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USS CLEMSON (DD-186 / AVP-17 / AVD-4 / APD-31)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NEZT

CLASS - CLEMSON As Built.
Basic repeat Wickes Class, with 35% more fuel capacity to improve endurance problems,
designed radius was 4900 nautical miles at 15 Knots.
Displacement 1,215 Tons, Dimensions, 314' 5" (oa) x 31' 8" x 9' 10" (Max)
Armament 4 x 4"/50, 1 x 3"/23AA, 12 x 21" tt..
Machinery, 26,500 SHP; Westinghouse Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 35 Knots, Crew 114
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Newport News Shipbuilding on May 11 1918.
Launched September 5 1918 and commissioned December 29 1919.
Decommissioned June 30 1922.
Reclassified Sea Plane Tender AVP-17 November 15 1939.
Recommissioned July 12 1940, classification changed to AVD-4 August 24 1940.
Reclassified back to Destroyer DD-186 December 1 1943.
Converted to High Speed Transport APD-31 March 7 1944.
Reclassified back to Destroyer DD-186 July 16 1945.
Decommissioned October 12 1945.
Stricken October 24 1945,.
Fate Sold November 21 1946 and broken up for scrap.

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-Henry A. Clemson was born in New Jersey in 1820 and was appointed a midshipman in 1836. He served in St. Mary's and Somers during the Mexican War. Passed Midshipman Clemson was drowned 8 December 1846 when Somers capsized off Vera Cruz.Robert M. Cieri
THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
WASHINGTON

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to the

UNITED STATES SHIP BOGUE
with her Embarked Planes and Escort Vessels constituting the Five Task Groups listed below for service as set forth in the following

Citation:
"For outstanding performance in combat against enemy submarines in the Atlantic Area from April 20, 1943, to July 3, 1944. Carrying out powerful and sustained offensive action during a period of heavy German undersea concentrations threatening our uninterrupted flow of supplies to the European Theater of operations, the U.S.S. BOGUE, her embarked planes and her escorts tracked the enemy packs relentlessly and, by unwavering vigilance, persistent aggressiveness and perfect cooperation of all units involved, sank a notable number of hostile U-boats. The superb leadership of the BOGUE and the gallant spirit of the officers and men who fought her planes and manned her escort vessels were largely instrumental in forcing the complete withdrawal of enemy submarines from supply routes essential to the maintenance of our established military supremacy."

United States Ships Bogue, Lea, Greene, Belknap, Osmond Ingram, George E. Badger, and VC-9 from April 20 to June 20, 1943.
United States Ships Bogue, Osmond Ingram, George E. Badger, Clemson, and VC-9 from July 12 to August 23, 1943.
United States Ships Bogue, Osmond Ingram, George E. Badger, Clemson, Dupont and VC-19 from November 14 to December 29, 1943.
United States Ships Bogue, Haverfield, Swenning, Willis, Hobson (until March 25), Janssen (until April 7) and VC-95 from February 26 to April 19, 1944.
United States Ships Bogue, Haverfield, Swenning, Willis, Janssen, F. W. Robinson, and VC-69 from May 4 to July 3, 1944.

For the President,
James Forrestal
Secretary of the Navy
Clemson 68kUndated, location unknown.Curt Clark, The Four Stack APD Veterans
Clemson 130kUndated, location unknown.Curt Clark, The Four Stack APD Veterans
Clemson 245kLaunching of USS Clemson (DD 186) at Newport News, Virginia, September 5 1918. This ship was sponsored by Miss M.C. Daniels. A veteran of World War II, she was decommissioned in October 1945 and sold a year later. Collection of Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels.Mike Mohl
Clemson 135kUSS Clemson (Destroyer # 186) steaming at high speed, probably while running trials in 1919. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Photo #: NH 55169. From the collection of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.Darryl Baker/Robert Hurst
As AVD-4
Clemson 159kUSS Clemson (DD 186) as AVD-4 taken in October 1942. From the collection of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.Darryl Baker/Robert Hurst

USS CLEMSON DD-186 (AVP-17 - AVD-4 - APD-31) History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The hazegray Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)

Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves

LCDR Grattan Colley Dichman    Dec 29 1919 - Apr 9 1921
LCDR Leslie LaFayette Jordan    Apr 9 1921 - Jun 30 1922
(Decommissioned Jun 30 1922 - Jul 12 1940)
LCDR John Perry Whitney    July 12 1940 - Feb 28 1942 (Later VADM)
LCDR William Mason Walsh    Feb 28 1942 - Mar 3 1942
LCDR John Perry Whitney    Mar 3 1942 - Apr 22 1942 (Later VADM)
LCDR William Mason Walsh    Apr 22 1942 - Feb 9 1943
LCDR Evan White Yancey    Feb 9 1943 - Sep 3 1943 
LCDR William Francis Moran    Sep 3 1943 - Mar 4 1945
LCDR Arthur H. Hardy Jr.    Mar 4 1945 - Sep 21 1945
LT James Howard Robertson    Sep 21 1945 - Oct 12 1945

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Contact Name: Curt Clark, Secretary Four Stack APD Veterans
Address: 3384 Grim Ave., San Diego, CA 92104
Phone: 619-282-0971
E-mail: apdsec@cox.net


Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.


Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
NavSource APD/AVD/AVP Clemson Page
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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