USS Ballard
History
United States
NamesakeEdward J. Ballard
BuilderBethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Squantum Victory Yard
Cost$1,222,930.89[1]
Laid down3 June 1918
Launched7 December 1918
Commissioned5 June 1919
Decommissioned5 December 1945
Stricken3 January 1946
Honours and
awards		2 × battle stars
FateSold for scrap, 23 May 1946
General characteristics
Class and typeClemson-class destroyer
Displacement1,215 tons
Length314 feet 4 inches (95.81 m)
Beam31 feet 8 inches (9.65 m)
Draft9 feet 10 inches (3.00 m)
Propulsion
  • 26,500 shp (20 MW);
  • geared turbines,
  • 2 screws
Speed35 knots (65 km/h)
Range
  • 4,900 nautical miles (9,100 kilometres)
  •  @ 15 kt
Complement130 officers and enlisted
Armament4 × 4 in (102 mm)/50 guns, 1 × 3 in (76 mm)/25 gun, 12 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes

The second USS Ballard (DD-267/AVD-10) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Edward J. Ballard.

History

Ballard (DD-267) was launched 7 December 1918 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Squantum, Massachusetts; sponsored by Miss Eloise Ballard,[2] great great granddaughter of the namesake;[3] commissioned 5 June 1919 and reported to the Atlantic Fleet.[2]

Between July 1919 and July 1920 Ballard cruised to various ports in Europe and the Mediterranean. She returned to the United States in July 1920 and served for a time with the Atlantic Fleet. She then proceeded to the Pacific where she carried out type training and participated in fleet maneuvers until placed out of commission in reserve at San Diego 17 June 1922.[2]

On 25 June 1940 Ballard was placed in commission in ordinary and was towed to Union Yard of Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Francisco, California, for conversion to an auxiliary seaplane tender (reclassified AVD-10, 2 August 1940). She was placed in full commission 2 January 1941 and reported to Aircraft, Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet.[2]

With the entrance of the United States into World War II, Ballard steamed to Pearl Harbor where she arrived 28 January 1942. Ballard performed picket duty during the Battle of Midway, and on 14 June 1942 rescued 35 Japanese seaman from the carrier Hiryū who had been adrift since their ship sank on 5 June.[4] Until November 1943 she was engaged in tending patrol planes, laying aircraft buoys, escorting convoys, and patrolling throughout the Eastern Pacific (Phoenix, Midway, Fiji, Espiritu Santo, Guadalcanal, Florida, and New Caledonia).[2]

On 20 November 1942, Ballard recovered two sailors adrift at sea in separate rafts since the sinking of USS Juneau (CL-52) on 13 November.[5][6][7] Only 10 survivors were rescued after Juneau sank.[8]

Returning to San Francisco 7 November 1943, she completed repairs 30 December 1943 and then acted as a plane guard during Carrier qualification operations, off San Diego, until May 1944.[2]

Between 15 June and 3 July 1944 she participated in the Saipan operation, laying aircraft buoys, and tending the first patrol squadron to operate from the area. Next, she performed patrol duties during the seizure of the Palau Islands (12 September – 11 December 1944).[2]

Fate

In late December 1944 she began another stateside yard period, at Seattle, Washington. Upon completion of repairs, she was once again assigned to plane guard duties, operating out of San Diego until 1 October 1945. Ballard arrived at Philadelphia 26 October 1945 to commence pre-inactivation overhaul. She was decommissioned 5 December 1945 and sold 23 May 1946 and broken up for scrap.[2]

Honors and awards

Ballard received two battle stars for her service during World War II.[2]

Sources

  1. ↑ "Table 21 - Ships on Navy List June 30, 1919". Congressional Serial Set. U.S. Government Printing Office: 762. 1921.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Ballard (Destroyer No. 267) II". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
  3. ↑ "Table Gossip". The Boston Globe. 15 December 1918. p. 51. ...named for their great-great-grandfather, and for whom Miss Ballard was sponsor.
  4. ↑ "Battle of Midway—Rescue of Japanese Survivors of Hiryu and Mikuma". ibiblio.org. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  5. ↑ "War Diary USS Ballard". World War II War Diaries, 1941-1945 via fold3.com. 20 November 1942.(subscription required)
  6. ↑ "History of USS Ballard AVD-10 1918-1945". World War II War Diaries, 1941-1945 via fold3.com. 29 October 1945. p. 14.(subscription required)
  7. ↑ Heyn, Allen (June 1956). "One who Survived". American Heritage. 7 (4).
  8. ↑ "The Sullivan Brothers: List of USS Juneau survivors". US Naval History & Heritage Command. 24 July 1998. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
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