USS Billingsley (DD-293)
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| Career (US) |  |
|---|---|
| Namesake: | William Billingsley |
| Builder: | Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Squantum Victory Yard |
| Cost: | $1,218,366 |
| Laid down: | 8 September 1919 |
| Launched: | 10 December 1919 |
| Commissioned: | 1 March 1920 |
| Decommissioned: | 1 May 1930 |
| Struck: | 22 October 1930 |
| Fate: | sold for scrapping, 17 January 1931 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Clemson-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 1,215 long tons (1,234 t) |
| Length: | 314 feet 4 inches (95.81 m) |
| Beam: | 31 feet 9 inches (9.68 m) |
| Draft: | 9 feet 10 inches (3 m) |
| Propulsion: | 26,500 shp (20 MW); geared turbines, 2 screws |
| Speed: | 35 knots (65 km/h) |
| Range: | 4,900 nmi (9,100 km) @ 15 kt |
| Complement: | 122 officers and enlisted |
| Armament: | 4 × 4" (102 mm), 1 × 3" (76 mm), 12 × 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes |
USS Billingsley (DD-293) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. The ship was named for William Billingsley, one of the first Navy pilots, Naval Aviator No. 9.
History
Billingsley was launched 10 December 1919 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Squantum, Massachusetts; sponsored by Miss Irene Billingsley, sister of Ensign Billingsley; and commissioned 1 March 1920, Commander H. D. Cooke in command.
Billingsley joined Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet, in operations along the east coast and in the Caribbean until the summer of 1920 when she made Naval Reserve training cruises. In reserve until June 1922, she then joined Division 26, Squadron 9, Destroyer Force, at Philadelphia. She cruised along the Atlantic coast until June 1924, when Division 26 joined United States Naval Forces Europe. Billingsley cruised in European and Mediterranean waters for the next year and assisted refugees in the Near East. In summer 1924 she acted as plane guard for the North Atlantic crossing of the Army "Around-the-World Flight." Later in the year she returned home and resumed her routine activities along the east coast until the summer of 1929 when she again made Naval Reserve cruises.
Fate
Billingsley reported to Philadelphia Navy Yard in September 1929; was decommissioned 1 May 1930; and sold 17 January 1931.
As of 2005, no other ship in the United States Navy has been named Billingsley.
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
