| Career | |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company |
| Laid down: | 20 December 1940 |
| Launched: | 25 July 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 22 October 1941 |
| Fate: | Sunk by German submarine, 13 October 1943 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Gleaves-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 1,630 tons (normal) 2,395 tons (full load) |
| Length: | 341 ft (104 m) (waterline), 348 ft 3 in (106.15 m) (overall) |
| Beam: | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Draft: | 11 ft 9 in (3.58 m) (normal), 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m) (full load) |
| Propulsion: | four Babcock & Wilcox boilers; General Electric geared turbines; two shafts; 50,000 shp (37 MW) |
| Speed: | 37.5 knots (69 km/h), 33 kt (61 km/h) full load |
| Range: | 6,000 nautical miles at 15 kt (11,000 km at 28 km/h) |
| Complement: | 208 (276 war) |
| Armament: | 4 × 5 in (127 mm) DP guns, 1 × 1.1 in (28 mm) quad AA gun, 6 × 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) guns, 10 × 21 in (53 cm) torpedo tubes (2×5, 10 torpedoes) |
USS Bristol (DD 453) was a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral Mark Lambert Bristol. She was launched 25 July 1941 by Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs. Powell Clayton, and commissioned 22 October 1941, Lieutenant Commander C. C. Wood in command.
Contents |
During her first year of service Bristol operated as a patrol and convoy escort in the North Atlantic, making several trans-Atlantic voyages to Ireland. On 24 October 1942, she made her first voyage to North Africa, as part of the Operation Torch landings at Fedhala, French Morocco (8–17 November). Returning to the United States in late November, she operated out of Norfolk, Virginia until 14 January 1943, when she again steamed to the Mediterranean where, with the exception of one trip to the Panama Canal Zone in April 1943, she served exclusively until 13 October 1943.
While on duty in that area, she took part in Operation HUSKY (9 July – 17 August 1943) and the Salerno landings (9–21 September). On 11 September 1943, Bristol rescued 70 survivors from the torpedoed Rowan.
At 04:30 on 13 October 1943, while escorting a convoy to Oran, Algeria, Bristol was struck on the port side at the forward engine room by a single torpedo from U-boat U-371 commanded by Waldemar Mehl.[1] Bristol was broken in half by the single explosion. No fires resulted, but steam, electrical power, and communications were lost and the ship had to be abandoned. Eight minutes after the explosion the after section sank, followed four minutes later by the foreparts. Bristol suffered the loss of 52 of her crew, The survivors were rescued by Trippe and Wainwright.
| Convoy | Escort Group | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HX 179 | MOEF group A5 | 13-22 March 1942[2] | 21 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland |
| ON 81 | MOEF group A5 | 30 March-9 April 1942[3] | 13 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland |
| AT 17 | 1-12 July 1942[4] | 6 troopships escorted without loss from New York City to Firth of Clyde | |
| UGF 1 | 24 October-8 November 1942[5] | 31 ships escorted without loss from Chesapeake Bay to Operation Torch | |
| UGF 4 | 14-25 January 1943[5] | 21 ships escorted without loss from Chesapeake Bay to Mediterranean Sea | |
| UGF 6 | 5-18 March 1943[5] | 22 ships escorted without loss from Chesapeake Bay to Mediterranean Sea | |
| UGS 6 | battle reinforcement | 20-22 March 1943[6] | Chesapeake Bay to Mediterranean Sea; 3 ships torpedoed & sunk |
| GUF 6 | 25 March-7 April 1943[7] | 15 ships escorted without loss from Mediterranean Sea to Chesapeake Bay | |
| UGS 8A | 17 May-1 June 1943[6] | 80 ships escorted without loss from Chesapeake Bay to Mediterranean Sea |
Bristol received three battle stars for her World War II service.