The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.

Friday, February 19, 2016

USS Semmes (DD-189)-- Part 1: Destroyer to Auxiliary Testing Ship Prewar

From Wikipedia.

This was the first ship named for Confederate Naval officer Raphael Semmes.  Laid down June 10, 1918, by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company.  Launched 21 December 1918, commissioned 21 February 1920, sponsored by Mrs. John H. Watkins, granddaughter of Raphael Semmes.

It was the first ship to navigate into New York City Harbor using the Ambrose Channel pilot cable in 1920.

It was decommssioned in 1922 and recommissioned in 1932 when it was transferred to the US Coast Guard.  In 1934, it was returned to the Navy and recommssioned as an experimental ship.

It was officially redesignated as auxiliary ship AG-24 on 1 July 1935.  As such it served as an experimental ship assigned to submarines.  It tested and evaluated underwater sound equipment into the 1940s.

--GreGen

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