American Lend-Lease: Town Class Destroyer Mystery

[tonclass]

Anyone know which one she was ?
Rik

[Batstiger]

Hi Rik, difficult to make out but if it is of any use I have, tucked away in a folder pics of nearly all of the 4 funnellers before and after they became British. Some aren't brilliant but at least it's a record.

Bob.

[tonclass]

Can you match up the dazzle paint with your list Bob ?
Rik

[Batstiger]

No such luck Rik. There are as many port sides as there are starboard and I am assuming both sides would not be uniform?

Bob

[jbryce1437]

Had a look through my lot without success. Another clue, regardless of whether port or starboard view, is that the second funnel from forward is painted black part of the way down, so it should look the same from both sides.

[stontamar]

Ship in photo does not belong to one the US Flush Deck classes that were transferred to the Royal Navy in 1940 and named after towns. The picture dates to c1918 and my guess would be that it is one of the US Navy Tucker Class operating on convoy duties out of Queenstown, Ireland.

Regards

stontamar

[Batstiger]

I have been wrong on many occasions but I think you will find the Tuckers had only two funnels and sails on some trips.
Having said that these could have been a later model !

Bob.

[stontamar]

Tucker Class (DD57-68) dating from 1915-16. This was the class that preceded the first of the Flush-Deck Classes (Cadwell Class dating to 1917). USS TUCKER DD374, the subject of the two photographs, was a member of the Mahan Class dating from 1936.

Regards

stontamar

[Batstiger]

I was just about to correct my mistake but you beat me to it. This in fact is the Uss Tucker in question.

Bob

[stontamar]

Nice photo taken during her post war career serving with the US Coast Guard.

Regards

stontamar

[stontamar]

Photo could quite possibly be that of USS ROWAN DD 64 (Sampson Class). See http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/0506409.jpg for a photograph of this vessel carrying the same camouflage scheme as the subject vessel. There are slight variations between the schemes worn in the two photographs and this may indicate another ship of this class carried a very similar scheme. It could also indicate that the two photographs were taken at different times and that slight changes had been made during repainting.

One of the main distinguishing features of this class appears to be the very prominent searchlight town located forward of the mainmast and the fitting of four sets of triple torpedo tubes.

Note the black band on the second funnel seems to be worn by quite a few of the destroyers of this class operating out of Queenstown, Ireland during 1918.

Regards

stontamar

[stontamar]

Sorry please see link - http://http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/0506409.jpg

stontamar

[stontamar]

Do apologise - here's another go at getting it right!!

stontamar

[Batstiger]

It looks as though Stontamar has cracked it Rik ( I wish I was clever!) here is the proof.

"WELL SPOTTED"

Bob.

[tonclass]

Well done all. Mystery solved !!
Cheers
Rik

[jbryce1437]

Well spotted:D

[Bill Moore]

Hi Rik, difficult to make out but if it is of any use I have, tucked away in a folder pics of nearly all of the 4 funnellers before and after they became British. Some aren't brilliant but at least it's a record.

Bob. Dear Bob I am trying to find camoflage schemes for HMS Montgomery and HMS St Albans in R,N. Schemes. The models posted on their sites look more like carnival pleasure craft than R.N. war boats. Any suggestions? Bill Moore Ballina.

[Graham Barnes]

Hello,

Multiple clear photos of HMS MONTGOMERY and HMS ST. ALBANS in their RN rigs are to be found in Arnold Hague's DESTROYERS FOR GREAT BRITAIN (Naval Institute Press, 1990).

Best regards