The first USS ''Clark'' (DD-361) was a in the
United States Navy. She was named for
Charles E. Clark.
''Clark'' was launched 15 October 1935 by
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's
Fore River Shipyard,
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...
; sponsored by Mrs. S. Robinson; and commissioned 20 May 1936,
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
H. Thebaud in command.
Service history
''Clark''s prewar service included operations on the Atlantic coast, 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 ...
, and from
Pearl Harbor, her home port from 1 April 1940. From 3 March to 10 April 1941, she joined in a cruise to
Samoa, Australia, and
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
. At the outbreak of
World War II, she lay in overhaul at
San Diego, California. ''Clark'' departed the west coast 27 December, escorted two convoys to Pearl Harbor, then took up antisubmarine patrol off
Pago Pago, Samoa, and in February and March 1942 joined a carrier task force for air raids on
New Guinea
World War II
From April through May 1942, ''Clark'' escorted four convoys on their passage between Pearl Harbor and
San Francisco, California, continuing to
Midway on the last. She returned to San Diego and
Balboa, where she joined the escort of a convoy bound for
Wellington, New Zealand. Between 12 August and 8 September, she sailed out of
Nouméa,
New Caledonia
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, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
, screening oilers fueling carrier task forces, and then returned to
Auckland for a month of duty escorting convoys from New Zealand to South Pacific island bases. After a final month of local escort and patrol duty at Nouméa, ''Clark'' sailed 11 December 1942 to report at Balboa as
flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
for Commander,
Southeast Pacific Force.
Until 10 August 1944, ''Clark'' patrolled out of various South American ports, sailing then for an east coast overhaul. Between 4 September 1944 and 11 April 1945, she guarded the passage of six transatlantic convoys to ports in the
United Kingdom and
France.
On 15 June 1945, she arrived at
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she was decommissioned 23 October 1945 and scrapped 29 March 1946.
Awards
''Clark'' received two
battle stars for World War II service.
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark (Dd-361)
Porter-class destroyers
World War II destroyers of the United States
Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts
1935 ships