# USS Childs

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Clemson-class destroyer

For the Civil War ship sometimes referred to as *Childs*, see [USS Alonzo Child](/source/USS_Alonzo_Child).

USS Childs in 1927 History United States Namesake Earle W. F. Childs Builder New York Shipbuilding Laid down 19 March 1919 Launched 15 September 1920 Commissioned 22 October 1920 Decommissioned 10 December 1945 Stricken 3 January 1946 Fate Sold for scrap, 23 May 1946 General characteristics Class & type Clemson-class destroyer Displacement 1,215 tons Length 314 feet 4 inches (95.81 m) Beam 31 feet 8 inches (9.65 m) Draft 9 feet 10 inches (3.00 m) Propulsion 26,500 shp (20 MW); geared turbines, 2 screws Speed 35 knots (65 km/h) Range 4,900 nautical miles (9,100 kilometres) @ 15 kt Complement 137 officers and enlisted Armament 4 x 4 in (100 mm) guns, 1 x 3 in (76 mm) gun, 12 x 21 inch (533 mm) tt.

**USS *Childs* (DD-241/AVP-14/AVD-1)** was a [*Clemson*-class](/source/Clemson-class_destroyer) [destroyer](/source/Destroyer) in service with the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) from 1920 to 1945. She was scrapped in 1946.

## Namesake

Earle Wayne Freed Childs was born on 1 August 1893 in [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia), [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania). He was a member of the [United States Naval Academy](/source/United_States_Naval_Academy) class of 1915. He married Miss Gertrude Boucher on June 27, 1917, attending his wedding with his head bandaged from a car accident in that morning while driving in a storm. He had been cut by flying glass from the windshield.

Graduating from the Naval Academy as an [ensign](/source/Ensign_(rank)), he was assigned to the [USS *Culgoa*](/source/USS_Culgoa), a refrigerated supply ship. His next assignment was to the [USS *Celtic*](/source/USS_Celtic_(AF-2)) another refrigerated supply ship.[1] In June 1916 he was assigned to the cruiser [USS *Montana*](/source/USS_Montana_(ACR-13)).

Promoted to [Lieutenant](/source/Lieutenant), he served in [World War I](/source/World_War_I) on the [submarine](/source/Submarine) [USS *L-2*](/source/USS_L-2). However, while serving as an observer on the British submarine [HMS *H5*](/source/HMS_H5), Childs was killed on March 2, 1918, when the *H5* was mistaken for a German U-boat by a British merchant ship off the coast of [Wales](/source/Wales).[2] The SS *Rutherglen* deliberately rammed the *H 5*, sending the submarine to the bottom with the loss of its entire crew.

## History

*Childs* (DD-241) was launched 15 September 1920 by [New York Shipbuilding Corporation](/source/New_York_Shipbuilding_Corporation); sponsored by Mrs. E. W. F. Childs; and commissioned 22 October 1920.

Arriving at [Gibraltar](/source/Gibraltar) 14 February 1921, *Childs* joined [U.S. Naval Forces, Europe](/source/U.S._Naval_Forces%2C_Europe), to cruise in the Mediterranean, Adriatic, North, and Baltic Seas until 25 November, when she arrived at [Constantinople](/source/Constantinople). Here she joined the relief mission sent to Russia early in 1922, remaining in the Black Sea on diplomatic duties until 1 April. On 8 July, she departed from [Cherbourg](/source/Cherbourg) for [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia), returning to the United States 29 July.

*Childs* conducted training operations, and joined other ships in fleet exercises along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean until 14 February 1925, when with the [Scouting Fleet](/source/Scouting_Fleet) she stood out of [Guantanamo Bay](/source/Guantanamo_Bay_Naval_Base) for large scale fleet exercises in the Hawaiian Islands and then returned to the U.S. East Coast. On 6 April 1929, she collided with the American four-masted [schooner](/source/Schooner) [*A. Ernest Mills*](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A._Ernest_Mills_(schooner)&action=edit&redlink=1) in the [Atlantic Ocean](/source/Atlantic_Ocean) off [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina); the schooner sank.[3]

In 1932, 1933, and 1934, the annual concentration of the Fleet for battle practice was again held on the West Coast, and *Childs* took part. With her home port changed to [San Diego, California](/source/San_Diego%2C_California) 9 November *Childs* served as [flagship](/source/Flagship) of Destroyer Division 8 Rotating Reserve, Scouting Force, 5 January-15 June when she was in full commission again. She spent the summer of 1935 cruising off the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

The next year *Childs* returned to the east coast for overhaul, then returned to duty at San Diego, cruising several times to the Hawaiian Islands before 14 May 1938, when she cleared for Philadelphia and conversion to a [seaplane tender](/source/Seaplane_tender). Reclassified **AVP-14**, she saw her first service in her new role during the annual fleet problem of 1939, operating between the Florida coast and [San Juan, Puerto Rico](/source/San_Juan%2C_Puerto_Rico), and after final preparations at Philadelphia, sailed for her new base at [Pearl Harbor](/source/Pearl_Harbor), arriving 29 June. She tended seaplanes there and on the plane guard stations off [Midway](/source/Midway_Atoll), [Wake Island](/source/Wake_Island), and [Guam](/source/Guam) until 1 October 1940, when she was reclassified **AVD-1**, and ordered to the [Asiatic Station](/source/Asiatic_Station). The next day she left Hawaii for [Cavite](/source/Cavite), Philippines, arriving 1 November to begin her service to air patrol squadrons.

## World War II

USS *Childs* in 1944.

When war with Japan broke out, *Childs* lay in [Cavite Navy Yard](/source/Cavite_Navy_Yard) for repair, and during the devastation of the yard by Japanese aircraft on 10 December 1941, escaped damage by evasive maneuvering in the confined harbor area. She tended her [flying boats](/source/Consolidated_PBY_Catalina) of Patrol Wing 10 from Manila[4] for 4 more days, then began a lengthy base-to-base withdrawal. On leaving [Kendari](/source/Kendari) harbour on 24 January 1942 she evaded the invading Japanese fleet in a rain squall and survived an air attack.[5] At [Surabaya](/source/Surabaya) the tenders *Childs*, [*Heron*](/source/USS_Heron_(AM-10)), and [*Preston*](/source/USS_William_B._Preston_(DD-344)) rotated as needed to service VP101 which was patrolling [Makassar Strait](/source/Makassar_Strait). Finally she reached [Seaplane Base Exmouth](/source/Seaplane_Base_Exmouth), at [Exmouth Gulf](/source/Exmouth_Gulf), Australia, 28 February 1942.[4] From [Fremantle](/source/Fremantle%2C_Western_Australia) and other [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia) ports, *Childs* continued her tender duties until 12 August 1944. During this time, her planes scouted and bombed Japanese positions and shipping, mined the waters off [Balikpapan](/source/Balikpapan), Borneo, and performed air-sea rescue missions.

*Childs* returned to the west coast 19 September 1944, and after overhaul, conducted training operations off the west coast until the close of the war. She was decommissioned 10 December 1945, and sold 3 January 1946.

*Childs* received one [battle star](/source/Battle_star) for World War II service.

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Ensign Earle W. Childs, of U. S. S. Celtic, Visited Friends Saturday"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42590457/ensign_earle_w_childs_of_u_s_s/). *Harrisburg Daily Independent*. Mifflintown. 1916-04-06. p. 10. Retrieved 2020-01-19 – via Newspapers.com.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Lewistown Officer Lost Life on British Submarine"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42590061/lewistown_officer_lost_life_on_british/). *Harrisburg Telegraph*. Lewistown, Pennsylvania. 1918-03-18. p. 10. Retrieved 2020-01-19 – via Newspapers.com.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** "Casualty reports". *The Times*. No. 45171. London. 8 April 1929. col. F, p. 19.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Alsleben_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Alsleben_4-1) Alsleben, Allan (1999–2000). ["US Patrol Wing 10 in the Dutch East Indies, 1942"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210416153418/http://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/patrol_wing10.html). *Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942*. Archived from [the original](https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/patrol_wing10.html) on 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-03-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** L, Klemen (1999–2000). ["The Fall of Kendari, January 1942"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210416143616/http://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/kendari.html). *Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942*. Archived from [the original](https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/kendari.html) on 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-03-30.

## References

- L, Klemen (2000). ["Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110726053035/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/index.html). Archived from [the original](https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/index.html) on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2021-03-30.

## External links

- [http://www.navsource.net/archives/05/241.htm](http://www.navsource.net/archives/05/241.htm)

- *This article incorporates text from the [public domain](/source/Public_domain)*[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships](/source/Dictionary_of_American_Naval_Fighting_Ships)*. The entry can be found [here](https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/childs.html).*

v t e Clemson-class destroyers United States Navy Clemson Dahlgren Goldsborough Semmes Satterlee Mason Graham Abel P. Upshur Hunt Welborn C. Wood George E. Badger Branch Herndon Dallas (later Alexander Dallas) Chandler Southard Hovey Long Broome Alden Smith Thompson Barker Tracy Borie John D. Edwards Whipple Parrott Edsall MacLeish Simpson Bulmer McCormick Stewart Pope Peary Pillsbury John D. Ford (ex-Ford) Truxtun Paul Jones Hatfield Brooks Gilmer Fox Kane Humphreys McFarland James K. Paulding Overton Sturtevant Childs King Sands Williamson Reuben James Bainbridge Goff Barry Hopkins Lawrence Belknap McCook McCalla Rodgers (ex-Kalk) Osmond Ingram Bancroft Welles Aulick Turner Gillis Delphy McDermut Laub McLanahan Edwards Greene Ballard Shubrick Bailey Thornton Morris Tingey Swasey Meade Sinclair McCawley Moody Henshaw Meyer Doyen Sharkey Toucey Breck Isherwood Case Lardner Putnam Worden Flusser Dale Converse Reid Billingsley Charles Ausburn Osborne Chauncey Fuller Percival John Francis Burnes (ex-Swasey) Farragut Somers Stoddert Reno Farquhar Thompson Kennedy Paul Hamilton William Jones Woodbury S. P. Lee Nicholas Young Zeilin Yarborough La Vallette Sloat Wood Shirk Kidder Selfridge Marcus Mervine Chase Robert Smith Mullany Coghlan Preston Lamson Bruce Hull Macdonough Farenholt Sumner Corry Melvin Litchfield Zane Wasmuth Trever Perry Decatur Hulbert Noa William B. Preston Preble Sicard Pruitt United States Coast Guard Badger (ex-George E. Badger) Upshur (ex-Abel P. Upshur) Herndon Hunt Semmes Wood (ex-Welborn C. Wood) World War II operators Royal Navy Part of Town class Belmont (ex-Satterlee) Beverley (ex-Branch) Bradford (ex-McLanahan) Broadwater (ex-Mason) Broadway (ex-Hunt) Burnham (ex-Aulick) Burwell (ex-Laub) Buxton (ex-Edwards) Cameron (ex-Welles) Chesterfield (ex-Welborn C. Wood) Churchill (ex-Herndon) Clare (ex-Abel P. Upshur) Ramsey (ex-Meade) Reading (ex-Bailey) Ripley (ex-Shubrick) Rockingham (ex-Swasey) Sherwood (ex-Rodgers) Stanley (ex-McCalla) Royal Canadian Navy Part of Town class Buxton St. Croix (ex-McCook) St. Francis (ex-Bancroft) Soviet Navy Part of Town class Deyatelny (ex-Churchill) Imperial Japanese Navy Patrol Boat No. 102 (ex-Stewart) Preceded by: Wickes class Followed by: Farragut class List of destroyers of the United States Navy

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1929 Shipwrecks 2 Jan: Malakoff 16 Jan: Hsin Wah 12 Feb: Alloway 19 Feb: Kanowna 22 Mar: I'm Alone 25 Mar: Muggia 29 Mar: Selje 26 May: Aleutian 9 Jul: HMS H47 17 Jul: USS General Alava 1 Aug: Asakaze 30 Aug: San Juan 7 Sep: Kuru 9 Sep: Andaste 11 Sep: Acielle 2 Oct: Commandant Bultinck 22 Oct: Milwaukee 29 Oct: Wisconsin 31 Oct: Senator 4 Nov: Gilbert San 29 Nov: Norwich City 7 Dec: Ägir 18 Dec: Fort Victoria Unknown date: San Antonio Other incidents 5 Jan: Siboney 20 Jan: President Garfield 29 Jan: City of Cairo 28 Feb: Liberty Glo 7 Mar: Thétis 10 Mar: Pengreep 22 Mar: USCGC Dexter 25 Mar: Germaine L D 26 Mar: Europa 28 Mar: Libia 30 Mar: Naïade 6 Apr USS Childs 7 Apr Paris 18 Apr Paris 27 Apr: Duchess of Richmond April (unknown date) Franconia 15 May: Irwell May (unknown date): Duke of Lancaster, Duke of Rothesay 9 Jul: HMS L12 11 Jul: I-55, Kinugasa 3 Aug: Medway Queen 9 Aug: Viceroy of India 20 Aug Paris September (unknown date): Binnendijk, Eider 5 Oct: NRP Adamastor 12 Oct: USFS Widgeon 13 Oct: Empress of Canada 19 Oct: Bowes Castle 20 Oct: USAT Liberty 6 Nov: Barbana G 13 Nov: Ro-63 22 Nov: Parizhskaya Kommuna 7 Dec: Aba 18 Dec: Algonquin 24 Dec: Roosevelt 1928 1930

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [USS Childs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Childs) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Childs?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.