DD-362 - Tin Can Sailors

Hull Number: DD-362

Launch Date: 12/11/1935

Commissioned Date: 08/28/1936

Decommissioned Date: 11/02/1945

Class: PORTER

PORTER Class

Data for USS Selfridge (DD-357) as of 1945

Length Overall: 381' 1"

Beam: 36' 11"

Draft: 13' 9"

Standard Displacement: 1,850 tons

Full Load Displacement: 2,840 tons

Fuel capacity: 4,061 barrels

Armament:

Five 5″/38 caliber guns
Two 40mm twin anti-aircraft mounts
One 40mm quadruple anti-aircraft mounts
Two 21″ quadruple torpedo tubes

Complement:

16 Officers
278 Enlisted

Propulsion:

4 Boilers
2 New York Shipbuilding Turbines: 50,000 horsepowe

Highest speed on trials: 36.4 knots

Namesake: WILLIAM ADGER MOFFETT

WILLIAM ADGER MOFFETT

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, July 2022

William Adger Moffett, born Charleston, S.C., 31 October 1869, entered the Naval Academy 6 September 1886. During the Spanish‑American War he served in Charleston and was captain of the Port of Manila. Increasingly important duty ashore and afloat led to assignment to command Chester on the coast of Mexico in 1913 and 1914. He received the Medal of Honor for brilliant seamanship and valor during the occupation of Vera Cruz in April 1914. During World War I, as a captain, Moffett commanded the Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, directing its growth to the largest recruit training depot. His most significant service began 7 March 1921 when he became Director of Naval Aviation. On 25 July 1921 Rear Admiral Moffett became first Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics, and until his death in the crash of airship Akron 4 April 1933, headed the Bureau’s work of creating the mighty naval air establishment of today. His vision and expertise were an invaluable gift to his nation.

Disposition:

Stricken 1/28/1947. Sold for scrap 5/16/1947.

TCS Ship History

A Tin Can Sailors Destroyer History

USS MOFFETT DD-362

The Tin Can Sailor, October, 1996

USS MOFFETT was the third PORTER class destroyer to be laid down at Bethlehem’s Quincy facility. Like the others, she was laid down on January 2, 1934 and required almost two years to complete. She was launched on December 11, 1935 and commissioned in August of 1936.

DD-362 was named for Rear Admiral William Adger Moffet, the Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics who lost his life in the crash of the huge Naval Airship AKRON (ZRS-4) on April 4, 1933.

USS MOFFETT became almost immediately involved in the growing crisis in Europe in the late 1930s. She joined the South Atlantic Neutrality Patrol in the spring of 1941, tasked with maintaining the peace off the coast of Brazil. She checkmated a move by a pro-Nazi French admiral to mount hostile actions in the Caribbean from the French Navy’s base at Martinique after German forces had forced the surrender of France in 1940. Briefly leaving her tasks on the Neutrality Patrol, she escorted President F. D. Roosevelt to his historic meeting with Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. The historic meetings led to the framing of the Atlantic Charter and cemented an alliance that won World War II.

DD-362 spent the early war years as a convoy escort, protecting shipping between the Caribbean and ports along the West African coast. On May 17, 1943, USS MOFFETT, operating with USS JOUETT (DD-396) copied a report that Navy patrol aircraft had fired on a surfaced German submarine. The big flotilla leader sighted the U-boat just after midnight. With accurate fire from their 5-inch weapons, the destroyer team sank the submarine and later rescued fifty of the U-boat’s crew.

On another escort assignment three months later, USS MOFFETT found herself protecting the cruiser USS MEMPHIS (CL-13) and a merchant vessel enroute to Ascension, the British island colony west of Africa. DD-362 established contact with an enemy submarine, which turned out to be the U-604, one of the most effective raider types launched by the Nazis. With the help of naval aircraft, the flotilla leader began a running battle with the U-boat that lasted almost a week and stretched across the South Atlantic and into the Caribbean. North of Trinidad, the sub surfaced, only to be driven down by MOFFETT’s gunfire; three days later, again with naval air in support, DD-362 reestablished contact and badly damaged the sub with a punishing depth charge attack. The Nazis had had enough; on August 11, the U-boat skipper scuttled his vessel. MOFFETT received the well-deserved credit for the kill.

DD-362 spent the remainder of her career escorting convoys to European and North African ports. Enroute to Bizerte in August, MOFFETT’s convoy was attacked by German torpedo planes. The veteran destroyer succeeded in laying a smoke screen to protect the merchantmen while she skillfully evaded repeated attacks by the aircraft. In frustration, the Germans broke off the attack.

In April 1945, DD-362 returned to Boston for a much-needed overhaul. Later towed to Charleston, the big destroyer found herself in the yard when the Japanese surrendered, ending the war. Work on her refit was stopped, and USS MOFFETT was decommissioned on November 2, 1945. She was sold for scrapping on May 16, 1947.

Ship History

USS MOFFETT DD-362 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, July 2022

Moffett (DD‑362) was laid down on 2 January 1934 at Quincy, Mass., by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp.; launched on 11 December 1935; sponsored by Miss Beverly Moffett, daughter of the late Rear Admiral Moffett; and commissioned at Boston on 28 August 1936, Cmdr. Andrew H. Addoms in command.

Moffett left Newport, her base for Atlantic Fleet operations between 1936 and 1941, on 24 April 1941 to join the South Atlantic Neutrality Patrol off Brazil. After the fall of France, she operated out of Puerto Rico with a force guarding against hostile action by the French West Indies fleet based at Martinique and Guadeloupe under a Vichy-inclined admiral. She left her South Atlantic duty in August 1941 to protect Augusta (CA-31) as the heavy cruiser transported President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Atlantic Charter Conference with Prime Minister Winston Churchill at Argentia, Newfoundland.

For the first two years of World War II, Moffett operated with typical destroyer versatility on patrol and convoy duties in the South Atlantic and Caribbean, escort missions bringing her to U.S. ports from time to time. She made several voyages to west African parts in 1943. On 17 May 1943, as she and destroyer Jouett (DD-396) were on escort duty in the Caribbean, she learned that patrol planes had spotted and fired a German submarine. At 1246, Moffett sighted the U‑boat. The two destroyers sank the submarine with 5‑inch gunfire, then rescued 50 survivors including the German commanding officer.

Three months later, while escorting Memphis and a merchant ship to Ascension, Moffett made contact with U‑604, and again joined Navy aircraft to attack. A running fight ensued through the night, and when the submarine surfaced 95 miles north of Trinidad next morning, Moffett drove her down once more with five hits. Three days later, with the aid of aircraft, contact was regained and the submarine badly damaged by Moffett’s depth charges. In the dark and confusion of action, a friendly aircraft mistaking Moffett for the enemy made two strafing runs which caused minor damage. The stricken submarine was finally scuttled by her crew 11 August; Moffett was credited with the kill.

On 26 March 1944, Moffett sailed as escort commander of Convoy YN‑78, a group of tugs, barges, and patrol craft en route England for the invasion of Normandy. After visiting Wales and Northern Ireland, Moffett returned to New York 11 May.

Moffett’s last combat experience came 1 August, when enemy planes attacked Convoy UGS‑48 as she screened it en route Bizerte. Laying smoke to protect the convoy, Moffett went into a series of brilliant tight turns and maneuvers to dodge the torpedo planes which continued to attack through the night, and with other escorts drove them off with antiaircraft fire. She returned to New York from this mission 27 August. After a last escort voyage to Oran in April 1945, Moffett began extended repairs at Boston.

Towed to Charleston, S.C., 28 May for further repairs, Moffett was still in the yard at the close of the war in August, and work was stopped. She decommissioned in Charleston 2 November 1945 and entered the Reserve Fleet. Stricken from the Navy list 28 January 1947, Moffett was sold for scrapping 16 May 1947 to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, Md.

Moffett received 2 battle stars for World War II service.