DD-267 - Tin Can Sailors

Hull Number: DD-267

Launch Date: 12/07/1918

Commissioned Date: 06/05/1919

Decommissioned Date: 12/05/1945

Call Sign: NIGN

Other Designations: AVD-10

Class: CLEMSON

CLEMSON Class

Namesake: EDWARD J. BALLARD

EDWARD J. BALLARD

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, November 2021

Warranted a midshipman on 24 February 1809 and still holding that rank, Edward J. Ballard served as fourth lieutenant in Chesapeake on 1 June 1813 when that U.S. frigate challenged the British man of war HMS Shannon outside Boston harbor. Most of Chesapeake‘s crew had been recently recruited, and most of her officers were newly assigned to the ship. As a result of this inexperience and of the crew’s lack of training as a team, the Americans were quickly bested in the ensuing battle. During the engagement, a cannon shot took off Ballard’s right leg close to his body, and he died shortly afterwards. On 2 June 1813, the day following the action, the Navy Department, which had not yet heard of the action promoted Ballard to lieutenant.

Disposition:

Stricken 1/3/1946. Sold 5/23/1946.

TCS Ship History

A Tin Can Sailors Destroyer History

USS BALLARD DD-267

The Tin Can Sailor, July 2013

The USS BALLARD (DD-267) was named for a nineteenth-century midshipman, Edward J. Ballard, killed in the naval battle between the American frigate CHESAPEAKE and the British man of war HMS SHANNON during the War of 1812. He is notable because the U.S. Department of the Navy did not hear of the engagement and Ballard’s death until after it had promoted him to lieutenant.

The CLEMSON-class destroyer was the second to honor the unfortunate lieutenant. She was launched 7 December 1918 by Bethlehem Steel of Squantum, Massachusetts, and joined the Atlantic Fleet. Following her first year of visits to ports in Europe and the Mediterranean, she sailed to the Pacific where she was placed out of commission in reserve at San Diego in June 1922.
She was back in service in June 1940 and bound for the Bethlehem Steel’s Union Yard in San Francisco, for conversion to an auxiliary seaplane tender. Reclassified AVD 10 in August 1940 and commission in January 1941, the BALLARD reported to the Pacific Fleet’s aircraft scouting force.

When the United States entered World War II, she got underway for Pearl Harbor. From January l942 until November 1943, she tended patrol planes, laid aircraft buoys, escorted convoys, and patrolled throughout the Eastern Pacific. Following her return to San Francisco for repairs that November, she served as a plane guard for carrier operations off San Diego until May 1944.

Steaming west in June 1944, she participated in the Saipan operation, laying aircraft buoys and tending the first patrol squadron to operate in that area. Patrol duties during the seizure of the Palau Islands took her from 12 September to 11 December 1944 when she prepared for her return to the states. By year’s end, she was undergoing repairs in the yard at Seattle followed by plane guard duties out of San Diego until 1 October 1945. At that time, the BALLARD left for Philadelphia and a pre-inactivation overhaul. She was decommissioned on 5 December 1946 and sold on 23 May 1946.

Ship History

USS BALLARD DD-267 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, November 2021

The second Ballard (Destroyer No. 267) was laid down on 3 June 1918 at Squantum, Mass., by Bethlehem Steel Corp.; launched on 7 December 1918; sponsored by Miss Eloise Ballard, daughter of J. Edward Ballard, a descendant of Midshipman Ballard; and commissioned on 5 June 1919, Lt. Cmdr. Francis M. Collier in command.

Between July 1919 and July 1920 Ballard , initially assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, uised 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 on 17 June 1922.

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

With the entrance of the U.S. into World War II, Ballard steamed to Pearl Harbor where she arrived 28 January l942. 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). Returning to San Francisco on 7 November, she completed repairs on 30 December 1943 and then acted as a plane guard during Carrier qualifications off San Diego, until May 1944.

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).

In late December 1944, she began another stateside yard period, at Seattle. 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 on 26 October 1945 to commence pre-inactivation overhaul. She was decommissioned on 5 December 1946 and sold on 23 May 1946.

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