The Americans began dropping depth charges, but the unknown U-boat was not seen again. The submarine was then spotted, and all three ships opened fire with their main guns, hitting the U-boat as it submerged. Lookouts spotted the tracks, and the ship was able to evade the torpedo. Sailing back to the United States from France, a U-boat surfaced at 11:45 and fired her torpedoes at the Mallory. Mallory, USAT Tenadores and USS Mercury, received credit for defeating a U-boat on April 4, 1918. Three United States Army and navy transports, USAT Henry R. Cyclops was lost with 236 crewmen and passengers. She may have been sunk by a German submarine, but it is more likely that she capsized because of the shifting of her cargo of coal. She left Barbados on Mabound for Baltimore, Maryland, but was never seen again. Navy during the war was on the collier USS Cyclops in March 1918. Jacob Jones was the first American destroyer ever lost in battle, and she went down within eight minutes. Sixty-six of her crew were killed, and more injured only thirty-eight survived. Bagley ordered his crew to abandon ship, and as she sank the armed depth charges aboard began to detonate, adding to the already heavy casualties. One was spotted by the Americans, but despite taking evasive action, she was fatally damaged. On December 17, Kapitänleutnant Hans Rose of U-53 sighted the destroyer and attacked with a spread of torpedoes. The first combat loss was USS Jacob Jones, a destroyer, which was sailing to Ireland in a zig-zag pattern with five other warships from Brest. įour United States Navy ships were lost during World War I, only two by enemy action, though six merchant ships with armed guards aboard were also destroyed. The thirty-nine survivors abandoned the sinking U-58 and were taken prisoner. At least one shot from Nicholson struck the U-boat, killing two men and causing heavy damage. The U-boat was forced to surface by depth charges and was subsequently defeated in a brief surface engagement. USS Fanning and USS Nicholson were escorting convoy OQ-20 eastbound, when a lookout sighted the periscope of U-58. On November 17, 1917, two destroyers became the first U.S. German officers and crewmen evacuating the U-58 on November 17, 1917. Cassin struck U-61 's conning tower, which forced her crew to disengage and retreat. Ingram was killed and later was to receive the Medal of Honor, while nine others were wounded. Cassin was heavily damaged, but her crew kept her afloat and continued firing. Gunner's Mate First Class Osmond Ingram noticed the torpedo just before it struck and alarmed the K-gun crew, who began firing depth charges. After chasing the U-boat for an hour, U-61 turned around and fired a single torpedo, which struck Cassin to port. Vernon, encountered U-61 off Mine Head, Ireland. The destroyer USS Cassin, commanded by Lieutenant Commander W. The first victory for the United States Navy took place in the Atlantic on October 15, 1917. The capital ships took up positions with the British Royal Navy in the North Sea for an uneventful blockade of the German High Seas Fleet that would last even after the armistice into 1919. Therefore, destroyer squadrons were based in the British Isles at major ports, including Queenston, Ireland. Destroyers and similar escort warships were considered the most effective means of sinking enemy submarines and protecting merchantmen. The United States Navy was ill prepared for war, and the only solution was to begin deploying whatever was available on convoy duty and arming merchantmen with small naval guns manned by armed guard detachments.Ĭongress declared war on April 6, 1917, which meant the United States Coast Guard automatically became a part of the Department of the Navy. In order to relieve the British and European allies already on the battle front, the United States Navy was tasked with transporting millions of American soldiers and supplies across the Atlantic to France. The main theater of World War I was the Western Front. Because of United States's late entry into the war, her capital ships never engaged the German fleet and few decisive submarine actions occurred. The American navy focused on countering enemy U-boats in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea while convoying men and supplies to France and Italy. United States Navy operations during World War I began on April 6, 1917, after the formal declaration of war on the German Empire.
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