Allied Warships

USS Wasmuth (DMS 15)

Destroyer of the Clemson class

NavyThe US Navy
TypeDestroyer
ClassClemson 
PennantDMS 15 
ModHigh speed minesweeper 
Built byMare Island Navy Yard (Vallejo, California, U.S.A.) 
Ordered 
Laid down12 Aug 1919 
Launched15 Sep 1920 
Commissioned16 Dec 1921 
Lost29 Dec 1942 
History

Decommissioned on 26 July 1922
Recommissioned on 11 March 1930
Reclassified as high speed minesweeper DMS-15 on 19 November 19 1940

On 28 December 1942 USS Wasmuth (Lt.Cdr. Jospeh Wilson Leverton, Jr., USN) was escorting a convoy through a heavy Alaskan storm when two depth charges were wrenched from their tracks by the pounding sea, fell over the side, and exploded beneath the ship's fantail. The blasts carried away part of the ship's stern and the ship began to founder; in the gale, the pumps could not make headway against the inexorably rising water below. Despite the heavy sea, the oiler USS Ramapo (AO-12) came alongside the crippled and foundering Wasmuth in a display of seamanship and daring. For three and one-half hours, the tanker remained with the sinking high-speed minesweeper, battling the waves while proceeding with the ticklish business of transferring the latter's officers and men (134) and two passengers. After completing that heroic rescue, Ramapo pulled away; Wasmuth eventually sank early on 29 December.

 

Commands listed for USS Wasmuth (DMS 15)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt.Cdr. Church Allen Chappell, USN20 Apr 193919 Jul 1941
2Lt.Cdr. John Lester Wilfong, USN19 Jul 194129 Jun 1942
3T/Lt.Cdr. Joseph Wilson Leverton, Jr., USN29 Jun 194229 Dec 1942

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Media links


Destroyers of World War Two

Whitley, M. J.


Blood on the Sea

Parkin, Robert Sinclair


amazon.com
($ 15.98)


U.S. Destroyers

Friedman, Norman


United States Destroyer Operations In World War II.

Roscoe, Theodore


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