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Benham: Fastest in the Fleet

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Benham: Fastest in the Fleet Fighting hard in some of the Pacific’s deadliest battles, this plucky destroyer would succumb to the over- whelming force of the Tokyo Express BY CHARLES H. BOGART he 1930s saw the United 21-in torpedoes, designed speed a destroyer division (DESDIV) with States gripped in the Great 38.5-kts, crew nine officers and 175 Ellet, Lang, Davis, and Jouett as TDepression. One of the means enlisted men. part of the neutrality patrol off the by which Congress sought to pump Benham was laid down on 1 Grand Banks of Newfoundland. money back into the economy was September 1936 by Federal Ship- Benham’s only excitement during by increased naval construction. In building and Drydock Company of her patrol off Newfoundland was this vein, Congress on 27 March Kearney, New Jersey. Named for being dispatched to escort the Stereo slide of of the first USS Benham, DD-49, which was launched on 22 March 1913. 1934 passed into law a major naval R/Adm. Andrew E. Benham (1832- passenger ship Iroquois to the US construction bill. Among the 57 1905), she was the second ship to from Europe. This order was a position and course of the were installed around her guns, a destroyers authorized by this bill bear the name. The first Benham result of the sinking of the ships. Acting upon these degaussing cable was incorporated was the USS Benham (DD-397), was DD-49, which served from 1914- passenger ship Athenia by U-30 on 3 reports, the Royal Navy was into her hull, the ASW listening which would become known to her 1935. The second Benham was September 1939, an act disclaimed able to intercept both ships. gear was upgraded, and all flam- crew as “Dead Ready.” The Benham, launched by Mrs. Albert I. Dorr, a by Germany and in turn blamed on In April 1940, Benham and mable and splinterable gear not while not lead ship of the 15 near grandniece of the Admiral. The England by Germany. In the war of the rest of the division were needed for fighting was stripped. sister ships (DD-394-408), gave her Benham was commissioned into the propaganda that followed, Germany ordered to the Pacific Ocean. Arriving at Pearl in June, name to the class. These 15 US Navy on 2 February 1939 as the claimed that England was preparing The division arrived at their Benham was immediately thrown destroyers varied greatly in length, fastest ship in the Navy. While to sink the Iroquois as she sailed new home port Pearl Harbor into a frantic schedule of training beam, armament, engines, boilers, designed for 38.5-kts she had from Europe for the US carrying on 14 April 1940. Upon arrival, covering all types of operations, and fuel supply but did present the recorded during her builder trials a Americans evacuated from the war Benham was detached to pro- with special attention being given to same general appearance. These speed of 41.8-kts. zone. England in turn claimed that ceed to San Diego, California, underway refueling and acting as variances between ships were due to Scheduled for a shakedown cruise Germany was going to sink the to take part in a Marine Corps plane guard to the carriers assigning construction of the ships to European waters, Benham instead Iroquois and blame it on England. landing exercise on San Saratoga and Enterprise. Most of to eight different shipyards. sailed for the Gulf of Mexico due to To insure that none of the Clemente Island. High point of these operations were conducted Particulars of Benham were the unstable conditions in Europe. countercharges came true, Benham the exercise was a close in- with the Enterprise. The exercise length 341-ft 2-in, beam 35-ft 6-in, Calls were made along the Gulf was ordered to act as escort for shore bombardment as the would commence with the draft 10-ft 9-in, displacement 1725- Coast and in Cuba. With the Iroquois. The voyage however Marines hit the beach. This Enterprise and her accompanying tons, shaft horsepower 50,000, outbreak of war in Europe on 1 proceeded without incident and was the first test of the use of battleships — Arizona, Oklahoma, screws two, armament four 5-in/38- September 1939, Benham was order- Iroquois safely discharged her The destroyer was named after Andrew naval gunfire for close support and Nevada and screening Ellicott Kennedy Benham (10 April 1832/11 cal, four .50-cal machine guns, 16 ed to Newport, Rhode Island, to form passengers in New York. August 1905). during an assault landing. destroyers sortieing to sea. Once at Once the Marines were ashore, sea, however, the battleships, due to USS Benham (DD-397) shortly after commissioning. Luckily for Benham, as winter Benham sailed for San Diego their slow speed, would be detached descended on Newfoundland, she leaving the Marines behind to to operate by themselves while and the other ships of the division continue the exercise on San Enterprise and her screen of were ordered south to the Gulf of Clemente. Before Benham reached destroyers would steam over the Mexico in December 1939. During San Diego, she was ordered back to horizon to conduct fleet exercises. her deployment in the Gulf, Benham San Clemente to re-embark the When not operating with the twice came into contact with Marines and return them to San carriers, Benham was assigned to German vessels trying to run the Diego at the highest possible speed. the Inshore Patrol off Hawaii. While blockade back to Germany. The This marked the first time since her assigned to this patrol in September blockade runners were the Arucas builder’s trials that Benham was not 1941 she made sonar contact with and Columbus. Following restricted to the peacetime speed. what was evaluated as a submarine instructions, Benham upon sighting Before sailing again for Pearl, operating in the 10-mile restricted the German ships sent off in the Benham entered the San Diego area off of the entrance to Pearl. clear radio messages reporting the Navy Yard. Here splinter shields Permission was requested to attack 18 SEA CLASSICS/March 2018 seaclassicsnow.com 19.
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