Allied Warships
USS Reuben James (i) (DD 245)
Destroyer of the Clemson class
USS Reuben James before World War 2
| Navy | The US Navy |
| Type | Destroyer |
| Class | Clemson |
| Pennant | DD 245 |
| Built by | New York Shipbuilding Corp. (Camden, New Jersey, U.S.A.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 2 Apr, 1919 |
| Launched | 4 Oct, 1919 |
| Commissioned | 24 Sep, 1920 |
| Lost | 31 Oct, 1941 |
| Loss position | 51.59N, 27.05W (See a map) |
| History | Reuben James was decommissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 20 January 1931 and recommissioned there on 9 March 1932.
USS Reuben James (Lt.Cdr. H.L. Edwards, USN) was escorting convoy HX-156 with four other destroyers of the US Escort Group 4.1.3. and at 0834 hours was hit by a torpedo in position 51º59'N, 27º05'W, which ignited the ammunition in the forward magazine. The explosion split the ship in two, the forward section sank immediately taking all hands on that part of the ship with her. As the stern sank the depth charges exploded and killed some survivors in the water. The destroyer USS Niblack (DD 424) rescued 36 men (one of them died of wounds on 2. November) and USS Hilary P. Jones (DD 427) picked up 10 more, but all officers were lost. In all there were 115 casualties. Hit by U-boat |