USS Reuben James
Sunk
| Type | Destroyer |
|---|---|
| Class | Clemson |
| War | Second World War |
| Main guns | 4 × 4 in (100 mm) guns |
Four-stack destroyer escorting convoy HX 156 when U-552 torpedoed her west of Ireland on 31 October 1941, five weeks before Pearl Harbor: the first American warship lost in the war. Her forward magazine blew up; 100 of her crew were killed and 44 saved. Woody Guthrie wrote a song about her.
Armament and specifications
Armament
- 4 × 4 in (100 mm) guns
- 1 × 3 in (76 mm) antiaircraft gun
- 12 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
| Builder | New York Shipbuilding |
|---|---|
| Laid down | 2 April 1919 |
| Launched | 4 October 1919 |
| Commissioned | 24 September 1920 |
| Displacement | 1,215 long tons (1,234 t) |
| Length | 314 ft 5 in (95.83 m) |
| Speed | 35 kn (40 mph; 65 km/h) |
| Complement | 159 officers and enlisted |
As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.
Career
Launched
4 October 1919
31 October 1941
100 killed; 44 saved