
Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...
ports during the spring of 1920, investigating political conditions and "showing the flag" to protect American interests in the area, her ports of call including
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...
, Gravosa, and
Pula Pula (; also known as Pola, it, Pola , hu, Pòla, Venetian language, Venetian; ''Pola''; Istriot language, Istriot: ''Puola'', Slovene language, Slovene: ''Pulj'') is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, and the List of cities and town ...
. During her trips along the Adriatic coast, she carried mail and passengers, and for a time served as station ship at
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
. Proceeding to Constantinople to participate in relief efforts for refugees from the
Russian Civil War , date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
, she resumed her Adriatic operations soon afterwards, visiting
Kotor Kotor (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ), is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative c ...
and Split before she returned to Venice on 12–13 December 1920. She then again visited Split and Gravosa, in succession, before she proceeded to
Salonika Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
,
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, where she arrived on 15 December. Released from duty with the United States Naval Detachment in the Adriatic soon afterwards, ''Alden'' sailed for the
Asiatic Station The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century. It was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded. Vessels of the squadron were primarily invo ...
via the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
. She ultimately reached
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
,
Philippine Islands The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, on 2 February 1921. Following upkeep at the Asiatic Fleet's base at
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
, the destroyer sailed for Chinese waters, and arrived at
Chefoo Yantai, formerly known as Chefoo, is a coastal prefecture-level city on the Shandong Peninsula in northeastern Shandong province of People's Republic of China. Lying on the southern coast of the Bohai Strait, Yantai borders Qingdao on the ...
on 22 June. She operated out of the Asiatic Fleet destroyers' summer base until 15 September, when she sailed for
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
. Assigned special duty, ''Alden'' wound up her ten-day stay in that port on 27 September and cleared Shanghai for the
Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...
port of
Hankow Hankou, alternately romanized as Hankow (), was one of the three towns (the other two were Wuchang and Hanyang) merged to become modern-day Wuhan city, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers whe ...
, which she reached on 1 October. Remaining there until the 7th, she proceeded back to Shanghai, arriving on the 9th to stay only long enough to fuel and take on provisions, before she sailed for the Philippines the same day. ''Alden'' arrived at Cavite on 12 October, sailed to Manila two days later for a three-day liberty and recreation port visit. The ship then spent two months operating out of
Olongapo Olongapo, officially the City of Olongapo ( fil, Lungsod ng Olongapo; ilo, Siudad ti Olongapo; xsb, Siyodad nin Olongapo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Located in the province of Zambales ...
on target practice, returning to Manila on 17 December. She then fueled and took on stores at Cavite before she sailed to
Mariveles Mariveles, officially the Municipality of Mariveles ( tl, Bayan ng Mariveles), is a first class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 149,879 people. History Founded as a ''p ...
, where she operated with Asiatic Fleet submarines. ''Alden'' then conducted long-range battle practice evolutions out of Manila until January 1922. Subsequently, she based temporarily out of Olongapo before undergoing a tender availability alongside in March. Then, following a stint of target and torpedo practice in the waters of
Lingayen Gulf The Lingayen Gulf is a large gulf on northwestern Luzon in the Philippines, stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central. The Agno River and the Balili ...
from 13 April to 25 May 1922, the destroyer enjoyed a five-day respite at Manila before she sailed for Shanghai, China, on 3 June and a drydocking in that port. ''Alden'' then sailed for Japanese waters, visiting the port of
Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...
. Winding up her deployment in the Asiatic Fleet that summer, ''Alden'' sailed for the United States, and ultimately reached
San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
on 2 October. She was decommissioned at
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
on 24 January 1923.


1930–1937

''Alden'' remained inactive through the rest of the 1920s, but was recommissioned at San Diego on 8 May 1930 and assigned to Destroyer Squadrons,
Battle Fleet The United States Battle Fleet or Battle Force was part of the organization of the United States Navy from 1922 to 1941. The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet, with the Battle Fleet as the Pacific presence. This f ...
(later, Destroyers, Battle Force). As part of Destroyer Division 46 (DesDiv 46), and later as a unit of DesDiv 10, ''Alden'' was homeported at San Diego, with her home yard at
Mare Island Navy Yard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...
. She carried out regular underway training evolutions, with routine periods of upkeep in port over the next six years. The training for each year culminated in the annual large-scale exercise, or fleet problems. Over the next few years, ''Alden'' participated in six of these. However, she did not participate in Fleet Problem XVII in the spring of 1936 due to DesDiv 10's undergoing two months' overhaul at the
Mare Island Navy Yard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...
. While ''Alden'' lay at Mare Island, had suffered heavy damage in a collision with on 14 April, and, unfit for further service, had been struck on 19 May; ''Alden'', chosen to replace ''Smith Thompson'', sailed on 15 July for the Asiatic Station. Stopping briefly at
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
, the ship paused at
Wake Island Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of To ...
and
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
, eventually arriving at Chefoo on 20 August. Over the next six years, ''Alden'', assigned initially to DesDiv 13, steamed north to China in the spring, spent the summer operating out of Chefoo, and returned to the Philippines in the fall for further exercises and upkeep at Cavite over the winter. She carried out this routine against a backdrop of rising Sino-Japanese tension. Hostility between these two Asiatic powers had flared and abated during the 1930s, and open warfare broke out in July 1937. Since the Sino-Japanese hostilities seemed confined at the outset to North China,
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, ...
Harry E. Yarnell Admiral Harry Ervin Yarnell (18 October 1875 – 7 July 1959) was an American naval officer whose career spanned over 51 years and three wars, from the Spanish–American War through World War II. Among his achievements was proving, in 1932 war ga ...
, Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet (CINCAF), had few reservations about carrying out a planned goodwill cruise to
Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea ...
,
USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
. ''Alden'' accompanied , ''Whipple'' and to sea from their base at Chefoo, and rendezvoused with at the end of the afternoon watch on 25 July. Yarnell's ships reached Vladivostok on the morning of the 28th, and remained there until the afternoon of 1 August, in this first visit to a Russian port since the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in 1933. On the latter date, the destroyers sailed for Chefoo and ''Augusta'' for
Tsingtao Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...
. After hostilities broke out at Shanghai in mid-August, the ships of the Asiatic Fleet carried out a curtailed training schedule for the remainder of the summer and into the fall, chiefly standing by to assist Americans who might be affected. ''Alden'' eventually returned to the Philippines for the winter for upkeep and training..


SS ''President Hoover''

Early on the morning of 11 December 1937,
Dollar Steamship Lines APL, formerly called American President Lines Ltd., is an American container shipping company that is a subsidiary of French shipping company CMA CGM. It operates an all-container ship fleet, including 9 U.S. flagged container vessels. In 1938, ...
'
ocean liner An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). Ca ...
ran aground in a
typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
on Kasho-to, east of
Formosa Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territorie ...
. ''Alden'' and ''Barker'', then at Manila and
Olongapo Naval Station Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the Spanish Navy and subsequently the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. The base was 262 square miles, about the size of Singapore. Th ...
respectively, were ordered to proceed immediately to assist. Due to the urgency of the situation, ''Alden'' sailed without her captain, Lieutenant Commander Stanley M. Haight, and several officers and men. A
Grumman J2F Duck The Grumman J2F Duck (company designation G-15) is an American single-engine amphibious biplane. It was used by each major branch of the U.S. armed forces from the mid-1930s until just after World War II, primarily for utility and air-sea resc ...
amphibious aircraft from the Asiatic Fleet's utility unit brought Haight out to ''Alden'', rendezvoused with the ship and landed nearby. Sea conditions, however, precluded a boat's coming alongside the aircraft, for fear of damaging the plane's main float. Commander Haight seized the initiative and swam to one of his ship's motor whaleboats to be brought aboard his ship to resume command. ''Alden'' resumed her voyage, struggling through heavy seas at only . She eventually sighted Kasho-to at 1245 on 12 December and immediately requested permission from the captain of the
Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...
to enter Japanese territorial waters. ''Barker'' arrived soon afterwards, then an officer from ''Ashigara'' came aboard ''Alden'' to give his government's permission for the two destroyers to enter and assist ''President Hoover''. By this time ''Hoover''s 330 crew were most of the way through getting their 503 passengers and themselves ashore safely. However, a few of ''Hoover''s crew had plundered the liner's liquor store, got drunk, and once ashore started pursuing some of the women passengers. Commander Haight, Ensign John H. Parker and 15 men boarded ''Hoover'' to protect valuables. Meanwhile, landing parties from both ''Alden'' and ''Barker'' went ashore to restore order. On the forenoon watch on 14 December due to the tension after the sinking of in the Yangtze River by Japanese aircraft on 12 December, ''Alden'' broke out and stowed in her ready racks 47 rounds of service ammunition. However, ''Ashigara'' and her escort continued to stand by and assist in a professional manner. ''Hoover''s survivors were rescued by
American Mail Line American Mail Line of Seattle, Washington was a commercial steamship service with routes to and from Seattle, Washington and the Far East. American Mail Line was founded in 1920, by Pacific Steamship Company also with a $500,000 investment from ...
's SS ''President McKinley'' on 14 December and Dollar Lines' SS ''President Pierce'' on 15 December. ''Ashigara'' deployed flat-bottomed boats that brought survivors from the shore out to meet ''McKinley''s boats and a motor launch, which then ferried them out to the liner. Anchoring west of Kasho-to, ''Alden'' remained to guard ''President Hoover''s wreck until 23 December 1937, when Japanese authorities relieved her.


1938–41

The next summer, ''Alden'', in company with her sister ships and , visited
Haiphong Haiphong ( vi, Hải Phòng, ), or Hải Phòng, is a major industrial city and the third-largest in Vietnam. Hai Phong is also the center of technology, economy, culture, medicine, education, science and trade in the Red River delta. Haiphong wa ...
,
French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...
, from 21 to 28 June 1938 before continuing up to Chefoo. With the start of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in September 1939, concern over the Japanese taking advantage of the preoccupation of the British and French with European affairs to extend her own sphere of influence prompted increased American vigilance to protect the lives and property of Americans in the Far East. To this end, some of the ships of the Asiatic Fleet's destroyers were rotated to duty with units such as the
South China Patrol South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
. ''Alden'' operated with this command between September and November 1939, before she returned to the Philippines. The international climate making it dangerous to keep the Asiatic Fleet deployed to Chinese waters, Admiral
Thomas C. Hart Thomas Charles Hart (June 12, 1877July 4, 1971) was an admiral in the United States Navy, whose service extended from the Spanish–American War through World War II. Following his retirement from the navy, he served briefly as a United States Se ...
(who had relieved Admiral Yarnell as CINCAF in July 1939) withdrew it, with the exception of the river gunboats on the Yangtze and South China Patrols, to the Philippines in late 1940. There, in the waters of that archipelago, the fleet prepared for war. ''Alden'' took part in this training, interspersing it with periods of upkeep at Cavite, into the tense autumn of 1941. Due to the continued "tense and unpredictable" situation in the Far East at that time, Admiral Hart desired to "obtain additional security from surprise attack" and reduce the possibility of the Japanese cutting off "certain of his surface forces" from British and
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
bases in the event of war. To that end, on 24 November 1941, CINCAF ordered Task Force 5, formed around , two destroyer divisions (57 and 58, the former including ''Alden'') and ''Black Hawk'', to the ports of
Balikpapan Balikpapan is a seaport city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the east coast of the island of Borneo, the city is the financial center of Kalimantan. Balikpapan is the city with the largest economy in Kalimantan with an estimated 2 ...
and
Tarakan Island Tarakan is an island and the largest city of the Indonesian province of North Kalimantan. The island city is located in northern Borneo, midway along the coast of the province. The city boundaries are co-extensive with the island (including a co ...
,
Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...
. Hart directed the detachment commanders to proceed to these ports for fuel, but to "have difficulty" in doing so, with a view toward lingering in those ports "for a protracted period if necessary." ''Alden'' got underway on 25 November 1941, bound for Borneo, accompanying ''Black Hawk'', and arrived at Balikpapan on the morning of the 30th. While she lay in that port, the British Admiral Thomas Spencer Vaughan Phillips, the newly designated Commander in Chief,
Eastern Fleet Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air L ...
, flew to Manila for conferences with Admiral Hart on 5–6 December. Phillips sought the loan of destroyers from the Asiatic Fleet to help screen his capital ships, but Hart, opining that the British already possessed adequate resources in that department, demurred. Intelligence information disclosing the movement of a Japanese convoy in the
Gulf of Siam The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around in le ...
, however, changed Hart's mind, and as Admiral Phillips resolved to return to
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, CINCAF decided to transfer one division of destroyers. Consequently, ''Alden'' and three sister ships, as well as ''Black Hawk'', were soon directed to proceed to
Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
,
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
, "for supplies and liberty." Soon after they departed Balikpapan, however, the destroyers received new sailing orders. They were to proceed instead to Singapore, where they were to join Phillips' force formed around and .


World War II


1941

''Alden'' was en route to her destination when, at 0300 on 8 December 1941, she received word that "war has been started by Japan." At Singapore, reports of a Japanese invasion convoy standing toward
British Malaya The term "British Malaya" (; ms, Tanah Melayu British) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. U ...
compelled Admiral Phillips to act before his reinforcements could arrive, and he cleared Singapore on the evening of 8 December with ''Prince of Wales'' and ''Repulse'', screened by four destroyers, to seek out the enemy. Reaching Singapore on the morning of 10 December, ''Alden'' moored at 1113, and embarked a liaison party consisting of a Royal Navy lieutenant and four signalmen at 1130. She and her sister ships were still preparing for sea as Japanese high-level and torpedo bombers, flying from bases in
Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...
, overwhelmed ''Prince of Wales'' and ''Repulse'' off
Kuantan Kuantan ( Jawi: ) is a city and the state capital of Pahang, Malaysia. It is located near the mouth of the Kuantan River. Kuantan is the 18th largest city in Malaysia based on 2010 population, and the largest city in the East Coast of Penin ...
, Malaya, that afternoon and sank them both. Underway at 1509, ''Alden'' and her sister ships soon cleared Singapore, and stood toward the scene of the action in response to Admiral Phillips' desperate signal, sent early in the battle, for destroyer assistance. Accompanying British and Australian destroyers had already rescued the survivors from the two capital ships, however, and were retiring toward Singapore. ''Alden'' and her division mates subsequently entered the waters in which the battle had taken place earlier that day, looking for survivors, but only sighted pieces of wreckage, eventually winding up the search effort during the mid-watch. En route back to Singapore, ''Alden'' noted a "probable submarine attack," at 0630 on 11 December, and left the formation to investigate the source of "torpedo wakes" but found nothing. ''Alden'' and her sister ships reached port later that morning; ''Alden'' mooring alongside RFA ''Francol'' at 1041 to replenish her fuel bunkers. While in port, she lowered her flag to
half-mast Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salu ...
in tribute to the men lost in ''Prince of Wales'' and ''Repulse''. ''Alden'' remained at Singapore until the morning of the 14th when, after disembarking the Royal Navy liaison party, she got underway with the rest of the division for
Surabaya Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
,
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
. She reached that Dutch port late on the afternoon of 15 December. Underway on the 20th for Australian waters, ''Alden'' sailed for
Port Darwin Port Darwin is the port in Darwin, Northern Territory, in northern Australia. The port has operated in a number of locations, including Stokes Hill Wharf, Cullen Bay and East Arm Wharf. In 2015, a 99-year lease was granted to the Chinese-owned ...
in the screen of , breaking up the routine of the voyage by sending boarding parties to investigate and establish the friendly character of various small craft and ships sighted en route. She fell in with another formation of American ships moving to Australian waters, , , and , two days before Christmas, and fueled at sea from ''Pecos'' the same day. The destroyer ultimately saw her charges safely to Darwin, dropping anchor in that north Australian port at 13:05 on 28 December.


1942

''Alden'', soon reassigned to DesDiv 58, spent the next several weeks escorting troop and supply convoys in support of efforts to defend the Malay Barrier. During the course of one such evolution, she was in the
Beagle Gulf Beagle Gulf is a gulf in the Northern Territory of Australia which opens on its west side to the Timor Sea. The gulf is bounded to the south by the mainland and to the north by Bathurst and Melville Islands. It is connected to Van Diemen Gulf ...
west of Darwin, Australia, on the morning of 20 January 1942 escorting the oiler with ''Edsall'' when the
Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
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 ...
sighted ''Trinity'' heading toward
Port Darwin Port Darwin is the port in Darwin, Northern Territory, in northern Australia. The port has operated in a number of locations, including Stokes Hill Wharf, Cullen Bay and East Arm Wharf. In 2015, a 99-year lease was granted to the Chinese-owned ...
. Misidentifying ''Trinity'' as a
transport Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, an ...
, ''I-123'' fired four
Type 89 torpedo The Type 89 torpedo (development name G-RX2) is a Japanese submarine-launched homing torpedo produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It replaced the unguided Type 72 torpedo. Development was done by the Technical Research and Development Institu ...
es at ''Trinity'' at shortly after 0630. The sound man aboard ''I-123'' reported hearing one torpedo hit ''Trinity'', but in fact all four torpedoes missed, although ''Trinity'' sighted three of them and reported the attack. ''Alden'' immediately reversed course in the predawn darkness and searched for ''I-123'', made sound contact, and conducted a brief
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 ...
attack at 06:41 before losing contact with ''I-123'' and abandoning the search. ''I-123'' escaped unscathed. "Mindful of leaving (the) convoy unprotected" if she continued to seek out the submarine, ''Alden'' returned to her screening station and arrived at Port Darwin without further incident. At 1620 that afternoon, though, while she was taking on fuel from the tanker ''British Sailor'', ''Alden'' received orders to accompany ''Edsall'' to the scene of the above attack. Underway at 1641, leaving a third of her crew behind to break out stores on board ''Black Hawk'', ''Alden'' rushed to the scene, finding already dropping depth charges. ''Alden'' and ''Edsall'' patrolled one area in proximity of the submarine contact, while two Australian ships patrolled another. ''Alden'' developed a good contact early the following morning (21 January) and dropped six charges, with no result. A plane from reported carrying out an attack on a submarine a short time later, and ''Alden'' steamed to the scene. Seeing oil still rising, she attacked, expending the rest of her depth charges in the tracks. Bringing up more charges from below, the destroyer carried out another attack soon afterward. Then, having expended her last charge, ''Alden'' returned to Port Darwin. ''Edsall'' and the Australian ships, accompanied by a PBY Catalina, returned to the scene but were unable to locate the slick, last seen by ''Alden'', because of a heavy rain squall in the vicinity. A short time later, it was determined that the victim of the earlier attack by ''Edsall'' and was , a large Japanese mine-laying submarine had laid 27 mines near Darwin that had already sunk three Allied merchantmen. Clearing Darwin on 3 February, ''Alden'' sailed with a convoy, bound for Java. Fueling from ''Trinity'' ''en route'', the destroyer reached
Tjilatjap Cilacap Regency ( jv, ꦏꦨꦸꦥꦠꦺꦤ꧀ꦕꦶꦭꦕꦥ꧀, also spelt: Chilachap, old spelling: Tjilatjap, Sundanese language, Sundanese: ) is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency () in the southwestern part of Central Java province in Indon ...
, on the south coast of Java, late on the afternoon of 10 February. Getting underway late the following day, ''Alden'' joined ''Paul Jones'' and on the morning of 12 February, and convoyed the Briton to the port of
Koepang Kupang ( id, Kota Kupang, ), formerly known as Koepang, is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. At the 2020 C ensus, it had a population of 442,758; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 455,850. It is the largest ci ...
,
Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...
. The convoy arrived on 16 February, with the destroyer returning to Tjilatjap three days later, after refueling from ''Pecos''. The following day, the destroyer briefly patrolled off the harbor entrance, covering the sortie of ''Black Hawk''. As the Japanese neared Java, the American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) forces began gathering for a show-down. As part of this movement, ''Alden'' cleared Tjilatjap on the morning of 22 February for
Surabaya Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
and, along with ''Paul Jones'', screened ''Houston'' during the passage. The three ships arrived at their destination on the afternoon of the 24th. Intelligence information indicating the possibility of a Japanese landing attempt in the vicinity, a mixed Dutch and American force (''Houston'', ''De Ruyter'' and ), two Dutch and five American destroyers (including ''Alden''), sortied after dark on 25 February and conducted a sweep off the northern coast of
Madura Island Madura Island is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately (administratively 5,379.33 km2 including various smaller islands to the east, southeast and north that are administrati ...
. Not making any contact, the Allied force returned to Surabaya early the following morning. Later that same day, 26 February, the commander of the striking force, Dutch Rear Admiral
Karel Doorman Karel Willem Frederik Marie Doorman (23 April 1889 – 28 February 1942) was a Dutch naval officer who during World War II commanded remnants of the short-lived American-British-Dutch-Australian Command naval strike forces in the Battle o ...
, called a meeting of his commanders, and promulgated his plans to meet the Japanese. At 1922 on 26 February, the striking force, reinforced by the arrival of , , and three British destroyers, got underway and stood out of Surabaya. Doorman's force again swept along the north coast of Madura, but then, after having found the waters clear of enemy shipping, at 2212 on 26 February reversed course. During the early morning, the ABDA force continued past Surabaya, and shaped a course toward the entrance to the minefields at 1300 on 27 February. Fresh contact reports, however, indicated the presence of a Japanese force heading south from the vicinity of
Bawean Island Bawean ( id, Pulau Bawean) is an island of Indonesia located approximately north of Surabaya in the Java Sea, off the coast of Java. It is administered by Gresik Regency of East Java province. It is approximately in diameter and is circumn ...
. At 1500, as ''Alden'' was about to enter the channel through the minefields, she observed ''De Ruyter'' reverse course and make a signal: "I am going to intercept an enemy unit...." The rest of the force followed, and stood toward the enemy. At 1617, ''Alden'' observed gun flashes as the Japanese ships opened fire, answered shortly afterward by ''Houston'', ''De Ruyter'' and ''Exeter''. The American destroyers, ''Alden'' steaming second in column, took up their position on the disengaged side of the column of Allied cruisers, to ''Java''s starboard quarter. "Straining every rivet" to keep up with the cruisers, ''Alden'' and her sister ships made all possible speed. At 1714, observers on board ''Alden'' noted ''Kortenaer'' take a torpedo which broke her in two. Soon afterward the Allied fleet changed course twice, in disarray due to the accurate enemy gunfire and the threat posed by his superior torpedoes. The shell-damaged ''Exeter'' veered out of the Allied battle line; to cover her retirement, ''Alden'' and her sister ships laid smoke. After he had made one order to counterattack with torpedoes and canceled it, Rear Admiral Doorman again ordered the destroyers to counterattack. On ''Alden''’s bridge, a man remarked: "I always knew these old four pipers would have to go in and save the day...". All within earshot laughed, and the comment broke the tension as the American destroyers, the oldest ships in the ABDA line, steered a course toward the Japanese and launched torpedoes from their starboard tubes at 1822. Then, following the movements of ahead, ''Alden'' reversed course and loosed her port "fish" at 1827. ''Alden''s captain, Lieutenant Commander L. E. Coley, firmly believed that the American destroyers' attack saved ''Exeter'' from destruction at that time. Poor visibility and the increasing range soon ended that phase of the battle, and the Allied force retired, Japanese scoutplanes occasionally dropping flares above the Allied ships. At 1958, the cruiser column turned to westward where, before the night was over, ''De Ruyter'' and ''Java'' would be sunk, and ''Houston'' and ''Perth'' forced to flee. ''Alden'' and her sisters turned eastward, to retire independently toward Surabaya, their torpedo stocks exhausted. Entering the minefields at 2230, the American destroyermen anchored their ships at 0210 on 28 February. ''Alden'' remained there throughout the daylight hours. She fueled at Holland Pier and anchored in the harbor, where she observed two waves of enemy high-altitude bombers carry out raids that afternoon. That afternoon, Commander Coley noted carrier-type aircraft overhead, indicating that "enemy air activity" would soon be on the increase. "It seemed that our best chance of getting through to an allied base," Coley wrote later, "was to evade the enemy and trust to the reduced visibility of night to get out of range of enemy aircraft." Given permission to clear out as the noose around Java tightened, and to proceed to
Exmouth Gulf Exmouth Gulf is a gulf in the north-west of Western Australia. It lies between North West Cape and the main coastline of Western Australia. It is considered to be part of the Pilbara Coast and Northwest Shelf, and the Carnarvon Basin geologi ...
, Australia, the four destroyers of DesDiv 58 sortied that night, clearing the minefield an hour before midnight on 28 February, their crews at general quarters. ''Alden'' and the others steamed as close to the Javan shore as they dared, hugging the coast, and turned, undetected, into
Bali Strait Bali Strait is a stretch of water separating Java and Bali while connecting the Indian Ocean and the Bali Sea. At its narrowest it is wide. Geography The Bali Strait is one of the bodies of water surrounding the island of Bali: Lombok Strait ...
. There, however, they soon encountered the Bali Attack Unit consisting of , , , and . Around 0215, ''Alden'' spotted one destroyer almost due east of her, followed by two or more a short time later. Emerging from the coastal waters to clear a reef, the Americans apparently came into the enemy's sight soon afterwards, since gunfire erupted from the Japanese ships within 15 minutes' time. A five-minute running gun duel ensued between the two groups of destroyers before ''Alden'' and her sister ships checked fire and laid smoke. At a range of about , the Japanese opened up again at 0250. The Americans, however, held their fire, reasoning that the enemy sought to force them into revealing their position by firing back. Continuing on at , the four "four-pipers" emerged from the encounter unscathed. As they neared their destination, Commander Thomas H. Binford, Commander, DesDiv 58, paired his ships, the ones with Australian charts (''Alden'' and ''Paul Jones''), with those which did not ( and ''John D. Edwards''), and the destroyermen reached
Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...
on the afternoon of 4 March. Reporting to Commander, Australia-New Zealand area, on 28 March, ''Alden'' operated in the waters of the Southwest Pacific until sailing for Pearl Harbor, reaching her destination on 7 June ''en route'' to the
United States West Coast The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...
. Following an overhaul at Mare Island, ''Alden'' commenced convoy escort duty between San Francisco and Hawaiian waters on 11 August.


1943

Over the next eight months, ''Alden'' carried out prosaic escort duty until she departed Mare Island on 9 April 1943 for the Caribbean. Transiting the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...
on 16 April and reporting that day to Commander, Caribbean Sea Frontier, she continued on to
Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
, arriving there on 25 April. The destroyer spent the next two months shuttling convoys between Trinidad and Guantanamo Bay, before she proceeded north to the
New York Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a ...
, which she entered on 28 June for repairs and alterations. Upon completion of this availability, ''Alden'' sailed for
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
on 11 July, and joined a
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
-bound convoy soon afterwards, reaching Casablanca on 28 July. After returning to the United States via
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 ...
, the ship entered the
Charleston Navy Yard Charleston Naval Shipyard (formerly known as the Charleston Navy Yard) was a U.S. Navy ship building and repair facility located along the west bank of the Cooper River, in North Charleston, South Carolina and part of Naval Base Charleston. H ...
for a drydocking on 27 August. She sailed for
Port of Spain Port of Spain (Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a municip ...
, Trinidad, on 7 September and ultimately proceeded to Brazilian waters, reaching
Recife That it may shine on all ( Matthew 5:15) , image_map = Brazil Pernambuco Recife location map.svg , mapsize = 250px , map_caption = Location in the state of Pernambuco , pushpin_map = Brazil#South A ...
on 8 October. Underway for the Caribbean on 4 November, ''Alden'' reached Trinidad ten days later, and sailed on 26 November as escort for the Army transport ''George Washington''. Seeing that ship safely to her destination,
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 1 December, the destroyer proceeded to Charleston, arriving there on the 3rd for upkeep. She steamed from there to
Casco Bay, Maine Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth. The city of Portland sits along its south ...
, and refresher training, before she headed back to Norfolk, arriving at that port on the last day of the year 1943.


1944

''Alden'' sailed for North African waters on 5 January 1944, in an antisubmarine group formed around . On 16 January, a pair of
Grumman TBF Avenger The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) is an American World War II-era torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and naval av ...
s from ''Guadalcanal''s Composite Squadron 13 (VC-13) caught a pair of
U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
s on the surface, rendezvousing near the
Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
, and attacked, sinking before she could transfer radar detection gear to . Reaching
Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
on 26 January, the task unit sailed for the United States three days later, and reached Norfolk on 16 February. Shifting to the
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. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...
for repairs and alterations soon afterwards, ''Alden'' returned to Norfolk on 12 March. The destroyer sailed the following day for
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
as one of the 16 escort vessels shepherding convoy UGS-36, 72 merchantmen and 18 tank landing ships. Escort vessels drove off what was believed to be a U-boat late on 31 March, and six hours later, early on 1 April, 22 German aircraft attacked UGS-36. ''Alden'', in the rear guard, aided the defense of the convoy, as the escorts shot down two enemy aircraft and probably damaged two others. Ultimately, UGS-36 reached its destination,
Bizerte Bizerte or Bizerta ( ar, بنزرت, translit=Binzart , it, Biserta, french: link=no, Bizérte) the classical Hippo, is a city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia. It is the northernmost city in Africa, located 65 km (40mil) north of the cap ...
, on 3 April. Nine days later, ''Alden'' sailed for the United States, reaching
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...
on 1 May. Following a brief availability at the Boston Navy Yard, ''Alden'' departed Boston, Massachusetts on 27 May for New York, reporting for duty under Commander, Service Force, Atlantic Fleet, soon after. She then operated out of Norfolk during June, principally on local escort duty. During this time, she screened during a phase of that new
battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
's shakedown training. Following emergency repairs to a damaged propeller, ''Alden'' resumed escort operations, this time with , as she convoyed the ship from Norfolk to
Baytown Baytown may refer to: * Baytown, Texas, a city in the United States near Houston, Texas *Baytown culture, an archaeological culture in the United States *Operation Baytown Operation Baytown was an Allied amphibious landing on the mainland o ...
to
Galveston Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...
, thence to Guantanamo Bay and back to Galveston, before she escorted the oiler on a trip from Galveston to
Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...
, Casco Bay and Norfolk. Undergoing routine maintenance at the
Norfolk Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...
upon conclusion of this duty in August 1944, ''Alden'' escorted from Norfolk to Bermuda before the destroyer then convoyed and from Norfolk to the Canal Zone. Relieving ''John D. Edwards'' under the auspices of Commander,
Panama Sea Frontier The Panama Sea Frontier was a U.S. Navy command responsible during and shortly after World War II for the defense of the Pacific and Atlantic sea approaches to the Panama Canal and naval shore facilities in the Central America region. The Sea Fron ...
, ''Alden'' operated in Panama waters as a training ship with submarines into November, after which time the destroyer returned to Norfolk.


1945

After she had suffered damage in a collision with on 31 January 1945, ''Alden'' underwent repairs in the Norfolk Navy Yard. These ended on 28 February, ''Alden'' emerged from the yard soon afterwards and joined the escort of a Mediterranean-bound convoy, UGF-21, on 1 March. Subsequently, returning to the United States with convoy GUF-21, the warship escorted between Bermuda and Guantanamo, and between Guantanamo and Bermuda before the destroyer returned to Norfolk. Then, following tender availability at Tompkinsville, ''Alden'' sailed for
Mayport, Florida Mayport is a small community located between Naval Station Mayport and the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. It is part of the Jacksonville Beaches communities. The only public road to Mayport is State Road A1A, which crosses the St. Johns ...
, on 2 June, where, upon her arrival, she was assigned plane guard duty with ''Guadalcanal'', the ship assigned to conduct carrier qualifications for fledgling pilots out of the Naval Air Station at
Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...
. Completing this tour on 13 June, she proceeded thence to the Delaware capes.


Decommissioning and fate

''Alden'' reached the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 15 June 1945 and was decommissioned there on 15 July. Her name was struck from the
Naval Vessel Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) 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 t ...
on 13 August, and the ship was sold to the Boston Metals Salvage Company, of
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, on 30 November 1945, to be broken up for scrap.


Awards

''Alden'' was awarded three
battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...
s for her
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
service.


References

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Alden (Dd-211) Clemson-class destroyers World War II destroyers of the United States Ships built by William Cramp & Sons 1919 ships