USS LAMBERTON DD-119

A Tin Can Sailors Destroyer History

USS LAMBERTON DD-119

The Tin Can Sailor, October 2015

The USS Lamberton (DD-119; DMS-2) was commissioned on 22 August 1918 and served with the Atlantic Fleet off the Azores before her transfer to San Diego where she was held in reserve from June 1922 until recommissioned in November 1930. There, in April 1932, she was redesignated AG-21 and spent the next seven years towing targets. With the coming of war, she was converted as a minesweeper and in November 1940 was redesignated DMS-2 and was used in experimental minesweeping exercises off the West Coast. The screen actor Ernest Borgnine served aboard the Lamberton until September 1941 when she was transferred to Pearl Harbor to serve as part of the antisubmarine screen around the islands.

She was on escort duty bound for Oahu when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 and was sent there immediately after the attack to sweep for mines. She continued her patrol of the islands until mid 1942 when she was transferred to Kodiak, Alaska. From there in early 1943, she was assigned patrol and escort duty for the landing of U.S. Army troops on Attu Island in the Aleutians, an incorporated U.S. territory taken by the Japanese. By that bitter cold spring, the Japanese had a garrison of well over 2,000 troops. The ensuing battle for Attu Island began on 11 May 1943. The Lamberton stood offshore screening the ships carrying the reinforcements that were called in for a second assault on the Japanese at Massacre Bay. In the two U.S. assaults, among the 3,929 casualties, 1,200 cases were caused by the severe cold. 580 American’s were killed in the battle. The Japanese death toll was 2,351. By the summer’s end, when the Japanese evacuated their remaining forces from the Aleutians, the Lamberton was bound for San Diego.

For the rest of the war, she alternated between the West Coast and the Hawaiian Islands, during which time, she was reclassified AG-21 in mid-June 1945. At the war’s end, she returned to San Diego. In December 1946 she was decommissioned at Bremerton, Washington, and in 1947 was sold to the National Metal and Steel Company as scrap.

USS LAMBERTON DD-119 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, February 2016

Lamberton (Destroyer No. 119) was laid down 1 October 1917 by Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Va.; launched 30 March 1918; sponsored by Miss Isabell Stedman Lamberton, Admiral Lamberton’s granddaughter; and commissioned 22 August 1918, Lt. Comdr. Frank L. Slingluff in command.

After shakedown in the Caribbean, Lamberton joined the Atlantic Fleet for maneuvers off the Azores in the spring of 1919. Reassigned to the newly formed Pacific Fleet, the destroyer departed Hampton Roads 19 July and arrived San Diego 7 August.

Based at San Diego, Lamberton operated along the west coast from August 1919 until June 1922. She participated in training maneuvers and performed experiments to develop superior naval tactics. The destroyer decommissioned at San Diego 30 June 1922.

Lamberton recommissioned 15 November 1930, Lt. Comdr. S. N. Moore in command. Operating along the west coast, she performed training exercises for nearly 2 years. She was reclassified AG-21 on 16 April 1932 and converted to a target-towing ship. From 1933 until 1940 she operated out of San Diego towing targets for surface ships, submarines, and aircraft, a role which paid dividends during World War II. She also engaged in experimental minesweeping exercises off the west coast and was reclassified DMS-2 on 19 November 1940.

After arriving Pearl Harbor 11 September 1941 Lamberton resumed target towing and ASW screening operations in the Hawaiian Islands. On 7 December 1941, she was escorting Minneapolis to Oahu when the Japanese struck at Pearl Harbor. Following the attack, she returned to port to sweep the harbor. For the next 7 months she remained on offshore patrol in the Hawaiian Islands.

Departing Pearl Harbor 11 July 1942 Lamberton steamed north. arriving Kodiak, Alaska, 7 days later. The high-speed minesweeper performed patrol and escort duty in the frigid North Pacific during the Aleutian campaign. In mid-May 1943 she escorted the task group which brought reinforcements for the second landing at Massacre Bay, Attu. Lamberton continued patrol operations until late June when she sailed for Kuluk Bay.

The high-speed minesweeper then steamed to San Diego, arriving there 23 July. For the rest of the war she performed target-towing operations off the west coast and out of Pearl Harbor.

Lamberton was reclassified AG-21 on 5 June 1945, and, following the Japanese surrender, she operated out of San Diego as an auxiliary.

She decommissioned at Bremerton, Wash., 13 December 1946 and was sold 9 May 1947 to National Metal & Steel Co., Terminal Island for scrapping.

Lamberton received one battle star for World War II service.